by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
At its September 22, 2026, meeting, the Planning Commission considered a resolution recommending that City Council amend the City’s Code of Ordinances to allow miniature golf as a conditional use in the General Commercial zoning district.
“Conditional use” means a use permitted in a particular zoning district only upon a showing that such use in a specified location will comply with the conditions and standards for the location or operation of such use, as contained in the zoning ordinance, and only upon the issuance of an authorization therefor by the Planning Commission
The proposal for the Island Cow mini golf course could not be evaluated at this time, without a site plan being submitted. A Conditional Use permit and site-specific application are not under review at this time. The proposed code amendment under consideration will apply to 63 of the 69 properties within the General Commercial district and must be considered in the context of this broader applicability. (The parcel must be a maximum of 2.5 acres.)
First, the Commission sought to define “miniature golf” as follows: Miniature Golf Course means an outdoor commercial recreation facility that may include putting greens, bunkers, sand pits, elevation/terrain changes, obstacles, pathways, and meandering greenways, on which a miniature, putting-focused version of a traditional golf game is played by people of all ages and abilities using putting club(s) and golf ball(s).
Second, some standards were set: Themed components are prohibited, including adventure and exploration, jungle, adventure island, lost world, windmills, animals, statues, blinking lights, pirate and nautical, carnival, circus, safari, dinosaur, Jurassic, old west, mining town, space exploration, science fiction, and other similar themes.”
Third, all outdoor lighting shall comply with regulations; microphones, loudspeakers, or amplifiers are prohibited; noise disturbances are prohibited, and any signage shall comply with regulations. Additional signage or outdoor advertising shall not be permitted.
The Resolution approved by the Planning Commission, with some minor changes, reads, in part, “The Planning Commission finds the proposed amendment to be consistent with the Sanibel Plan, as it relates to the Plan for Recreation and Open Space to support the continued provision of private recreational facilities available to the public where they are compatible with the goals, objectives and policies of the Sanibel Plan.”
As of September 11, 2026, the City received 12 emails opposing the miniature golf concept and eight emails supporting it.
This issue now moves on to City Council.
Let’s look at what the City has approved for the central core of Sanibel in 2026. A gigantic low income/affordable housing development; FISH community support center, Publix and now mini golf….The current governance is more detrimental to Sanibel than Hurricane Ian. Sanibel, the new Ft Myers Beach.
Agree completely with Mr. Jackson. Well said Mr. Jackson.
you need to prove this business and any other business that comes on the island with less restrictions as we found out after Ian you need deep pockets to sustain abusiness on Sanibel
So sad and abhorrent the goings on of the City leaders …. they need to be reminded that Sanibel was not designed to be all things to all people. The exact opposite was true …. thanks to the foresight of those leaders in the 1970’s who formulated the Sanibel Plan and were visionaries in separating Sanibel from the control of Lee County Planning. Some 50 years later, slowly but surely, all those efforts are being unraveled. If these folks want all the “conveniences” from whence they moved or long for the bright lights of “attractions”, then GO where they are. Sanibel IS Sanibel because Sanibel doesn’t have all that STUFF. We have SANIBEL instead. Hallelujah!
To footnote to Mr Jackson’s final sentence…”the current governance is more detrimental to Sanibel than the CAUSEWAY.” That’s saying A LOT …. I remember the real fears that came with the construction. Hence the Sanibel Plan was born! And untold numbers of people have lived amazing lives and experienced countless vacations in paradise because of the words penned in that document. Looks like it’s about to become a footnote in the History of Sanibel. And Sanibel is on the cusp of being just another beach town with all the tinsel trimmings.
leave the code alone. The code is what made Sanibel the place it is. The changes that are either made or attempted to be made post hurricane Ian are not beneficial to the island and you’re not Wanted by a great deal of the residents the CHR housing projects is a mess because we now found out it is available to all the Lee Country. And also needed a A plethora of variancs and a code violation to get past. It appears most people don’t want miniature golf and certainly not the roundabout which means the council And The the planning commission Is not Taking into consideration the Will of the people. This has to stop. this is a residential, ISLAND, a sanctuary ISLAND, and they must stop catering to business interest, stop trying to draw more tourist to an ISLAND That Already has the real traffic problems and already overcrowded With tourist at times. Plus let Sanibel be Sanibel and stop Fooling with Near Perfection.
Thanks, Jim Weyant
how in the world will the addition of a low key mini golf course, on a derelict property, draw more tourists and traffic? you are out of your mind if you think people will come from the mainland and pay $6 to cross the causeway to play mini golf. any person playing is already on island.
you’re also out of your mind if you think the sanibel plan isnt the guiding principle of the island. i mean seriously?!?!? of course it is.
change isnt always bad… do you abhor each amendment to the united states constitution…. “but the constitution was visionary, there is no reason to amend it”
c’mon people.
the future of sanibel is predicated on a balance between what it was, and what it needs to be to sustain the future. not the future as in the next 10-20 years, but the next 20-50 years.
i’m old enough remember the the stink people put up about developing the Dunes as both a golf course AND community. or when the ace hardware was built in the late 80s, because we already had the old bailey’s hardware – and god forbid we allowed a chain on the island. i can say pretty confidently that NONE of you have lived here as long as me, and only are here BECAUSE of change.
while i oppose the expansive low income housing project and the need for the FISH center to be as large as its proposed, i completely disagree with hypocritical comments on facebook and here. folks seem to lack the understanding that progress is good.
i’ve be going to the island for 54 years, and have called it home for the last 41. 54 years ago the island was a shell of what it was pre-ian, and 9 years prior to that- only ferry service. i am sure each and every one of you were here prior to 1963… of course you weren’t. had there not been progress then, you wouldn’t be here now.