CCPC Minutes 01/18/2001 RJanuary 18, 2001
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
Naples, Florida, January 18, 2001
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Collier County Planning
Commission, in and for the County of Collier, having conducted
business herein, met on this date at 8:30 a.m. in REGULAR
SESSION in Building "F" of the Government Complex, East
Naples, Florida, with the following members present:
CHAIRMAN:
Gary Wrage
Ken Abernathy
Russell Budd
Michael Pedone
Russell A. Priddy
Joyceanna J. Rautio
Dwight Richardson
Lora Jean Young
NOT PRESENT:
Sam Saadeh
ALSO PRESENT: Ron Nino, Current Planning Manager
Marjorie M. Student, Assistant County Attorney
Page I
AGENDA
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MEET AT 8:30 A.M., THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2001, IN THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING ROOM, ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, COUNTY
GOVERNMENT CENTER, 3301 TAMIAMI TRAIL EAST, NAPLES, FLORIDA:
NOTE: INDIVIDUAL. SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO 5 MINUTES ON ANY
ITEM. INDIVIDUALS SELECTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AN
ORGANIZATION OR GROUP ARE ENCOURAGED AND MAY BE ALLOTFED 10
MINUTES TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM IF SO RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIRMAN.
PERSONS WISHING TO HAVE WRITTEN OR GRAPHIC MATERIALS INCLUDED
IN THE CCPC AGENDA PACKETS MUST SUBMIT SAID MATERIAL A
MINIMUM OF l0 DAYS PRIOR TO THE RESPECTIVE PUBLIC HEARING. IN
ANY CASE, WRITTEN MATERIALS INTENDED TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE
CCPC SHALL BE SUBMITFED TO THE APPROPRIATE COUNTY STAFF A
MINIMUM OF SEVEN DAYS PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. ALL
MATERIAL USED IN PRESENTATIONS BEFORE THE CCPC WILL BECOME A
PERMANENT PART OF THE RECORD AND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR
PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IF
APPLICABLE.
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION OF THE CCPC 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.
i. ROLL CALL BY CLERK
2. ADDENDA TO THE AGENDA
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: December 7, 2000 and December 21, 2000
4. PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENCES
5. BCC REPORT
6. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
7. ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARINGS
BD-2000-32, Miles L. Scofield of Scofield Marine Consulting, representing Elliot F. Brainard, requesting a
25 foot boat dock extension for a boat dock facility protruding 45 feet into the waterway for property located
at 82 Southport Cove, further described as Lot 9, Southport on the Bay Unit 1, in Section 6, Township 48
South, Range 25 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Ross Gochenatlr)
V-2000-31, David & Cheryl Surgeon requesting an after-the-fact variance of 1.4 feet from the required 5 foot
rear yard setback for accessory structures to 3.6 feet for property located at 2925 Coco Lakes Drive, further
described as Lots 45 and 46, Coco Lakes, in Section 23, Township 49 South, Range 25 East, Collier County,
Florida. (Coordinator: Fred Reischl)
PUD-2000-06, William Hoover, AICP, of Hoover Planning and Development, Incorporated, requesting a
rezone from "E" Estates to PUD Planned Unit Development to be known as "Ragge" PUD for a mixture of
commercial and office uses on property located at the northwest corner of the intersection between Pine
Ridge Road and Whippoorwill Lane in Section 7, Township 49 South, Range 26 East, Collier County,
Florida, consisting of 4.78 acres. (Continued to 2/1) (Coordinator: Ray Bellows)
Do
PUD-92-08(1), Bryan Milk of RWA, Inc., representing William T. Higgs, requesting a fezone from PUD to
PUD known as White Lake Industrial Park PUD having the effect of changing the name to White Lake
Corporate Park PUD, increasing the industrial land use from 67.4 acres to 86.3 acres, and changing the
property ownership for property located northeast of and adjacent to the intersection of 1-75 and Collier
Boulevard (C.R. 951), in Section 35, Township 49 South, Range 26 East, Collier County, Florida.
(Coordinator: Chahram Badamtchian)
CU-2000-18, Richard D. Yovanovich of Goodlette, Coleman and Johnson, representing SunVac Corporation-
SM&H Stables, requesting Conditional Uses "19" and "20" of the "A" zoning district for sports instructional
schools and commercial renting of horses and trail rides for property located at 2740 Newman Drive in
Section 12, Township 50 South, Range 26 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Chahram
Badamtchian)
Fo
To approve a Resolution adopting Activity Center ~9 Interchange Master Plan that provides an enhanced
gateway to Naples through landscape, transportation access and architectural design improvements.
(Coordinator: Amy Taylor)
8. OLD BUSINESS
9. NEW BUSINESS
i 0. PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM
i i. DISCUSSION OF ADDENDA
12. ADJOURN
i/18/01 CCPC AGENDA/RN/im
2
January t8, 2001
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Good morning. We're going to split the
difference here between the commissioners' watches and the
clock on the wall and we'll call to order the Collier County
Planning Commission, Thursday, January 18th. And we'll start
with the roll call.
Commissioner Priddy?
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Here.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner Young?
COMMISSIONER YOUNG: Here.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner Abernathy seems to be
absent.
Commissioner Rautio?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Present.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner Wrage is present.
Commissioner Saadeh must still be out of the county.
Commissioner Budd seems to be absent.
Commissioner Pedone?
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Here.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: And Commissioner Richardson?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Yes.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Thank you.
Any addenda to the agenda?
MR. NINO: We have a couple of continued items. Items C
and D are requested to be continued.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Indefinitely, or to --
MR. NINO: Next meeting.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Next meeting.
I'd entertain a motion.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: So moved.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Second.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Motion made by Commissioner Priddy,
second by Commissioner Rautio. Any discussion?
If not, all in favor, signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Carried.
Any other changes?
MR. NINO: I guess under new business we ought to talk
about -- or old business, we ought to talk about the appropriate
time to set a meeting for a workshop. Commissioner Young has
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January 18, 2001
asked for a workshop, and we should talk about it.
MS. STUDENT: I just want to say for the record -- Marjorie
Student, county attorney -- that we've been coordinating with Mr.
Nino, and we had talked about February 15th, I believe, but one
of the other attorneys that I want to come down had a conflict
that day, so we're talking -- we can talk about it later, but I just
wanted to put that on the record.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Could I ask what the nature
of the workshop is, what the subject matter is?
MS. STUDENT: Well, from our end I think we'd be talking
about ethics and gifts and the Sunshine Law, and public records
is part of that. And then also I just did a presentation to the
board about ex parte communications. I have an outline I
prepared that I make available, talk a little bit about the
background of that, and the ideal way to do it. I am conducting
polls of other local governments to see exactly how they do their
disclosures.
(Commissioner Budd enters the boardroom.}
MS. STUDENT: That would be part of it. And maybe an
overview of the different kinds of petitions that come before you.
And staff can explain that and some of the input that goes into
it.
And that would be coupled with legal concerns about
looking at the criteria and competent substantial evidence and
that type of thing, so --
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: So this would be process
and administrative kinds of things, as opposed to Land
Development Code or content issues?
MS. STUDENT: Yes. Because I think -- oh, goodness, if we
were -- I mean, I think we could hit the highlights of the code in
terms of process, and maybe what the criteria are for the various
approvals and so forth.
