THE FUTURE OF LEHIGH ACRES

By Edd Weiner

The future of Lehigh Acres is that of a new city, burgeoning with commercial shops, offices, restaurants, community facilities, parks and recreation venues as well as residences of different character.

How do we get to this place?

Well, in a short period of time, the Lee County Commission will retain the services of a professional planner, whose job it will be to help create an image for Lehigh Acres. Notice the word help. This plan will only come about with the continuous input from Lehigh's great citizens. It is the citizenry who will discuss "the image." It is the citizenry who will discuss the character of the commercial businesses we will seek out to come to Lehigh. It is the citizenry who will help determine the character and quantity of parks and recreation areas. All this support will be channeled through the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Corp. and through "charettes" where all will participate with blank sheets of paper to form what will eventually be a final product.

Do not shy away from your responsibility; it is you who is going to turn this into the future City of Lehigh Acres. Do not be misled by the nay sayers. They will endeavor to convince you your taxes will skyrocket when we finish the plan. They will endeavor to convince you that the 1,500 miles of roads that are within Lehigh Acres will cost you a fortune.

On and on and on.

Nothing could be further from the truth, but then again, they don't want to do anything constructive because they are afraid of the unknown.

Get out and hear the planners.

Participate. Be part of the future, not part of the past. Only Lehigh Acres will control its own destiny, and you will be part of that control.

Edd Weiner is a resident of Lehigh Acres , member of the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Corp. and the owner of ETW &  Associates Architect/Planner, Inc., an architectural planning firm located in Naples. He is a former city councilman in Plantation, FL. He lives in Varsity Lakes with his wife, Janice.

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