LACPP told pay rent for meeting site or leave
Three prospective applicants: These three residents of Lehigh showed up at last week’s Lehigh Acres Community Planning Panel and said they are interested in becoming members of the LACPP and will return in June with resumes. Photo by Mel Toadvine
When the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Panel (LACPP) meets on June 8, there will not be any shortage of applicants to fill the five vacant seats that exist on the board and members will meet at a different location because the county wants them to pay rent to meet at Veterans Park.
Five Lehigh residents say they will be at the June meeting with resumes and will be available to answer any questions from the board. Last month, the LACPP put out an invitation out in the community for those who want to become a part of the board that has worked for Lehigh’s betterment for the last several years. One person mailed in his resume, but was sick and could not attend. Another also had a resume brought in by his wife, but her husband was unable to attend that particular night’s meeting.
Three others attended and said they would like to be part of the program that they said “moves Lehigh forward.”
But neither had resumes and LACPP Chairman Edd Weiner and board agreed to ask all five to come back in June with resumes and be able to answer questions about why they want to serve.
One of those people was Kevin Polley, a 28-year-old man, who said he thought his generation should be represented on the board since it is his generation that will see many of the changes come and see Lehigh’s burst of growth return.
He gave such good reasons for serving that those who attended and the board applauded him and urged him to return in June when the five members will be selected. He said he would be at the June meeting.
The five include:
Rafael Olivier, who attended but did not have a resume; Carol Cherrigo, who agreed with Polley and said she wants to be on the board to help; Nino Pender, whose wife brought his resume but he was unable to attend and was out of town, Steve Conti, whose resume the board had but Conti was ill and couldn’t attend; and Kevin Polley, the young man who said it was important to him and his generation to work to make Lehigh a better place in which to live, work and raise a family.
Weiner noted that if there are others who want to become a part of the board, they should send a resume to him at PO Box 339, Lehigh Acres, 33070 and attend the next meeting.
Weiner also told the group that he had some bad news about the present meeting place. For several years, the LACPP, formerly the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Corporation, has met in the Ruth Ann Anglickis Meeting Room at Veterans Park Recreation Center.
“Because someone in the community complained, the county is kicking us out unless we pay rent to meet here,” Weiner said. “I don’t understand it. We represent the community and have worked to get the land use plan formulated with the help of the county, and now they tell us to pay rent,” Weiner said.
Some in the audience could be heard with sighs and one blurted out that the Recreational Center was built by the taxpayers for the taxpayers of Lehigh Acres.
Board member Frank LaRosa said he didn’t agree with the county’s kicking them out unless they pay rent.
“We pay taxes and this is supposed to be a place for the public … I don’t understand.”
“That’s just the way it is,” Weiner said.
He said the next meeting will be at 1299 Homestead Rd. in the Sheriff’s Bravo Substation’s annex building. He said entrance for the meeting would be at the back door of the building.
At one point of the meeting, Weiner said he didn’t feel well, and passed the gavel over to Thomas Pfuner, the vice chairman who conducted the remainder of the meeting. Weiner was hospitalized the next day in Lehigh Regional Medical Center with pneumonia, said Tami Baker, another member of the board.
The Architectural Board (ARB) which works under the umbrella of the planning panel, had presented documents listing fees for those who want to build or develop or have a zoning change in Lehigh. He pointed out that “small” requests would cost applicants $50 while larger developers would be charged a $150 fee. He said the fee was required for administrative work. He can be reached at 239-470-1001 for more information about how to submit a proposal. You can also go to: www.Lehighacresplanning.com for more information.
The LACPP has become the unofficial board that developers and those who want zoning changes come before to show site plans of new projects. The board has suggested changes, made recommendations about other items, and sends its report to the Hearing Examiner of Lee County. Those in the past who have appeared before the board are asked to come back a second time for a final vote.
Although the advisory board is not a sanctioned board of Lee County was given as a reason that the Veterans Park Center would begin changing them $20 an hour to meet there. Following the completion of its mission to come up with a Lehigh Plan to be augmented into the Lee County Comprehensive Plan, the group became a planning panel and appointed a half dozen people to form an architectural board. This is where future planners and those who want to change zoning may appear and this board will pass the information on to the LACPP which will vote to support the proposal or reject it and list reasons why.
There is no official place here for future applicants who plan developments in Lehigh to go to, so the LACPP has become the agency county officials send them to, even though the board has never been sanctioned the official board for such action. But county officials have sent applicants to the LACPP in the past, but they tell applicants they can plan their own meeting, advertise it, and proceed with informing those who may attend their plans.
But no firm or person has chosen that option.
Weiner told the group that the widening of SR82 may be moved up in time from Alabama Rd. to Homestead Rd.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) board will hold a public hearing at 9 a.m. on May 20, 2011 to consider amending the FY 2010/2011 through FY 2014/2015 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to add the design phase for the two to four lanes widening of SR 82 from Alabama Road to Homestead Road in FY 2010/11 and to add the project development and environment study phase for the SR 31 from SR 80 to North River Road project in FY 2010/11. It is open to the public.
