Burnt Store Area Plan, Charlotte County

The Burnt Store corridor in southern Charlotte County is a high-growth area that suffered from significant infrastructure deficits and a lack of long-range planning. Bonita Bay Group acquired 960 acres along Burnt Store Road in early 2004 and recruited other major landowners to create an Area Plan that would comprehensively approach future land uses, transportation, utilities, environmental linkages and water management. An 18-month planning process involved elected officials, county staff members, governmental agency representatives, environmental leaders, members of homeowners associations, community leaders and interested citizens.

Passarella & Associates provided the environmental analysis of the 23,698-acre area, one of the county’s most environmentally sensitive corridors. The firm developed guidelines for the design of wildlife corridors, flowways and greenways.

In spring 2005, Charlotte County unanimously approved the Area Plan, which cut six years off the planning process and was applauded as a model approach to planning large corridors.

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