BCC Minutes 12/13/2000 S (LDC Amendments)December 13, 2000
TRANSCRIPT OF THE 5:05 LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE
MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Naples, Florida, December 13, 2000
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Board of County
Commissioners, in and for the County of Collier, and also acting
as the Board of Zoning Appeals and as the governing Board(s) of
such special districts as have been created according to law and
having conducted business "F" of the Government Complex, East
Naples, Florida, with the following members present:
CHAIRMAN:
ALSO PRESENT:
James D. Carter, Ph.D.
Donna Fiala
Tom Henning
Pamela S. Mac'Kie
Jim Coletta
Tom Olliff, County Manager
Marjorie Student, County Attorney
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COLLIER COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA
Wednesday, December 13,
5:05 p.m.
2OOO
NOTICE: ALL PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY AGENDA ITEM MUST REGISTER
PRIOR TO SPEAKING. SPEAKERS MUST REGISTER WITH THE COUNTY MANAGER
PRIOR TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE AGENDA ITEM TO BE ADDRESSED.
COLLIER COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 99-22 REQUIRES THAT ALL LOBBYISTS SHALL,
BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY LOBBYING ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
TO, ADDRESSING THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS), REGISTER WITH THE
CLERK TO THE BOARD AT THE BOARD MINUTES AND RECORDS DEPARTMENT.
REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON SUBJECTS WHICH ARE NOT ON THIS
AGENDA MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING WITH EXPLANATION TO THE COUNTY
MANAGER AT LEAST 13 DAYS PRIOR TO THE DATE OF THE MEETING AND WILL BE
HEARD UNDER "PUBLIC PETITIONS".
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION OF THIS BOARD WILL NEED A
RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS PERTAINING THERETO, AND THEREFORE MAY
NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS MADE,
WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE UPON WHICH THE
APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.
ALL REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO FIVE (5) MINUTES UNLESS
PERMISSION FOR ADDITIONAL TIME IS GRANTED BY THE CHAIRMAN.
IF YOU ARE A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO NEEDS ANY ACCOMMODATION IN
ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCEEDING, YOU ARE ENTITLED, AT NO COST TO
YOU, TO THE PROVISION OF CERTAIN ASSISTANCE. PLEASE CONTACT THE
COLLIER COUNTY FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT LOCATED AT 3301 EAST
TAMIAMI TRAIL, NAPLES, FLORIDA, 34112, (941) 774-8380; ASSISTED LISTENING
DEVICES FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED ARE AVAILABLE IN THE COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS' OFFICE.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
An ordinance amending Ordinance Number 91-102, as amended, the Collier County Land
Development Code, which includes the Comprehensive Zoning Regulations for the
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December 13, 2000
Unincorporated area of Collier County, Florida, by providing for: Section One, Recitals;
Section Two, Finding of Fact: Section Three, Adoption of Amendments to the Land
Development Code, more specifically amending the following: Article 2, Zoning, Division
2.2 Zoning Districts, Permitted Uses, Conditional Uses, Dimensional Standards, including
the adoption of the Goodland Zoning Overlay District or in the alternative a Declaration of
Partial Moratorium on multi-family land uses for the Goodland area and the Bayshore Drive
mixed use overlay district; Division 2.4 Landscaping and Buffering; Division 2.5. Signs;
Division 2.6 Supplemental District Regulations including but not limited to Section 2.6.4,
Exceptions to Required Yards; Section 2.6.11, Fences; Section 2.6.15, Solid Waste
Disposal; Section 2.6.21, Dock Facilities; Section 2.6.33, Motion Picture/Television
Production Permit; Adding Section 2.6.34, Annual Beach Event Permits; and Section
2.6.35, Communication Towers; Division 2.7. Zoning Administration and Procedures;
Division 2.8 Architectural and Site Design Standards and Guidelines for Commercial
Building and Projects; Article 3, Development Requirements, Division 3.2 Subdivisions;
Division 3.3, Site Development Plans; Division 3.4 Explosives; Division 3.5. Excavation;
Division 3.9 Vegetation Removal, Protection and Preservations; Division 3.10. Sea Turtle
Protection; Division 3.11, Endangered, Threatened or Listed Species Protection; Division
3.14. Vehicle on the Beach Regulations; Article Six, Definitions, Division 6.3, Definitions
including but not Limited to the definition of "Residential Hotel"; Appendix B, Typical Street
Sections and Right-of-Way Design Standards; Section Four; Adoption of Amended Zoning
Atlas Maps; Section Five, Conflict and Severability; Section Six, inclusion in the Collier
County Land Development Code; and Section Seven, Effective Date.
3. ADJOURN
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December 13, 2000
December 13, 2000
Item #2
ORDINANCE 2000-92 AMENDING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT
CODE, AS AMENDED - ADOPTED WITH CHANGES
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Call to order the Board of County
Commissioners for Land Development Code, second meeting this
evening.
Will you please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
(Pledge of Allegiance recited in unison.)
CHAIRMAN CARTER: I have requested and it has been a
question by other commissioners that we start with the items
that had the most public speakers, so if we may proceed on that
basis, Mr. Nino, the one, I believe, Mr. Olliff that has the most
public speakers was the Goodland Zoning Overlay? MR. OLLIFF: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Is that correct?
MR. OLLIFF: Yes, sir.
Mr. Nino, just, just for sequence of events here, I think the
Chairman wanted to try and cover those that had the most
speakers and then -- you know, to accommodate the public, so
Goodland would be the first, and the RT Zoning issue would be
your second.
MR. NINO: Yes. The summary agenda has been so ordered
in -- to indicate those amendments that had some concern
expressed at the last meeting. To the best our ability --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You're so smart. You've
anticipated that concern of ours and already got it done, and
that's --
Is that good or what?
CHAIRMAN CARTER: That's good.
MR. NINO: Ron Nino, for the record.
As you recall, the Goodland Overlay Zoning District was
ended in a discussion that perhaps that decision ought to be
postponed for 90 days pending an opportunity for an owner of a
vacant parcel of land to meet with the community and agree to
the submission of a PUD which would be forthcoming in the very
near future.
I understand that meeting has taken place. Mr. Yovanovich
is here to, to describe the progress that they've made.
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December 13, 2000
MR. OLLIFF: Maybe we can go straight to the speakers, Mr.
Chairman?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Right. Marjorie, you had something
you had to say first?
MS. STUDENT: Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Marjorie Student, assistant county attorney, for the record.
I just wanted to remind the Board that we have an
alternative provision for Goodland. That was the moratorium in
case the overlay wasn't done, and I just wanted to put that on
the record.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Thank you, Marjorie.
May we proceed with public speakers?
Mr. Yovanovich.
MR. OLLIFF: We'll call them two at a time, Mr. Chairman.
First is Rich Yovanovich followed by Pam Stoppelbein.
MR. YOVANOVICH: For the record, Commissioners, Rich
Yovanovich representing Goodland LLC, the owner of one of the
VR parcels on Goodland.
As we, we approached you at the last meeting, we, we had
come up with what we believe was a win-win situation regarding
establishing a PUD on the commercial property, the VR property,
and the RSF property into one plain unit development document
with the intent of going down to two residential floors over one
of parking within the 35 feet.
The Goodland Civic Association was gracious enough to
host us last night at their holiday party, which Wayne and I
missed the food portion due to the length of last night's meeting,
but we did get to make our presentation.
I, I would characterize last night's meeting as a, a -- was a --
as a good meeting. I think the Goodland Civic Association
understood our proposal. We made it in greater detail regarding
the limitation on heights, the desire to do the architectural
theme that was explained to me as kind of Key West, Old Florida
style. They wanted the buildings to be staggered and not in one
straight line, so they understand there will need to be some
flexibility in the setbacks nearest the canal so that there can be
some flexibility there with those setbacks.
We had also made a proposal on how we can resolve what
we thought were some of the concerns on the commercial uses.
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December 13, 2000
What we proposed to them and what I believe they support -- and
Pam Stoppelbein will confirm that -- is that this would be the
residential portion.
Previously the commercial portion ended here. We would
expand that a little bit to increase parking, which would result --
relieve some of the parking issues on the island as well as we
would agree to reduce the height down to the -- a 42-foot height
instead of the potential 100--
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So even in the commercial,
you're going to limit to 42 feet?
MR. YOVANOVICH: We're going to come down to 42 feet,
and that was, and that was so we would add parking on that
other piece of the property.
From what I understand -- and I talked to Pain Stoppelbein
today -- that's, that's the proposal that the civic association
supports. They are in support of the PUD with the height
limitations I've explained to you and explained to them, we -- I, I
think they know that we -- we're not going to have a final product
in the PUD, but the parameters would be there in the PUD and
that I think we're, we're all working together and hope that that
will continue for the -- at least the near future.
We do want to be back to you in 90 days, so what we're
asking is that we will get into the process as quick as we can in
January, if staff can work with us to keep on schedule to meet a
90-day approval period, hopefully, when we come before you, the
PUD will, will be met favorably by the, the commission as it's
already been endorsed by the civic association.
I know I'm speaking a little bit for them, but Pain
Stoppelbein will do that.
We do favor a, a continuance of 90 days on the overlay to
make sure that everything gets done. I know that's not the civic
association's desire, but they -- I did want to at least ask for that
so we're all working together for that 90-day period, and you
have our commitment to move quickly to get this done, and it's
already accepted by the association.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Thank you.
MR. OLLIFF: The next speaker's Pam Stoppelbein followed
by Connie StegalI-Fullmer.
MS. STOPPELBEIN: Good afternoon.
Not knowing what Mr. Yovanovich would say, I prepared a
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December 13, 2000
short statement so that we could put on the record exactly what
our understanding was as an association.
Obviously, I am Pam Stoppelbein speaking as an officer, and
-- but we're -- we appear before you to officially ask for a zoning
overlay to protect the items that were shown to be of greatest
concern to our residents.