If you have some questions about particular parts of the
code, I think probably we'd want to have Mr. Mulhere here for
that. And if you could, when we discuss this more fully, give us
some direction, that would be great.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay, back to -- I gather from the
questions that the board's in favor of this, pretty much?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: I'm definitely in favor of it. It's an
attempt to have an orientation, and the two new members in
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January 18, 2001
particular I think could benefit from an overview, so I strongly
support this approach.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay, back to time, date and place.
MR. NINO: So we're discussing it now. First --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I'm aware of that. I'm asking for
suggestions, okay?
MR. NINO: We're -- our schedules look like the first meeting
in March would be most desirable. That's when Ramiro Manalich
will be available.
MS. STUDENT: Yeah, I think he'll be available. He wasn't
available for February the 15th. And I think that -- I'm just trying
to think ahead if the 28th isn't a Wednesday, and if March 1st is a
Thursday. I don't have a calendar right here.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: The first -- the first meeting in
March, whatever that might be.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: In other words, you're talking about
tacking this on to the end of a regular scheduled meeting?
MR. NINO: Correct.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And March 1st is a regular
scheduled meeting.
MR. NINO: Okay.
MS. STUDENT: I don't know if it might be the board's desire
to call a special meeting for that. Because the only problem with
that is if the meeting is long. And I don't know, maybe, Ron, you
can adjust the agenda so it's not real long.
MR. NINO: We'll have to adjust the agenda. I don't imagine
the workshop would last more than an hour.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I would prefer, personally, that it be
tacked on. I think from the looks of the nodding of the heads
that they would seem to be in agreement. So tentatively we're
shooting for the first meeting in March.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And if there's something you want
us to read in advance, it might limit our questions. We could
follow the process real quickly, particularly for the new
members.
MS. STUDENT: Well, what I can share with you, we just did
a separate workshop for the Board of County Commissioners on
these matters this past Tuesday, and our office prepared really a
book with Sunshine, public records and some emergency
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January 18, 2001
management stuff. And we could make that available to you, I'm
sure. I would be glad to do that.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: I would appreciate that, thank
you.
MS. STUDENT: And Commissioner Richardson, if you would
-- if you had any concerns about LDC content, any particular
provision of it, if you could let us know in advance, that would be
good so we can --
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Great.
MS. STUDENT: -- plan.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I'll do that.
MS. STUDENT: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Thank you.
MR. NINO: I would hope that the workshop would not be
content driven. It's primarily how you best do your job as
commissioners.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Right, understood.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay, any further discussion?
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: I have a question. Not for the
workshop, but I guess a little bit of a relation to it, because I
thought we had some attempts to have a joint meeting with the
City of Naples planning board, and I was wondering if that has
had any progress, or is that still in limbo?
MR. NINO: We haven't talked about it in a long time.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: The last time I think we had a
meeting, it was at the City of Naples.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: It's been approximately two years ago,
or three years -- two years. At least two years ago.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Where they thoroughly made us
look like pikers on --
MS. STUDENT: It was May of '99.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Well, we need to correct
that impression.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Is there a feeling that we need to do
this again?
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: I think it's a good idea. I think
some sort of contact between the two planning boards --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Seeing no objection, I guess Ron,
would you at least make initial contact for us?
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: And see if you can get them to do
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January 18, 2001
it, because they do a nice job.
MS. STUDENT: We had crescent rolls and everything.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: We had a lot of things there.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: They have better food at the city.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Little bottles of water with --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Moving right along. You have before
you two sets of minutes.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Move approval of the December
7th and the December 21st minutes.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Second.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Moved by Commissioner Priddy,
seconded by Commissioner Rautio. Any discussion?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I found them fascinating
reading.
MR. NINO: On your last agenda that -- I missed your last
meeting, I did have on the agenda an issue -- a matter scheduled
that was responsive to Commissioner Rautio's concern about
why minutes were released to you out of order. All I can tell you,
based on our office, that that's the order in which we received
them, and that's the order in which they were sent to you.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Well, we do --
MR. NINO: We really don't control the minutes. That's
controlled by the clerk's office. And that's when according to
Yvette Monroe, who is responsible for this --
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Mr. Nino, we have a motion and a
second on the floor to approve these minutes, and then we can
talk about why we haven't gotten them in order. MR. NINO: Okay, thank you.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: The only thing that I believe was in a
set of minutes that I was gone that that question was arisen, and
-- but that's fine.
All in favor, signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Motion carried.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And I do want to comment then
that please be a little more aggressive about finding out why
minutes are late. Because they do give them to you far enough in
advance that if we have a scheduled meeting, we should be able
to find out why the court reporters are not making them readily
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January 18, 200t
available to you. That's my request.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Perhaps as chairman, maybe I could
ask you as a committee woman to ask the clerk's office why they
are so late.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Thank you, I'll be glad to
investigate that, report back.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Any Planning Commission absences?
Hearing none, BCC report. Ron?
MR. NINO: I'll tell you that the saga of the Sabatino variance
request is a continuing one. It was continued the last meeting.
And the second -- he's determined to go forward with the second
hearing. I suspect it will probably end up in -- well, I'm not going
to suspect anything.
MS. STUDENT: Yeah, that wouldn't be appropriate.
MR. NINO: In any event, the board is seeing fit not to deal
with those issues, and it's continued.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON:
or has it been denied?
MR. NINO: Sorry, it was denied.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON:
he's out of the box for six months.
MR. NINO:
school board--
CHAIRMAN
MR. NINO:
CHAIRMAN
MR. NINO:
CHAIRMAN
MR. NINO:
Ron, has it been continued
That's what I thought. So
And the school board one was approved. The
WRAGE:
Pardon?
WRAGE:
Yeah.
WRAGE:
Yes.
Unanimously, by the way, too, right?
It was unanimous --
-- exact opposite of what we did.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I have no report. And with that, we'll
move into the advertised public hearings. First one is boat dock, 2000-32.
And all those wishing to give testimony on this, please rise,
raise your right hand and be sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Ross?
MR. GOCHENAUR: Good morning, commissioners. For the
record, Ross Gochenaur, planning services.
The petitioner is requesting a 25-foot extension to create a
docking facility protruding a total of 45 feet into the waterway.
Page 7
January 18, 2001
The property is located at 82 Southport Cove in Lely Barefoot
Beach, and contains about 63 feet of water frontage.
The project consists of the addition of a float-on boat slip to
an existing permitted dock. There is an existing family home on
the property.
Twelve similar extensions, ranging from 30 feet to 46 feet,
including one to 34 feet on adjacent Lot 8, have been approved
on this waterway in the immediate area.
The property owners association has submitted a letter of
approval for this project. We have received one letter of
objection from the owner of adjacent Lot 8, and I passed out
copies of that letter in which Mr. Feratsis (phonetic) is of the
opinion that the proposed dock would severely hinder his ability
to access his existing dock, would block access to the dock.
I've talked to Mr. Scofield about this, and he provided me
with the drawing that's on the visualizer here. On the basis of
that drawing and the fact that the project does meet the required
setbacks, I don't see that access would be a problem, but Mr.
Scofield will address this issue in specific terms.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Before he does that, can we get some
technical assistance on our screen?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: This one's working over here.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Just keep pushing buttons, is that --
okay, we will continue, Mr. Scofield -- I'm sorry, any questions of
staff? If not, if we could hear from the petitioner.
MR. SCOFIELD: Good morning. Rocky Scofield, representing
the petitioner, Mr. Brainard.
