Overview
Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed
Lehigh Acres is an unincorporated community (census-designated place) in eastern Lee County, FL — no municipal government, no independent zoning authority. All zoning is governed by the Lee County LDC Chapter 34, administered by Lee County Department of Community Development. Lee County uses a traditional Euclidean district-and-overlay framework with a rich planned-development overlay set (CPD, MPD, IPD). District codes are abbreviation-encoded with category prefix and numeric intensity suffix: RS-N (residential single-family, lower number = smaller lot), RSC-N (RS w/ conservation overlay), TF/TFC (two-family), RM-N (residential multiple-family), RMH-N (residential mobile home), AG-N (agricultural), CN/CC/CG/CT (commercial neighborhood/community/general/tourist), IL/IG (industrial light/general). coastal-zone sub-flag applied because Lee County (the governing jurisdiction) is a Gulf-coast county, but Lehigh Acres CDP itself is inland (~15 miles east of Fort Myers). Pre-platted 1950s-era community with tens of thousands of small ~10,000 sf single-family lots of record creates significant Bert Harris vested-rights exposure for any down-zoning.
Worth knowing
- Unincorporated CDP — no municipal government, no independent zoning authority. All zoning is administered by Lee County under LDC Chapter 34. Mailing address is 'Lehigh Acres, FL' but the local government is Lee County BOCC and the Department of Community Development.
- 1950s pre-platted community with ~10,000 sf single-family lots of record. Lehigh Acres originated from the 1950s Lehigh Acres Land and Cattle Co. / Lee Ratner subdivision. Tens of thousands of small single-family 'lots of record' (typically ~10,000 sf, 80x125 ft) were recorded before modern zoning, creating a large vested-rights population and significant Bert Harris Act exposure for any aggregation requirement or down-zoning.
- Lee Plan Lehigh Acres Community Plan sub-element governs FLU-driven density. The Lee Plan includes a dedicated Lehigh Acres Community Plan sub-element of the Future Land Use Element. This sub-element sets character-area policies and FLU-map density caps that bind Chapter 34 zoning. Plan consistency review is mandatory under Fla. Stat. §163.3180.
+ 7 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 6ind 3res_mf 2com 2ag 1mu 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AG-2 | Agricultural District AG-2 | ag | — | — | — | —[1] | 0.1[2] | 2[3] | — / — / — |
| RS-1 | Residential Single-Family RS-1 | res_sf | 6,500 sf[4] | — | — | —[5] | — | 2[6] | — / — / — |
| RS-2 | Residential Single-Family RS-2 | res_sf | 7,500 sf[7] | — | — | —[8] | — | 2[9] | — / — / — |
| RS-3 | Residential Single-Family RS-3 | res_sf | 12,500 sf[10] | — | — | —[11] | — | 2[12] | — / — / — |
| RS-5 | Residential Single-Family RS-5 | res_sf | — | — | — | —[13] | — | 2[14] | — / — / — |
| RSC | Residential Single-Family Conservation RSC-1 / RSC-2 | res_sf | — | — | — | —[15] | — | 2[16] | — / — / — |
| TF | Two-Family Residential / Two-Family Conservation TF / TFC | res_sf | — | — | — | —[17] | — | — | — / — / — |
| RM-2 | Residential Multiple-Family RM-2 | res_mf | — | — | — | —[18] | — | — | — / — / — |
| RMH-2 | Residential Mobile Home RMH-2 | res_mf | — | — | — | —[19] | — | — | — / — / — |
| CN-CC-CG-CT | Commercial Districts CN / CC / CG / CT | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| CPD | Commercial Planned Development CPD | com | — | —[20] | — | —[21] | — | — | — / — / — |
| MPD | Mixed-Use Planned Development MPD | mu | — | —[22] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| IL | Industrial Light IL | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| IG | Industrial General IG | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| IPD | Industrial Planned Development IPD | ind | — | —[23] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
LACP
Lee Plan — Lehigh Acres Community Plan (Future Land Use sub-element)
SPECGeographic boundary of the Lehigh Acres Community Plan planning area, generally coterminous with the Lehigh Acres CDP in eastern Lee County (bounded by Buckingham to the west, ag/conservation lands east, Lee/Hendry county line east, and SR-82 / Daniels Pkwy corridors as primary access).