Since time is of the essence if we're to protect ourselves
from eminent development in VR, we voted unanimously last
night after the meeting to vigorously pursue the two items on the
agenda tonight.
These are the two items that were previously submitted by staff
on our behalf that would create a Goodland Zoning Overlay
District to reduce the maximum building height from three levels
to two for property zoned village residential, and to reduce the
minimum lot requirements for single-family and mobile home lots
to make them conform with the present code.
We also voted unanimously to follow up on the less
significant issues of parking at swales, storage of crab traps, and
parking of commercial and recreations vehicles during the next --
the June LDC cycle.
Because of dispute over the development of parcels at the
entrance to the village, we invited Attorney Yovanovich, Wayne
Arnold, and their client to attend our membership meeting last
night. After assurances by them that they would work closely
with our residents throughout the PUD process, we voted 73 to 1
to agree to the PUD and to rescind our request to reduce the
height limit from 35 to 30 feet.
Our residents felt it was in the best interest of the village as
a whole to have one planned development rather than three
separate development plans; therefore, there should be no
impediment to passing an amendment to the LDC tonight for the
important -- two important issues on the zoning overlay tonight.
I'd like to make it very clear that our residents fully
understood the issues before them last night. All residents were
informed by hand delivery of a notice of the meeting to every
home on the island, so we had a good turnout.
Presentation by the developers were followed by a
membership question-and-answer session, then a private
discussion that culminated in only one dissenting vote.
It's very important to note that our residents received
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December 13, 2000
reassurances that their participation in the PUD process was
welcomed by the developers.
It's understood that there will be no further density than the
47 units presently allowed in the VR and RSF-4 areas.
In addition, we would welcome smaller-scale, old Florida
townhouse-style units with varying roof heights up to 35 feet
with architectural details that would be varied rather than
identical cookie-cutter buildings.
The visual could be similar to the variable detailed and
colored Bayfront and Venetian Bay projects but on a much
smaller, two-story-over-parking scale.
Four- and six-unit buildings are much preferable to larger
identical production units.
We also agreed that the commercial area would be confined
to the CR 892 roadway but expanded along the entire frontage to
accommodate sufficient parking for a low-profile, traditional
neighborhood design commercial building with the possibility of
residential over business rather than a tall 50- or 70-foot building.
If this accurately reflects our agreement with the
developers, we ask that you protect our village by passing the
overlay tonight in accordance with our residents' wishes.
With our stated intent on the record, there should be no
impediment to the PUD process even with the overlay in place.
Thank you so much for your consideration.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Pam, did I understand the last
thing you said there, that you are willing to support, you are
going to support a PUD application within the parameters you've
described?
MS. STOPPELBEIN: Yes, that's why --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That the association --
MS. STOPPELBEIN: That's why I went into such detail.
Those were the parameters that we understood, that the
members understood, we spoke about specifically. Those -- that
is our understanding.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Mr. Chairman, then in an effort to
try to maybe save time and keep a lot of speakers from needing
to come forward, if Mr. Yovanovich objects to any of those, he
needs to come make a statement on the record; and if he
doesn't, then I think we need to forget the 90-day wait. Let's
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December 13, 2000
adopt it the way it is and, and encourage them to work together
and bring back the PUD under those restrictions, and I bet that
will make a lot of people -- sounds like everybody but one person
-- happy.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Pam and I did have a lengthy
conversation that we were going to be working with each other
on some of these architectural details.
It will frankly depend on the size of the buildings as to some
of the issues regarding the varying -- the specifics, but I think
we're in agreement on everything she said regarding, regarding
working together on those issues.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Mr. Chairman, would you
consider taking a consensus of the Board then to --
CHAIRMAN CARTER: I would, and if -- the other speakers
that are signed up, do you want to come up here and talk us out
of it?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, they might want to know
for sure that we all agree.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Okay. Let's take a vote of the Board.
MR. HENNING: I concur.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I concur.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: I concur.
MS. FIALA: Absolutely.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Same here.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: All right. Entertain a motion --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Can you call them then and see if
maybe they'll waive?
MR. OLLIFF: I've got three speakers: Connie
StegalI-Fullmer, Edward Fullmer, and Wayne Arnold, if you'll just
wave your hands and tell me that you're waiving? CHAIRMAN CARTER: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We have done it. You guy go
work hard for 90 days.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Goodland thanks you. Thank you
very much.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We thank you.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: You're welcome.
Okay. Mr. Nino, next item.
MR. NINO: Yes. The next item, I assume Declaration of
Partial Moratorium goes away.
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December 13, 2000
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Of course.
MR. NINO: The next item on your agenda is the discussion
of floor area ratios -- establishing a floor area ratio for residential
hotels. This issue came up at the last meeting. There's some
concern about our endeavor here to correct what --
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Folks, if you're leaving, if you could
just be real quiet, because we've got to continue. Thank you.
MR. NINO: -- correct what might have been an oversight in
the last amendment cycle.
As I indicated previously, two weeks ago, when we went to
a floor area ratio and eliminated discussion of dwelling units, the
effect of our action was that those people who had a desire to
build what would more correctly be called a residential hotel
where longer stays and family occupancies are planned, that we
really penalize their ability to build what they might have been
able to do under the old --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE.' Excuse me for being impatient
again, but I think we're clear on what the issue is, and maybe we
could just go to the speakers.
MR. OLLIFF: Mr. Chairman, if you're in favor of that, I'll go
ahead and call speakers two at a time. CHAIRMAN CARTER: Yes.
MR. OLLIFF: And if the first speaker could come up, and the
second speaker could just stand over here by the doorway and
be
ready, the first speaker is Joe Cormoily followed by Michael
Volpe.
MR. VOLPE: Good evening, Mr. Chairman and members of
the Board.
My name is Michael Volpe. I'm here this evening
representing a number of residents along Gulf Shore Drive and in
particular the owners of the units within the Vanderbilt Club and
the Mansion. These are two older condominiums located along
Gulf Shore Drive.
By way of -- to refresh your recollection, when this was
before you at your first meeting, you were not talking about
residential hotels; you were talking about parcels of land two
acres or less and what impact going to a floor area ratio may
have had on those smaller parcels.
In this intervening two-week period, what is now being
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December 13, 2000
recommended is a little bit different and I think more correctly
addresses the particular issue.
Specifically, for the first time, we're talking about densities
within an RT zoning district as it relates to residential hotels.
Residential hotels have not previously been defined in your Land
Development Code or elsewhere, and so for the first time in this
status recommendation, they're providing you with a definition of
a residential hotel. It's laid out.
The point I would want to make is that a residential hotel,
other than the length of stay, involves dwelling units that
average, according to your staff, 1800 square feet and more.
In the proposals that you have seen and that were submitted
to you at the last Board meeting, the size of the units range from
about 2,000 square feet to 3200 square feet.
The -- in, in the RT Zoning District, multifamily units or
condominiums are allowed at 16 units an acre. Previously,
hotels had been allowed at 26 units an acre.
During one of your cycles, you amended the Land
Development Code to change to floor area ratios for hotels.
The point is that this is, in our view, more of a condominium
than a hotel. It's a condominium that is supposed to function
like a hotel.
Commissioner Mac'Kie, at the last Board meeting, brought
up the question of enforcement. I mean, how do we know that
this is actually functioning as a hotel? That's a code
enforcement issue, which is something if you can avoid up front
you probably would like to do.
In your executive summary -- and I won't repeat it, because
it's there -- it, it -- the staff has gone to some length to try to tell
you how to make sure this condominium really functions as a
hotel.
My clients' concern is only the concern of density. We don't
want to see this a vehicle of a residential hotel used as a
mechanism to get around the density of 16 units an acre, and so
we have proposed that what you would do is fine -- have
residential hotels. I think we have a definition.
It's a question of enforcement that you'll have to deal with in
the future, but we would like to see you limit the number of
residential hotels to 16 units an acre, which would be the same if
this were a condominium; and even if this were developed as a
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December 13, 2000
residential hotel at a later point in time, of course, they could
always amend the condominium documents, which is what will
establish this -- the fee ownership and make it a condominium.
So I think our, our request would be that the Board take the
necessary steps to include the definition of residential hotels but
at the same time limit the number of units for these residential
hotels in the RT Zoning District to 16, which would be the same
for multifamily.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: So you're saying residential hotel, 16
units, you could have it as a condominium, t6 units; it could be
an either-or, but do not exceed on a residential hotel 16 units per
acres.
MR. VOLPE: That's correct, and, again, if, if you look at the
definition of residential hotel and how it will function --
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Right.
MR. VOLPE: -- I think Commissioner Mac'Kie pointed out
that the brochures -- and this is directed toward a certain project
-- showed that there was a $t5,000 (sic) floor allowance. These
are, these are, these are condominiums that are functioning as a
hotel.
If there are any other questions --
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Good.
MR. VOLPE: Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Thank you.
Next speaker?
MR. OLI. IFF: Next speaker is Diane Ketcham followed by
Sally Masters.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And the number of speakers we
have on this item?
CHAIRMAN CARTER: How many speakers do we have, Mr.
Olliff?
MR. OLLIFF.' We have about six -- four.
MS. KETCHAM: We'll make it fast.
The purple ladies and the black men, you look like a rock
group up there.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Not exactly Christmas colors, but
there you have it.
MS. KETCHAM'. It's impressive that you-all dress the same.
Hello, again, County Commissioners.
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December 13, 2000
My name is Diane Ketcham, and I'm here tonight speaking
on behalf of the Vanderbilt Beach and Bay Association, an
organization of more than 300 homeowners on Gulf Shore Drive
and surrounding streets.
I am a member of that Board, and my husband is vice
president of our condo Board now on Vanderbilt Beach, so we
would like it noted that I'm speaking on behalf of both groups.
