The room won't be as crowded or as noisy, but it's possible the pressure exerted will be stronger and more effective. Tonight is when the Bonita Springs City Council will hold a public hearing on a proposed deal between Ronto, a company building a development on Bonita Beach Road east of the interstate, and the Lee County School District. As part of its development order, Ronto promised in the mid-1980s to donate 20 acres of its land to the district for a new school. That figure seemed low to many, but what really raised eyebrows was that the district agreed to let Ronto use that money as credit against future school impact fees. Normally, that's how things work around here.
Developer plays hardball, politicians cave.
That's certainly how it worked with the school district, where officials were so afraid of a legal battle they folded even before all the cards had been dealt. Ronto won that fight by knockout, but this time there's a round two. Because the development falls in the Bonita Springs city limits, the city council has to approve the change to the development order that would let Ronto out of its promise to donate the land. That makes for some interesting dynamics. The council has indicated a willingness to do that, telling the press the school district accepted a lousy deal and should renegotiate.