| character_area_policies | under_review — verbatim character-area policy text pending Lee Plan retrieval |
|---|---|
| flu_category_density_ranges | under_review — specific du/ac caps per FLU category pending Lee Plan retrieval |
| activity_centers | Lee Boulevard / Homestead Road S, Lee Boulevard / Joel Boulevard intersections envisioned as activity-center intensification nodes per the sub-element |
| plan_consistency_review | Mandatory under Fla. Stat. §163.3180 for all Ch. 34 development orders affecting Lehigh Acres parcels. |
FAA-PART77-RSW
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces
APParcels within FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces (primary, approach, transitional, horizontal, conical) for Southwest Florida International Airport (KRSW). RSW is ~8–12 miles southwest of central Lehigh Acres; conical and horizontal surfaces likely intersect southwestern Lehigh Acres parcels at elevation envelopes above ~150–200 ft AGL depending on bearing and distance from the airport reference point.
| faa_7460_filing_threshold | FAA Form 7460-1 filing required for any proposed structure exceeding height thresholds in 14 CFR §77.9 (notably 200 ft AGL anywhere; lower thresholds within 20,000 ft of an airport reference point on a 100:1 slope). |
|---|---|
| local_implementation | Lee County LDC airport-zoning provisions implement federal Part 77 through local zoning review. |
| per_parcel_geometry | Per-parcel height ceilings vary by location relative to Part 77 surface geometry — must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis using FAA's Notice Criteria Tool. |
| aicuz_status | No AICUZ overlay applies (KRSW is a civilian commercial airport, not a military airfield; AICUZ applies only to DoD-operated airfields and is not present in Lee County). |
| federal_overlay_refs | FAA-PART77-KRSW |
FP-SFHA
FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) — Lee County FIRM
FPParcels within FEMA-mapped SFHA on the current effective Lee County FIRM (Zones AE, AH, X-shaded). Portions of Lehigh Acres along Able Canal, Orange River tributaries, and low-elevation eastern parcels are mapped SFHA; the majority of the Lehigh Acres CDP is in Zone X-unshaded (outside the 500-year floodplain).
| finished_floor_rule | Finished floor elevation must equal or exceed BFE + Lee County local freeboard (specific freeboard amount under_review). |
|---|---|
| substantial_improvement_threshold_pct | 50 |
| crs_participation | Lee County participates in the Community Rating System (CRS); CRS-class earns NFIP premium discounts (specific Lee County CRS class for Lehigh Acres planning area under_review). |
| ae_zone_construction | Elevated finished floor, flood vents required for enclosed areas below BFE. |
| fbc_asce24 | ASCE 24 flood-resistant construction standards apply per Florida Building Code §553.73 (state preemption — see preemption record). |
| federal_overlay_refs | FEMA-SFHA |
State preemptions
Qualifying condition
Statutory applicability to Florida COUNTIES under Fla. Stat. §125.01055(7) — county-government Live Local pathway. Lehigh Acres is unincorporated, so Lee County is the qualifying local government (the municipal §166.04151(7) pathway does NOT apply). Per-parcel trigger: parcel must be in a commercial, industrial, or mixed-use zoning category under Lee County LDC Chapter 34 (CN, CC, CG, CT, CPD, MPD, IL, IG, IPD) AND ≥40% of residential units must be affordable at or below 120% AMI for ≥30 years. Lee County county-wide highest-residential-density value (drives Live Local density floor) and tallest-residential-zoning-height-within-1-mile values (drive height floor) are county-published metrics that vary by parcel location; not retrieved at per-parcel granularity in this pass.