This lot, as you can see by the handouts, is the one in the
center there. It's a -- he's on an inside radius. It's a small lot
with converging riparian lines. Very difficult to get a boat to. And
what the applicant's proposing to do, he's proposing -- the
platform you see in front of this is actually a float. It's a float-on
to bring a 20-foot boat up onto. The -- and that's -- it's kind of like
a jet ski float, but it's a larger one for a bigger jet boat. It's 20
feet long. The -- and it's actually 23 feet, and we're asking for 25
feet, because there's a little bit of play in the float there. So we
don't get beyond that.
What I'm going to show you is some photographs from the
neighbor's docks and every -- and the access to this.
This photograph was taken from the applicant's dock. The
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January 18, 2001
neighbor complaining, you can just see -- barely see the end of
his dock right over here. That's the lift, motor lift on his outside
lift piles. The mangroves extend way out beyond the dock.
The reason we can't get in conventionally and put a lift
alongside in front of this man's dock is he's in the -- he's up in the
corner, as you can see on your drawings there. So we can't
access this dock from the side. So we have to come straight
into it and then back straight out. The mangroves extend way
out past the dock. It almost hides -- it actually hides the
neighbor's dock. This is the gentleman over here that's filed the
complaint.
This is Mr. Feratsis's dock here. And you can't see, but back
here, here's the mangroves that extend out right there. And
behind that, tucked back in the mangroves, is the applicant's
dock. So you can see, there's no way that he can get in and out.
Now, this gentleman's dock, if you look at the handout I
passed you, the only access that he has is from the south, from
this side coming in. There is no access. I permitted this dock a
while back for a gentleman named Mr. Crosack (phonetic). The
boat access is coming in this way.
Now currently Mr. Feratsis has three jet skis. On the other
side over here he has three -- two jet ski lifts and then the big
boat lift which he has a jet ski into. The one you see in the back
comes straight in. It's a little lift on the other side tucked in
behind the mangroves here.
So the proposed dock for Mr. Brainard has no bearing on
access to this man's dock. There is all kinds of room. And his
access is from the south. On the handout I gave you it doesn't
show the mangroves overhang, but you can clearly see from the
pictures they extend all the way out to the ends of these docks.
Again, the last photo I took -- excuse me, I should tell you
where I'm taking that from is from Lot 7 on your handout. It's a
vacant lot, but there was a dock built there a long time ago. I
assume it was before the codes changed. But it is a dock on the
vacant Lot 7. And this photo was also taken from that dock on
vacant Lot 7. It shows Mr. Feratsis's dock, Mr. Brainard's lot, you
can't see his dock tucked back in the mangroves, and this is Mr.
Turillo's (phonetic), which is Lot 10 on your drawing.
Now, Mr. Turillo had the same problem, kind of. You can see
we have a dock going straight out on your -- and two lifts, one on
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January 18, 2001
each side. That's the same thing we're proposing, not with two
lifts, because we don't have room. It's just a very small awkward
lot and we're coming straight in. Question?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Mr. Scofield, you're saying that
Mr. Turillo, the one you were just pointing to, how far does his
dock actually extend?
MR. SCOFIELD: The Turillo dock? It's 40 feet, I believe.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: 40 feet.
MR. SCOFIELD: Uh-huh. The thing is, is back in this -- the
mean high water line, it's very shallow back in, and it's tucked
back in the corner, so we have to come out -- the mangroves
extend out, you know, so far out past the end of the dock that we
can't -- there's just no way to access getting a boat in along
sideways there.
Now, I might want to -- I need to point out here, this lot, Lot
No. 9, was owned by Mr. Feratsis, the gentleman who now lives
on Lot 8. He filed -- when I did the boat dock extension for Mr.
Turillo on Lot 10, Mr. Feratsis filed an appeal to that, and citing
the same reasons that it was going to block his access and he
couldn't get in, and all the same scenarios that you have in the
letter before you today.
Go ahead, I'm sorry.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Then his statement in his first
sentence -- actually the second sentence, about he will be
adversely affected if his unprecedented request for a 25-foot
boat dock extension is granted? I'm not clear that this would be
an unprecedented request; that Mr. Feratsis is trying to say that
there aren't other ones that have the extensions, and he
obviously knew about the other one if he went against it.
MR. GOCHENAUR: If I could address that. There's at least
one 46-foot dock permitted in this area. That's on Lot 17. This
shows dock extensions in the area of the project.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Thank you.
MR. GOCHENAUR: And here on Lot 17 we have a 46 footer.
So it really is not unprecedented.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: I have a question.
MR. SCOFIELD: There are several others over in this same
cove that's Bay Front Gardens which is just right across the
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January 18, 200t
canal that extends out 45 feet.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Mr. Scofield, in the center of
Little Hickory, I guess it's called, yeah, Little Hickory Bay,
opposite that dock we're talking about, what's the depth?
MR. SCOFIELD: The -- you mean the depth --
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: In other words, if someone is
coming down the middle of the bay.
MR. SCOFIELD: Oh, there's plenty of water there.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: There's plenty of water, that he
goes right past this dock and --
MR. SCOFIELD: Oh, yeah. This dock is tucked back in the
corner. I mean, there's more than enough width across here.
And there's no -- you know, there's no impact to navigation
whatsoever. There's plenty of room.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: And right now--
MR. SCOFIELD: When you look at it on there, if you look at
it, this dock really, if you were to draw a line, kind of, it doesn't
stick out, you know, much further than the other ones, if you're
coming on an arc around there. He's just tucked back in.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Right now, without the extension,
what's the depth of the water in front of Mr. Brainard's dock?
MR. SCOFIELD: It's in the -- you have a cross-section, it's
handed out to you on the application. You got it there? Okay,
I'm sorry. Yeah, here's -- there's the cross-section here. Right
now there's about -- there's three feet of water at the front of Mr.
Brainard's dock. But the whole problem is we can't get a boat in
alongside. We have to come straight in as we did on Mr. Turillo's
dock also.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: But the chances are that the area
that's being proposed for the float-on boat slip would not be used
by Mr. Feratsis to get into his dock?
MR. SCOFIELD: Are you saying would it impact him?
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: In other words, with the depth
that you have there, it's very unlikely that he's using that
particular area to access his dock.
MR. SCOFIELD: Oh, no, it's not. And by the pictures I put up
there, his access is from the south. Mr. Brainard, the applicant,
is on the north. The mangroves stick -- extend out on the
pictures. And his access is totally from -- and you can see Lot 7
is a fairly large lot. And the water opens up over there. And I
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January t8, 200t
permitted that extension on all of these -- on the two adjacent
lots. And the access is from the south. He used to have a
30-foot boat, the former owner did.
But Mr. Brainard bought the lot on Lot 8 because of the
problems of getting a boat into Lot 8. He sold it to Mr. Brainard
and now he doesn't -- he's complaining about him being able to
put a boat there. And that's why this gentleman bought the lot,
because it had a dock and he wanted to put a boat in.
If we were to come in right now and just tie up a boat, we'd
have to tie it up this way basically anyway.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Any further questions?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Yeah, question.
Mr. Scofield, can that -- could that float-on boat slip be
oriented sideways so it doesn't stick out so far and you still have
access to -.
MR. SCOFIELD: Well --
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I'm not a boater, so I'm --
MR. SCOFIELD: Okay, that's fine. That's why I brought
these pictures.
This is the picture I -- this is the picture I showed before
from Lot 7. The mangroves extend all the way ou.t to the end of
the dock on Lot 8. So getting in sideways is very difficult. The
same thing over here. I'll show you a better picture. This is Lot
10 and the mangroves extend way up past the dock there.
