LEMON CREEK PRESERVE

In 2007, the Charlotte County Board of Commissioners was approached by a Miami developer requesting a change in the Comprehensive Plan to facilitate development of over 400 units as condominiums on the defunct Wildflower Golf Course. The project went to the County Board three times, the last time with a “developers agreement” presented without notice, which gave the project the density units.

Local citizens, members of the Wildflower neighborhood, environmental groups, and homeowners associations fought the approvals. Eventually, with the help of the Department of Community Affairs and the Southwest Regional Planning Council, were able to show when originally developed Wildflower’s density had been essentially used by the surrounding condos. (Some 40 density units are under dispute as possibly remaining available to the owner). The County Board, in the face of wide community opposition, overturned its approval.The property stands vacant with native and exotic vegetation and re-colonized by wildlife.

Lemon Creek flows through this property from Lemon Lake, under Placida Road (CR775) through Lemon Bay Golf Course and eventually feeds into Lemon Bay.

Besides the preservation of conservation land, residents of the Cape Haze Peninsula will benefit from the removal of the threat of additional traffic along Placida Road, a coastal high hazard area and hurricane evacuation route, as well as further pressure on our already scare water supply.

The property will be managed as an extension of county-owned Amberjack Park. Funding to rehabilitate the wetlands may be available from the Southwest Water Management District. The U. S. Forest Service has already committed to maintaining the edges of the property and to do a limited burn this summer for fire control. Our long-term goal is to convey the property to a park system—either county or state.

Without the unifying intervention of Lemon Bay Conservancy, the Wildflower community would be unable to preserve this land for conservation—conservation that will further defend our quality of life in the environs of Lemon Bay and Gasparilla Sound.

Other Projects of Interest

Cape Haze Preserve
Lemon Bay Conservancy partnered with Wetlands Conservation, Inc., Florida Park Service (FDE), aand Southwest Florida Water Management District in order to strengthen...
>>read more

Grove City Heritage Village
Lemon Bay Conservancy entered into negotiations to acquire the last intact shell midden believed to be
a pre-Calusa Indian village in Charlotte County...
>>read more

Wildflower Preserve
On land-use maps, the 80-acre Wildflower Golf Club in Cape Haze was always called a park.The Lemon Bay Conservancy was happy to announce...   >>read more

Support Our Efforts
If you would like to learn more about how you can help keep.There are many ways you
can help.
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Lemon Creek has once again become a feeding place for a variety of water birds.
Photo:Susan Daughtrey

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