Focus Magazine of SWFL Cheers To Your Style | Page 114

As Nick Batos of the Estero Council of Community Leaders
(ECCL) explains, Bonita’s encroachment prompted immediate
concern because development requirements in Estero are more
stringent than that of the county or other communities. Estero
standards put greater restrictions on density, requirements on
landscaping, respect for ecological sensitivity, and interconnectivity with the community, all of which, as Batos affirms,
contributes to the aesthetic allure and quality of life enjoyed by
residents. “There was a time that some developers didn’t appreciate our development codes. They thought our environmental
concerns made developing here more complicated and costly.
Today, I think they realize that the requirement allow them to
actually build a better product,” says Batos. A great example exists in Batos neighborhood known as The Brooks.
Developed by the Bonita Bay Group, The Brooks is comprised
of four gated neighborhoods situated among 2,492 acres. The
land management practices and water conservation protocols
that overarched creation of The Brooks went on to serve as a
national model of responsible, sustainable development. This
Estero-based community continues to earn distinction as one of
America’s most masterful of master planned developments. So,
the very suggestion that standards of Bonita Springs could increasingly be foisted upon a community that takes pride in having a differentiated quality, one could anticipate the reaction to
annexation. The ECCL rallied residents to sign petitions enabling
the ballot measure on Estero’s incorporation. Over the last few
months, Batos and other members of the ECCL have conducted
several dozen public forums on the initiative, outlining plans for
the future, explaining advantages and responding to criticism
too. Thus far, Batos says the proposal has had only a few detractors. “There has been some complaint that this will create an
additional layer of government that nobody wants,” says Batos.
“We feel that it doesn’t add more government, but more effective governance and greater ability for us to control our destiny
by representing the interests of the people that live here.”
Participants of the ECCL’s public forum seem to feel the same for
the most part, and so too does the business community. “I see
this as something very
positive for the community,” says Estero
Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman Gene Montenieri.
“We’re not concerned
that this is going to
increase taxes … The
Estero Council of
Community Leaders
has done an excellent
job explaining their
objectives and plans
for the future… the
Chamber supports
the Council as well as
the right for people to
vote.”
Voters will not only be
deciding on Estero’s
incorporation. Should
the measure pass, it
would ultimately allow
various districts of the
new formed Village of
Estero to be represented by an cadre
of elected officials.
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14 FOCUS of SWFL 2014

Members of the Estero Council of Community Leaders Jim Boesch, Phil Douglas, Marilyn Edwards,
Roger Strelow and Nick Batos. Photo by Bill Schiller

Beyond representing the interests of their respective districts,
this body would have authority to advance other projects in
which Estero is currently stymied. One such project involves the
creation of Estero Crossing, a new commercial planned development that could be potentially situated on an empty 42-acre site
adjacent to Corkscrew Road.
“We presently don’t have the capacity to act on certain projects
the way we could as elected representatives of an incorporated
community,” says Batos. His hope, along with that of other ECCL
Members, is that voters will simply turn-out and let their will be
known. “Obviously, we think incorporation is a good idea, but
good or bad, we simply want people to get out and vote … that’s
the only way we’ll know what people really want,” says Batos.