EXCITING TIMES AHEAD!
INTRODUCTION
Before we look forward to 2025, there are important things to report for the latter part of 2024!
1. The Recreational And Sports Development Planned For Estero
The Village Management set up two meetings at the end of October and November 19th for residents to review and comment on the development of the planned sport that will span 100 acres north of Williams Road and East of Via Coconut. This includes the purchase of the driving range on Williams Road (10 acres), the 99-year lease of 52 acres from the high school, and the recent agreement with Lee County to purchase 25 acres of the land that makes up part of the area south of the Estero Recreational Center.
The plan is to provide a “high-end” sports complex with many exciting sporting options. The overall complex will cover almost 100 acres, including the High Five development complex, which includes pickleball courts, 10-pin bowling, and many other facilities. The development
will be completed in 3 to 5 years, but many facilities will be finished before then.
2. The Impact Of Global Warming In Our Area
Engage Estero produced a Public Forum on November 12th at FGCU’s Cohen Ballroom. It attracted approximately 120 residents to register who had many questions for the panel. Given the high level of interest and the fact that time did not permit all the points raised to be adequately covered, a follow-up meeting is being considered for 2025.
Greg Tolley, Dean of The Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University, moderated the eminent panel of local experts, which focused on ensuring that we continue to enjoy the opportunity to live as safely as possible, given the trends experienced with climate change.
Aside from addressing unanswered questions, Engage Estero, with the help of our expert panel, examined the local impact and potential solutions, the risk to water quality, municipal environmental sustainability, and community education and engagement. The Engage Estero Management Team will examine a suitable date and the availability of panel members to continue with Part 2 of the discussion of the threat to our locality from Global Warming and the need for community involvement in trying to gain traction from state, county, and local governments to act.
OTHER PLANS FOR 2025
Celebrating Our 25th Anniversary: Engage Estero will celebrate its 25th Anniversary this year. Various communications and events are being planned to explain that original research and communication have been central to Engage Estero’s mission for the last 25 years. Stay tuned for various announcements and details about our celebration.
The organization is known for being a reliable and objective source of updates specific to Estero, particularly regarding potential changes and how residents can influence decision-making. Most Estero residents recognize the importance of staying informed and engaged on issues affecting our community.
February 26th Road Safety Part 2: There will be a follow-up meeting on improving road safety in Southwest Florida. In October, Frank Domingo, Professional Engineer and Principal at Stantec, and Ron Gogoi, the AICP Transportation Planning Administrator of the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), reviewed the MPO Action Plan.
The follow-up meeting will involve Don Scott, Head of the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization, and strategist Carmen Monroy, focused on innovative transportation and performance-based management working with CTS Engineering Inc. They will answer several questions and concerns already raised by residents and explain what can and cannot be achieved in the future. The meeting will be held at the Estero Recreational Center on February 26th at 10 a.m.
The notes on the previous meeting can be seen by using this URL link: https://www. esterotoday.com/event/oct2024/.
March 26th: The Report on the Estero Traffic Study: In 2024, The Village of Estero undertook a major traffic investigation. Johnson Engineering/Leah Holmes conducted the project. Many residents have been interested in hearing about the investigation’s results and what conclusions and recommendations have emerged. Steve Sarkozy, Estero’s Village Manager; David Willems, The Village’s Public Works Director; and a Johnson Engineering/Leah Holmes representative have kindly agreed to present the project’s findings. The meeting will be held on March 26th at 10 a.m. at the Estero Recreational Center.
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Engage Estero is an all-volunteer, nonpolitical, nonprofit Community Engagement Association. We exist to inform citizens of significant community issues and encourage citizen engagement to impact the quality of life in greater Estero favorably.