Here's another picture.
This is taken from the applicant's dock, looking over to Lot
10. This piling is the end piling. The mangroves extend way out
past the end of the dock. Coming in sideways in here is a very
difficult situation.
Most of the -- when we permit -- when I permit docks on
inside radiuses, normally we try to do them all perpendicular in
this area so people come in and back straight out with minimal
impact to the neighbors so they don't get in -- once you string out
along the line and get wider lots, then the docks, they're
accessed from the side. But most of the time we do these
straight in and out. It's the least impact to navigation and to the
neighbors.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: But it creates a situation
where you have to go further out into the bay, which seems to be
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January 18, 200t
the concern here.
MR. SCOFIELD: It creates a situation where you go further
out from the mean high water line, not necessarily further out
into the bay. Because you're tucked back into a corner.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: How much water does he
need to have his torpedo boat in there?
MR. SCOFIELD: He has -- the applicant?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Yeah.
MR. SCOFIELD: He has adequate water depth right in front
of his dock right now, as you can see by the cross-section.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: The three foot two?
MR. SCOFIELD: That's correct. That would -- on extreme
low tide, the float may -- the end of the float may sit -- well, no,
we would still have water there, because those are low water
measurements. So we'd still have a foot of water under that
float in an extreme condition.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: So it could work if it were
sideways, because you have enough water for it to work.
MR. SCOFIELD: You have enough water for it, you just don't
have the access.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: You can't get a boat in and make
a turn onto a float-on slip if it was turned the other way. There's
not enough room between that dock and the one next to it.
MR. NINO: If it were side loaded, you'd be impinging on your
neighbors.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: You'd have to go into your
neighbor's --
MR. NINO: You'd have to --
MR. SCOFIELD: See, yeah, if--
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: It's not wide enough.
MR. SCOFIELD: Okay, the mangroves on this -- Ron, the
mangroves on this stick out so far, they stick out past the dock.
MR. NINO: You'd have to trespass on your --
MR. SCOFIELD: And the floats are such that you have to --
you can't come up sideways and float onto it, you have to drive
straight onto them, because they're V-d out in the middle, and
that's how it holds the boat. So there's no access from the sides
because of the mangroves and the neighbor's docks.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Another question, Mr.
Scofield. Do you know what, just incidentally, what the
Page 13
January 18, 2001
applicant's intent is to doing this? Meaning if he's going to sell
the property, he's doing this so he can sell the property, is that
your --
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: That has nothing to do with it.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I'm just curious.
MR. SCOFIELD: I just talked to the owner. He is not -- I
talked to him last night. He's in California. The property is not
up for sale. I know that he's looking for long-term lease renters
on the property, but he has no -- he told me last night he has no
intention of selling this property any time soon.
MR. NINO: But there's a house on Lot 9, though.
MR. SCOFIELD: Oh, yeah, the house has been there. Mr.
Feratsis used to own the house and dock on Lot 9, the one that
we're doing today.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: And Lot 7 is not occupied?
MR. SCOFIELD: It's vacant, but there is a dock there.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: There is a dock?
MR. SCOFIELD: I assume that was permitted quite some
time ago before the code changed.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: There's no house but there's
a dock.
MR. SCOFIELD: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Is that dock a conforming?
MR. SCOFIELD: It is a conforming dock. It's less than 20
feet out from the shoreline.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: So that one would have to
be extended if somebody wanted to use it with this kind of boat?
MR. SCOFIELD: I would imagine -- on Lot 7 he would -- to put
a boat lift in front of his dock, he would have to get an extension.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Would that extension fit into
the configuration with these others that we're being asked --
MR. SCOFIELD: No, see, when you start hitting Lot 8, 7, then
you're coming back out on these -- on more water frontage. And
then those docks typically go out and then they access from the
side to a lift.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Okay, thank you.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Any further questions? Anyone from
the public wish to speak on this issue?
Seeing none, I'll close the public hearing.
COMMISSIONER BUDD: Mr. Chairman, I'd like to make a
Page 14
January 18, 2001
motion that we approve Petition BD-2000-32. COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Second.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Motion made by Commissioner Budd,
seconded by Commissioner Pedone. Any further discussion?
If not, all in favor, signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Motion carries.
Next item is B-2000-31, Coco Lakes Drive.
All those wishing to give testimony in this, please rise and
raise your right hand, be sworn in by the court reporter.
(All speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Fred?
MR. REISCHL.' Good morning, commissioners. Fred Reischl,
planning services.
This is a request for a 1.4-foot after-the-fact variance in the
Bailey Lane PUD. And to orient you a little here, Golden Gate
Parkway, Airport Road, and there's the Bailey Lane PUD.
In a little more detail, once again, Airport Road, Bailey Lane.
The biggest landmark is probably the WilsonMiller building on the
corner. And the Coco Lakes -- the Bailey Lane PUD is developed
as Coco Lakes, and this is the location of the subject property
within Coco Lakes PUD.
The rear yard setback in the PUD is five feet. As a result of
a construction error, the setback is now 3.6 feet from the rear
property line.
It is adjacent to a preserve.
MR. NINO: And the Royal Poinciana Golf Club.
MR. REISCHL: Correct.
There's the house; the pink line is the accessory pool and
cage; the blue is the property line; a 25-foot preserve; and behind
that is the golf course, the adjacent golf course, Royal Poinciana.
I blew it up a little bit to get a better look at that.
This is one of the building permits that is more recent and
did require to show the outline of the hole in the ground for the
pool and not just the entire accessory structure.
And Mr. Surgeon has photos which show a lot better than
this drawing does, but you can see that the edge of the screen is
inches from the edge of the water. It's an unusual pool design,
and that added to the complexity of the problem, I suppose.
Page 15
January 18, 2001
But again -- oh, I did receive no complaints from -- okay, I
just received a letter. "We are the residents of Coco Lakes PUD.
We are aware of the variance requested by the Surgeons. We
wish to advise you that we have no objection to granting their
petition." And that's from Simmons, Mr. and Mrs. Simmons.
And another letter, "As a developer of Coco Lakes, please be
advised that I am" -- getting old and need my glasses.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Aware of the petition.
MR. REISCHL: "As a developer of Coco Lakes, please be
advised that I am aware of the petition filed by David and Cheryl
Surgeon requesting a variance relative to their swimming pool
and Collier County's rear setback requirements. I do not object
to the CCPC granting the Surgeons' petition."
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: But staff recommends a denial, right?
MR. REISCHL: Right, there's no land-related hardship. It
was designed to fit within the setbacks and it's a result of a
construction error.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Any questions of staff?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Construction error of the pool
people or the screening people?
MR. REISCHL: I think it's a combination of both, because of
the way the pool is designed. And again, you'll be able to see a
lot better when Mr. Surgeon shows the photos.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay, with that, can we hear from the
petitioner?
MR. SURGEON: Yes, sir, thank you.
For the record, my haree's David Surgeon. I am the
petitioner and the homeowner here.
Commissioner Rautio, if I can answer your question
specifically, it was an error, a construction error, on the part of
the pool builder.
If I can, I would like to put the photograph up here.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And that's Bahama Pools?
MR. SURGEON: Yes, ma'am.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Thank you.
MR. SURGEON: Okay, I guess the thing that I had wanted to
do with this photograph is help you to visualize the situation here
that you've -- you know, you've seen the layouts and the
sketches and so forth. But indeed, this is the back of the pool
and the -- you can see that the screen is sitting on top of the pool
Page 16
January 18, 2001
ledge. So had the pool builder made the pool in the right place,
the screen would have fit right on top of it and that would have --
there would have been no problem.