Effect
On qualifying commercial/industrial/mixed-use parcels in Lehigh Acres: (a) multifamily permitted by administrative/by-right approval, bypassing rezoning; (b) density floor = highest residential density allowed anywhere in unincorporated Lee County (county-published — under_review at per-parcel granularity); (c) height floor = tallest residential zoning height permitted within 1 mile (under SB 328 adjacency-tempering, capped at 150% of tallest allowed residential within 1 mile if parcel abuts single-family); (d) ≥20% parking reduction mandatory, deeper reductions near major transit (Lehigh Acres has no fixed-rail transit and limited LeeTran bus coverage — major-transit-stop status for most parcels is false); (e) hotel-to-affordable conversion pathway via SB 328.
Retrieval issue
County-published highest-residential-density-in-jurisdiction and per-parcel tallest-residential-building-within-1-mile values not retrieved at per-parcel granularity (LDC dimensional table for RM-2 max height not extracted verbatim in this pass — municode SPA blocker).
FL Short-Term Rental Preemption — Fla. Stat. §509.032(7)applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide preemption under Fla. Stat. §509.032(7): Lee County (as the zoning authority for unincorporated Lehigh Acres) cannot prohibit STRs or regulate their duration/frequency beyond rules applied uniformly to all residential dwellings, unless a Lee County ordinance pre-dating June 1, 2011 is grandfathered. Lee County maintains a vacation-rental registration program and applies general noise/occupancy/parking rules uniformly; the duration/frequency preemption holds for Lehigh Acres parcels.
Effect
STRs cannot be categorically banned in Lehigh Acres residential zoning districts (RS, RSC, RSA, TF, TFC, RM, RMH). State DBPR licensure required; Lee County may impose general zoning, noise, parking, and life-safety rules applied uniformly to all residential uses. Duration caps and frequency limits are preempted.
FL Comprehensive Plan Consistency — Fla. Stat. §163.3180applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide requirement under the Community Planning Act. All Lee County development orders (including those for Lehigh Acres) must be consistent with the Lee County Comprehensive Plan (the 'Lee Plan') and concurrency requirements (transportation, potable water, sewer, solid waste, drainage, schools, parks). The Lee Plan includes a specific 'Lehigh Acres Community Plan' sub-element adopted as part of the Lee Plan that guides land-use decisions in the Lehigh Acres planning area.
Effect
All development in Lehigh Acres must demonstrate Lee Plan consistency; amendments to the Lehigh Acres Community Plan sub-element require comprehensive-plan amendment procedures under Ch. 163.
Qualifying condition
Fla. Stat. §125.01055(6) authorizes Lee County (as the county government for unincorporated Lehigh Acres) to approve affordable housing on any parcel zoned residential, commercial, or industrial regardless of base-zone limits when funded by State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) or State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP). Lee County participates in SHIP; Florida Housing Finance Corporation SAIL allocations are available for Lehigh Acres projects.
Effect
Lee County may approve SAIL/SHIP-funded affordable housing on Lehigh Acres parcels in any residential, commercial, or industrial district by administrative action, bypassing base-zone use restrictions.
FL Building Code Preemption — Fla. Stat. §553.73applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide preemption: Lee County (and Lehigh Acres as part thereof) must apply the Florida Building Code as the exclusive technical building code; local amendments limited to those authorized under §553.73(4). Lee County is ASCE 7 Risk Category II with 160+ mph ultimate design wind speed; FBC flood-resistant construction standards (ASCE 24) apply where parcels intersect FEMA SFHA (portions of Lehigh Acres have AE and X zone designations along Able Canal and Orange River tributaries).
Effect
Construction in Lehigh Acres is governed by the Florida Building Code; zoning (Ch. 34) sets height/setback/density but FBC governs wind, flood, and life-safety construction standards.
