Friday, February 21, 2003

By CHAD GILLIS, cegillis@naplesnews.com

Sam Snell, walking with crutches and tending a broken leg, made the trip from Bonita Springs to Estero on Thursday for a public meeting on a future roadway that may be built near his rural home.

Snell, an East Bonita resident who lives off Bonita Grande Drive, is concerned that the future alignment of County Road 951 may affect the tranquil area he's called home for decades.

"Obviously, the road is in our back yard," said Snell's son, Shane Snell. "We're interested because we know a lot of people that will be affected."

The Snells live in an area that has been targeted by the South Florida Water Management District for a public purchase and environmental restoration project. The unknown road route, though, could eventually mean that people such as Snell will be able to keep their homes.

The district already has bought dozens of homes east of Bonita Grande Drive just outside the Bonita Springs city limits.

Jacque Rippe, project manager for the district, said homes along Bonita Grande south of the Kehl Canal and west to Tower Road aren't being pursued for condemnation at this time. The district will still buy the homes of willing sellers in the area.

"It depends on the alignment," Rippe said when asked if the roadway will affect what's known as Southern CREW. "But we're still going ahead with acquisitions."

The district plans to add lands east of Bonita Grande and north of Bonita Beach Road to the 60,000-acre Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed.

In all, about 100 people attended the first of dozens of public meetings on the roadway, all eager to see if and where the road will be built. The study area for the future roadway extends from Immokalee Road in Collier County north to Alico Road in Lee.

Matt Bixler with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida said he's still not sure that a major north-south road is needed east of the interstate. Bixler said he's concerned that building such a road will open up environmentally sensitive areas to development.

"Whatever comes out of this process will dictate growth in the future for lands east of I-75," Bixler said. "This is one of our top priorities because roads lead to growth."

If the road is built, environmental impacts will be a major mitigation issue. Rippe said the district has been talking with the Lee County Department of Transportation about future planning for the wetland areas the road will dissect.

A road running through CREW lands could act as a dam of sorts, diverting water flow during the rainy season.

"It depends on what they're going to propose," Rippe said. "Some things that could happen are bridges and culverts because they're going to be going across a lot of wetlands."

Some at the meeting said the road is needed to alleviate heavy congestion on south Lee County roads. During season, public safety agencies sometimes have a difficult time navigating through seemingly endless traffic.

Bonita Springs Fire District Chief Dan Gourley said 951 would help improve emergency response times.

"The road is definitely needed," Gourley said. "For us, all you have to do is drive out there any day of the week and the emergency vehicles can't get around."

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