Pro-business in Bonita Springs

Some small municipalities are more aggressive than others at cutting the red tape that ensnarls businesses.

So let's give kudos to the small town of Bonita Springs in south Lee County. The city recently passed an amendment to its development code requiring the city to process variances within 30 days instead of the 90 days it used to take.

The Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce points to businesses such as Capri Pizza as beneficiaries. The restaurant's owner, Tim Wilson, was facing a three-month wait for authorization for two outdoor tables even though he had already received approval from the county.

It's perplexing to discover that business owners such as Wilson have to get approval for such simple requests, but it would be nice to see more cities and towns on the Gulf Coast adopt a more business-friendly attitude.