Land swap plan moves sewage plant site away from Corkscrew Road development in Lee County

A Lee County advisory panel is backing a land swap that would keep a sewage treatment plant from being built on county property surrounded on three sides by part of the burgeoning 1,300-unit development known as The Place at Corkscrew.

The plan takes a Lee County Utilities parcel once considered for a future wastewater treatment plant site and makes it 20/20 conservation land. In exchange, a site now under 20/20 protection would be transferred to the utility for whatever use it can convince county commissioners to allow.

The Conservation 20/20 acquisition advisory committee endorsed the proposal Thursday night and advanced it for action by county commissioners.

Supporters of the swap say it would put property already surrounded by land that must be preserved by The Place developer under 20/20 protection. It would take a smaller, less environmentally significant site at Wild Turkey Strand Preserve out of 20/20 so it could be used by Lee County Utilities for other purposes.