The latest plans for a high-rise condo development on the old Red Coconut site on Fort Myers Beach are facing pushback.
Seagate Development's request to approve the proposal was voted down by the Local Planning Agency 4-2 today during the LPA meeting. Board members said they denied the request because they don't think the project has enough benefits for the public.
The 17-story condos Seagate is pitching with the project continue to be controversial. Some, like Michael Dagnese, think the towers will take away from the small-town charm of Fort Myers Beach. He is one of the residents who came to the meeting to voice concerns.
"We were the last hope on the whole coast of Florida, " said Dagnese, a Fort Myers Beach resident of 41 years. "We were the last little town that was still surviving. Now they want to turn around and make it into a big town. We don’t want that."
Seagate's plan includes a new restaurant with a beach view, a park with bike trails and beach access for everyone to enjoy. During the meeting they announced the private beach club they're planning to build there will now allow for 20 percent of members to live anywhere on beach, the other 80 percent will be residents who live on Seagate's property.
"I love what they’re offering," said Alex King, another Fort Myers beach resident who attended the meeting. "I love all the giveback. It’s a give-and-take. I think we need progress. We need direction."
The developer says there will be around 140 units on the property, and during the meeting Seagate clarified wording within the proposal allowing some homes to be rental units.
In an exclusive interview, NBC2 asked the CEO of Seagate Development, Matt Price, if they would consider lowering the condo heights.
"Lower is a complicated thing because it’s a hipbone, leg bone thing with development, said Price. " It’s a hard process to get through...... I think it’s in our opinion that this is really a council decision, and they’re going to need to show the people on the island and the developers on the island what they think is a benefit versus height."
The project will go before the town council on Monday. 17-story condos are still a part of the plan. The proposal specifics will need to be approved twice by the council in order for Seagate to break ground on the development.