Edd Weiner

The next meeting of the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Panel is at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9 at Veterans Park and Chairman Edd Weiner is looking for area residents who have the expertise and background of a planner and an engineer contractor or developer to show up to become a member of the LACPP’s newest panel, the Architectural Board.

“We have two on the committee already plus two from our LACPP, but we need at least two additional people to come and join us. Once that is completed the group can meet to select its chairman and work can begin on overseeing upcoming development in Lehigh with suggestions of how we can make Lehigh a better community,” Weiner said. He is also the president of Lehigh’s Economic Development Board and as such, along with members in the community, will work to implement the Lehigh Plan as far as architectural and landscaping is involved.

“We need people on our Architectural Board who have an understanding of architecture and various forms of engineering,” he said. “Landscape designers are needed, too.”

In February, two members were selected for the new panel from Lehigh. They included Greg Desario, a landscape architect and Inke Baker, a lay person, with background in planning, who has an interest in implementing the plan for the betterment of Lehigh. She is the assistant director of the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re not sure the word has gotten out about inviting people to come and become a member of this selective committee,” Weiner said.

In addition to those mentioned above, Weiner, himself is an architect, and Matt Gordon, who has a background in civil engineering, will both represent the LACPP, which was formerly the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Corp. or LACPC.

The board will listen to applicants such as builders and developers and make suggestions for changes in site plans if necessary and pass that information back to the Planning Panel.

That information would eventually go to county officials who will make final decisions about future enterprise in Lehigh Acres.

The board would act much like one in Estero, Weiner said.

In Estero, the board has a great influence on county officials about the type of buildings and projects the people of Estero want. If they don’t want a typical major box type store, they will insist on architectural changes. And so far, they have a good association with the county in just how the people of Estero want their community to look.

Instead of all types of architecture that doesn’t blend well in a community like Lehigh, the board would essentially work to bring a style of architecture suitable for Lehigh, all with the aim of improving the image of the community.

Weiner says the Planning Panel would prefer to have Lehigh residents serve on its Architectural Board, but according to its bylaws, if none can be found in Lehigh, then members can come from outside the community.

Some of the items such a board can take up would be the way the numbering of addresses of buildings on major highways in Lehigh are done. Who is responsible for making it one way or another, Weiner said.

That is a current problem already in Lehigh and an unscientific poll by The Citizen shows that Lehigh Acres citizens overwhelmingly responded that it is difficult to find street numbers along Homestead Rd. and Lee Blvd.

“We really need people in the business of architecture, land design and planning or who have been associated with such work to join us. It could be a current professional or someone who has retired. We need good people to be on that board so Lehigh can become the type of community that its residents want to see,” Weiner said.

“If you know someone with backgrounds like these, let them know the community needs their help,” Weiner said.