The Captiva Civic Association (CCA) is taking legal action against Lee County. Their lawsuit alleges the county violated a 1973 agreement regarding the number of units allowed at the South Seas Resort.
The crux of the issue lies in a recent change to Lee County’s Land Development Code. According to the CCA, this amendment, passed in September 2023, breaks a decades-old agreement that capped the number of units at South Seas at 912.
The lawsuit further argues that the new code unfairly exempts South Seas from hotel room density restrictions that still apply to other Captiva properties.
This change emboldened South Seas Resort, which subsequently announced plans to increase its density by nearly 50%, aiming for 1,347 units. The CCA is seeking a court order to enforce the original agreement and prevent this expansion.