FL Bert J. Harris Act — Fla. Stat. §70.001applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide: property owners may bring compensation claims when governmental action 'inordinately burdens' existing use or vested rights. Lehigh Acres is a pre-platted community (Lehigh Acres Land and Cattle Co. / Lee Ratner subdivision, 1950s) with tens of thousands of small single-family lots of record (typically ~10,000 sf, 80x125 ft); Bert Harris exposure is particularly acute for any down-zoning, mandatory aggregation requirement, or new overlay that affects vested lot-of-record rights.
Effect
Any Lee County down-zoning, mandatory aggregation requirement, new overlay, or material intensification of development restrictions affecting Lehigh Acres parcels should undergo Bert Harris inordinate-burden exposure review before adoption.
FL Impact Fee Caps — HB 7103 (2019) + HB 337 (2021) — Fla. Stat. §163.31801applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide applicability to all FL local governments including Lee County. Caps impact fee increases at a phased 12.5%/4-year schedule; higher increases require extraordinary-circumstance finding plus study within 12 months. Material to Lehigh Acres given the planning-area's active 2020s growth trajectory and ongoing infrastructure-capacity catch-up.
Effect
Lee County impact fee schedule increases capped; relevant to Lehigh Acres infrastructure cost-recovery planning.
Non-applicable laws (2)
FL Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) — Fla. Stat. Ch. 161does_not_apply
Qualifying condition
CCCL is a per-parcel geographic predicate keyed to the FDEP-mapped line along open-Gulf sandy-beach coasts. Lehigh Acres is an inland community approximately 15 miles east of the Gulf of Mexico coastline in eastern Lee County; no parcels within the Lehigh Acres CDP intersect the FDEP CCCL line. Geographic predicate: city.is_in_cccl_jurisdiction = false.
Effect
No FDEP CCCL permit required for construction in Lehigh Acres.
FL Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA) — Fla. Stat. §163.3178(2)(h), §163.3178(9)does_not_apply
Qualifying condition
CHHA = Category 1 SLOSH inundation zone. Lehigh Acres is inland and elevated relative to Gulf storm-surge zones; per the Lee County Comprehensive Plan Coastal Management Element and NOAA SLOSH modeling for Lee County, the Lehigh Acres planning area is outside the Category 1 CHHA. (Lee County has substantial CHHA exposure on Estero Island, Pine Island, Sanibel/Captiva, and the Fort Myers Beach / Iona / San Carlos Park shoreline — none in Lehigh Acres.)
Effect
CHHA density-increase findings under §163.3178(9) are not triggered for Lee County comprehensive plan amendments affecting the Lehigh Acres planning area.
Adopted building codes
Statewide — FL Building Code 7th ed
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Amendment history
| Date | Kind | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | retrieved at | Lee County LDC Chapter 34 via Municode (SPA-blocked for raw HTTP); structure and key dimensional anchors recovered from authoritative leecounty-fl.elaws.us mirror snippets and Lee County BOCC ordinance PDFs. |
| 1986-09-01 | adoption | Lee County BOCC Ordinance 86-17 (original Chapter 34 zoning ordinance adoption); subsequent recodifications and supplements have updated specific provisions. |
Quirks & notes
- Unincorporated CDP — no municipal government, no independent zoning authority. All zoning is administered by Lee County under LDC Chapter 34. Mailing address is 'Lehigh Acres, FL' but the local government is Lee County BOCC and the Department of Community Development.
- 1950s pre-platted community with ~10,000 sf single-family lots of record. Lehigh Acres originated from the 1950s Lehigh Acres Land and Cattle Co. / Lee Ratner subdivision. Tens of thousands of small single-family 'lots of record' (typically ~10,000 sf, 80x125 ft) were recorded before modern zoning, creating a large vested-rights population and significant Bert Harris Act exposure for any aggregation requirement or down-zoning.
