Growth

Estero, Florida is an unincorporated area of southern Lee County, located north of the City of Bonita Springs and south of Fort Myers, Florida. Since 2000 Estero has been one of the fastest growing areas in the U. S. Until recently most of Estero's growth has been residential, over 11,000 housing units have been permitted during the last 5 and one half years. However Estero's commercial corridors, US 41 and Corkscrew Road, are now zoned for 10,000,000 square feet of commercial development. With only 1,500,000 of commercial development in place as of the end of 2005, Estero will experience tremendous commercial growth over the next decade.

• Read about the history and naming of Estero, Florida
• Where are Estero's borders?
• See an interactive map of Estero
• Read about Estero's residential, commercial, population and property tax base growth

How Estero Has Changed In the Last Five Years

Originally published in the November 2005 Estero Development Report

Until 1998 Estero was no more than a wide spot in the road on US 41 between Fort Myers and Naples. Its property tax base was just under $600 million…this year it is over $4.2 billion, 7 times greater.

In 2000 the Census Bureau counted 9,503 full time Estero residents with 37.3% of all housing units being vacant…that is owned by “snowbirds”. The estimated total population at that time is about 15,000. Since then over 11,000 housing units have been permitted by Lee County in Estero. Consequently Estero’s total population today is estimated to approach 38,000, with about 14,000 of them being “snowbirds”. That’s an increase of nearly 23,000, or 150%, in less than six years.

Thus, almost everything is new in Estero. Over 60% of all Estero homes are less than 5 years old. Commercial development tends to follow residential development...stores go where the rooftops are located. Estero is now zoned for about 10 million square foot of commercial development. Of that about 1.5 million has been construction and another million is now under construction.

During 1999 the residents of Estero could see that this development boom was coming and that it needed to be managed if it was not to overwhelm the community. With Estero’s strategic location midway between Ft. Myers and Naples, the community leaders knew they could not stop this train, it was moving too fast, but needed to manage it.

At the suggestion of Lee County Development staff the community set about to develop a Community Plan. With the help of a professional planner, numerous public meetings, workshops and surveys were used to involve all the residents of Estero in the development of the Community Plan. It took about 18 months for t the plan to be developed, reviewed by county staff and approved by the County Board.

The primary goal of the Community Plan is to make Estero’s commercial corridors as attractive as all the residential communities that surround them. The Plan contains much more than that but its primary focus is on the commercial development of the community. Most of Estero’s residential communities use Mediterranean designs so that style has been given preference by the plan for Estero’s commercial development as well.

In addition to architecture, beautiful landscaping is a major part of what makes our residential communities attractive. Our commercial corridors would not compliment our residential communities without attractive landscaping in the roadway medians and along the sides of the road where utilities do not prevent planting. As Estero’s roads are constructed and widened all of them will be landscaped. During the last two years Corkscrew Road, Ben Hill Griffin and Three Oaks Parkway between Williams Road and Corkscrew have been landscaped. Trees are now being planted along Estero Boulevard between Three Oaks and US 41. The landscape design for US 41 between Corkscrew and Old 41 is being revised to work around State highway restrictions and to add plantings financed by an increase in County funding for this segment. The designs for all of the other segments are underway and will be implemented when the roads are widened or improved.

Parks and open space are important elements of any desirable community. Estero was always blessed to have the Koreshan State Historic Site in the center of the community. The recent acquisition of the 100 acre Boomer property by the County and State, located immediately across the Estero River from the Historic Site, will nearly double the size of this facility. About a mile to the east on the south side of Corkscrew Road the County is completing construction of the 65 acre Estero Community Park. The Park will include a 42,000 square foot community and recreation center and numerous amenities including an outdoor stage for concerts and other presentations to thousands on its Central Lawn. Finally, Estero’s development standards encourage commercial developers to provide areas for shoppers to relax and just enjoy their surroundings as well as nice pedestrian walkways and biking trails.

Governmental services have to expand quickly if they are to keep up with population growth like Estero has had these last six years. In the last three years the Estero Fire Rescue district has constructed four new fire stations to more effectively serve the community. Recently the Lee County School Board has acquired two new sites for schools in Estero, a 10 acre site for an elementary school just north of Estero High School and a 70 acres site for a high school and a middle school on the east side of Three Oaks Parkway just north of Corkscrew Road. In addition the School Board has agreed to provide 5 acres for a new Post Office on the 70 acre site if there is sufficient room after satisfying the environmental needs of the site. The regional US Post Office has designated Estero No. 1 on their priority list for new Post Offices.

Of course none of this means anything if traffic is constantly snarled and people cannot get where they are going in a reasonable amount of time, especially during the season. Road construction, like commercial development, always lags residential and population growth, but clearly nobody, including our road planners, could foresee the speed of Estero’s development, thus the road network is even further behind than usual.