The accurate dimensions were given to the pool
construction company, and it was just an error on their parts,
which they've admitted to.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And they're -- excuse me, they're
not here today to defend themselves, they're expecting you to do
it on their behalf, even though they're licensed contractors and
do have insurance?
MR. SURGEON: Yes, ma'am.
And what I wanted you to see back here, to give a better
appreciation, is from this line where the pool ends to about
probably where this landscaping ends is probably the setback
area.
Now, it -- and it appears to be -- see, this is what is a little
unusual about it. This area which appears to be my backyard
technically is not my backyard. That is a preserve tract, P. So
this is actually the end of my lot line right around in that area.
Then we have -- and instead of being five foot in from that
lot line, there are three and a half feet -- yeah, something like
three and a half feet in from that line.
But then this is the preserve tract, and then there's a fence
here that separates the preserve track from Royal Poinciana Golf
Course. And as you can see, they have their own buffer back
there of trees and so forth. I'm not able to see them, they're not
able to see me because of that buffer.
Do you have any questions on that photograph? We're
looking at that photograph from the north.
COMMISSIONER YOUNG: So there is nothing between you
and the Royal Poinciana Golf Course?
MR. SURGEON: The only thing that's between my property
and Royal Poinciana Golf Course is the preserve tract which is
owned by the developer. And he's -- the developer is the second
letter that you received this morning, which -- who has
mentioned -- actually, he's the developer and he's the president
of the homeowners' association, and he is the one who has
expressed that he has no objections with this.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: That's Mr. Steve Loveless?
MR. SURGEON: Yes, ma'am, Steve Loveless.
Page 17
January 18, 2001
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Mr. Chairman, question for
the petitioner.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Sure.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I was just wondering if
there was -- it may not be possible, but this preserve -- and
maybe Ron, it's a question to you -- the preserve was set up as
part of the PUD?
MR. NINO: Yes, it was. Set up to meet the 25 percent
native vegetation preservation requirement.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: There wouldn't be any way
for the applicant to acquire an additional foot of property? MR. NINO: I -- I'm not prepared to say that.
MR. REISCHL: That is a possibility. We did discuss it. And
Mr. Surgeon decided to go ahead with the variance request as a
first means of solution. He could purchase a portion of the
preserve tract. He would own it. It would still be a preserve
tract. He couldn't build on it or anything, but he would be the
underlying landowner for that 1.4 --
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: If that were to take place,
that could solve this variance request. MR. REISCHL: Right.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Then I'll ask Mr. Surgeon, do
you -- I'm very sympathetic to your application in the words that
you've used, that is, you know, you're in a hardship situation as
far as moving in and that sort of thing, but I'm just interested in
this notion that you're faced with a long and expensive legal
battle of some 25 to $30,000. And I can certainly empathize with
that problem.
What is the nature of the suit? Would it be against the
construction company, the pool company, or would it be to
acquire this property, or what?
MR. SURGEON: No suit exists at this time. But I have had
conversation with my -- with the -- with Mr. Loveless, excuse me,
concerning the issue of can we purchase that extra foot and a
half for however many feet that runs. And it's not at all certain
to whether that -- I mean, whether that would be an agreeable
solution with him. Certainly if it would work out, you know, it's
one possible way of resolving this. But he was not immediately
receptive, although the question was posed.
And then as to the other issue, let me -- I would like to show
Page 18
January 18, 2001
you another photograph that might help explain my comments.
See, that -- what you're looking at is the pool. And the back
of the pool is right -- and you can see that the screen enclosure
sets on the back of the pool. And that's because we were
dealing with a very tight situation. It had to be designed that
way.
To change this, I've got all the plumbing, there are
waterfalls, all that kind of thing along that back wall. So in order
to change this and have a swimming pool that has integrity,
functions right and so forth, the only possibility that I can see
that would be acceptable to me is to basically destroy the whole
thing and start over. I don't know how in the world it would be
possible to try to cut off such a significant back wall and then do
some sort of a construction splice.
But I think, just from comments, I think I could be
confronted with trying to accept that sort of a compromise. And
that would not be acceptable. I think that's just a long-term
problem waiting to happen if it were to do it that way.
MR. NINO: Another way of -- if I might, Ron Nino for the
record. Another way of looking at it would be, if it hadn't been
for the hesitation on the part of staff, that entire preserve tract
could have been a part of the fee of every lot. There could have
been a preserve easement over it. Our staff has traditionally
refused to do that because we don't have the same degree of
certainty with respect to the integrity of that preserve tract,
keeping the natural state integrity of that preserve tract.
But if you think of the possibility that this could just as
easily have been part of the fee, in the real world don't you in
fact have the required rear yard setback in place, albeit it's not
under the fee ownership of each lot? And heavens to Betsy, we
have many PUD's that under this scenario in fact do allow zero
rear yard.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Just as a statement for the
record, do I understand you, Mr. Nino, saying that the preserve
area has its integrity in its natural? The pictures I saw, it was all
sod,
MR. NINO.' Well, that would have been the --
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: I want that to be on the record.
MR. NINO: -- that would be the reason for our hesitancy to
include it in the fee of every lot.
Page 19
January 18, 2001
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: So right now the natural aspect of
it does not exist --
MR. NINO: Doesn't really exist.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: -- for that preserve.
MR. NINO: For that preserve, correct.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And that's another issue here
that's sort of only secondary. But we do have a construction
error, and I'm concerned for the owner, and I'm very sympathetic
to you also. I just would like for to you to perhaps elaborate a
little bit on your efforts to have your pool contractor resolve this
construction error.
And one of the reasons I state this is that we all have on
occasion made contractors move footers, do things. We have
declined variances related to construction errors. And I'm not
predisposed to accepting this one. I can certainly understand
your problem and it looks pretty good with a "preserve" back
there. It's not going to be infringing on other people.
But what have you done to try to get your contractor to
resolve this, or is he footing the bill for all your efforts here?
MR. SURGEON: Well, as far as -- as far as is he footing the
bill, he did pay for the filing of the variance, which was a gesture
of good faith, and also an acknowledgement that he understood
that they were the ones at fault. And we have all the documents
that prove that.
As far as what to do next, again, it's an extremely large
undertaking because of the design and the fact that the back
wall is so significant. And that would be the thing that would
have to come out, with all the plumbing lines, everything running
through there.
So as far as -- I mean, we really do have a predicament,
honestly, in this situation. And I think as a homeowner, I
certainly realize that, the pool construction company realizes
that, too. And, I mean, that's about where we're at.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I think the underlining current here is it
would have enhanced your position a little bit if they would have
been here to defend themselves instead of sending you, so to
speak, as the sacrificial lamb for their mistake.
MR. SURGEON: Well, in all honesty, they didn't send me. I
mean, they knew that -- they knew to begin with that I was the
one that was going to come in and talk about this. Because
Page 20
January 18, 2001
indeed, I'm the petitioner and the homeowner.
The only thing I can tell you about Bahama Pools is that they
have had no other problems in Collier County. I think you have
record to that effect. They made an error, they made an --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: And that is an issue with this board, as
we've struggled with these very same things time and time
again.
I think what Ron was trying to say is the fact that it's next
to a preserve is not a big problem, but yet all variances are a
problem. This one probably will not affect your neighbors or
anyone else, which we will take into account.