I'd first like to thank you commissioners for responding to
our concerns in this matter. As you may recall from the hearing
two weeks ago, we on Vanderbilt Beach believe this request for
a change in hotel density is being used to redevelop land on
Vanderbilt Beach with a greater density than the code would
allow for condominiums.
We would especially like to thank Dr. Carter for -- who's met
with some of the owners, and Commissioner Mac'Kie, who was
kind enough to obtain for me some answers on questions I raised
to her.
I'd like to talk briefly about those questions and the answers
that I received from Mr. Nino.
This amendment to change the density only applies to
properties zoned residential tourist, which is what Gulf Shore
Drive is.
It has been our contention that this amendment would only
affect Gulf Shore Drive and its redevelopment, so we asked what
other land in Collier County was zoned residential tourist.
Mr. Nino wrote me the following, quote: With respect to the
question of RT zoned areas, the majority of this zoning is along
Gulf Shore Drive, but not exclusively. A substantial amount of RT
zoning is in place in Marco Island.
So I called the zoning administrator of Marco Island, which,
as you know, is now a city. The administrator, Kelley Smith,
informed me that no matter what you decide tonight, it will not
affect Marco Island. The city makes its own decisions on zoning.
So, please, Commissioners, make no mistake about this; this
amendment only affects Gulf Shore Drive. Our -- we, the
homeowners of this little one-mile-long strip of road, want you to
know our feelings. We are vehemently opposed to changing this
code back to 26 hotel units an acre. We are concerned about the
character of our neighborhood. With our traffic problems, our
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December 13, 2000
beach access problems, we want less density, not more, and we
want developers to know that if they're going to tear down our
smaller condominiums and try to build more condos than the
code dictates under the ruse of their building hotels, that this
Board will not allow that.
In my talk with Ms. Smith, I learned that Marco does have
the older Collier code of allowing 26 hotel units an acre, but not
along their beachfront, which is zoned RT. According to Ms.
Smith, that density is 16 units an acre because it is outside an
activity center, an activity center being an area like U.S. 41.
We'd like Mr. Nino to address the fact that isn't Gulf Shore
Drive also outside an activity center, and shouldn't we be
allowed 16 units per acre just on that alone?
As for the argument that the code is being changed in the
middle of the game so to be -- so that not putting it back to 26
units would penalize hotel owners and developers, we want to
say once again, this is redevelopment. This is a new ball game.
All the land along Gulf Shore Drive has been developed. Any
tearing down and building of new should be under new rules, and
here's what we would like for those new rules to say:
We would like a density of no more than 16 units per acre
which the previous speaker addressed, either hotel or condo. We
would also like you to address the fact that in the future,
property that has been used as residential must remain
residential in future redevelopment and that any new hotel
project in the RT district would have a conditional use
requirement so that we could come forward and say whether or
not we want a hotel there.
Also, we'd like you to look into the fact that RT zoning,
meaning only Gulf Shore Drive, allows the highest allowable
height for buildings in Collier County. It's 10 stories. That is
truly mind-boggling. Ten stories for less than an acre.
Gulf Shore Drive, if this redevelopment continues, could look
like a street of leaning towers of Pisa without the leaning.
All these concerns have been raise because the developer is
saying he's building a hotel and not condominiums, and we
believe the opposite to be true.
So my Board would also like to ask the question which
perhaps has been answered by this new concept, residential
hotel: What defines a hotel, what does the developer have to do
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December t 3, 2000
to qualify his building as a hotel, and who is in charge of
compliance?
And finally, Mr. Nino claims in his letter to me that there are
a number of hotels on Gulf Shore Drive. There are not. There's
one hotel, !.aPlaya, which is becoming a private club, which
means we will have no hotels.
We have only three small motels that are only two stories
high, ripe for the picking if we don't protect the residential flavor
of our community.
We ask you to do that, please, help keep Vanderbilt Beach
the wonderful neighborhood it is. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Next speaker, please?
MR. OLLIFF: The next speaker is Sally Masters followed by
Ann Petrillo.
MS. MASTERS: I think Diane covered it for me.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Thank you very much.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: How kind of you.
MR. OLLIFF: Ann Petrillo will be followed by Tim Hancock.
MS. PETRILLO: Good evening. Can you hear me?
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Yes, ma'am.
MS. PETRILLO: For the record, my name is Ann Petrillo, and
I formerly lived on the property that's going to be developed; and
I hold a sales contract here that says that I can go back and I
will have a unit on the second floor, in the middle, and it's
supposed to be a condominium.
I heard nothing about a hotel residential, and I don't know
what the different is -- difference is. It does not say in here one
of 15, but when we met with the developer, that's what he talked
about.
And I would like to leave it the way it was supposedly
originally done, because I too love Vanderbilt Beach, and I do
want to go back there. Thank you.
MR. OLLIFF: The next speaker is Tim Hancock followed by
George Varnadoe.
MR. HANCOCK: Good evening again.
Tim Hancock with Vaness and Daylor.
When we left the last Land Development Code hearing, I left
here with the impression there were really two issues that we
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December 13, 2000
were struggling with: The first was how to quantity a residential
hotel to make sure that it, in fact, is a hotel operation; and the
second was really an assessment of how do we arrive at floor
area ratios and what would be appropriate.
So let me go ahead and address those two matters strictly
from a land planning standpoint.
I think although your staff has not had, not had the
opportunity this evening to actually go through and itemize the,
the list that you have in front of you that some of these residents
probably have not seen that is fairly new, and that list includes a
lot of the operational characteristics that you were requesting
at this last hearing.
With those characteristics in place and enforceable, the
question of whether or not something under the guise of a hotel
can be developed when it actually is a condominium, I believe,
has been addressed; and more importantly in that is one that is
very directly this commission's responsibility, and that is the
reporting of TDC taxes. You-all collect the tourist development
taxes; you have a reporting requirement on them; and only
extended-stay hotels or evening or daily hotels have to make
those reporting requirements, so that being included in there, I
think it leaves little room for doubt as to whether or not you have
to send folks out to confirm that it's a hotel. You have that
information being confirmed to you by way of revenues received
by the County.
What remains -- or, or what remains kind of appears to be a
determination of an appropriate floor area ratio for this
residential hotel use.
And the definition of a residential hotel, again, is laid out
before you, but is simply to accommodate more extended stays
than would a typical, smaller hotel room allow for.
Floor area ratios were Originally adopted to address the size
and mass of a building, and it's the size and mass that has the
greatest impact on the community.
You've heard from the residents in the past, and not so
much this evening, but I think at the last hearing, you did hear
that 16 units per acre -- a 16 per unit acre -- a 16-unit-per-acre
condominium is fine; they have no objection to that.
And that makes sense, since that's the density at which the
residential uses within the RT district have been built in the past.
Page 14
December 13, 2000
I'd like to hand out some floor area ratio examples to you
that address specifically that matter. The base --
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Nino, you already calculated this for
us based on 16 units per acre?
MR. NINO: I have some, I have some examples. Yes, I do
have some examples.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You guys shared your work with
each other?
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Otherwise -- as long as we know, you
know --
MR. NINO: Although, although I am familiar with historical
floor area ratios on, on Gulf Shore Drive that apply to existing
condominiums.
MR. HANCOCK: This is a very simple point to make and, and
is not a lengthy review, by any means. It's just simply stating
that on a single acre of land at a 16-unit-per-acre density, you
had -- if you had a typical condominium of 3,250 square feet --
and if you look at the market for condominiums out there, that's
conservative; you see them in the 4,000 and up range. But a
condominium at 3,250 square feet at 16 units per acre yields
55,500 square feet if you assume about 3500 feet for common
area. That equates to about a 1.28 floor area ratio; in other
words, a 16 -- 16 condo units of 3200 square feet equates to a
1.28 floor area ratio.
So if you were to go build that 16-unit condominium on that
one acre of land today, the floor area ratio for that building, mass
and size, would be 1.28.
If you look at the residential hotel side of that and you
assume, along those same lines, a 2000-square-foot unit -- not
3500, 2000 -- with a 3500 square foot common area, at 26 units,
it's the exact same floor area ratio.
What that tells us is that a typical condominium size results
in a floor area ratio of 1.28. The residential hotel concept we're
discussing at as high as 26 units an acre results in the same
floor area ratio; in other words, the massing is identical.
And that's with the floor area ratios were intend -- intended
to do, is to control the massing and the size to be consistent
with the zoning in the area.
That is really all I had to present to you.
If you have any questions on it, I will be pleased to address
Page 15
December 13, 2000
those.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Next speaker, please.
MR. OI. LIFF: The next speaker is George Varnadoe followed
by Jim Allen.
MR. VARNADOE: For the record, George Varnadoe.
I think it's, it's, particularly what Ms. Ketcham says, it's
important to get a little background on where we are and what
we're doing.
We're here today on an RT amendment to the LDC, not on a
specific project.
Having been intimately acquainted with the LaPlaya project,
however, I must set the record straight and say that is going to
be -- continue to be a hotel; it is going to be a private club. In
addition to that, but it will continue to function as a, as a hotel
for the public in the future.
The hotels are an important part of our local economy.
Those who live on the beach or, like me, just walk on the beach,
need to understand who's paying for the sand on that beach; and
the sand on the beach is being paid for the tourists, for the
tourists who're all been taxed from those who stay in our hotels
and motels and other tourist facilities, and we can't forget that.
The RT district as a residential tourist district was created
over 25 years ago. It was in place when I, when I moved to this
town. The stated purpose of the RT district is to provide lands
for tourist accommodations and support facilities, although
multifamily units are also allowed. It's one of the two districts in
Collier County that allows hotels and motels as an allowed
permitted use, that and C-4.
The RT district, as you've heard, is limited in scope. It's
limited in scope to waterfront areas in Collier County. It was
limited to the beachfront on Marco Island; it was limited to the
Vanderbilt Beach area, and there's a small RT district along the
Cocohatchee River around U.S. 41.
