Presentation-Dec-11th-Village-Update

An Executive Summary of the December 11th Community & Membership Meeting

The meeting addressed:
   1) The Final Results of the Village of Estero’s 2024 Traffic Study.
   2) An Update on the Septic to Sewer Program.
   3) An Update on the Estero River Park.

Introduction

Estero, December 11, 2025 – Over 70 residents attended Engage Estero’s Community Meeting, which highlighted residents’ considerable interest in the Village’s infrastructure and development projects. Attendees, who filled the room, were eager to hear the updates and recommendations that emerged from Estero Village’s 2024 transportation study, the updates on the septic-to-sewer conversion project, and Estero on the River Park.

Alan Bowditch, President of Engage Estero, welcomed attendees, noting the strong turnout was encouraging and reflected the importance of the meetings the organization has hosted throughout the past year. He introduced the morning’s key speakers: Leah Holmes, Johnon Engineering Senior Executive who oversaw the comprehensive 2024 traffic survey, and David Willems, Estero Village’s Director of Public Works, and Steve Sarkozy, Estero Village’s Manager.

Traffic Study Reveals Severe Congestion and Safety Risks

Leah Holmes delivered a detailed analysis of the 2024 traffic data collected during the peak season of February and March. The study involved 24/7 roadway counts and detailed turning movement counts. The investigation even includes the often-overlooked “noon lunchtime hour peak” for some intersections. The goal was to establish a 2024 baseline and project traffic conditions out to 2034.

A key concept explained to the audience was the Level of Service (LOS), where LOS ‘A’ signifies free-flowing conditions, up to LOS ‘F’, which indicates that a roadway has exceeded its capacity, resulting in stop-and-go traffic and high congestion. The findings were stark: In current 2024 conditions, major thoroughfares like Tamiami Trail and Three Oaks Parkway already exceed roadway capacity. Looking ahead to 2034, projections anticipate that a segment of Williams Road will also exceed capacity.

Residents were particularly interested in details examining intersection performance, measured by vehicle delay. The study examined 15 signalized intersections, many of which are already over capacity in terms of vehicle delay, and several more are expected to reach capacity by 2034 if no improvements are undertaken.

High-Priority Safety Interventions

Holmes also presented a critical review of five years of crash history at key intersections. The high frequency of crashes at Tamiami Trail and Williams Road was highlighted, particularly because three of the 118 crashes recorded in that period involved fatalities, two of which were due to vehicles attempting left turns across US 41 into Williams Road oncoming traffic.

The recommendation to address this has already been put forward. It involves changing the left turns at Tamiami Trail and Williams Road from “permitted” (unprotected) to “protected only” (meaning that traffic can ONLY turn across north or south-bound traffic on US 41 on the green arrow). Residents approved the decision even though it might delay traffic making that turn. It was felt that, despite the possible inconvenience, the cost of not making that unsafe change would be unacceptable. This recommendation was considered a high priority because of its safety and operational advantages.

Other high-priority recommendations included adding a traffic signal at Tamiami Trail and Pelican Colony Boulevard, which is currently in the permitting stage, and extending the westbound left turn lane on Coconut Road, coordinating with the future Woodfield development.

Some other specific recommendations were:

• Corkscrew Road (Tamiami Trail to I-75)
  • Lee County Cost Feasible 6-Laning
• Corkscrew Road (East of Ben Hill Griffin)
  • Ultimate design planned for the future 6-Laning
• Three Oaks Parkway
  • Increase capacity through Lee County involvement to meet current and future travel demands
• Tamiami Trail & Estero Parkway
  • Estero Parkway turn lanes are insufficient in length, close the left turn into Walmart, and lengthen the dual left turn lanes onto Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41)
• Monitor and improve traffic light sequencing along US41 (FDOT)
• Williams Road
  • Potential turn lane additions at Three Oaks Parkway
  • Potential 2 to 4 lane widening
  • Scheduled roundabout addition at River Ranch Road intersection.
• Tamiami Trail & Pelican Colony
  • Installation of a traffic signal
• Tamiami Trail & Coconut Road
  • Extend westbound left turn lane
  • Future Pelican Colony traffic signal may help alleviate traffic congestion at this intersection
• Corkscrew Road & Via Coconut Point
  • Southbound turn lane improvements could improve capacity.
• Tamiami Trail & Pelican Sound Drive
  • Modify intersection to right-in/right-out to address unprotected movements across Tamiami Trail.
  • Potential future signal with development to the east
• Tamiami Trail & Via Rapallo Drive
  • Recommend completing a signal warrant analysis
• Tamiami Trail & Coconut Road
  • Eastbound and Westbound left turn lane improvements, along with coordination with future Woodfield development. Addition of a traffic signal (permitting stage) at Pelican Colony to help relieve congestion on Coconut Road.
• Tamiami Trail & Via Rapallo Drive & Fountain Lake Boulevard
  • Traffic Signal warrant studies.
• Tamiami Trail & Estero Parkway
  • Increase WB left turn lane storage (Remove Walmart left turn)
• Tamiami Trail & Corkscrew Road
  • Modify the westbound approach to a dual left turn, single through lane, and exclusive right turn lane, as well as add a secondary right turn lane for the eastbound approach.
• Tamiami Trail & Broadway Avenue
  • Addition of exclusive eastbound and westbound left turn lanes
• Coconut Road & Coconut Shores Drive & Olde Meadowbrook
  • Roundabout Study
• Corkscrew Road & Via Coconut Point
  • Southbound left turn lane extension

