Mining

Over the years, mining has sparked vast and varied perspectives on the benefits and impacts on the environment, economy, and development.

Mining across the State of Florida has evolved over the years making one thing clear: The responsible management of natural resources and ecosystems and the services they provide, during and after mining is central to the efforts of increasing sustainability.

For more than 30 years, we at Morris-Depew Associates have always strived to strike a balance between smart growth, land-owner rights, economic expansion, and conservation.

This approach has allowed us to help land owners realize plans for future mining operations or expansion of existing mining operations that serve as a resource area for high-quality limestone, a place-based limited resource used not only in Southwest Florida but also around the state for aggregate materials. Aggregate materials are the principal component of concrete and asphalt used in the construction of roads, hospitals, churches, schools, homes and government buildings.

Local and state governments use limerock for projects, as does the private sector. Having this natural resource available locally helps keep costs down while keeping jobs and revenues local.

The Southeast Lee quadrant of Southwest Florida has proven to be an optimal area for limerock mining due to the natural resources available and opportunities for environmental enhancement and conservation.

Building on our years of experience in land planning, we have carefully crafted successful plans that purposely preserve high quality interconnected habitats while also identifying areas for limerock extraction where soil borings indicate the resources are available.

In recent years, the firm has expanded its focus in this region to assist landowners with the transition away from mining operations to balanced residential development.

Focusing on properties that had been previously mined and were currently inactive, MDA presented plans to the County to showcase the valuable redevelopment opportunities of these properties to further protect natural resources while increasing the tax base of Lee County. The results of these efforts are two different overlays within the Lee Plan enabling residential density in Southeast Lee under certain and clear conditions that reaffirm appropriate environmental protections and restoration are provided.

Projects during this timeframe include: Corkscrew Shores, WildBlue, Verdana Village.

Each of these properties are clear examples of the measured and innovative steps taken to support the evolution of a mining project underscored by responsible growth management plans.

To learn more about how MDA can assist with your mining operations or residential development plans, please contact our team.