During the last Land Development Code cycle, you heard
about the changes we made; and when we did that, we did not
take into account the kind of hotel you've heard us talking about
as an extended stay or what we are now calling a residential
hotel.
These are larger hotel suites which typically contain
separate kitchen facilities, one or more separate bedrooms, and
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December 13, 2000
a separate living facility. These are for extended stays, usually
for families that want -- do not want to go out for all their meals,
want more privacy, and want more of the comforts of a home
away from home than a hotel room, a hotel suite would normally
present.
These facilities are becoming very popular in resort areas in
Florida and other parts of the country. Orlando, of course, as all
of us know, is replete with these kind of activities, so -- these
kind of facilities so you can go to Orlando with your family; you
stay in what amounts to a resort hotel -- excuse me -- a
residential hotel. You can have you meals there. You can cook
part of your meals. You don't have to go out for every meal with
your family which drives the cost up. You've got, you know,
you've got separate bedrooms for the kids.
It's a very coming thing. We have one on Fort Myers Beach,
been open for less than a year. I think it's Gulf Wind. Those
units range from 1700 to about 2400 square feet per unit with the
average being in excess of 2100 square feet.
And in this instance, it appears that what you got from your
staff in the last two weeks was an attempt to come with an FAR,
as you heard Mr. Hancock describe, that would be equivalent in
the size and mass of the square footage of the building of what a
condominium building would look like in the same area so that
you're not allowing more mass or more square footage or a
different look that's incompatible with the neighborhood than
what would be allowed if it were a condominium.
I would suggest to you that this is an appropriate use; it's
always been an appropriate use.
The density in hotels have always been in excess of what's
allowed for condominiums, and I would suggest to you that that's
what we should be doing today.
The Gulf Wind Hotel, for example, has about a
2,000-square-foot average for those units, and if you assume the
3500-square-foot floor area for the common facilities, the lobby,
the check-in, meeting rooms, game rooms, workout rooms, your
FAR for that facility will be 1.27, very, very close to what Mr.
Nino has shown you in the staff report.
As far as this idea that this - that a condo could function --
that you have a hotel that's a condo in disguise, I think you've
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December 13, 2000
seen in the last two weeks the operational characteristics put
into your suggested code amendments that would make sure
that never could happen, doesn't happen.
If you read section 5 -- chapter 509 of the Florida statutes,
it's replete with reports and posting the daily rate on the hotel
door; it's got a lot of reporting requirements; and, in addition, if
you don't conform with those, the hotel and motel administration
has the ability to come in and actually close down the facility,
post a, a sign on the door just like the IRS does and says, this
facility is closed because it's not comporting with state
requirements.
So I would suggest to you that this is an appropriate use at
1.28 FAR and would suggest that you go with that.
Perfect timing. Thank you.
MR. OLI. IFF: The next speaker is Jim Allen followed by --
there are two speakers. I'm not sure which item they signed up
for, and I'm going to call their names, and if it's some other item,
let me know -- Ben Gildersleeve and Phyllis -- Gryskiewicz?
MS. GRYSKIEWICZ: Gryskiewicz, right.
MR. OLLIFF: That's for this item? Okay.
Ben Glidersleeve? Pass.
MR. OLLIFF: Ben Glidersleeve? Pass.
Phyllis -- and I won't try it again, the last name.
MS. GRYSKIEWICZ: Fine. Phyllis Gryskiewicz. I'm a
condominium owner at the Mansions across the street from the
building that is proposed, a one-acre lot, and we have 26 units
possible.
Consider the traffic and the noise. One of those places that
was torn down was a single-family dwelling and then two
one-story buildings comprising six condominium units, so we are
going to look out our fifth floor condominium window at a
10-story building, which blocks the complete view of the bay that
we had.
And it just seems that in that small a property, to increase
the traffic on Gulf Shore Drive is not really fair. Thank you.
MR. OI. LIFF: That's all your speakers, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: No more speakers.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm, I'm confused though, 'cause
last time we talked about this, we had -- we were worried about
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December 13, 2000
the size of the box, and that was the floor area ratio, and, and
that was being addressed; but then we were concerned that
people were going to try to trick us into building a condominium
with greater density that they purported was a hotel in order to
get the hotel floor ratio, and now I think you have very
adequately addressed at that concern.
There's not going to be -- I mean, there's, there's a lot of
statutory requirements; it isn't just code enforcement that we
have to worry about this anymore about whether or not we're
being tricked. I think you've addressed that. We're not going to
be tricked.
So, now, I'm afraid that we're starting to talk about density
when that's not the subject of this. We shouldn't be talking
about density, because if we start talking about taking away
density, then we're going to be talking about private property
rights and lawsuits.
I'm, I'm, I'm concerned about this 16-unit cap and think that
if it's RT and it's -- the size of the box is determined by the floor
area ratio and the number of units is determined by the floor area
ratio, we need to set aside density discussions and let the
concurrency laws, the traffic and other -- those other issues --
you know, if the traffic won't support -- if the roads are too
crowded for one more house, you don't get one more house.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, right. So then if they only
have t 6 acres -- 16 per acre now, why would we increase it to 26
if we've already got a traffic problem?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We're not. They, they -- we're not
talking about increasing anything; we're talking about allowing
them to do what that have -- we're talking about being careful we
don't take something away, or we're going to get sued, and
Marjorie's going to have to tell you about that.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I do have a question though --
MS. STUDENT: I can just tell you, because of the Burt Harris
private property rights, there's always a concern when you take
something away that you may inordinately burden a reasonable
investment fact expectation.
It's very difficult, without a specific case in front of you with
all the analyses that would have to be done, to say it's going to
happen or not, but it is a concern and gives rise to exposure by
the County for such a claim.
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December t 3, 2000
COMMISSIONER FIALA: But what I'm, what I'm asking is,
when we're talking about taking something away, I thought we
had 16 feet.
MS. STUDENT: I'm going to have to let planning --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And we're increasing it to --
MS. STUDENT: I don't think that's the case.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: We'll let Mr. Nino address that for a
moment.
What I, what I -- and I'm only going to voice what I -- the way
I understood it, we're giving you an either-or. You can do a
residential hotel, or you can do a condominium. We don't care
which one you build, choice. We're not taking away your option,
but we are limiting it to the number of, of units.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: But, but you can do -- but that is
taking away density on the residential hotel front. That's what
concerns me.
MR. NINO'- Let, let me try to give you -- the thrust of the
amendment the last cycle was to eliminate the reference to
dwelling units in a hotel, because a hotel is a commercial
structure. It's not vis-a-vis a conventional dwelling unit.which
the word implies. There's always 26 units per acre.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: But that's important to hear.
MR. NINO: That 26, that 26 units per acre was irrespective
of whether the unit was 300 square feet or 3,000 square feet, and
that didn't make any sense from staff's point of view.
And we said, you know, what are we really concerned with
here? We're concerned about the volume of building space that
you can put on the property, and the FRA floor area ratio
technique is the best measure of that.
I suggest to you, if you're concerned about -- the analogy
with units, why wouldn't we do the same thing for offices? How
many units per acre of offices are there?
We've --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: It's just apples and oranges.
MR. NINO: We've always looked at commercial floor space
in terms of, if you need the setbacks, you built a box that's left,
and you put into that box whatever is allowed by that zoning
district, and that --
CHAIRMAN CARTER: So by your formula, you're saying, the
way you're proposing it, it cannot exceed 26 units.
Page 20
December 13, 2000
MR. NINO: No. We're, we're not talking about units at all,
because the unit becomes a function then of the internal design,
and that may be --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: It depends on how big they are.
MR. NINO: -- that may be 16 units per acre; it may be 12
units per acre, depending upon the design of the hotel, but it also
may be 40 or 50 units.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Well, the residents are
expressing a concern with the number of people there; they're
not concerned with the number of units, but how many people
are going to occupy it.
Could we ever reach a compromise? We're talking 16
against 26. Could everybody settle on 217
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Wait a minute, wait a -- you cannot
dialogue with the audience, Commissioner; and a commissioner
cannot dialogue with you.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'm sorry. I was, I was
addressing Mr. --
MR. NINO: The FAR drives, drives indirectly the number of
units if you make the assumption on unit size.
The 1.28 FAR will give you an average unit size after you
account for common areas of about 2700 square feet.
If you play with that FAR, you drive it down, then you drive
down the unit size to achieve that comparable 16 units per acre.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I wish --
MR. NINO: For example, if you drove it down to 1.15, for
example, the average unit size to achieve 16 units per acre
would be -- I'm sorry -- 2700 square feet.
If you drove it down to 1.0, again, with the expectation of
achieving the 16 units, the average unit size after common areas
would be about 2300 square feet.
Now, I can tell you, from our previous review -- when we
instituted the FAR, we did do some FARs for conventional
condominiums along Gulf Shore Drive, and we found condos
along Gulf Shore Drive with FRAs of 1.8, 2.4. I mean there are
some pretty big boxes on, on, on buildings. There's a lot of
volume space, far more volume space than is proposed here.
And as a matter of fact, in my communications to Mrs.
Ketcham, I pointed out that under the current regulation, over
100,000 square feet of condominium space can be put on an acre
Page 21
December 13, 2000
of land under the regulation of -- COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: He's just talking the math. I
mean, this is just a mathematical.
MR. NINO: Talking about the math, regardless of how many
unit are within that mass --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: But here's -- but this is the thing I
want to get the Board back to focusing on, and that is, we're
talking about a commercial use here. We should not be talking
about units per acre, and we've got to be careful -- I know these
residents want to have the fewer-the better new neighbors, but if
we're talking about that they're going to build a hotel, and that's
what this -- that's what they have a right to build, and that's what
-- if we take away the right to build a hotel, we get in big trouble.
What -- how we got in this discussion was, we were
concerned we were going to be tricked; it was going to look like
a condo but -- I mean, look like a hotel but really be a condo, and
it was all going to be a trick to get more density.