- Lee Plan Lehigh Acres Community Plan sub-element governs FLU-driven density. The Lee Plan includes a dedicated Lehigh Acres Community Plan sub-element of the Future Land Use Element. This sub-element sets character-area policies and FLU-map density caps that bind Chapter 34 zoning. Plan consistency review is mandatory under Fla. Stat. §163.3180.
- Proximity to KRSW (Southwest Florida International Airport) ~8–12 mi SW. FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces for KRSW likely intersect southwestern Lehigh Acres parcels at elevations above ~150–200 ft AGL. Per-parcel height ceilings vary by location relative to Part 77 surface geometry; FAA Form 7460-1 filing required for structures crossing notice criteria. No AICUZ overlay (KRSW is civilian, not military).
- FEMA SFHA exposure along Able Canal and Orange River tributaries. Portions of Lehigh Acres intersect FEMA SFHA on the Lee County FIRM (Zones AE, AH); the majority of the CDP is in Zone X-unshaded (outside the 500-year floodplain). Flood-resistant construction (ASCE 24) and Lee County local freeboard apply where mapped SFHA.
- Live Local Act applies via county-government pathway §125.01055(7). Because Lehigh Acres is unincorporated, the Live Local Act trigger runs through Fla. Stat. §125.01055(7) (county-government analog of §166.04151(7)) rather than the municipal-government pathway. Lee County is the qualifying local government. Density floor = highest residential density allowed anywhere in unincorporated Lee County; height floor = tallest residential zoning height within 1 mile. SB 328 (2024) adjacency-tempering caps height at 150% of tallest allowed residential within 1 mile if parcel abuts single-family.
- STR preemption applies — duration/frequency bans preempted. Fla. Stat. §509.032(7) preempts local duration/frequency bans on short-term rentals absent a pre-2011 grandfathered ordinance. Lee County maintains a vacation-rental registration program but cannot categorically ban STRs in Lehigh Acres residential districts.
- Bert Harris Act exposure on any down-zoning given vested-lot inventory. The ~10,000 sf platted lot inventory in Lehigh Acres creates significant Bert Harris inordinate-burden exposure. Any Lee County action to aggregate lots, raise minimum lot size, or restrict permitted uses on existing platted parcels should undergo Bert Harris exposure review before adoption.
- Municode SPA blocker remains for verbatim dimensional table extraction. library.municode.com renders Chapter 34 via JS-rendered SPA that returns empty HTML shells to scripted access. Authoritative numeric anchors in this profile were extracted via leecounty-fl.elaws.us snippet retrieval; full table extraction requires Chrome MCP / Playwright stealth or direct Lee County DCD planning-department contact for the LDC Chapter 34 supplement PDF. Lee County BOCC ordinance PDFs at www.leegov.com/bocc/Ordinances/ return HTTP 403 to scripted fetch.
- Ch. 34 section structure — Lee County LDC Chapter 34 Article VI District Regulations is organized by Division: Div. 2 Agricultural (§34-651–676), Div. 3 Residential (§34-691–720), Div. 6 Commercial (§34-841–870), Div. 8 Industrial (§34-901–930). Property-development-regulations tables (§34-654, §34-695, §34-845, §34-904) are the dimensional source-of-truth. Permissible-unit calculation in §34-1493.
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Grade to highest point of structure per Lee County LDC Chapter 34 definitions (specific definition section under_review pending verbatim retrieval).
- lot_coverage
- Building footprint area divided by lot area.
- far
- Gross floor area divided by lot area.
- du_ac
- Dwelling units per gross acre; Lee County permissible-unit calculation governed by §34-1493.
- setback_front
- Front property line to nearest building face.
- setback_side
- Side property line to nearest building face.
- setback_rear
- Rear property line to nearest building face.
- parking
- Spaces per dwelling unit (residential) or per 1,000 sf (non-residential), per Chapter 34 off-street parking requirements.
Capacity calculations
- max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage- max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far- buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2- buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft- max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10
Massing explorer
Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.
