ALVA, Fla. — Approval of a rezoning application for a 76-acre plot of land sitting on State Road 31 is stirring up controversy in North Olga and Alva.
On June 21, 2023, the Lee County Board of Commissioners approved the rezoning application presented by District 5 Commissioner Mike Greenwell with a three-to-one vote. The plot is owned by Commissioner Greenwell, who has plans of developing commercial buildings and apartments.
The petitioners said the approval failed to meet the requirements of the Lee County Land Development Code.
"We need to do what we can to turn that around and to fight back," said Tony Flammia, lawsuit organizer. "Development is fine, but we bought into a community that has a development plan that says one house per acre, and we’re fine with that.”
The application was first approved in April but was sent back with the discovery that the public was not properly notified. Then, in June, the commissioners approved the application once again, despite opposition during the public hearings.
The Lee County Board of Commissioners declined to comment at this time, given the active lawsuit.
The petitioners are hosting a meeting for Alva residents at the Alva Community Center Thursday night at 6:30 to look at the issue.