Thus Estero’s community leaders are constantly encouraging the County and State Departments of Transportation and the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the entity that makes the long range road plans for the area, and our major developers to recognize our traffic problems and solve them as quickly as possible. During the last couple of years two critical north-south road segments have been completed in Estero. They are Three Oaks Parkway from Williams Road to Corkscrew Road and US 41 from Old 41 to Corkscrew Road. Presently, a new four lane north-south corridor, called Sandy Lane, extending about 3 miles from Corkscrew Road to Pelican Colony Boulevard, is under construction for completion next year. Sandy Lane is located between US 41 and the railroad tracks and eventually will be extended to connect with Old 41 after it has been 4-laned by the City of Bonita Springs. Four vital road segments are supposed to begin construction in 2006. They are three segments of Three Oaks Parkway designed to complete the third north-south corridor from Ft. Myers to Naples and the extension of Estero Parkway over I-75 from Three Oaks to Ben Hill Griffin. The Estero Parkway segment is designed to take some pressure off the very congested I-75 Corkscrew Interchange.

Traffic congestions will still be a problem in three areas over the next several years. In addition to ensuring that the above projects are completed on schedule, Estero’s community leaders continue to focus on road improvements at those tree locations: US 41 between Corkscrew Road and San Carlos Park; the Corkscrew I-75 interchange area between Three Oaks Parkway and Ben Hill Griffin and US 41 between Coconut Road and Old 41 in Bonita Springs. 

Two Stimulators of Estero's Growth

Originally published in the July 2004 Estero Development Report

Southwest Florida International Airport

Representatives of the Lee County Port Authority discussed future plans for the airport with the members of the Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) at their meeting on July 16^th. The new Midfield Terminal will open for business next spring. That facility will initially contain 785,000 square feet and 28 gates with provision for a larger number of gates when needed in the future.

A new parallel runway will be constructed south of the Midfield terminal between 2010 and 2015. That runway will not have a major impact upon noise and air pollution in Estero because if will be used primarily for take-offs while the existing runway will be used for landings. Due to our prevailing winds most planes take off to the east and then turn north, thus avoiding Estero airspace.

In the meantime the existing runway will be rehabilitated. Before the rehabilitation begins the taxiway for the existing terminal will be converted into a temporary runway. The airlines that are financing the Midfield terminal have insisted that the existing terminal be demolished so that they can avoid unfair competition from airlines that are not sharing in the financing of the Midfield terminal.

After September 15^th Estero residents will be able to quickly reach the existing terminal without using I-75 by driving north on Ben Hill Griffin Parkway and continuing on Treeline Drive from Alico Road up to Daniels Parkway.

The Port Authority has implemented studies that provide the basis for noise abatement policies that are now part of the Lee County Comprehensive Plan. Residences located within identified sound impacted areas are therefore eligible for Federal Noise Abatement (insulation) grants. Although aircraft movements are expected to increase from the present 75,000 per year to 129,000 by 2020, noise levels are not expected to increase due to reductions in engine noise.

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Update

On July 16^th Dr. Joseph Shepard, Vice President of FGCU, brought the ECCL members up to date on the University's development plans. FGCU's Fall 2004 Enrollment is expected to total 6,300 students. Currently there are 1,700 student housing units on campus with 800 additional off-campus units currently under construction for Fall student occupancy. On-campus student housing units are expected to number between 3,000 and 4,500 five years from now.

FGCU has received commitments for $125 million in private donations during the last five years. Many of these donations have triggered matching grants from the State of Florida and/or the Federal Government. Two major donations have recently been received for development of an Engineering School. Another gift of 75 acres of land just north of Teco Arena will provide the University with a site for several Charter Schools to be affiliated with the University's School of Education.

In addition the University has stimulated private investment by entities that need or want to locate near such an institution. Cleveland Clinic has purchased land near Alico Road and I-75 because of its proximity to the University. Additional land along Alico is being developed as a University linked Research Park.  

Where Are Estero's Borders?

Good Question! And it puzzles a lot of residents. Estero is an unincorporated area of Lee County with no municipal boundaries of its own.  Yet, the Community Plan requires a specific, defined area. So here are the populated area borders of the Estero Core Community defined in the plan - with a strong assist from the boundaries of the Estero Fire District.

FAST FACT:
   Estero’s Core Community encompasses 26 square miles - and 13 golf courses.  

•  West:  The west boundary of the Estero Core Community is Estero Bay.  

• East:   The Core Community extends to the eastern boundary of The Habitat on Corkscrew Road, three and a half miles east of I-75. 

• North: The Estero Core Community’s northern boundary extends west from Estero Bay to include  Riverwoods Plantation and Breckenridge. The line hops Highway 41 to include The Vines and Estero Golf Estates.   It then turns a half-mile south to Koreshan Boulevard and continues straight east.  It jumps I-75 to include Teco Arena and Grandezza and continues east to The Habitat.

• South:  The Estero Core Community is bounded on the south by the Bonita Springs city line which divides Pelican Landing.  It jumps Highway 41 at the Bonita Springs city limits sign and extends east along the south border of The Brooks on Bonita Bill Street to I-75.  Across I-75 it turns north two miles to the southern border of Stoneybrook and continues to the eastern border of The Habitat.

See a list of Estero Communities, with information on the number and types of homes they include.