Sort by
Max height
— ft
——
Floor area ratio
—
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Lot coverage
—%
——
Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
——
Parking
— /unit
——
Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
Copy zoning profile
Loading…
| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Citations
- [1] n
- [2] §34-654 — New residential uses in AG districts limited to a maximum density of one dwelling unit per ten acres; individual residential parcels may contain up to two acres of wetlands without losing the right to have a dwelling unit. Sourced verbatim from Lee County LDC §34-654 footnote text via leecounty-fl.elaws.us authoritative-mirror snippet.
- [3] i — Typical FL agricultural/single-family parking; verify against Lee County off-street parking section.
- [4] §34-695 — Confirmed via leecounty-fl.elaws.us authoritative mirror snippet: 'RS-1 districts requiring 6,500 square feet with a 75-foot lot depth'.
- [5] n
- [6] i — Typical FL single-family parking ratio.
- [7] §34-695 — Confirmed via leecounty-fl.elaws.us authoritative mirror snippet: 'RS-2 districts requiring 7,500 square feet with a 100-foot lot depth'.
- [8] n
- [9] i
- [10] §34-695 — Confirmed via leecounty-fl.elaws.us authoritative mirror snippet: 'RS-3 districts requiring 12,500 square feet with a 100-foot lot depth'.
- [11] n
- [12] i
- [13] n
- [14] i
- [15] n
- [16] i
- [17] n
- [18] n
- [19] n
- [20] z
- [21] z
- [22] z
- [23] z
Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | https://library.municode.com/fl/lee_county/codes/land_development_code?nodeId=LADECO_CH34ZO — Lee County is the zoning authority for unincorporated Lehigh Acres |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | scan clean — no zoneomics/steadily/siteplanguide/siteplancreator/propwire/zonara/unzoned references |
| confidence tags full form | passed | all 8 confirmed dimensional values carry §34-695 / §34-654 / §125.01055(7) / §509.032(7) / §163.3180 / §70.001 / §553.73 / §125.01055(6) citations; all under_review/partial entries carry paired retrieval_failure_reason companions per FM-8 |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | 3 overlays (LACP, FAA-PART77-RSW, FP-SFHA) each have non-empty params, trigger, status, citation; KRSW Part 77 and FEMA SFHA also carry federal_overlay_refs per FM-P |
| preempt section city specific | passed | 9 FL preemption laws evaluated with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked (Lehigh-Acres-as-unincorporated-Lee-County county-pathway analysis on Live Local; geographic-inland-CDP analysis on CCCL+CHHA; vested-lot Bert Harris analysis); 7 applies, 2 does_not_apply with paired qualifying_condition_checked |
Data quality
45%completeness8 confirmed64 partial6 inferred5 not found
Documented gaps
- Verbatim §34-695 dimensional rows for max_height_ft, lot_width_ft, setbacks (front/side/rear), and lot_coverage_pct for all RS/RSC/RSA/TF/TFC districts.
- Verbatim §34-718 (or equivalent) multiple-family RM-2 dimensional table.
- Verbatim §34-654 agricultural AG-2 dimensional row (min_lot_area, height, setbacks).
- Verbatim §34-845 commercial dimensional table for CN/CC/CG/CT.
- Verbatim §34-904 industrial dimensional table for IL/IG.
- Lee Plan Lehigh Acres Community Plan FLU-category density caps and verbatim character-area policy text.
- FAA Part 77 surface geometry intersection at per-parcel granularity for Lehigh Acres parcels relative to KRSW.
- FEMA FIRM local-freeboard amount and Lee County floodplain ordinance LDC section citation.
- Live Local Act county-published highest-residential-density-in-unincorporated-Lee-County value and per-parcel tallest-residential-building-within-1-mile reference values.
- Code supplement / effective date not extracted in this pass.
Known issues
freshness:volatileblocker:municode-spadata:dimensional-table-partial
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