| This letter is being submitted as an editorial opinion and I thought that I might share it with you, as well.
My community of Lehigh Acres faces many challenges, some the result of poor original planning, others the result of government failure. Today, the Board of County Commissioners approved a Plan which is the product of community-wide input and sets out a roadmap for success.
In the past few years, Lehigh has experienced rapid population growth. We are grappling with the many difficult aspects of such growth and dealing with the emotional pain of leaving our small town behind is difficult, but necessary.
We also must be careful not to overestimate the ability of government to address our problems. The proposed Lehigh Plan is likely to succeed because the creative process was deliberative and inclusive. If viewed as a government mandate, the Plan is doomed. Each resident needs to take personal ownership of the vision in order for it to thrive.
So where do we start?
First, implement the Plan. It provides the framework for much needed commercial space and addresses the mounting problems of residential sprawl and commuter traffic.
Second, address municipal improvements, such as sidewalks, curbs, and streetlights. The best vehicle is a Municipal Special Benefit Unit (MSBU), wherein the tax is allocated equally based upon land area, rather than an ad valorem tax. This way, every property owner, absentee and resident, contributes equally to this expansion of critical infrastructure.
Third, accept the realty of central sewer. While septic systems inherently pose little risk to public health, few homeowners maintain them properly. This leaves two equally unpleasant options: create a new government bureaucracy that hassles everyone to maintain their system, or expand the existing central system. While levying a utility assessment is politically and economically distasteful, we need to accept these facts and begin improving the quality of life in Lehigh.
Fourth, address the real problems of blight. Residents have recently come together to create the Lehigh Acres Weed & Seed program, based on the successful Westminster model, where volunteers have improved their area through code enforcement, clean-ups and watches. Those areas which have embraced this strategy have seen crime and blight drop rapidly. This program is succeeding precisely because it is not a top down government directive, but a community organized, bottom-up groundswell of volunteer activity.
Fifth, we need to address the critical need for preservation in Lehigh Acres. Our community was once roughly 70% wetlands, serving as the headwaters of the Estero, Imperial, & Orange Rivers and Hickey & Bedman Creeks. The original drainage plan was not scientifically engineered, and at full build-out, the canals will not be able to handle major storm events. We face the real danger of natural disaster if this issue is left unaddressed. The Lee County Conservation 20/20 program can be, and has been, a vehicle for success, but it will require the initiative of private citizens to truly realize this goal.
This is only one man's opinion and I hope that it is received in the spirit with which it is shared. Neither the present, nor the future, of Lehigh Acres is as bleak as the national press would have us believe. Ours is a diverse community and, together, we can easily surmount the relatively minor hurdles in our path. |
|
Sincerely,
 Matt Caldwell
P.S. - Please consider using the link below to forward this message to your friends. Thanks. |
