Welcome to North Fort Myers!
September Board Meeting
Join us on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM!
This month’s meeting will be held at the North Fort Myers Parks & Recreation Center:
2000 N Recreation Park Way North Fort Myers, FL
Community Planning Areas in the Crosshairs
Lee County Proposes Changes to Lee Plan that Raise Questions & Concerns for ALL OF LEE COUNTY RESIDENTS.
North Fort Myers Civic Association Inc. Vice President, Christy-Lee Iwanow & Secretary, Bob Hill spoke at the Local Planning Agency Meeting 8/31/26
To urge the local planning agency to preserve our local planning panels & community specific regulations.
We all voiced that eliminating these panels directly- drastically reduces public transparency and silences the localized input that keeps our community safe & unique.
By the deletion of the local planning panels community plans threatens the rural agriculture & equestrian characters within Lee County, especially my home town North Fort Myers.
The tax paying residents understand the reasoning for potential updates but demand to not remove our voices.
The Lee County Local Planning Agency (LPA) voted 4-2 on 8/31/26 to transmit Amendment CPA2026-00005, which completely deletes 17 individual community planning goals (Goals 17 through 34) from the county’s comprehensive growth blueprint, the Lee Plan. For North Fort Myers (specifically the broader community and rural pockets like Bayshore and Nalle Grade), this change strips away decades of tailored zoning overlays.
The amendment mostly impacts the North Fort Myers community in the following ways:
1. Shift to High-Density Mixed-Use Development
- Urban Center Framework: The county intends to shift planning toward highly condensed mixed-use areas.
- Clustered Growth: New guidelines plan for homes, retail, and public services to be built directly adjacent to or on top of one another.
- Infrastructure Simplification: The county is removing legacy rules regarding where water and sewer infrastructure can expand, speeding up commercialization.
2. Threat to Rural and Equestrian Character
- Loss of Goal 18: The deletion removes specific local protections for the Bayshore, Nalle Grade, and Old Bayshore areas of North Fort Myers.
- Zoning Vulnerability: Local advocates warn that removing these standalone goals opens the door for tract housing and wall-to-wall subdivisions on land currently designated for small farms, horses, and acreage subdivisions.
3. Severe Reduction in Public Input
- Eliminating Panels: The plan effectively strips power from the North Fort Myers Community Planning Panel and similar local civic groups that historically vetted regional projects.
- Fewer Mandatory Meetings: The amendment removes requirements for countywide public information sessions and neighborhood-level meetings for privately initiated zoning changes.
- Developer-Friendly Deadlines: Fueled by a post-hurricane state legislative mandate restricting counties from placing “burdensome” regulations on builders through 2027, the changes prioritize fast-tracking developments.
Would you like to apply to be on our Board of Directors?
Board of Directors Application
In order to apply to be on the Board of Directors, you MUST be a member in good standing.
Submit your application along with a photo and resume (optional) to: nfmcivic@gmail.com
Do you have time to donate to your NFM neighborhood?
Can you attend events and monthly meetings?
We are a hands-on organization and each board member serves a minimum of 35 volunteer hours a year!
We accept applications all year long! The NFMCA General Election is held at our February Board Meeting. Application deadline is January 15th every year! Be sure to submit your application to nfmcivic@gmail.com
As a member, it is important that you attend our meetings in order to vote. To vote, you must be a member in good standing. You can renew your membership here: https://nfmcivic.com/join-us-today/
I’TS TIME TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP!
| Want to renew online? Please click the link below to renew your membership online today! |
Click below to view our 2025 revised by-laws:
NFMCA By-Laws Revised 1/14/2025
UPCOMING EVENTS IN NORTH FORT MYERS
In Dedication of Mark Lipton
NFMCA Care bears are given to provide love, friendship, and to help cheer up children in their time of need!
March to a Million Meals NFMCA $5000 Donation
The North Fort Myers Civic Association, Inc. presented Lois Thome, representing the WINK March to a Million Meals fundraiser for the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, Inc., with a $5,000 donation.
WINK News is marching toward feeding a million people by March 1st. Please join us throughout the month of February to raise much needed funds! Less than $6 will feed a family of four for a day.
The donation of $5,000 from the NFMCA will feed 10 seniors for an entire year, or 192 families of four for 5 days!
At our February 14th Board Meeting, Director Bruce Vanderveen presented the proposal to support WINK’s Marching Toward Feeding a Million People initiative. The Board of Directors unanimously approved the motion. Now more than ever, our board believes in giving back to our community—continuing to uplift, advocate, and be a strong voice for a better North Fort Myers.
