Property owner Vickee Douglas, Rick Cirtolla, Lee County acquisition manager, and Jennifer Dorning look on at a map of the proposed Bonita Beach Road expansion from Old 41 to Imperial Parkway. Douglas could lose up to 15 feet of her property.
Vickee Douglas isn't happy that the proposed widening of Bonita Beach Road, from four lanes to six, is going to encroach on her property.
She told city officials at a workshop that she's worried about the resale value and what could happen to the tenants that currently live in the property's single-family home.
"This is not good news," said Douglas, who owns a property between Westbrooke Drive and Eastbrooke Drive that faces Bonita Beach Road.
The extension would require the city to purchase 15 feet of Douglas' property for sewer, sidewalks and bike paths.
"The property will get smaller and only a single model home will fit. This might hurt what somebody will be able to do with it when we sell," she said.
The plan calls for the widening of the road between Old 41 and Imperial Parkway — one of the busiest roads in Bonita Springs, with about 30,000 cars per day using the one-mile stretch, according to county traffic counts.
"We are having this workshop to solicit opinions and awareness of what we will need to do," said Nicole Maxey, the senior project manager.
The city of Bonita Springs and Lee County have allocated $7 million to purchase right of way areas.
"We would rather purchase more right of way before more property gets developed out there," said Maxey, whose office has already completed 90 percent of the planning.
Maxey admits that there is no money set aside for this project for the next five years but hopes the city will consider it when it revisits the budget.
"We want this so we can make the traffic better. This is an evacuation route, it connects the north and south corridors and it will give better access to Old 41 and I-75," said Eyra Cash, the project manager for the last year and a half.
Early estimates for the project show it will cost $14.6 million to acquire land and build the road but the earliest work could begin in late 2011.
"It's progress, what are you going to do about it," said Loretta Gallogly, 72, of Bonita Springs.
She has owned a home on Eastbrooke Drive for 18 years and has seen progress come and go.
"They just had our street ripped up and now they did it again for sewer. It's part of progress," said Gallogly, who came out to the workshop to see what was going on although her home won't be directly affected by the widening.
"It's a peaceful area and any growth is good," Gallogly said.
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