Our job here is to be sure that if it says it's an RT residential
tourist that it is really tourist and not resident, and we do that by
putting restrictions on the description of a room.
We're going to get in trouble if we start talking about how
many units a hotel gets, because we're mixing apples and
oranges.
MR. OLLIFF: The -- Mr. Chairman, the compromise position
here might be, since we're talking about this floor-area-ratio
issue which does regulate the size of the box on the property,
which I think I think should be the primary focus here, but if the
compromise position needs to be then that we put a cap in terms
of the maximum density at what is the current maximum RT
density today, then you're not taking away anything from
somebody who's currently got RT zoning, but then you've at least
used the floor area ratio to at least control what size that box
will be.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: And what's the maximum density
today?
MR. OLLIFF: Mr. Nino?
MR. NINO: Maximum density today is a building of --
actually, it's a building of .8, because we amended it in the last
cycle, as I said, to the detriment of those properties that -- those
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December 13, 2000
developers that might want to build what I would call a
residential hotel.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Now, what's today's standard? I
mean, that's what we've got --
MR. NINO: Today's standard, we'd be dealing .8, we'd be
dealing with -- I brought my calculator today --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: 'Cause that's where we need to
go, Tom. You're exactly on point.
MR. NINO: We'd be dealing with 35,000 square feet on
today's, today's FAR, but the FAR that's being put out, you mean
the current regulation.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yes.
MR. NINO: The proposed regulation is 1.28.
MR. OLLIFF: No. Skipping floor area ratio, what would the
density-per-acre translation of that be for the current, current
regulation maximum density per acre.
MR. NINO: If we went to -- we don't have a 26 unit per acre
any longer.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, it depends on the size of
the unit, but we have a, we have a minimum unit size; don't we?
MR. NINO: Not anymore, we don't.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I tell you what, this is too
confusing to do on the fly and we're too -- CHAIRMAN CARTER: I agree.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- likely to get sued --
CHAIRMAN CARTER: I agree.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- if we do it wrong.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Well, the other option is, we can
continue to the next cycle to work these details out.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Mr. Chairman, I think that's a
great idea, and --
CHAIRMAN CARTER: I agree.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: -- maybe it would give the
residents an opportunity to visit some of these
long-term-hotel-stay facilities.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Then we keep things the way
they are.
That's-- it's --
CHAIRMAN CARTER: And today--
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- the change that were going to
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December 13, 2000
-- scares me.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Yeah. What's today?
MR. NINO: Today's regulation does not have -- does not
refer to the intensity of use by virtue of units per acre.
We have a floor area ratio in effect today. The problem with
it is that it is -- doesn't give the developers of residential hotels
the ability to do 26 units per acre, which used to be the old
requirement.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Here -- if this -- how about this as
a proposal, Board Members, that we leave the floor area ratio
exactly where it is, but we add the definition of a residential
hotel so that this con game is avoided.
MR. VARNADOE: Mr. Chairman, I know that I've had my
term, but if I could just try to add a little clarity to what we --
what's in your code today.
Today you have a definition or a floor area ratio for a regular
travelers hotel of .6. You've got a floor area ratio for a resort
hotel. We define that as -- what kind of stuff it has to have, your
resort hotel, of .8.
We don't have an FAR for a residential hotel. From my
client's perspective, I will not object to a continuance, because I
think this is a situation that does need to be looked at. What are
residential hotels, how do they function? Let"s get some people
that have them come in here and demonstrate, visualize for you
what a residential hotel is, how does it function, and what typical
type of FARs or densities they have.
But if you continue this --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm going to move that we
continue it.
MR. VARNADOE: -- you are not -- excuse me, Ms. Mac"Kie --
if you continue this -- we don't have residential hotels today, so
you're not allowing us to do that in the interim period.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You're protected then.
I'm going to, I'm going to move for a consensus that we
continue this item to the next session.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I'll second that.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Consensus of the Board. All those in
favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed by the same sign.
Aye.
Page 24
December 13, 2000
Motion carries 4-1. Okay.
MR. NINO: The next item on your agenda in the order --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, we were going to by
number of speakers.
MR. OLLIFF: We can do the Bayshore Overlay. I think that's
the next one.
MS. STUDENT: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Debrah, are you ready to --
Mr. Nino, what we will do in the -- for the next cycle is to
meet with the community associations. We have a note of the
associations' concerns. We need to meet with them in a public
meeting to get as much as we can to deal with these issues.
MR. NINO: We will do that.
MS. STUDENT: Mr. Chairman, I need to clear something up
on the title here.
If you read it a certain way -- if you remember, there was an
alternative moratorium for Goodland Overlay, and it carries on to
say, and the Bayshore Drive Mixed Use Overlay.
That is not a moratorium for Bayshore Drive; it's the
establishment of it, so I need to put in two commas there, and I
think we'll be fine, but I needed to clear that for the record.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Thank you, Ms. Student, thank you.
MR. PRESTON: Good evening.
For the record, Debrah Preston.
The map on your visualizer reflects the changes that were
made since our last meeting here on this reading.
We've had a community meeting this past Monday going
over these changes. These changes reflect the deed restrictions
that we looked at at a staff level, also takes in some other public
comment we received, and it has moved that neighborhood
commercial line back up to where it currently exists in the Gulf
Shore Plaza, but we have provided some parking options on the
adjacent properties if they're owned by the same owner, if they
own the commercial and the lot right next to it.
At the meeting, we did have one other area of objection that
you might hear tonight. It's regarding the neighborhood
commercial to the north of Haldeman Creek, this large, red area
there which is on Beeca.
Staff has looked at some alternative language that would be
-- we'd be willing to present tonight if you care to hear that after
Page 25
December 13, 2000
you listen to your speakers or prior to that.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Prior to that. I --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Prior.
MS. PRESTON: Prior to that?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Prior.
MS. PRESTON: All right. One of the issues we have up here
in this corner is that we were not providing a multifamily
transitional district between the neighborhood commercial and
the neighborhood -- and the single family located next to it,
which actually is zoned multifamily.
We do have an existing beauty shop that's located on Becca
Avenue, and that beauty shop has been there for a number of
years and they have come in looking for rezoning on that; and
that's located right on Becca Avenue, which is right there, and it
would be lot 46, is actually where the beauty shop is located.
The neighborhood commercial would allow for the beauty
shop and a variety of other low-intense commercial uses to be
permitted, but the neighbors that are adjacent to this property
would prefer us looking at some other alternative, either
providing some multifamily opportunities in between the
neighborhood commercial or looking at another solution.
What staff looked at was creating a neighborhood
residential -- a neighborhood -- a residential neighborhood
district, and this would take the home occupation abilities and
extend that into that block, which means you would have a
permitted single-family house or a multifamily house and be
allowed a home occupation.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE.' Like a beauty shop.
MS. PRESTON: Like a beauty shop. The difference between
what, what is currently allowed in home occupations is, this area
would allow customers to come to the home, and so they would
be able to have a beauty shop or a dentist's office, a doctor's
office.
We've drafted some language I can hand out that shows you
what the permitted uses would be and what some of the other
stipulations are, such as the resident of the home has to be the
owner and operator of the business. We would limit the use to
30 percent of the primary structure of the building could only be
used for the commercial aspect here.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: How would that work with the
Page 26
December 13, 2000
beauty shop that's currently there?
MS. PRESTON: That would allow them to continue to
operate.
I have not had the opportunity to get their square footage,
but it's -- my understanding would be, I think the 30 percent
would give them ample area to operate their business.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: What, this doesn't cover it after the
sale of that property? Is that what you're saying?
MS. PRESTON: That's right. All of these blocks located
that's currently in that red would now be designated as
residential neighborhood commercial, and that would be allowed
the use of home occupations within that area provided they meet
the other criteria that's outlined in the proposed amendment, so
it now would be colored this purple area.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's neat.
MS. PRESTON: So you could possibly have -- and this would
be sort of a test-case area. That way we could look at how this
would function in other areas in the county, because I think this
has been talked about in other locations, as well.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Ms. Preston, is this going to be
in the -- this LDC cycle, the, the uses?
MS. PRESTON: Would these uses be allowed through this
I. DC cycle?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Right.
MS. PRESTON: Yes, that would be correct.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I would like to take a look at it.
MS. PRESTON: Sure.
MR. OLLIFF: Mr. Chairman, if you're ready for public
speakers?
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Yes.
MR. OLLIFF: First speaker, first speaker is John Emery, and
I'm going to call the next speaker, as well, if they could be
prepared, Jack van Veldhoven?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And, and just for purposes of -- I,
I -- are there Board members who object to this plan in general?
I mean, it might help the speakers to know sort of where we
stand.
I, I--
CHAIRMAN CARTER: I don't object.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I like the plan.
Page 27
December 13, 2000
CHAIRMAN CARTER: I like the plan, and I don't object.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Particularly with the change, I
like this plan, so if you want to say, go for it --
MR. EMERY: Yeah, if we could just leave this up. Am I
allowed to use a pointer here?
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Sure.
MR. EMERY: Okay. I own a home on 44, and I would like to
see this moved over one or two just in line with the northbound
line here.
I have no objection -- I have no objections to the beauty
parlor. Keep the beauty parlor, but when the property is sold
down the road, I'd like to at least have one lot buffer zone
between my house and, you know, the guy's Harley shop next
door or whatever it's going to be.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Oh, it can't be a Harley shop.
You need to look at the list.
MR. EMERY: No, I've read this list. I was at the meeting the
other night. But just have it moved over maybe one or two, you
know, I think that would be kind of fair.
MS. PRESTON: Just two --
MR. EMERY: A one lot -- one- or two-lot buffer zone between
my house and whatever, even though I like the new residential
whatever.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You like the purple, but you'd like
it moved over one lot to the --
MR. EMERY: To the east.