MR. SURGEON: I appreciate that. Because that is one of
the comments that I did want to make that is that it would not
obstruct the view of any neighbor in the future. And indeed, as a
matter of fact, even the infrastructure is not even in for the site
of the development that would be just to the north of me. But at
some point in time I hope that it is and I hope that I do have a
neighbor there, and there's just no way that this could cause an
obstructed view to anyone in the future.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Any further questions from the
petitioner?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I guess I'd just like to
pursue the -- in considering my action on this, at least, I'd like to
pursue the possibility that you could go back to Mr. Loveless on
a more direct basis and acquire the additional property that you
require. It would seem like that could solve the problems here.
If you had additional foot and a half, whatever it takes, from the
preserve, make that part of the -- part of your property, or if
you've got something that showed the commission that the --
that that intent there was and was supported by the developer.
He seems to be disposed to not objecting to the variance.
Seems to be just another baby step for him not to oppose just
adding that onto your property. Doesn't really change any of the
physical structures we're looking at or the preserve or any of
that.
And from my thinking, I'd like to see it continued so that that
action could take place.
MR. SURGEON: The action being that I would go back and
contact my -- the developer of the area and see if he is agreeable
to doing that?
Page 21
January 18, 2001
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: And then come back. That's
-- I'm just expressing a viewpoint.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Ron, what impact does that have on a
developer with his PUD in terms of a preserve? MR. NINO: Pardon?
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: What -- is that action even possible on
a PUD that said I'm going to have "X" number of land for
preserve? Does he have to go back and change his PUD for that?
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: He'd still have preserve, it'd just
be owned by somebody else.
MR. NINO: He'd still have to --
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY.' The calculation would be the
same, it would just be owned by somebody else.
MR. NINO: He would have to sell it with the condition that
the --
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Be an easement preserve.
MR. NINO: -- that there be an easement granted back to the
property owners association, declaring that a preserve.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: But isn't that supposing that the
developer wants to sell the piece of property?
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Well, the point of it is we've still got the
pool in the same place. We really still haven't done anything. To
me that's kind of academic. I mean, that's my --
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY.' Hasn't accomplished a thing.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Hasn't accomplished anything. That's
why we're looking at a variance.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Well, what it has
accomplished is it's removed a variance.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Well, no, what -- I think -- I think
from my standpoint, if we're going to punish anybody, it ought to
be the pool contractor. And I think to make the homeowner jump
through some hoops that's going to accomplish absolutely
nothing in reality is -- you know, is not what we're here for either.
I've -- you know, understand I've made mistakes, and I sure
hope I get the opportunity to make some more in the future but,
you know, I think we need to deal with -- you know, find some
way to deal with the contractor and not the -- you know, not the
homeowner in this instance.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Mr. Chairman, however--
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Could we stop the discussion and finish
Page 22
January 18, 2001
with the testimony? And then we'll have the discussion amongst
the commissioners.
Any further questions of the petitioner? If not, anyone from
the public wish to address this issue?
With that, I will close the public meeting and open up for
discussion prior to the motion, okay?
(Commissioner Abernathy enters boardroom.)
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: It seems, however, if we go
after the contractor, you know, which would certainly, you know,
be appropriate, since he's the one that made the error, what
we're really burdening is the applicant, because he then does not
have access to his home till this is all taken care of, which would
-- and how does that change any of the physical situation?
COMMISSIONER BUDD: I couldn't agree more, which is why
I'm also not in favor of asking the owner to purchase land.
Because while these negotiations go on, he still can't move into
his house. Again, we're burdening the owner. And along the way
is just a -- as a minor deal, we get the opportunity for some
attorneys to make a couple thousands dollars in land
transactions and fees, because nobody's going to do this for
nothing. So we're beating up the wrong guy. And I am fully in
favor of approving the variance that has been requested.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: If that's a motion, I'll second that.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: And I will thirden (sic} it.
MR. REISCHL: Mr. Chairman, just to get on the record that
Mr. Surgeon is in his house. The building department, after the
variance was filed, separated the certificate of occupancy from
the house from the certificate of occupancy from the pool. So
the pool is the one that's --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: You're saying he's living in the house,
but it's too cold to swim in the pool anyway, he's not using it.
Okay. I guess I heard a motion from Commissioner Budd, a
second by Commissioner Priddy. Any further discussion?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: I would like to ask then, maybe
this is a question for our legal staff. I certainly am sympathetic,
but how do we, quote, make the contractor who created this
problem suffer? He's the one that's creating a variance, so we
have to change our rules because a pool contractor made an
error and didn't stop soon enough to fix it. And I truly
sympathize. What do we do there? Is there anything we can do?
Page 23
January 18, 2001
MS. STUDENT: Well, we're not changing our rules. There
are criterion in the code that are to be applied to the facts and
the grant of -- consideration of grant or denial of a variance.
I don't know if the -- maybe Mr. Nino can address this, but
we have situations, I believe, where contractors have a history of
-- it's duly noted for contractor's licensing, isn't that correct? But
this is a private matter between the property owner and the
contractor.
MR. NINO.' On the other hand, several years ago the criteria
for the granting of variance did move from the strict
interpretation of land-related hardship, and did open it up to a
more discretionary area.
I don't see that you can't find that there are unique
conditions here that ameliorate the granting of the variance, i.e.,
the fact that it's next to a preserve tract, which for all practical
purposes could just as easily have been an integral part of the
fee of each and every lot, and it's next to a golf course. I mean, I
don't think that you can't find that there are natural conditions
present here that ameliorate the granting of the variance.
MR. REISCHL: And if I could help to answer your question,
too. Mr. Surgeon filed this in 2000. He paid $850, which is double
the after-the-fact fee. As of January the 1st, the after-the-fact
fee is now $2,000. So that's an additional financial penalty, if
you will.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE.' Any further discussion?
The court reporter I'm sure noted that Commissioner
Abernathy has arrived. I will assume he's going to abstain from
voting, having not heard all the testimony on this motion.
And with that, all those in favor of the motion, signify by
saying aye.
(Unanimous vote of ayes.)
MR. REISCHL: I would like to make a comment. I'd like to
explain why I'm going to say aye.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Well, let me call for the vote and then
you can explain.
All those again, same sign.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY.' Aye.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Aye.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Aye.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay, just a second.
Page 24
January t8, 2001
Do we have a point of order?
MS. STUDENT: We have a point of order. Under Florida law,
you can only abstain if there's a voting conflict of interest or the
appearance of impropriety. Perhaps it should be that Mr.
Abernathy is here but is not ready to participate until after the
vote's taken, and, you know, because he just came in, unless he
feels he can vote. I don't know that we heard him on that. He did
have the agenda package.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: I was prepared to vote when
I came.
MS. STUDENT: Okay. Well, we need to --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay.
MS. STUDENT: -- do that again, I guess.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I stand corrected. I asked the
question, I got no response.
Okay, let's call for a vote on the motion per commissioner.
Commissioner Priddy?
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner Young?
COMMISSIONER YOUNG: Aye.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner Abernathy?
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner Rautio?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Aye. And I would like to state
that the reason I am -- actually, two reasons: A, because this
pool contractor has not had other variances before; and that is a,
quote, preserve tract, even though to me sod is not a preserve.
So I'm going to change my normal stance against construction
variances and vote yes on those two reasons.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner Wrage, aye.
Commissioner Budd?
COMMISSIONER BUDD: Aye.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner Pedone?
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Aye.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner Richardson?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Yes.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Motion carried.
With that, we go to petition PUD-92-08.
