The Lee County Commission authorized its Smart Growth Director & County Attorney – to participate in formal discussions concerning the future of Babcock Ranch. The Babcock family has a contract with developer Syd Kitson to sell the 91-thousand-acre property …but that sale isn’t final, and depends on a number of factors. That includes both Lee & Charlotte County’s willingness to accept Kitson’s development proposal—and allow for more density.
Kitson has said he wants to sell about 80-percent of the land to the state for conservation– while putting about 20-thousand homes on the remaining acreage. Lee County’s Smart Growth Director - Wayne Daltry – says the county has made things clear: it does not want to change comprehensive and land use plans… but likes the idea of preserving so much land.

“If he depends upon knowing what the answer is to the application before he buys the property, the only answer we can give him is what the current law is. It’s been said abundantly…but the attractive concept of the greater part of the land – lets say 80-percent going to state ownership, and half of the rest as open space - gets pretty close.”

Daltry says Kitson has suggested he may not want increased density on the Lee County portion of the Babcock property – but instead land use changes to allow for commercial development. That might mean hitting up Charlotte County for density changes.