LaRue Planning & Management was selected in 2009 to implement the Community Plan of North Fort Myers by writing specific Land Development regulations for the Town Center, Neighborhood Center and Corridor Overlays. Code provisions were developed to incentivize existing uses to comply with the proposed overlay regulations including specific architectural standards for this diverse Lee County community of over 50,000 people.
With walkability and pedestrian access as two of the stated goals in the building of compact communities, the regulations for the Neighborhood Centers and Corridor Overlays embrace Smart Growth principles. Their emphasis is on the scale and intensity of development using qualitative design principles rather than the quantitative results of traditional zoning approaches.
LaRue Planning is just now completing the first phase of this project (Community Wide, Neighborhood and Commercial Corridor development regulations). The firm has begun work on the last phase of this project, Form-Based development regulations for the “Town Center”, due for completion in late 2011. Development Regulations are being designed specifically for the Town Center area between U.S. 41 and Business U.S. 41. These regulations are unique for this area in that Form-Based Code regulations are more flexible than the conventional use-based zoning approach.