During the Q&A, residents expressed specific frustrations about traffic enforcement, with one attendee noting that speeding is widespread, especially on major roads like Estero Parkway and Three Oaks Parkway. The host clarified that traffic enforcement falls under the Lee County Sheriff’s jurisdiction, though the Village regularly requests stricter enforcement from the substation for roads with high complaint levels.

The presentation also highlighted the limits of Village jurisdiction. The state maintains the Tamiami Trail, while Corkscrew Road and Three Oaks Parkway are Lee County roads. Therefore, major capacity upgrades, such as the planned six-laning of Corkscrew Road, require county involvement to meet future travel demand.

Septic-to-Sewer: The Grant Funding Crucible

David Willems, Estero’s Village Director of Public Works, provided a valuable update on the septic-to-sewer project. These conversions are crucial because studies show the Estero River and Bay are impacted by high levels of nutrients and bacteria, partly due to septic tanks, especially those located near the river.

Two projects, Cypress Bend and Sunny Grove (both package wastewater treatment plants), are currently under construction. However, the fate of other large-scale projects, such as Broadway West and Cheryl Ludich Lane, depends on securing external grant funding. The grant funding issues were later discussed by the Village Manager, who expressed frustration with the delays and difficulties this process has involved. He pointed out the need to secure as many grants as possible because they significantly reduce the potential costs to residents and the Village when making these changes. In addition, if work is conducted before a grant is received, this seriously impacts the decision to agree the grant and/or the cost of that work gets deducted from the grant!

The most urgent and frustrating obstacle was the delay in securing a potential $16.5 million federal grant through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Willems and Village Manager Steve shared their deep “pain” and sadness over the uncertainty. The dilemma is severe: If the Village waits for the federal grant, individual resident assessments could be as low as $5,000, but if it proceeds without the grant, assessments could rise to $40,000 or $50,000.

Sarkozy said, “If we start that and proceed with the higher assessments and then the grant comes along, residents are going to be very, very upset.” This helped to clarify why the trigger hasn’t yet been pulled on construction in specific locations.

The uncertainty is worsened by a $7.5 million state grant for Broadway projects that has a tight deadline of 2029. Village officials are worried that predicted state budget shortfalls might lead to unused grant money being “swept up,” further pressuring the timeline.

The audience was very engaged and attentive to this financially sensitive topic. They expressed visible frustration with the reliance on slow-moving government bureaucracy. Willems acknowledged that this HMGP grant presents a unique opportunity, as the Village typically does not perform well on standard water quality grants due to the area’s affluent status. Although waiting is agonizing, it is the only way to prevent residents from paying substantially higher costs.

Engage Estero personnel are in regular contact with the Village Management and will keep residents updated as these issues become clearer.

Again, the entire discussion can be listened to in the YouTube video recording: https://youtu.be/IjE-YGiM0U0.

The Estero River Park and I-75 Expansion Updates

David Willems also shared an important update about the Estero River Park project (at Corkscrew Road and US 41). Although slightly delayed to a January completion, a significant milestone was recently achieved with the installation of the 12- to 13-foot-wide pedestrian bridge over the river.

A key ecological factor influencing the park’s design is the resident nesting eagles. Since the eagles are back and nesting, trails within 330 feet of the nest will be closed from October to June to adhere to regulations. The PowerPoint presentation has details of the trials and plans for the first two phases of the project.

Finally, the Engage Estero President shared fresh information about the I-75 expansion and noise barriers. The Florida Department of Transportation confirmed that no date has been set for the rescheduled public hearing on the noise barriers. Importantly, the community voting on the noise barriers will be delayed by “a year or more” beyond that future hearing, signaling a significant extension to the timeline for resolution. Engage Estero has already recommended specific noise-abatement walls (Valmont and Duracol) and the use of noise-deadening asphalt, along with a 22-foot-high wall to protect communities like The Brooks.

The meeting ended with announcements about upcoming events, including a January gathering featuring FGCU’s entrepreneurial school and Bower School of Music, as well as a major public forum in March focusing on the community’s future, with representatives from FGCU, The Village, Lee Health, and the Hoffman Group.

The host thanked the speakers, noting that their dedication to providing solutions to complex issues was valuable to our community.