There are currently three new communities under development along Burnt Store Road in Charlotte County. Lee County also confirmed the development of approximately 3,000 homes south on Burnt Store Road near the Tranquility Lake RV Park. Lee County recently allowed a density change from one home per 10 acres to 10 homes per acre on 35 acres across from the Dollar General store.
These developments will more than double the number of residents along Burnt Store Road and exacerbate traffic problems and road safety. There are also concerns about the impact of development on flood management and protection of wildlife, as well as access to key neighborhood services. The Burnt Store Corridor Coalition has been advocating for an update to the 2005 Burnt Store Area Plan to address these issues for the last four years.
One initiative is the newly funded hydrology study, which is being funded through the South Charlotte Stormwater MSBU. This MSBU represents those areas within South Charlotte County from the Desoto County line to north Lee County. The Advisory Board has been advocating for this study for over two years, which resulted in a public meeting held at the Event Center in January of 2024. The County Board of Commissioners subsequently recommended moving forward with this project and an RFP was prepared and disseminated to eligible potential contractors in mid-June of 2024. Responses were reviewed and recommendations made to the County Commissioners resulting in the selection of Kimley-Horn. The Scope of Work was completed and reviewed by key representatives of the Burnt Store Corridor Coalition and MSBU. It has recently been signed, and work is expected to begin shortly. The estimated cost of the project is approximately $500,000. The study focus is the Burnt Store area, with particular emphasis on established communities on the west side of Burnt Store Road and the impact of new developments on the east side of the road. Developments west of Tucker’s Grade and I-75, e.g., Tropical Gulf Acres, will also be included. Residents will have an opportunity to provide input and express concerns to the county and its contractor at public meetings, through the Coalition, and MSBU.
Another initiative has supported a change in the land use designation from Burnt Store Limited Development to Commercial of a 40-acre tract across from Peppercorn Drive. This was recently approved by the Board of County Commissioners. The owners, who are local residents, must now apply for a change in zoning that will finalize their ability to engage in commercial development. A recent survey of members of the Coalition indicated priorities included 1) a grocery store and 2) an urgent care facility, among other amenities. The property owners are highly motivated to create local commercial opportunities for key services for those living in proximity to the county line from both counties. This will reduce the number of longer trips to either Punta Gorda or Cape Coral for essential services.
There has also been significant progress on the Burnt Store Road expansion from the Charlotte County line south to Van Buren Boulevard in Cape Coral. The Burnt Store Road Corridor Coalition held a joint Charlotte and Lee County meeting on September 16. One result of that meeting was the repaving of the two-lane roadway as a stop gap until construction can be completed. Representatives from Lee County’s Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Planning Organization also stated that there are no plans to acquire additional property along the 1.5-mile stretch east of the Marina. A Continuous Green T (CGT) intersection at Burnt Store Road and Vincent Avenue is being planned.
The Continuous Green T intersection, or CGT, is a three-legged intersection that allows one direction of travel on the major street to operate under free-flow conditions. The opposite major street direction of travel and minor street approach are typically controlled by traffic signals. Here is how a CGT would function for motorists at the intersection of Burnt Store Road and Vincent Avenue (See schematic). On Burnt Store Road, northbound traffic would proceed through the Vincent Avenue intersection without stopping. Motorists who wish to turn left onto Vincent Avenue from this direction must first stop at the traffic signal before completing their movement. Southbound motorists on Burnt Store Road would have the options of proceeding straight as through-traffic or turning right onto Vincent Avenue, just like at a conventional signalized T-intersection. From Vincent Avenue, motorists would use the right turn lane to proceed southbound on Burnt Store Road. To turn left onto Burnt Store Road, motorists would use the channelized lane on Burnt Store Road to merge after passing through the traffic signal. This design would install a traffic light at Vincent Avenue for all southbound traffic only. Northbound traffic will be uninterrupted. Northbound traffic exiting Vincent Avenue would merge into southbound traffic after getting a green traffic light.This design is similar to the intersection of Burnt Store Road and Zemel Road, but in the opposite direction (See attached design schematic) and with a traffic light. Traffic exiting the marina via the main gate will not be able to turn left, or northbound, but will head south and then make a U-turn to the north.
Benefits of the CGT include improved efficiency and safety. The free flow of northbound traffic on Burnt Store Road allows more green light time to the other movements, reducing delay. Left-turning vehicles from Vincent Avenue would use a channelized receiving lane on Burnt Store Road to merge. The channelization of the left- hand-turning vehicles from Vincent Avenue reduces the potential for angle crashes.
Please note: Information about the Continuous Green T is a reprint from the Burnt Store Marina’s November edition of The Beacon by Jerry Newmin.
A public hearing will be held on January 25, 2025, to present the final plans for the Burnt Store Road widening project. Once approved, the project will be transferred from the Florida Department of Transportation to Lee County (Department of Transportation). Staff from both counties will work collaboratively to address the widening of the quarter mile stretch from Wallaby to Vincent Avenue (the county line). Both Charlotte and Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organizations will continue to be involved.
Dr. Mary Ellen Kiss, Cofounder BSCC ~ John Fleming serves as the Chair.
