North Fort Myers site acquired for preservation via Conservation 20/20 buy

The Lee County Board of Commissioners preserved more than 40 acres in North Fort Myers on the Caloosahatchee recently after approving another purchase dedicated to the 20/20 Land Acquisition program.

The 40.56 acres — seven parcels — is located on the east side of Moody Road on the northern bank of the river.

The property owner is responsible for removing improvements at their expense.

According to the agreement, "there are currently one, or more unoccupied houses, sheds, fences, boat dock/launching pad, former swimming pool, and other above ground and underground improvements on the property."

The agreement states that the boat dock and seawalls will remain, while wells and septic tanks will be removed. The swimming pool concrete will be removed as well and the area there will be filled with clean dirt, graded and leveled.

The seller has obtained a proposal from HONC Destruction, Inc. which will do the demolition work after closing.

"I will proudly make a motion to approve," said District 4 Commissioner Brian Hamman at the commission meeting at which the purchase was made. "It's amazing. This is going to be a jewel to have this preserved forever. I think it's going to be great for our district."

The commissioners approved the purchase agreement for $7.9 million and an estimated closing cost of $20,000. The property appraisals were $8 million and $8.1 million.

There are currently 31,444 acres within the Conservation 20/20 Land Acquisition Program.

"Unless you attend these meetings, people don't realize how much 20/20 land we have purchased," said Commission Chair Mike Greenwell, whose district also includes parts of North Fort Myers.

He said people have said the commissioners do not do anything to slow down development in the county, or help preserve the area.

"We do it constantly. We try to be strategic about the pieces we pick," he said.