MS. PRESTON: The, the reason we did this was just
because of all -- it's all owned under one ownership, so for
redevelopment purposes, we thought it would be easier to do.
And at the meeting that we had on Monday night, we didn't
have the list of uses or this proposed amendment. What we had
proposed at the last meeting was to just move the neighborhood
commercial over to allow for the first two lots on Bayshore to be
covered with all the commercial uses provided in this overlay.
But then looking at that, we have a single-family home
behind that area, and then next to it, and then you have
commercial over, so staff thought that this home occupational
thing would address it a little bit better than moving the line
over,
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Let me just read you this, and -- if
Page 28
December 13, 2000
people haven't seen it. If this purple district goes, we're talking
about no Harley shops next to you; we're talking about
accounting, auditing, and bookkeeping; barber shops; beauty
salons; engineer, architectural services; insurance agent and
broker; legal services; real estate agent, the kind of things that
you already do -- I practice my -- law from my home. I mean, it's
a home occupation.
MR. EMERY: What's your address?
MR. OLLIFF: I think that was the use --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'll give you my phone number if
you're going to hire me.
MR. EMERY: Well, okay. That's, that's fair. Just I'd like to
see it moved over one, and I talked to the neighbors about that.
They don't even want this in there, but I think that's okay. I can --
That's all I'm saying, just, you know, give a little, take -- give and
take.
That's all. Thanks.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Okay. Next speaker.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Is that possible, Debrah?
MS. PRESTON: Well, certainly, it's up to the Board's
discretion.
MR. EMERY: Just after the -- the state reverts back to
wherever, you know.
MS. PRESTON: We can, of course, always amend this map
and the language at another cycle.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Okay. We have his input. Let's go to
the next speakers. Thank you.
MR. OLLIFF: Mr. van Veldhoven will be followed by John
Hall.
MR. VAN VELDHOVEN: Good evening, Commissioners. My
name is Jackie van Veldhoven. I --just here very quick, very
briefly -- I support the overlay problem, and let's go for it.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: All right.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Thank you, sir.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thanks for coming.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Next speaker, please.
MR. OLLIFF: John Hall will be followed by Cathy Hunt.
MR. HALL: I'm John Hall. I live down in Demere's Landing
right across from where the proposed commercial zoning was,
Page 29
December 13, 2000
and I just came to be sure that Ursula could keep her beauty
salon.
And I think that Debrah's new plan is just fantastic. The
lady keeps amazing me; I'll tell you.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Isn't she amazing?
MR. HALL: Yes. So that's all I have to say.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Next speaker.
MR. HALL: Looks good.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Next speaker, please.
MR. OLLIFF: Thank you, John.
Cathy Hunt will be followed by David Woodworth.
MS. HUNT: Good evening, Mr. Chairman, honored Members
of the Board.
My name is Cathy Hunt. I am definitely in favor of this
overlay. Many of the neighbors that I've spoken to are getting
excited about it.
There's a few things that we will be working towards, a
couple of ideas that have arisen already, the fine dining
waterfront, perhaps an art colony and coffee shop. I just feel
that there's a lot of work that's been put into this, and it's a, it's
a good plan.
The careful planning will encourage positive, new
development, and will realign existing businesses to create an
appealing new character that better fits the fine property owners
united to improve their neighborhood. Thank you.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you, Cathy.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Thank you.
MR. OLLIFF: David Woodworth will be followed by your last
speaker, George Vega.
MR. WOODWORTH: It, it seems like you've worn the
opposition down. That's what I would say.
You know, I talked to my neighbors before I left to come
here, and they, they are tired, and they weren't willing to come
out
again.
And I, I would say that the majority of the residents in this
area do not want more commercialization.
I, I talked with the county manager about a petition, and I
guess that's probably my only option now, because you are -- you
Page 30
December 13, 2000
don't want the residents of an area to be able to control what
they want in it. Okay?
There's always going to be an opportunist that wants to do
something to make a buck, and we have a number of
opportunists here to make a buck and move on.
But I live in the -- I, I live in the neighborhood. I, I hope to
live it in for a long, long time.
And,*you know, if, if a petition of the residents that live in
this area -- I don't know if, exactly, if it went before an election
next September or whatever, would that have any effect on, on,
you know--
I know you want to, you want to redevelop this area, but I
just think that you can redevelop it with multifamily,
single-family, that type of development. Okay?
It doesn't have to be commercial. You can go somewhere
around the, the Gateway Triangle. I think that lends itself to
more commercialization. It's already commercial.
I just think, you know, we should try to turn Bayshore into a
pristine community of residential development. Okay? We, we
need to encourage the businesses that are there to move on.
Okay? I really -- if, if -- they were misplaced. to begin with, as far
as I'm concerned. If they have industrial areas on Bayshore,
there's no need for, you know, industrial property alone there.
Okay?
We have -- off of Airport Road, there's a whole industrial park
there, and most of it is still vacant there.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Next speaker, please.
MR. OLLIFF: George Vega is your last speaker.
MR. VEGA: My name's George Vega. I'm here on behalf of
the Thompsons. That's Ursula's Beauty Salon.
And I believe those of you who have been at the previous
commission remember that we had a petition pending in 1998,
and at that point, with a lot of patience and a tremendous
amount of work from the staff, you've come up with a
tremendous plan; and as far as we're concerned -- I think you've
heard some of the neighbors that were for it, and that will
resolve the previous petition that we had, and there's no sense in
discussing the grandlathering clause unless you want me to,
because it's been there a long time, since '92.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I agree with that.
Page 31
December 13, 2000
MR. VEGA: We were pretty -- I think you know it, and I think
you know how close the bars are, you know, all the, all the
reasons why you should have this, and the staff has done a great
job.
We thank very much for the consideration.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Thank you, sir.
Pleasure of the Board?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I move approval with the, with
the change proposed tonight for the residential neighborhood
commercial section.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Second?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I second that.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Second by Commissioner Fiala. All in
favor signify by saying aye.
(Unanimous vote of ayes.)
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Motion passes.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I would like to request, as we're
going on to the next one, if I may, that just for the record now
that maybe our staff can work with the community character
select committee and its advisors just for the compatibility of
this plan and to offer any suggestions they might have to make
sure that we're, we're working with community character at
always keeping this area special.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: FYI, Donna, I've already
coordinated. That's going to be happening.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Great. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Okay. That's fine.
Next item, Vehicles on the Beach.
MR. OLLIFF: Mr. Chairman, my suggestion would be, you've
got five speakers that are all here on, on basically two items;
they've registered on the same two items for every, every
speaker; and if you want to, it is Vehicles on the Beach and it is
Special Events on the Beach, and we could probably just go
straight to your speakers and hear what those issue are.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I agree.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Yes, that would be good. Let's take
them.
MR. OLLIFF: First speaker is Irene Barnett followed by Ron
Albeit.
I can't believe that zoning district passed when you allowed
Page 32
December t3, 2000
attorneys to go into a neighborhood as part of a neighborhood
commercial district.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thanks. Thanks.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: I agree.
MR. OLLIFF: They've asked for Ed Staros to go first as the
public speaker order.
MR. STAROS: Mr. Commissioner, County Commissioners, I'm
Ed Staros. I'm the managing director of the Ritz Carlton Hotel,
and as a matter of introduction, I go back to the beginning days
of Ritz Carlton. I'm the second employee of the company; Joe
Franey and I helped open that hotel early on.
We're also -- just as a matter of fact, we're a huge employer
now. Now we have over a thousand employees on an annualized
basis and an annual payroll of over $20 million.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Congratulations.
MR. STAROS: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: How do you feel about vehicles
on the beach?
MR, STAROS: All right. I just -- let me tell you, the hotel has
been open for 15 years and 10 days. The hotel has been doing
beach parties on our land since day one. We've been doing it
and, and we --
The issue here that bubbled up -- I came 14 months ago on a
full-time basis. I walked into the hotel and I found out that there
was some third-party beach -- party planners that had come to
the hotel and abused the beach.
And quite frankly, the moment I heard that, I, being an
extremely environmentally sensitive individual in my life, I called
a meeting with all of the party planners, et cetera, at the hotel
and said, ladies and gentlemen, this cannot be. We, we must in
fact run our business and run our business well, but not destroy
the beach or do anything that will be environmentally negative
for Collier County.
The issue of Vehicles on the Beach is simply a, a singular
ATV. We're not talking about drag racing on the beach; we're not
talking about Daytona; all we're talking about is one, singular,
balloon-tire four-wheel vehicle to simply transport towels to and
from the laundry, clean towels to the beach, dirty towels back to
the laundry, picnic tables, tables and chairs, et cetera, to help
set up the, the beach when there is a party on the beach.
Page 33
December 13, 2000
There's a lot of parties on the beach; however, I happen to --
just go back, just to make everybody feel a little bit more
comfortable about this, last year we, from September to
September, we had a 161 parties on the beach, six of which were
300 people or more, nine of which were 200 people to 299, and
27 of which were 100 people to 200 people.
The rest of the parties were parties -- well, I can't say it
anymore, because so many people left, but the rest of the parties
were the 50, 60-person parties, et cetera, that were on the
beach.
And all I'm asking for is the same consideration that you've
allowed the hotel to have for the last 15 years, is to do business
and to do it in a very environmentally sensitive way.
And with reference to the ATV, all I'm asking there is, simply
allow us to deliver product to and from the beach, but I have no, I
have no interest in doing more than one, simple ATV vehicle with
balloon tires for the simple purpose of doing business.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Just a quick question: In all the, all
the. parties you had on the beach, were there ever any
neighborhood complaints?
MR. STAROS: Yes. Yes. Not since I've been there, I can tell
you that.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: No. I mean in this last year.
MR. STAROS: In this last year-- I got a call from a resident
who's become a good friend, Phil McCabe, who lives at the
Remington, and I got a call on one party that -- because of the --
the, the band was too loud. I banned that band.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: You had 161 parties and you had one
complaint.
