Bonita Springs City Council Halts Major Development Proposal Amid Concerns Over Land Use Changes

The developers behind the proposed high-end, single-family community, Revana Lakes, are reconsidering their options after Bonita Springs City Council voted against their request for comprehensive plan changes. Seagate Development Group aimed to build this 299-home community on 204 acres located on the north side of Bonita Beach Road, across from Palmira Country Club and Village Walk. The plan also included a nearly 40,000-square-foot commercial center.

During the August 7 meeting, the City Council voted 5-1 against Seagate’s request to change the land use from Density/Groundwater Recharge (DR/GR) to Urban Fringe Community District. This change was necessary to allow for residential and limited community use, as the current DR/GR designation only permits 14 homes on the site. Seagate’s plan, which called for 299 units, would have been a significant increase, although still below the 552 units that could have been allowed under the new designation.

Seagate CEO Matt Price expressed disappointment in the decision, stating, "While we are disappointed in the outcome of last night’s meeting, we are exploring our options for the Revana Lakes project."

During the meeting, Alexis Crespo, vice president of planning for RVi and a planning consultant for the project, argued that the site did not align with the criteria for DR/GR land from environmental or hydrological perspectives. She emphasized that the location, being near an arterial roadway and having available infrastructure, was better suited for the Urban Fringe Community District. Crespo also noted that Revana Lakes had already received an environmental resource permit from South Florida Water Management.

However, Council members expressed concern about the potential precedent that changing the land use could set for other developers in the DR/GR area. Despite Crespo's argument that other DR/GR lands to the north are more rural and lack roads or infrastructure, the Council ultimately decided against the change.

Senior Planner Mike Fiigon noted that city staff did not make a recommendation on the matter, as changing the land use designation was considered a major policy decision. The city’s planning board had also recommended denial of the request in May.

Council member Laura Carr was the sole dissenter in the vote, stating that approving the project would have been a matter of common sense, as it would improve the property. Seagate, which purchased the land in 2020, has not disclosed what options it is currently considering. The property includes about 114 acres that were annexed into Bonita Springs in 2008, while 90 acres remain in Lee County. Seagate was seeking to have the 90 acres annexed into Bonita Springs as part of the proposal.