MR. NINO: I'm sorry, that was continued.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Whoops, that's been continued.
Page 25
January 18, 2001
We're going to Conditional Use 2000-18. SM&H Stables.
With that, all those wishing to give testimony in this, please
rise, raise your right hand and be sworn in by the court reporter.
(All speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: With that, Chahram.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Good morning, commissioners.
Chahram Badamtchian, from planning services staff.
Mr. Ken Cuyler, representing Sun Vac Corporation, is
requesting a conditional use for horseback riding lessons and
horse rental activities for a parcel of land zoned agricultural.
And located on Newman Drive. Newman Drive is located -- this is
Davis Boulevard Extension, also known as Beck Avenue. Then
there's a road called Benton Drive, which goes down for about a
mile. Then there's Newman Road. Newman Road is a small
stretch of road which basically dead ends on both end.
Basically this is Beck, this is Benfield, this is Newman, and
this is where the property is located.
This is an active stable. They have horses. They do
boarding stabling, breeding and training of horses. And that's a
permitted use. They are -- the property is zoned agricultural. It's
outside of the urban area. And they had this business for a
number of years.
What requires conditional use is the fact that now they are
renting horses. They are adjacent to a state park. And people,
they rent horses who visit that state park.
Presently they have eight horses available for hire. And
other thing, they have a trainer who teaches horseback riding
lessons, which is -- which requires conditional use. And that's
basically the extent of it.
The only problem that we have and some of the neighbors
have is the way this property is accessed. There are several
homes along Benfield Road, and one or two on Newman Drive.
And basically the complaint from some of the neighbors were
that people driving up and down this road are creating traffic
hazards and there are children playing there. The road's a
narrow road.
M&H Stables, they have paved the road. It used to be a
gravel road. They have paved the entire road. And basically that
concludes my presentation. This --
MR. NINO: Chahram, wasn't there historically some
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January 18, 200t
question as to -- MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Yes, we have a legal opinion that they
have the right to use the road. We had -- MR. NINO: Newman Road.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Newman Road and Benfield Road both.
Benfield, no, is not a public road, it's a private road. But we
have a legal opinion that yes, both roads can be used by all
property owners to access their property. And M&H Stables
being one of the property owners, they have the legal right to use
the road.
And according to the trip generation manual, this business
will create between 35 to 50 trips on those roads.
COMMISSIONER BUDD: Per?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Per day. And most of those traffic are
not from horseback riding lessons or horse rental business. They
have around 60 horses that they board for different people, and
that's a legal use of the land. And as I said, it's not part of this
conditional use.
And basically -- staff recommends approval. Staff has
several stipulations. One of them is that they, M&H Stable, they
have to maintain Newman and Benfield Road. And there's
another stipulation that we added after the packet was mailed to
you, and that's to limit the number of horses available for hire to
10 horses. Right now they have around eight horses available for
that.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And you're asking that you limit to
it eight horses for rental?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: To 10 horses.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: 10, I'm sorry.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: As I said, we had several phone calls
from neighbors that they were unhappy with this petition. I
believe some of them are here to speak against it.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Mr. Chairman, question.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Just -- I have just a question. In other
words, one of the stipulations you've added that's not in our
packet is for 10 horses --
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Correct.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: -- correct? Okay.
Commissioner Richardson?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: As I understand then,
Page 27
January 18, 2001
there's about 60 horses that are boarded there now -- MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Correct.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: -- that create traffic. Part of
this 35, 40 trips a day that you estimate? MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Correct.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: So that the 10 horses for
hire would be, you know, like one-sixth or one-seventh of the
trips that would get generated, so we're only talking about -- I'm
trying to get a sense for how much additional traffic these 10
horses -- or the use of these 10 horses are going to create.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Horses for hire probably will create
around seven to 10, 12 trips a day.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: That's assuming every horse
is ridden every day.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Correct. And they are not horses that
you rent for half an hour. It's to visit the state parks. They have
22 miles of trails, and basically it's an all-day activity.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: So it would be your position,
the staff's position, that the 10 horses related to the 60 that are
already there are not going to create that much traffic.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Will not add that much traffic. And 60
horses is what they have today. They may increase the number
of horses.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: May I clarify one point, Chahram?
It would appear that they're already advertising to rent horses.
Are they already renting horses in violation of getting this
conditional use?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN.' They are already advertising to rent
horses. There was a question whether or not they need a
conditional use. Because they have an active stable.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Right.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: And their opinion, it was an accessory
activity to their main activity. And we discussed that and we
came to the conclusion that they need a conditional use. They
applied for this conditional use, but I believe they still believe
that they don't really need a conditional use.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Well, I guess that was my question. If I
go out to Mr. Priddy's ranch and ride his horse at his consent,
Page 28
January 18, 2001
there's no problem. But if he charges for that, he needs a
conditional use.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: That's our interpretation, correct.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Bring dear, not cash.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: I have a question, Mr.
Chairman.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay, Commissioner Abernathy.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: The petitioner applies for
conditional uses 19 and 20. You speak only in terms of No. 20.
And the resolution for the Collier County speaks for only 20. Do
they want 19 and 20, or just--
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: No, they just want No. 20. We decided
that they only need No. 20.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY.' All right. They agree with
that?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: They just wanted to be covered, you
know --
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY.' They agree with you?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Yes, they agree with me.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Any further questions of staff? On my --
I think it says that we're going to hear from Richard Yovanovich
today? For the petitioner?
MR. CUYLER: That's incorrect. Good morning, Mr.
Chairman. For the record, Ken Cuyler, with the law firm of
Goodlette, Coleman and Johnson. Mr. Yovanovich had a conflict
on this issue and is involved in some other things, so they've sent
in the first string.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: That's in the public record.
MR. CUYLER: For the record, I'm representing Sun Vac
corporation, and SM&H stables. Hopefully this is going to be one
of the easier petitions that you have to deal with. This use is
consistent with the Growth Management Plan and with Land
Development Code. It is an existing use.
And let me address something, just so there's no doubt in
your mind. The owner of this property has always acted in good
faith with the county and has always done what not only he
thought was correct, but my understanding is what the county
thought was correct as well.
It recently came to light that there was an interpretation
that perhaps a conditional use would make it better for the
Page 29
January 18, 2001
county and cover the owner as well. And he has -- he's indicated
that he wants to cooperate and do whatever he needs to do. So
he has filed his petition, and we are going through this process
to make sure we do get through this conditional use. But I just
didn't want to leave any impression with you that he at any time
purposely violated any regulations at all. And I think staff will
confirm that, if you ask them.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: So then they did not pay the
double the -- any fee for --
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: No, we did not charge double.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: -- the conditional use. Thank you.
MR. CUYLER: I think it's really kind of a different
interpretation that has evolved and we've said fine, whatever you
need, we'll do.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Thank you.
MR. CUYLER: This is not a high intensity use, as the
commission has pointed out. The traffic -- and there may be
some discussion of the traffic. The traffic for the conditional use
aspect of the operation is -- our estimate is probably 10 percent
of the total traffic. Possibly a little more, but certainly in that
range.
I'd also point out that the owner paved both Benfield Road
and Newman Road at his own cost, $100,000, and nobody asked
him to do it. But it was a lime rock road and he had people who
did visit his enterprise. He thought it was appropriate to do that.
There is a condition as -- or a stipulation as part of the
conditional use that he maintain it at his cost. So none of the
neighbors are contributing anything to the maintenance.
