Battle over Lee County wastewater, solid waste transfer facilities

A neighborhood battle is brewing over what may become a site for wastewater treatment and solid waste transfer facilities. As southwest Lee County spreads, there is a need for more services.

The county wants to put the new site near Alico Rd., south of Southwest Florida International Airport. Neighbors said they do not want the facility to turn a vast space into that.

They have concerns about land conservation, increased traffic from trucks, changes in property values and the transportation of hazardous waste in their backyards.

Part of the land in question once fell under the Conservation 2020 Program. However, Lee County Utilities traded it in a land swap. Neighbors said the county originally planned the facility near a neighborhood called, “The Place,” off Corkscrew Rd.

“It’s just really inconsistent,” Paul Milford said. “I think we’re all feeling very frustrated about why it’s not okay next to ‘The Place,’ but it is okay next to our homes.”

A public zoning hearing over the issue takes place Wednesday at 9 a.m. If it moves forward from there, commissioners will have the final decision.