A group says a new mine will bring more traffic, more noise and environmental harm, to a part of Lee County.
Tuesday morning, county leaders will hear from both sides on if lime rock mining should go on State Road 82 near Homestead Road.
Many people in the area say it's a bad idea. So they formed a group called “NoMineOn82.” They say lime rock mining would destroy wildlife, threaten nearby farms, create traffic jams and impact the community for 35 years. They say upwards of 2,000 dump truck trips will be on the road each day.
They also say the mine would mean a loss of wildlife habitat as this area designated for the endangered Florida panther. It's the only known critical breeding population in the world.
However, the company behind the mining, Troyer Brothers, said in a previous statement that the mine will benefit the county and will cause no harm to the environment.
The statement said: "Our application is supported by extensive expert studies and analyses in the fields of the environment, wildlife, hydrology/water resources, transportation, and other disciplines, to ensure we meet all federal, state and local requirements. We believe that providing a locally available, in-demand resource in this responsible manner is a benefit to lee county.”
They also say traffic issues will be resolved once SR 82 is widened.
Lee County will start the first of several public rezoning hearings for the 1,790-acre property Tuesday morning. The public is invited to attend the rezoning hearing. It starts at the examiner’s office on Monroe Street in downtown Fort Myers. The hearings will go on until Saturday.
If the rezoning request is recommended, the county will have to give the final stamp of approval.
