Weeks Fish Camp site plans draw more than 100 people to meeting in Estero

The former Weeks Fish Camp might become a retirement community with a high-rise tower.

But south Lee County community members who attended a public meeting Thursday night at Estero High School said they want to ensure they can launch their boats from the site, which once was open to everyone.

London Bay Homes presented its plans for a mixed independent- and assisted-living community, to be called Bayview on Estero Bay, to the crowd of more than 100 people.

A public boat ramp, 10 trailer parking spaces and 15 car spaces are included in the design. Access to Estero Bay, which leads to the Gulf of Mexico, is a major issue in Bonita Springs, contributing  to the robust turnout. Much of Estero Bay's shoreline in Estero and Bonita Springs is privately owned.

Several residents came forward and said 10 trailer parking spots were not enough. Applause rang through the auditorium after every speaker who raised the complaint.

London Bay Homes developers said they knew of the public's desire to use the Weeks property, so the company purchased extra property along Coconut Road, near The Colony high-rises in neighboring Pelican Landing, a massive gated community split between Estero and Bonita Springs.

The additional land would serve as parking for staff members and overflow trailers during busy days, London Bay representatives said, and a shuttle might be used to transport people to and from their vehicles.

Jim Weeks, former owner of the property, said London Bay was failing the public with its plans for the beloved fish camp.

"You can't have a shuttle going up and down that road," Weeks said. "You need parking on the property."

Ten boat slips would be available for the public to use while parking or preparing to depart, London Bay said. Public restrooms or a possible boat store also are included in the plan, according to the developer.

London Bay's plans call for a continuing-care retirement community that would include 300 condo-style units and everything from clubhouses to pickleball and restaurants.

The development would become fully residential if the state declines to approve the continuing-care retirement community.

The site's tallest building would stand 20 stories high — nearly as tall as the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa just south of the proposed project site.

The five other buildings would stand six stories tall over parking. A separate nursing home building would house 75 beds.

Most resident comments Thursday focused on water access. They said the parking needs to be re-arranged or the single-wide ramp should be expanded. Few spoke about the retirement community project itself; one person said it would attract customers to his business.

The risk of more traffic along Coconut Road also concerned residents who spoke at the meeting. Coconut Road would be the only access point to the area, which includes the Raptor Bay Golf Course and a few residential neighborhoods in addition to the Hyatt Regency.

London Bay said a retirement community would create less traffic than a fully commercial marina and that residents should reach out to local governments for long-term solutions.

The project would need a zoning change and the Bonita Springs City Council's approval before construction could begin.

Councilors have stated they would push developers to provide adequate boat ramps at the site.

Weeks Fish Camp was one of the few public boat launches in the area when it was owned by the Weeks family. It had 125 parking spots.

The popular boat ramp closed in 2014 when a developer purchased 30 acres around the former fish camp. The $12 million purchase took several years, Weeks said.

A large marina and a restaurant with 25,000 square feet of space were planned by the initial developer, which backed out of the project.

A London Bay representative at Thursday's meeting said a marina wouldn’t be profitable and scrapped the idea for a more residential community.

However, a smaller private marina is part of London Bay's plans.

Weeks said he will be unhappy unless the entire property again accommodates boaters.

"It's public marina or bust," he said.

London Bay Homes bought the property in April for $12.75 million. The developer has since hosted private meetings with nearby communities, including Pelican Landing, to share plans and gather feedback.

London Bay Homes is known for developing high-end residential communities, such as Miromar Lakes Beach and Golf Club.