MR. STAROS: Basically that's pretty much it.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And so do you support what staff
has proposed, or do you -- are you suggesting changes to --
MR. STAROS: I just want to have -- I, you know -- we had
161 parties from September to September. There's this issue
about 150. Considering that there's only a handful of parties that
are of any size whatsoever, what -- what's the 150 versus the 170
or the 1607 I, I don't know.
Is it going to be 150, and all of a sudden on December 16the
next year, hypothetically, I've had my 150, and -- for example, the
group that just checked out of the hotel today was the U.S.
Page 34
December t 3, 2000
Chamber of Commerce Council of 100. Had every CEO of every
major company in the world. And hypothetically, if we had
already had our 150 parties, if that's some special number, why --
where that came from I don't know, and all of a sudden the top
CEOs of the Fortune 100 companies -- I'll close -- wanted to have
a party, I think it's sort of ridiculous to kind of say it can't
happen; that's all.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Just, just one question, if I may.
MR. STAROS: Yes.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Do you have to at any time drive
across private land to get to your land? MR. STAROS: Never.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I mean, I mean public land.
MR. STAROS: No.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: You don't.
MR. STAROS: Never.
COMMISSIONER STAROS: So we're talking about you using
your own land.
MR. STAROS: I'm talking about me using my own land; that
is correct.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Mr. Chairman --
MR. STAROS: A hundred percent of the time.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: -- I think that this whole
ordinance is just to protect the sea turtle so we don't have
scrambled eggs on the beach. MR. STAROS: Right.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: And I don't know why we're
limiting the number of--
CHAIRMAN CARTER: I, I don't why we care how many as
long as there's -- I'm with you, protect the sea turtle and --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: It's just a matter of opinion.
MR. NINO: It's 150 days we're dealing with. There could be
more events; there could be two or three events a day. I don't
know if the 162 that you referred to were events or, or calendar
days.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm, I'm just going to suggest that
I don't think the Board cares about the number of days. I don't
care about the numbers of days.
MR. STAROS: Thank you.
Page 35
December 13, 2000
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I care about compliance with the
regulations that protect the wildlife.
MR. STAROS: I do too. I'm, I'm -- there's not a businessman
in this county that's more environmentally sensitive than Ed
Staros.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE.' There you go.
MR. STAROS: End of subject.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So Mr. Nino --
MR. NINO: Just eliminate the reference to days.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Okay. Then--
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's my motion.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: And if everyone is -- do the other
speakers want to speak to this or--
MR. NINO: We nonetheless want the reporting standards
that are built into this, 'cause we do want --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Everything the same.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Everything the same. They can
record, reporting, ta-da, ta-da, but we don't --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Eliminate the days.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA.' They're responsible for the sea
turtles as far as environmental permitting and --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And that's already --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Okay. And that's part of--
CHAIRMAN CARTER: How many other speakers did we
have, Mr. Olliff? If they want to waive, we'll waive, and we can
deal with this.
If it's the pleasure of the Board, then we will do it and
eliminate -- second to that.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Second.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Okay. Second by Commissioner Fiala.
We're waiving the number of days, and we want all the other
criteria left as is.
All in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed by the same sign.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Motion carries 5-0.
MR. OLLIFF: Mr. Chairman, there are some people who want
to speak, so I need to run through this list, and if they waive,
they'll waive.
CHAIRMAN CARTER: Okay.
Page 36
December 13, 2000
(Chairman Carter left the meeting.)
MR. OLI. IFF: Irene Barnett, Ron Albeit, Justin Finch.
MR. NINO: Mr. Chairman, I'd like Barbara Burgeson to
address an issue on the Vehicles on the Beach. MS. BURGESON: Yes--
MR. OLLIFF: Barbara, wait till we finish with the public
speakers.
MR. NINO: Okay.
MS. BURGESON: Excuse me, but if--
MR. NINO: I got it.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Him first.
MR. FINCH: Good evening, Board.
Justin Finch. I'm with Gulf Sea Adventures on the beach
concession located behind the Vanderbilt Inn.
Since our last meeting, the -- with the Board's help, they did
make some changes to this amendment. There were some
inadequacies that we spoke of last time.
I would like Board to correct me -- or staff to correct me if
I'm wrong, but with the new changes, as I read it, this does allow
myself, the LaPlaya, and the Ritz Carlton to use ATVs to move
the equipment on our area that we're given our beach vendor
permit.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Is that correct, Mr. Nino?
COMMISSIONER FIALA.' Except in turtle season, right?
MR. FINCH: Correct.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Can somebody make a record for
this gentleman that that is correct?
I could do it, 'cause it says that.
MR. BURGESON: On the record, for the -- Barbara Burgeson
with planning services, yes, that is correct. COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER FIALA.' Except in turtle season is in there,
right?
MS. BURGESON: Yes. Right.
MR. FINCH: I do have one problem. There was an additional
change that was made regarding a time limit on our operation.
As I spoke to staff, they had in mind a, a time of one hour for our
closing time.
The problem I have with that is, currently, I have about four
and a half weeks during that non turtle season period where I -- it
Page 37
December 13, 2000
takes me probably about an hour and a half to close. This --
during this period coming up, I'm getting more equipment, so it
would probably increase my closing time to around two hours.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Probably -- is there a reason we
should care about two hours instead of one?
MS. BURGESON: No, and Justin and I discussed this, and I
told him that would not be a problem.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Then I'm going to move that we --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Amend your motion?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, actually, it should be a
different motion.
MS. BURGESON: I would like to add something to this.
The language that staff made a change to allowing the ATV
use in the morning and the evening was just for the concessions.
As the Ritz has just requested, the ATV use in the morning
and the evening for the hotel's general use for towels and things
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right.
MS. BURGESON: -- was not added in here, so I can add that
language in if you want to know that that --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Then let's -- I would like to
entertain a motion that addresses Ms. Burgeson's issue and this
gentleman's issue about the two hours for closing.
MS. BURGESON: The -- I'm sorry-- the language that's in
here does not limit or put a time frame on that that would be site
specific and understanding the immediate needs of--
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Two separates issue here. I
understand. We're talking one is about concessionaires, and he
needs two hours to close.
MR. OLLIFF: And she says that it is not a regulation that
limits it to one or two.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Oh.
MS. BURGESON: There's no time frame in the --
MR. FINCH: As I understand it, it's not spelled out, and I
would either -- previously, staff recommended this same
amendment for the Registry with absolutely no time constrains,
so either --
MS. BURGESON: There's no time constraints.
Page 38
December t3, 2000
you.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: There are no time constraints for
MR. FINCH: Okay, just as long as that's on the record.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So you've got that on the record
MR. FINCH: Okay.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- and you're covered.
MR. FINCH: Thank you very much.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Do we need staff to reconsider
the motion or do any changes to the motion that we previously
passed?
It sounds like we don't.
MR. OLLIFF: One more.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: All right.
MR. OLLIFF: Matthew Grabinski.
MR. GRABINSKI: I just want to clarify the last motion
regarding Vehicles on the Beach and the hotel's ability, whether
or not they are now going to be able to use it to, say, take out
beach towels in the morning and break--
MS. BURGESON: The language --
MR. GRABINSKI: -- it down.
MS. BURGESON: The language as it's written in here right
now is just for the concessions, and I'm proposing that we add
that similar language to the hotel section to allow for a setup
time and a removal time at the end of the day for ATV use.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And I'm going to entertain a
motion to that effect as soon as we're done with our speakers.
MR. OLLIFF: You are done with your speakers.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Would someone like to so move?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Marjorie is--
MS. STUDENT: I think -- were you intending to amend,
'cause there's a motion on the floor, so were you intending --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Oh, no, we voted on the motion
on the floor.
MS. STUDENT: Okay. I --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: No. We voted on the motion on
the floor; now we're moving on to this second issue.
MS. STUDENT: I got it. Okay.
VICE CHAIRMAN MAC'KIE: So --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I'll second it.
Page 39
December 13, 2000
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
Opposed?
(No response.)
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
Did you move?
Right.
All in favor please say aye.
Passes unanimously.
What else did we have? Do we have any other --
MR. NINO: I'd turn your attention to the Immokalee Overlay
District. I have a -- an amendment that I need to give you.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I have some issues with some
things.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay. And then after this, we'll
go to Board questions on any other items if there are other items
that we need to give direction to staff or make changes on.
So, Mr. Nino, if you'll tell us about this change.
MR. NINO: This is a change to --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Oh, yeah.
MR. NINO: -- conditional use for towers. Currently towers
are permitted in the C-4 district at 75 feet.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm running out of time, so I'm
going to interrupt you to say, this is the one where the Board
raised the concern that we might be eliminating essential
services towers for fire, EMS, otherwise, and you've corrected
that.
MS. MOSCA: For the record, Michelle Mosca.
Yes, we did in fact correct it.
As you have in your packet though, it would required those
essential service facilities to obtain a conditional use for such
towers, which would create an unnecessary burden; because in
the C-4 zoning district, it is permitted up to 75 feet.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So if we approve the amendment
that was just distributed to us, we will have addressed that
concern.
MS. MOSCA: That is correct.
I'd entertain a motion to that
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
effect.
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
COMMISSIONER COLETTA:
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
So moved.
Second.
All in favor please say aye.
Page 40
December 13, 2000
then
who
Opposed?
(No response.)
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That passes unanimously.
What -- I know that Commissioner Henning has an item, and
we'll speak--
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
else has a --
Items?
I'm sorry?
Items.
Has items, and then we'll see
Commissioner Henning, what items do you need?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: The Fencing, we had some
language in there for--
MR. NINO: Chainlink?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: -- esthetics, the chainlinks. Can
we exempt single-family?
MR. NINO: Page 20 --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Sixty-five.
