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Lehigh Acres:

Lehigh Acres is a fast-growing community that dominates the east side of Lee County.

The population of 33,430 people is seasoned with a variety of heritages, including Caribbean, German, Oriental, black and Hispanic. The population increased by 19,819 people between 1990 and 2000. The median age dropped from 57 to 38.

The area attracts younger families because land and home prices are not excessive. There are higher-priced golf-course developments for those who can afford more.

Lehigh Acres has three elementary schools, a middle school, a high school and a regional library that opened in 2001.

East Pointe Hospital serves the community.

Lehigh Acres was a private ranch until 1954, when owner Lee Ratner, a Chicago businessman, turned it into a residential development. Lots were sold for little or no money down to people around the world. So many lots were sold for homes that the community now faces a shortage of land for commercial uses when it reaches its potential population of more than 300,000 people.

Lehigh Acres for many years was like a company town under the benevolent but profit-driven control of the Lehigh Corp. The corporation provided the staff that sold the lots, drained the land and maintained the roads. The company finally concluded its real estate activity in Lehigh Acres in 2001.

Lehigh Acres is not a city, although the issue of becoming one comes up from time to time. The community is an unincorporated area governed by the Lee County Commission. There is a fire district and a drainage district with elected boards.

Residents are urged by the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce to participate in the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Committee. The volunteer group wants to develop a consensus about the community's future and propose ways to make that vision a reality through the county's comprehensive land-use plan.

The hub of Lehigh Acres is Homestead Road from Lee Boulevard to Alabama Road. Residents will find the bulk of their shopping, restaurants, the hospital and other services in that area or nearby.

A smaller commercial hub is developing at Sunshine and Lee boulevards.

An industrial park is located at the western end of Lee Boulevard near State Road 82.

• East County Regional Library:
  - 369-1098
  
  

• East Pointe Hospital:
  - 369-2101
  

• Lehigh Acres Community Center:
  - 369-1521
  

• Lehigh Acres Community Planning Committee/Chamber of Commerce:
  - 369-3322
  
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  Recreation

• Lehigh Acres residents play during the day, with the exception of youth athletes who play soccer, baseball and football under the lights. Older residents enjoy hobbies, crafts, dances and other events at the Senior Friends Center on Plaza Drive.
  
  Lee County operates a swimming pool and tennis courts at the Lehigh Community Park on Williams Avenue. The county also operates Veterans Park on Homestead Road, which doubles as the home of the Lehigh Acres Spring Festival.
  
  During the winter season free concerts are provided by the Lehigh Acres Community Chorus and the Lehigh Acres Concert Band.
  
  Numerous restaurants serving Chinese, German, Italian and fast foods and other fare cater to the local tastes.
  
  Readers can pass the time at the East County Regional Library on Gunnery Road.
  
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  Schools
  
  Lehigh Acres is part of the Lee County School District's East Zone. Lehigh Elementary, Mirror Lakes Elementary, Lehigh Acres Middle and Lehigh Senior High schools are located within the community.
  
  

• Lee County School District:
  - 334-1102
  

• Lehigh Elementary School:
  - 369-2477
  

• Mirror Lakes Elementary School:
  - 369-2200
  

• Sunshine Elementary School:
  - 369-5836
  

• Lehigh Acres Middle School:
  - 369-6108
  

• Lehigh Senior High School:
  - 693-5353
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  Shopping
  
  Lehigh Acres is a self-contained community where a person can buy almost anything from a baby rattle to preplanned funeral services. While it has no mall, it has emerged as a regional shopping area thanks to a Wal-Mart SuperCenter.
  
  Customers come from LaBelle, Immokalee and neighboring Lee County communities to shop there. Five grocery stores anchor the business community, which also provides legal, medical and other professional services for residents.
  
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  Taxes
  Residents pay taxes to the Lehigh Acres Fire Control & Rescue District and the East County Water Control District district in addition to the usual property tax load assessed by county, school and state governments. The taxable value of property in Lehigh Acres was $1.4 billion as of July 1, 2001. That's up 6 percent from 2000.
  

• Lee County Tax Collector:
  - www.leetc.com/

• East County Water Control District:
  - 368-0044

• Lee County Commission:
  - 335-2225
  
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  Traffic
  Major routes for travel throughout the state are only minutes away from most parts of Lehigh Acres.
  
  State Roads 80 and 82 provide access to Florida's east coast or to Fort Myers. Interstate 75 can be reached using either state road. Homestead Road from Lee Boulevard to "Confusion Corner," where it intersects with Leeland Heights Boulevard and Alabama Road, is considered the center of town. Lee Boulevard is the main road into Lehigh Acres from SR 82. It also connects to Colonial Boulevard to provide access to I-75, Fort Myers and to central Cape Coral via the Midpoint Memorial Bridge. Joel Boulevard is the link to SR 80. The Daniels Parkway Extension is used to reach Southwest Florida International Airport and other points south.
  
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  Crime
  The Lee County sheriff's East District is based in Lehigh Acres. Violent crimes sometimes occur in the community.
  
  Fire officials report that juveniles setting brush fires is an annual problem during the dry season. Burglaries and thefts, however, dominate the crime report. Many homes are in isolated areas, making them easy targets for thieves.
  
  There were 988 crimes reported in the entire district in 2000.
  

• Lee County Sheriff's Office:
  - 207.30.225.5/
  - 911 for emergencies, 477-1200 for other issues

• Florida Department of Law Enforcement:
  - www.fdle.state.fl.us/

• Lehigh Acres Fire District:
  - 911 emergency; 369-1756 for other issues
  
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  Utilities
  Florida Water Services provides water and sewer services to part of Lehigh Acres. Other areas rely on wells and septic tanks. The East County Water Control District maintains the stormwater drainage system.
  
  Lee County Electric Cooperative and Florida Power & Light provide electricity.
  
  Lehigh Acres is in Area 3 of Lee County's solid waste disposal plan. Garbage and recycling services are provided by Florida Recycling Services.
  

• Lee County Utilities:
  - www.lee-county.com/utilities/
  - 656-2300

• Florida Power & Light:
  - www.fpl.com/
  - 334-7754

• Florida Recycling Services:
  - 332-8500

• Florida Water Services:
  - 278-5050

You can also visit Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce for more information.