Hearing examiner continues Lee County hearing on Guardians of Florida animal clinic and kennel after neighbor objections
February 26, 2026 | Lee County, Florida
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Guardians of Florida Animal Rescue asked a Lee County hearing examiner on Feb. 26 to allow an animal clinic and kennel at 20750 Huffmaster Road in north Fort Myers, seeking a special exception and a companion variance to reduce the zoning setback from 200 feet to 100 feet for kennel buildings (and to 150 feet for outdoor exercise yards). Hearing Examiner Amanda Rivera heard testimony from the applicant, county staff and more than a dozen neighbors before continuing the matter for rebuttal and possible additional conditions to April 17, 2026 at 9:30 a.m.
The applicant, represented by attorney Noel Davies, presented Guardians as a not-for-profit, closed-admission, no-kill rescue that provides medical care, training and adoptions. Dana Bursch, the organization's chief financial officer, said the operation would include five buildings — one cat building, three dog buildings (segmented by size) and a medical/quarantine building — plus fenced outdoor exercise yards. "We are a closed admission, no kill, all breed size age rescue," Bursch said, adding that the group does not accept animals with aggressive histories and operates largely by appointment.
Planner Jeremy Chastain testified the property’s existing site conditions (house, barn, ponds and wetlands) reduce the developable area and that a 100-foot setback is the minimum variance necessary to permit the proposed layout without locating structures in wetlands. Transportation consultant Ted Trish testified the site’s by-appointment operations would generate low trip volumes (8–10 vehicle trips per day) and that nearby roads provide acceptable levels of service.
Lee County zoning planner Cam Mohammed reviewed the special-exception and variance criteria in the county code and the LEAP plan, recommended approval subject to conditions and detailed the staff conditions that would be attached to any approval. Staff recommended screening the outdoor run areas with 5-foot-wide native shrub hedges (planted at 48 inches and maintained at 60 inches), a 2-foot mulch layer with automatic drip irrigation, and a solid opaque fence or wall around the perimeter of the outdoor runs; development would be required to substantially conform to the special-exception site plan dated Oct. 23, 2025.
Neighbors who spoke at the hearing urged denial or significant modification. Among recurring concerns were chronic and intrusive noise from kennels, the adequacy of the existing septic and well for a commercial operation, the privately maintained condition of Huffmaster Road and the potential for animals to escape and threaten people and livestock. "Shelters can be extremely loud ... 100 decibels, sometimes reaching 125 decibels," said resident George Camargo, citing studies and decibel comparisons offered during his remarks. Retired veterinarian Craig Brooks, who ran a hospital with boarding for 25 years, said experience shows noises from stressed, boarded animals travel and can be disruptive to neighbors: "Dogs react to stress, and this is a more stressful situation than a dog being at a regular home," he said.
Residents also questioned whether the staff report fully addressed on-the-ground conditions — including drainage, wetland and Department of Environmental Protection or Southwest Florida Water Management District approvals — and whether the privately procured traffic and septic assessments were sufficient. Several neighbors said public correspondence had not been included in the staff packet as they expected.
In rebuttal, the applicant acknowledged neighborhood concerns and offered to work with staff on stronger conditions. Counsel proposed an additional condition to create fenced connectivity between kennel buildings and their corresponding exercise yards so dogs would be moved on leash within a fenced corridor, limiting the risk of escapes and improving on-site containment. The hearing examiner said she remained concerned about public-safety and noise attenuation issues raised by neighbors and gave the applicant time to propose, in coordination with staff, additional site constraints or conditions. The applicant requested a continuance; the parties agreed to continue the hearing to Friday, April 17, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., for applicant rebuttal and closing comments.
What happens next: The applicant and county staff will have time to draft any agreed supplemental conditions and submit them to the hearing examiner. If those changes expand the scope of the project beyond what was noticed, the examiner warned she may reopen public comment; if changes tighten or reduce the proposal, the examiner said re-opening public comment would likely not be required. The April 17 session is scheduled to resume with applicant rebuttal and closing remarks.
The applicant, represented by attorney Noel Davies, presented Guardians as a not-for-profit, closed-admission, no-kill rescue that provides medical care, training and adoptions. Dana Bursch, the organization's chief financial officer, said the operation would include five buildings — one cat building, three dog buildings (segmented by size) and a medical/quarantine building — plus fenced outdoor exercise yards. "We are a closed admission, no kill, all breed size age rescue," Bursch said, adding that the group does not accept animals with aggressive histories and operates largely by appointment.
Planner Jeremy Chastain testified the property’s existing site conditions (house, barn, ponds and wetlands) reduce the developable area and that a 100-foot setback is the minimum variance necessary to permit the proposed layout without locating structures in wetlands. Transportation consultant Ted Trish testified the site’s by-appointment operations would generate low trip volumes (8–10 vehicle trips per day) and that nearby roads provide acceptable levels of service.
Lee County zoning planner Cam Mohammed reviewed the special-exception and variance criteria in the county code and the LEAP plan, recommended approval subject to conditions and detailed the staff conditions that would be attached to any approval. Staff recommended screening the outdoor run areas with 5-foot-wide native shrub hedges (planted at 48 inches and maintained at 60 inches), a 2-foot mulch layer with automatic drip irrigation, and a solid opaque fence or wall around the perimeter of the outdoor runs; development would be required to substantially conform to the special-exception site plan dated Oct. 23, 2025.
Neighbors who spoke at the hearing urged denial or significant modification. Among recurring concerns were chronic and intrusive noise from kennels, the adequacy of the existing septic and well for a commercial operation, the privately maintained condition of Huffmaster Road and the potential for animals to escape and threaten people and livestock. "Shelters can be extremely loud ... 100 decibels, sometimes reaching 125 decibels," said resident George Camargo, citing studies and decibel comparisons offered during his remarks. Retired veterinarian Craig Brooks, who ran a hospital with boarding for 25 years, said experience shows noises from stressed, boarded animals travel and can be disruptive to neighbors: "Dogs react to stress, and this is a more stressful situation than a dog being at a regular home," he said.
Residents also questioned whether the staff report fully addressed on-the-ground conditions — including drainage, wetland and Department of Environmental Protection or Southwest Florida Water Management District approvals — and whether the privately procured traffic and septic assessments were sufficient. Several neighbors said public correspondence had not been included in the staff packet as they expected.
In rebuttal, the applicant acknowledged neighborhood concerns and offered to work with staff on stronger conditions. Counsel proposed an additional condition to create fenced connectivity between kennel buildings and their corresponding exercise yards so dogs would be moved on leash within a fenced corridor, limiting the risk of escapes and improving on-site containment. The hearing examiner said she remained concerned about public-safety and noise attenuation issues raised by neighbors and gave the applicant time to propose, in coordination with staff, additional site constraints or conditions. The applicant requested a continuance; the parties agreed to continue the hearing to Friday, April 17, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., for applicant rebuttal and closing comments.
What happens next: The applicant and county staff will have time to draft any agreed supplemental conditions and submit them to the hearing examiner. If those changes expand the scope of the project beyond what was noticed, the examiner warned she may reopen public comment; if changes tighten or reduce the proposal, the examiner said re-opening public comment would likely not be required. The April 17 session is scheduled to resume with applicant rebuttal and closing remarks.
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