Judge denies bid to halt Kingston development

The Audubon Society, steward of the 13,000-acre Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Collier County, was denied by a judge in its effort to stop construction of up to 10,000 homes on 6,700 acres just north of the sanctuary. The project, a master-planned community called Kingston, is in Lee County. 

On March 24, Kyle C. Dudek, a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, issued a 22-page ruling stating Audubon did not meet the “extraordinary” burden required for a preliminary injunction, an emergency order. He also found the group had not yet shown a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of its claims that the Army Corps of Engineers overstepped its authority in issuing permits nearly a year ago. 

Although Kingston celebrated its groundbreaking Nov. 13, site work began shortly after the Army Corps issued its permit in April 2025. 

Audubon filed its lawsuit in August and sought a temporary restraining order in December. By then, model homes already were under construction. They are expected to open by summer, with the first homes projected to be completed this fall. 

Joe Cameratta, CEO of Cameratta Companies, declined to comment, deferring to the company’s attorney, Chené Thompson of Pavese Law Firm. 

“The court’s decision, in part, was a recognition that Kingston is intended to provide an overall net benefit to the environment,” Thompson wrote to Gulfshore Business in an email. “Everyone likes to talk about the number of homes being built, but it is also equally important to recognize the amount of restoration (3,300-plus acres) that is being undertaken at no taxpayer dollars.” 

She said the company is confident in the Kingston plan and expects the project, once completed, to serve as a model for responsible development while supporting wildlife habitat and improving water quality in Southwest Florida, similar to its other projects. 

Although Cameratta Companies cleared this legal hurdle, Audubon is continuing its legal efforts to halt construction. 

Keith Laakkonen, director of the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, said negative impacts already have been noticeable. 

“We are already seeing the effects to water and wildlife at Corkscrew,” Laakkonen said in a prepared statement. “We are optimistic about our underlying challenge to the federal permits of the project, which continues to work its way through the court. Audubon has enlisted the attorneys of the Everglades Law Center to challenge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issuance of a Clean Water Act permit for this poorly designed project.” 

Audubon’s complaint alleges the permit violated three federal laws: the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act. 

“The Corps issued an environmental assessment that found the project will have no significant impacts on the region’s environment and will not jeopardize or take (meaning harm, harass, etc.) ecosystems and endangered and threatened species, including the rare and iconic Florida panther. This determination both ignores the best available science and threatens regional conservation goals.”