LACPP told pay rent for meeting site or leave
Three prospective applicants: These three residents of Lehigh showed up at last week’s Lehigh Acres Community Planning Panel and said they are interested in becoming members of the LACPP and will return in June with resumes. Photo by Mel Toadvine
When the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Panel (LACPP) meets on June 8, there will not be any shortage of applicants to fill the five vacant seats that exist on the board and members will meet at a different location because the county wants them to pay rent to meet at Veterans Park.
Five Lehigh residents say they will be at the June meeting with resumes and will be available to answer any questions from the board. Last month, the LACPP put out an invitation out in the community for those who want to become a part of the board that has worked for Lehigh’s betterment for the last several years. One person mailed in his resume, but was sick and could not attend. Another also had a resume brought in by his wife, but her husband was unable to attend that particular night’s meeting.
Three others attended and said they would like to be part of the program that they said “moves Lehigh forward.”
But neither had resumes and LACPP Chairman Edd Weiner and board agreed to ask all five to come back in June with resumes and be able to answer questions about why they want to serve.
One of those people was Kevin Polley, a 28-year-old man, who said he thought his generation should be represented on the board since it is his generation that will see many of the changes come and see Lehigh’s burst of growth return.
He gave such good reasons for serving that those who attended and the board applauded him and urged him to return in June when the five members will be selected. He said he would be at the June meeting.
The five include:
Rafael Olivier, who attended but did not have a resume; Carol Cherrigo, who agreed with Polley and said she wants to be on the board to help; Nino Pender, whose wife brought his resume but he was unable to attend and was out of town, Steve Conti, whose resume the board had but Conti was ill and couldn’t attend; and Kevin Polley, the young man who said it was important to him and his generation to work to make Lehigh a better place in which to live, work and raise a family.
Weiner noted that if there are others who want to become a part of the board, they should send a resume to him at PO Box 339, Lehigh Acres, 33070 and attend the next meeting.
Weiner also told the group that he had some bad news about the present meeting place. For several years, the LACPP, formerly the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Corporation, has met in the Ruth Ann Anglickis Meeting Room at Veterans Park Recreation Center.
“Because someone in the community complained, the county is kicking us out unless we pay rent to meet here,” Weiner said. “I don’t understand it. We represent the community and have worked to get the land use plan formulated with the help of the county, and now they tell us to pay rent,” Weiner said.
Some in the audience could be heard with sighs and one blurted out that the Recreational Center was built by the taxpayers for the taxpayers of Lehigh Acres.
Board member Frank LaRosa said he didn’t agree with the county’s kicking them out unless they pay rent.
“We pay taxes and this is supposed to be a place for the public … I don’t understand.”
“That’s just the way it is,” Weiner said.
He said the next meeting will be at 1299 Homestead Rd. in the Sheriff’s Bravo Substation’s annex building. He said entrance for the meeting would be at the back door of the building.
At one point of the meeting, Weiner said he didn’t feel well, and passed the gavel over to Thomas Pfuner, the vice chairman who conducted the remainder of the meeting. Weiner was hospitalized the next day in Lehigh Regional Medical Center with pneumonia, said Tami Baker, another member of the board.
The Architectural Board (ARB) which works under the umbrella of the planning panel, had presented documents listing fees for those who want to build or develop or have a zoning change in Lehigh. He pointed out that “small” requests would cost applicants $50 while larger developers would be charged a $150 fee. He said the fee was required for administrative work. He can be reached at 239-470-1001 for more information about how to submit a proposal. You can also go to: www.Lehighacresplanning.com for more information.
The LACPP has become the unofficial board that developers and those who want zoning changes come before to show site plans of new projects. The board has suggested changes, made recommendations about other items, and sends its report to the Hearing Examiner of Lee County. Those in the past who have appeared before the board are asked to come back a second time for a final vote.
Although the advisory board is not a sanctioned board of Lee County was given as a reason that the Veterans Park Center would begin changing them $20 an hour to meet there. Following the completion of its mission to come up with a Lehigh Plan to be augmented into the Lee County Comprehensive Plan, the group became a planning panel and appointed a half dozen people to form an architectural board. This is where future planners and those who want to change zoning may appear and this board will pass the information on to the LACPP which will vote to support the proposal or reject it and list reasons why.
There is no official place here for future applicants who plan developments in Lehigh to go to, so the LACPP has become the agency county officials send them to, even though the board has never been sanctioned the official board for such action. But county officials have sent applicants to the LACPP in the past, but they tell applicants they can plan their own meeting, advertise it, and proceed with informing those who may attend their plans.
But no firm or person has chosen that option.
Weiner told the group that the widening of SR82 may be moved up in time from Alabama Rd. to Homestead Rd.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) board will hold a public hearing at 9 a.m. on May 20, 2011 to consider amending the FY 2010/2011 through FY 2014/2015 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to add the design phase for the two to four lanes widening of SR 82 from Alabama Road to Homestead Road in FY 2010/11 and to add the project development and environment study phase for the SR 31 from SR 80 to North River Road project in FY 2010/11. It is open to the public.
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