The Town Council agenda is out and, despite being shot down by the LPA, the DiamondHead team plans to go to the Town Council Monday with their plan to expand. Last month the LPA unanimously recommended the Town Council deny the project.
DiamondHead Resort General Manager Neil Hopgood says the project has been modified and neighbors are expected to see updated pictures today. When we receive those updated pictures we’ll share them on our Facebook page before the Monday council meeting. It will be interesting to see if on Monday the council decides the changes are too drastic to make a decision and kicks it back to the LPA for a look.
Residents of the Surf Song condo building are vehemently opposed to the expansion. They say, as proposed, the project will block the view of the beach and Gulf that they’ve had for years. The majority of Surf Song owners are full-time residents. Just about all of them have sent e-mails to the Town Council in opposition to the project. What’s Up FMB is trying to rally business owners to support the project. 
LPA members did not have a warm fuzzy for a new building that would have been added on the beach. They also did not believe the resort offered back enough public benefit to equal the ask.
DiamondHead currently has 121 rooms. When going before the LPA they wanted to go to 178 total. DiamondHead asked the LPA to approve an additional 24 units, above the 154 they say they were granted by Lee County when the County was still doing the permitting. There was a question about what the County actually approved because nobody could find any paperwork in the county’s records or the town’s records that those 33 units were previously approved.
Hopgood said DiamondHead needs the additional rooms to stay competitive and relevant. He also said he’s ready to build today. Several projects have been approved by the town, some of them years ago, yet most of them are not coming out of the ground for various reasons.
Local journalism is hard work and we provide this newsletter at no charge. If you appreciate the most in-depth reporting on Fort Myers Beach, please support what we do HEREÂ by Venmo, Zell or PayPal. Thank you.
What happened to the 4 story limit. Why do some developers stay with the plan and others are worried about the size and of course the money? I think Estero has lots of new buildings and there are more that have been approved.
Send it back to the LPA.
from Bobby Moffa, I own three weeks (warranty deed) at DiamandHead, and upon my fiduciary responsibility, i was assured prior to my purchase by Neil Hopgood, (general manager), in 2005 that these are premium 8th floor wrap gulf front units and the best views. Neil never said one word about building a “phase 2” project and blocking my view. My self and many DiamondHead owners and Surf Song owners are all upset and against this major expansion and this today last minute revised expansion.
I did watch the LPA meeting on September 8, and i would like to thank all the LPA members for supporting the timeshare owners and Surf Song owners and voting NO. ( also thank you ED and KIM at Beach Talk Radio (BTR), for allowing me to watch you live stream on your YouTube connection).
Remember, WE, the TOWN, GAVE DiamondHead the public benefit of allowing them the COP (consume on premise) to have and serve alcohol on the sand, and since IAN, this area has been extended to almost the whole Gulf beach front. This is a huge extra money maker for DiamondHead. Thank You
A view you have that is obstructed by construction on another property is known as a “borrowed view”. Enjoy it while you can.
In nyc this happens all the time.if you have commercial property next o your residence. You can loose your view really fast.
They should at least be able to build to the level that was previously there..
or tell Surf Song they have to buy the property with stipulation that nothing is to be built on it.
Jay tell us what was previously there.
I hope the project gets approved and most Importantly built!! This town has not moved forward in 4 years. Redevelopment is scarce and nothing new has gone up. We need to move forward not backwards. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to expand. People have to get over the idea of FMB being what it use to be before the hurricane.
Hopefully the plan will get rejected. Diamond head should not change, just because they offered the town a place to convene on their property after hurricane Ian. That should not give them priority. They shouldn’t get preferential treatment. We want the beach to remain just the way it looks.
I live on Estero Blvd and DO NOT want it to remain the way it looks now! The side streets are coming along nicely, new or repaired homes with landscaping and shade, so beautiful. On Estero we wake up with a daily reminder of the storm, empty lots many still with what’s left of buildings that were destroyed, overgrown weeds and broken, dead trees. We need homes and businesses back along our main road!
Totally agree.to many empty lots.we need tax revenues.