MR. NINO: Sixty-five.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: It sure makes sense to me. I --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah, I mean, it's, it's saying
fencing in' arterial roadways. Well, we, you know, we have some
single families in arterial roadways, and I just didn't want there
to be a financial burden on families.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I would agree with that.
MR. NINO: Well, let me say, the concern we heard, of
course, was that we didn't think -- you didn't think chainlink
fences -- or some of you didn't think chainlink fences were the
spirit of, of Naples, particularly along arterial and collector
roads; so we responded with a, if you're going to do it, you need
to set it back 3 feet, put a hedge in front of it, irrigate it.
And that would only apply to arterial and collector roads.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And, Mr. Nino, we're going to lose
our quorum in about five minutes, and what Mr. Henning is
suggesting is that we pass that, make that change, but that we
exempt single-family homes.
MR. OLLIFF: Consensus.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm sorry?
MR. OLLIFF: Consensus on that, and we'll move on to the
next item.
Page 41
December 13, 2000
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right.
COMMISSIONER FIALA.' Except single-family homes?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah, exempt it so families -- it
might be a financial burden to put in a hedge and, you know--
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I think that's fair. It's
commercial that would have to do it; multifamily family would
have to do; just single-family would not.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: But we're not talking about the
front yard, right?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: That's -- okay. Okay. As long as
we're not talking about their front yard, I -- you know, back yard
for their dogs and everything?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Question?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yes.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: What Immokalee, where you
already have this situation where a number of houses have --
MR. NINO: ~Doesn't, doesn't apply to Immokalee.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Okay. Fine.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So we have a motion.
Do we have a second?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Second.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: All in flavor please say aye.
Opposed?
(No response.)
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That passes unanimously.
Commissioner Henning?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Page 104, it's to do with gopher
tortoise protection, brad language, all gopher tortoises in the
habitat and associated with -- commensals? I don't know what
that is. MS. STUDENT: I think, if I may, I -- our environmental
people have left, but the commensal, as I understand it, is other
additional habitat and other creatures that live in the burrow
with the gopher tortoise.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: What is, what is going to habitat
in there?
MS. STUDENT: It is other creatures that live in the burrow
along with the gopher tortoise.
Our environmental people have gone, but that's my
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December t3, 2000
understanding of it.
MR. CHRZANOWSKI: That's right. Commensal -- Stan
Chrzanowski with Development Services. Commensal organisms
are organisms like varieties of toad, indigo snake, bugs that live
in the burrow with the tortoise.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Thank you for asking that question.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: The whole point of protecting the
gopher tortoise is that they are what's call an umbrella species,
and their habitat provides habitat for other species. That's the
reason --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So, so if the gopher tortoise
moves out and the indigo snake stays there, that means we got
to protect it?
MR. MULHERE.' Well, in the case of -- Bob Mulhere, for the
record. In the case of the indigo snake, it's a --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: It's already protected.
MR. MULHERE: -- it's a protected species, so we do have to
protect that, but other species, perhaps not.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I just have a bit of a problem
with -- you know, we're just going too far; that's all. And it's --
are we going too far with this?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I, I certainly think not. I mean,
that's the reason we protect the gopher tortoise, and if we're
going to change this, I think it's the kind of thing we need to
send back to the environmental committees, 'cause they know
more about it than we do.
I don't want to make a change like that that I don't really
know the repercussions to.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Right.
MR. MULHERE: There's just one other-- perhaps this also is
germane to that question, is -- and I'm not a biologist, but having
dealt a little bit with this, as I understand it, the gopher tortoises
may move in and out of burrows, so if you protect the burrows,
you know, they can move from one to another then freely. You're
protecting their habitat.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I mean, that is the point. We're
not protecting the individual turtle; we're protecting the habitat
that provides homes for many species.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Right.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So the point is to protect the
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December 13, 2000
hole in the ground. As dumb as that sounds, that is the point,
'cause that's the their habitat.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, I can't agree with that,
because if you get one to move out, then you're protecting that
home -- that hole forever.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
saying -- I don't see that.
MR. MULHERE: We, we do.
We already do.
We already do protect it. It's
When they -- when the developer
comes in and identifies tortoise habitat, they'll, they'll give us a
gopher tortoise management plan, and they'll set aside -- if
they're doing it on-site, and in most cases we try to get on-site
protection, they're going to set aside an area. They're not going
to worry about the individual burrows; they're going to set aside
an entire area.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. And -- but if they do that
on-site. If they don't do that on-site, then it's --
MR. MULHERE: Then they have to relocate them off-site to
an appropriate habitat.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And then they don't protect them
MR. MULHERE: Then they don't protect them.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- though after the fact.
MR. MULHERE: Right. And there's, there's no requirement
for them then to protect those --
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
MR. MULHERE: No.
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER
MAC'KIE:
HENNING:
MAC'KIE:
HENNING:
MAC'KIE:
COMMISSIONER HENNING:
I guess the zoning districts.
And we're not changing that.
Okay. And then one other one.
One more?
One more.
Sure.
Twenty-one, page 21.
Page 217
It's having to do with -- oh, the --
MR. NINO: What page is it?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Page 21.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Oh, I had a question on that too.
Hours of operation?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No.
Page 44
December t3, 2000
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Is that what you're talking about?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Commissioner Henning first.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: It's, its number 23, second
paragraph, the addition, permits or letters of exception from the
Corps of -- U.S. Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and/or South Florida Water
Management District shall be presented to the planning service --
MR. NINO: Right.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: -- required to do site
development plan approval.
Is that really necessary to put this language in there?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, they can't operate without
those permits.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Oh, I know they can't, can't
operate. I mean, I think they --
MR. MULHERE: Again, for the record, Bob Mulhere.
Normally, we're aware, going through a zoning process, a
conditional use, a rezone, we do not allow them to commence
operation until they demonstrate they have the permits from the
state agencies.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So you just want to put it in
writing.
MR. MULHERE: Right.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay.
MR. MULHERE: It's just, just qualification.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I thought he was going to ask mine,
so -- I have the second one, and that is, the hours of operation
shall be limited to two hours before Sunrise.
Wouldn't that be kind of noisy for the neighbors, especially
in, in a -- in such an area, asphalt, concrete, and so forth?
MR. NINO: Typically these, typically these are out in the
boondocks.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, throughout this thing, though,
it talks about neighbors and, and so forth, so I, I didn't know.
And didn't it say somewhere in here that it could, it could be
as close as 1500 feet? And I thought, gee, that would be kind of
early to be waking people up.
But if you're assuring me that there aren't residents around
Page 45
December t3, 2000
there --
MR. NINO: That, that is current regulation.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Oh, that's current regulation?
MR. NINO: For whatever --
COMMISSIONER FIALA-' Okay.
MR. NINO: For whatever it's worth, that's current regulation;
it's not an amendment.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Fine. Then, if nobody's complained
about it --
MR. NINO: Nobody's complained.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: -- then I'll be quiet.
Thank you.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Do we have other items that
commissioners have -- yes, sir, Commissioner Coletta.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yes. If I may, on the, the
change to the ordinance to add carrotwood to that particular
ordinance?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: What page is that on our packet,
if you would?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Fifty-five.
MR. NINO.' That's to delete the carrotwood.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Fifty-five?
MR. NINO: Oh, added to the -- yeah, added to the prohibited
species, yeah.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Right. The prohibited species
list.
A little bit of concern: What happens to the numerous
carrotwood trees that are now on residential and commercial
lots? Would they all have to be removed pronto, or is there some
grace period, or what's, what's the story on this?
MR. MULHERE: That's a very good question.
Under this scenario, you do not -- you are not required to
remove existing prohibited species for this list. You simply
cannot use that species or replant that species in any new
development.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Is there going to be any kind of
financial impact on the nurseries that have got these growing in
their nurseries? Is there a period of time, or how does this work?
Has the nurseries been apprised of this situation?
MR. MULHERE: I don't know if they have been individually
Page 46
December 13, 2000
apprised of this. Usually they -- do you want to speak to it?
MR. CHRZANOWSKI: I could, I could speak on it also. I
checked on this, and what it is, is -- carrotwood is, is, the state
of Florida is being mandated it to be outlawed, and the nurseries
already know about it.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA:
MR. CHRZANOWSKI: Right.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA:
taking a beating.
So they're prepared for it --
-- and they're not going to be
Is that correct? Is that what you were going to say?
MS. SIEMION: For the record, I'm Nancy Siemion,
· Landscape Architect, Current Planning Services, and Alex Silecki
(phonetic), our environmentalist, shared with us at a recent
meeting that this is a state requirement and that the industry is
aware of it.
COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER
amendments.
MAC'KIE:
COLETTA:
MAC'KIE:
HENNING:
MAC'KIE:
HENNING:
Is there a second?
Great.
Okay. No other questions.
Other questions, Commissioners?
I motion that we approve the --
The balance of the amendments?
-- the balance of the
COMMISSIONER FIALA:
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
Opposed?
(No response.)
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
Second.
All in favor, please say aye.
Passes unanimously.
And this is the new way we're going to run these county
commission meetings.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I don't know. I feel a little rushed.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Actually, I was looking forward
to another couple hours. Now I don't know what the heck to do
with my evening.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You get to go home and eat
dinner with your family.
MR. OLLIFF: You are more than welcome to hang around.
Page 47
December 13, 2000
(There being no further business for the good of the County,
the meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 6:35 p.m.)
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS/EX
OFFICIO GOVERNING BOARD (S) OF
SPECIAL DISTRICTS UNDER ITS
~:~i~'~.DWiG~iT~.E. BROCK, CLERK
Tfiese minutes ~pprove~ ~ tile Bo~r~ on ~n~ ~ ~o/
CONTROL ~ ~
JAM ES~/C~,R~I~R;~. O., CHAIRMAN
presented / or 'as corrected .
as
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF GREGORY COURT
REPORTING BY: Sandra B. Brown
Page 48