FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Developers have submitted plans for a 240-room hotel, complete with hundreds of boat slips and a rooftop lazy river, to be built here, just off Main and Oak Street on San Carlos Island.
The proposed site is located only a few hundred feet from Joanne Semmer's home.
"I imagine at night it'll become a party center, and I'll be able to hear everything that goes on," said Semmer, a San Carlos Island resident.
Several neighbors attended a meeting on Thursday to voice their opposition to the project. Semmer went a step further by filing a lawsuit against the developing corporation. She initially won the case, but the Governor's office later overturned the judge's decision, allowing the development to proceed. The property owners stated that the legal challenges significantly delayed the project.
"It's been a long time coming because we bought it in 2015 and spent three years in court," said Jack Mayher, co-owner of Compass Rose Marina Village.
After the legal battles, the property was approved for 75 condo units. However, following the impact of Hurricane Ian, developers are now requesting to replace 55 of those condo units with 240 hotel rooms.
Traffic experts commissioned by the developers claim that the increase in units will not significantly affect traffic, but some neighbors are skeptical.
"I think it's just too much for our Main Street to handle; it's a dead-end road," Semmer expressed.
When asked about the neighbors' opposition, Mayher believed it was more personal than practical. "I think they consider me an outsider, so they tried everything they could to block us," he said.
County staff will evaluate the proposed changes and make a recommendation to the County Commissioners on whether to approve the project. The review is expected to take place later this summer.
