Lee County, FL Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

Article V of the Land Development Code governs all zoning, development-order and building-permit activity within the Lehigh Acres Community Plan Area shown on Lee Plan Map 2-A (Section 33-1400(a)). Section 33-1417 sets a tiered height scheme keyed to the Specialized Mixed-Use Nodes on Lee Plan Map 2-B: the Downtown designation caps buildings at ten stories or 150 feet; the Community Mixed-Use Activity Center at seven stories or 85 feet; the Neighborhood Mixed-Use Activity Center at four stories or 55 feet; and the Local Mixed-Use Activity Center at three stories or 45 feet.

Outside every node, the default limit is three stories or 45 feet unless a variance or deviation is granted under Chapter 34. Section 33-1417(b) lets elements that create focal points or visual amenities exceed these caps only through that same variance or deviation process. Separately, Section 33-1411 excludes Downtown Lehigh Acres and the Activity Centers from the corridor's Division 2 commercial design standards, meaning those nodes are held to the height table rather than the general corridor architectural rules. Anyone who wants to depart from the article's architectural, site-design or landscaping guidelines must apply for the deviation at the time of development-order review under Section 10-104(b) and submit a rendered, to-scale drawing showing the requested change (Section 33-1403).

Before certain rezonings, planned-development actions, special exceptions or variances are approved, the applicant must also hold one publicly advertised information session inside the Lehigh Acres Community Plan Area and report a meeting summary to County staff (Section 33-1401).