Waterfront Property In Ft. Myers!

The thought of waterfront property in Southwest Florida usually brings to mind blocks of neatly platted rectangular lots backing up to seawalled, man-made canals. But there's a different kind of waterfront community tucked quietly away in south Lee County.Hendry Creek, just south of Gladiolus Drive and west of U.S. 41, is a little-known subdivision that's one of the best-kept secrets in Lee County. Though most residents would like to keep it that way, many were eager to talk about the virtues of their community and the positive aspects of the lifestyle they enjoy there.
Dr. Mark Streater, a resident since 1996, said he looked for property for a year before buying his waterfront lot in 1990 and chose Hendry Creek because of its natural waterfront and its convenient location to his four offices in Fort Myers and Collier County. "It's a good family neighborhood," Streater said. "There's pride of ownership, and everyone is friendly and knows everyone else."As a Minnesota Twins fan, he considers easy access to the nearby Lee County Sports Complex a plus.Situated at the end of Hendry Creek Drive, the Hendry Creek neighborhood has no other outlet and no through traffic. It's definitely a destination location.
This little gem of just 70 estate-size homesites is straddled by two navigable natural waterways, Hendry Creek and Phillips Creek, providing direct access to the Gulf of Mexico.The lots, both on and off water, were arranged to take advantage of the parcel's natural configuration. The result is a charming, old South ambience with meandering fingers of the two creeks creating picturesque bayous and backwaters. Private docks sit serenely in the shade of mature trees. One can imagine fireflies and banjo music.
According to homeowner Larry Rorrer, "It's like living on an island."In the common areas, benches surround the tranquil lakes — stocked for the residents' enjoyment — where shorebirds wade looking for a meal. A community boat launch — also for residents only — sits at the end of Thory Court, near where the two creeks intersect. There are even two tennis courts, although on a recent Sunday afternoon the only occupant was a mockingbird performing its repertoire.The lots begin at slightly more than a third of an acre, with the majority irregular in shape and over an acre in size.
Commercial real estate agent Jim McMenamy recalls launching his real estate career in the late 1970s and early 1980s selling lots in Hendry Creek from an on-site trailer office, when the half-dozen or so off-water lots went for $10,000 to $12,000, the non-navigable lakefront lots for $12,000 to $15,000, and the most desirable creek-front parcels from the mid-$50,000s up to $100,000."The development didn't immediately take off because we were in a recession then," he said. "It was pretty wild and woolly in that part of the county until 1982 or 1983."
In fact, McMenamy said, one day a bear — apparently displaced from the nearby Forest Country Club, which was under development at about the same time — came lumbering by the trailer."I went back inside in a hurry!" he said.McMenamy also recalls that when the lakes were dug for fill, the limestone rock shone a brilliant white in the sun's glare with no trees at the time to offer shade. However, by the middle 1980s, he said, Hendry Creek became "one of the nicest subdivisions around."
Developer Len Lucas of Tropical Hut Realty said he purchased the property from members of the Morroni family, who were once among the major flower growers in Lee County.He said he chose the parcel because it was "a spectacular property, with navigable access to the Gulf." After working out environmental issues with the Department of Environmental Regulation, Lucas and other principals platted and recorded the subdivision, but he agrees that in 1978 it was slightly ahead of its time.
"It was a slow mover in the early days," Lucas said, "but it matured nicely."Residents and former homeowners' association officers agree. The common thread running through residents' comments is that the navigable natural waterfront, an established sense of community, and a secluded but convenient location make Hendry Creek an attractive and enjoyable place to live.Residents also tend to stay in the community. According to the Lee County Property Appraiser's records, many who purchased their lots in the mid-1980s still reside there.
Kathleen Wells recalls building her first house there in 1984 when, "It was the boonies!"Wells is now in her third house in the subdivision. "We are 15 minutes from the bay," she said, "and it's a sociable community where you can walk in the evening, or enjoy jogging or rollerblading."
Sensible deed restrictions and a homeowners' association were included to ensure compatibility, although there was no designated builder and property owners were free to choose their own style of construction.With happy homeowners staying put in Hendry Creek, properties rarely come up for sale. According to the property appraiser, there have been only two recorded sales in 2005, a creek-front three-bedroom, two-bath home at $760,000 and a four-bedroom, two-bath on a 130-by-120 dry lot at $566,000.The only property on the market as of this writing was a four-bedroom, three-bath three-story home on Heaven Lane, listed at $779,000.