The debate to create a stewardship district, similar to those of Babcock Ranch and Ave Maria, with funding mechanisms to help Neal Communities develop a more than 1,000-acre stretch of land off North River Road in Alva, didn’t take place as scheduled Monday morning.  

Almost immediately after seven members of Southwest Florida’s delegation to the Legislature convened at Florida SouthWestern State College, state Rep. Spencer Roach of District 76, which includes Alva, said he would no longer submit the bill, which was detailed in 124 pages.  

“I do not believe that the members of the delegation have had the proper amount of time to review the language,” Roach said. “I will request to withdraw the bill.”  

State Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, who represents parts of Collier, Hendry and Lee counties, concurred.  

“We got hundreds of emails over the weekend,” Passidomo said. “I didn’t have time to read it. I feel strongly that we do not have the opportunity to review it. I strongly urge the developer to sit down with the community and have a conversation.”  

With that, at least 25 residents of Alva and other citizens concerned about the rapid pace of development in their area applauded. Many, including Alva resident James Kennedy, exited the meeting, which lasted from 9 a.m. until about noon.  

“We’re not trying to prevent people from using their property or to develop responsibly,” Kennedy said, “but the proposal that they have is overdevelopment. It overloads basically everything from the resources available to firefighter response times, the roads, sewer and water.”  

Neal Communities president Pat Neal could not be reached for comment.  

The Legislature also decided against considering state Rep. Adam Botana’s separate requests to consolidate the Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Springs fire departments and to disband the Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control and roll it into Lee County Mosquito Control. Botana promised to let the voters decide those two issues in a referendum on a ballot.  

As for what was going to be called the Duke Farm Stewardship District, on what eventually no longer will be a farm, Roach said he hoped Alva residents and Neal Communities could better communicate on this issue moving forward. The stewardship district was not mentioned during the developer’s previous meeting with community members June 20.  

Roach said he still stood behind the bill. He said it would help the developer install infrastructure for the area to continue to grow.  

“I think that’s bad for the community and bad for environment,” Roach said of maintaining septic systems instead of sewer, which the stewardship district would help overturn. “I think that’s bad for the residents and bad for the county. What the stewardship district will have is a better way to finance the infrastructure, the utilities.  

“I think that’s a smarter way for growth to happen in that community. I think that will happen one way or another.”