There is an additional stipulation that was not in the agenda
package, and that is that there be a limit of 10 horses for this
riding portion. And we are in agreement with that. We don't
have any problem with that.
So I would suggest to the commission that this is an
appropriate use in an appropriate location. Most of-- there are
residences along some of the roads out there, but this is rural
agricultural, and this is a rural agricultural use. If you don't have
it in this area of the county, then you don't have it anywhere.
So we would suggest that this is the appropriate location,
we're in agreement with every stipulation, and we would ask for
your approval on this petition. And I'd like to reserve a few
Page 30
January 18, 2001
minutes, if there are some comments from the public that I need
to address.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Any questions of the petitioner?
Anyone from the public wish to address this issue?
MR. NINO: We have a Cindy Thomas and James Wing.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention, but
were both of you folks sworn in?
MS. THOMAS: Yes. Good morning, commission. My name is
Cindy Thomas, and my husband and I own 15 acres on Benfield
Road. It's the last three tracts -- five-acre tracts on Benfield,
adjoining Newman Drive.
And I just want to say, as a property owner on Benfield
Road, I am against any commercial use that is going to use
Benfield Road as its access. It is a private residential road with
many children that live on this road and have played, ride their
bikes, ride their scooters, rollerblade and have used this road for
years.
The amount of traffic that was already generated by M&H
Stables is tremendous. When they moved out there, I didn't
realize what kind of traffic and the high rate of speed that we
would have traffic coming across our driveways.
The reason we moved out there, and we've lived there for 19
years, is because we did not want to be in a high traffic area and
raise our children.
The Benfield Road is a narrow road. It was originally a camp
road. It is not properly aligned on the easement that exists. The
road is 16 feet wide. And I believe for a normal two-lane road, it
requires 24 feet. I'm not sure if that's correct, but the road is 16
feet wide.
And the road was paved -- as you can see in this picture, it is
paved right up to the power poles. The power poles actually
ascend out of the edge of the pavement of a very narrow road.
We've had several people who have hit power poles. And I
talked to one girl, ran into the power pole that is on my property,
and one of our neighbors hit a power pole, and both of them said
they looked down for a split second and ran into a power pole.
You know, it -- this is a dangerous -- you know, as a property
owner, not only safety for the people that are on the road but as
liability, my liability as a property owner if somebody gets
severely injured by running into one of these power poles. And it
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January 18, 2001
is literally paved up to the power poles all the way along this
mile stretch of road.
You know, my car is not a small car. And you can see,
there's not adequate passing room for two cars. One car pulls
over if the other car is going to pass. And with any commercial
traffic, any deliveries, you know, it's not appropriate on a 16-foot
road, and it is not properly aligned on the easement.
There is -- Newman Drive was a dedicated easement years
ago for commercial use years ago, I believe. I mean, that was I
believe 18 years ago, I'm not sure. But it is already a dedicated
easement of Newman Drive that would give access to the horse
stables without having to come down Benfield Road, being a
private residential road.
You know, like I said, my main objection is the safety and
the liability issue being for our children to be able to use the road
as we have used it for years and years, and the liability of if
somebody gets hurt running into one of those power poles.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Any questions?
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Yeah. How would you access
Newman -- I mean, they don't show it on this little map, so what
is the access to Newman Drive, other than Benfield Road?
MS. THOMAS: Through 951.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: You can?
MS. THOMAS: Yes, there is a dedicated easement of
Newman Drive to 951.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Easement or road?
MS. THOMAS: There is not a road that exists there. It's an
easement that the state has already taken --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner Rautio?
MS. THOMAS: -- for the county.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: When this gentleman paved the
roads, did you have some discussions with him about paving your
private road?
THE WITNESS: Well, I mean, I believe there was discussion
with the other neighbors, but I assumed that it was being done
and that it was properly permitted for the use that they were
using it, and so there was no reason. As a property owner, if
they had gotten proper permits and permitting for the use, as a
property owner, I didn't see where I had any right to object to it.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Okay, I may reserve the right to
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January 18, 200t
ask somebody, staff a question about that later, but thank you.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Commissioner.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I understand your concern
about safety. It's a real concern. Would you be in favor-- with
just the existing situation, would you be in favor of some speed
control on that --
MS. THOMAS: There would definitely have to be some type
of speed control. I mean, we have the 15 acres. We have five --
three five-acre plats. And when you come off of Newman Drive
onto Benfield Road, by the time they are in front of my driveway,
there are -- people are traveling in excess of 40 miles an hour on
a 16-foot wide road.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: So you would encourage --
MS. THOMAS: With children that play on this road.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: You would encourage us to
add some stipulation to put in speed control on that road?
MS. THOMAS: Speed control. Also to address the issue of
the power poles that are adjac -- that are -- you know, you have
power poles that come out of the pavement, I feel that that issue
needs to be addressed. And the width of the road needs to be
addressed if you're going to put commercial traffic on this road.
And also the proper alignment on the easement. I believe that it
is within the easement, but it is not properly aligned. It goes
from one side of the easement and one end of the road,
completely to the other side of the easement at the other.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: I have one other question, and
maybe staff could help. With this site location map that we have
Can you
here, can she point to where her piece of property is?
spot it?
MS. THOMAS: We are right here. The last three.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Thank you.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: These three.
MS. THOMAS: Those three pieces.
Yeah.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And that's how many acres?
MS. THOMAS: 15.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: 15.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: No questions? Thank you, ma'am.
Next speaker?
MR. WINGE: Thanks for the opportunity to talk to you people
Page 33
January t 8, 2001
about this situation. My name is Jim Winge. I am a property
owner of Benfield Road.
And I would like to put this in place, which clearly defines
them using Beck Boulevard, coming down Benfield and then
using Newman. Newman is an existing easement to Collier
Boulevard, a direct access easement. Benfield Road is also an
easement, a clearly defined residential family easement. We
have houses, we have families, we have children.
This gets to a point where -- I wrote a couple of things to
really address this. And one item I have is a picture of my son.
This is Benfield Road. This is how we use Benfield Road. And
M&H Stables placed a sign at the front of our road, leading us to
believe that they were neighbors with horses, like other
neighbors we have with horses.
It states "Private Owners and Guests." We do not charge
our guests money to come out to our house to ride our horses.
So this is clearly a commercial use issue, with a residential road
with families.
I have a family, and my concern is who uses Benfield Road,
families or business. Commercial access should never impact a
defined residential family road anywhere in Collier County,
anywhere in the State of Florida, if possible. This is what makes
it possible. Newman Drive.
Their plan is good. Let them have their stables, let them
charge their public. Let them have a direct access road to do
this. It is far better than impacting a neighborhood that is clearly
established.
I would also like to add that I do not want you to take the
road from us and give it to them for their business. I look at this
situation as people should drive through commercial to go to
residential, like we all do. We go to work and we go home. Not
through residential to get to commercial. That is not what this
whole county's designed as and planned as. This is rural and it's
not urban, but under urban, these criterias (sic) are in place for
these reason: Safety, children, families.
And even in a rural atmosphere, the Florida Sports Park was
placed as a commercial entity into a rural area of Collier County.
It was relocated there. It has a direct access. This doesn't
impact people. Their plan impacts three roads. Beck Boulevard,
Benfield Road and Newman Drive.
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January 18, 200t
Let's eliminate a lot of the impact, let these people do their
business. Newman Drive is a perfect solution to this whole
problem. And it has been a problem for us since day one. They
have been illegally doing a business commercially, transacting
money, and we have got a taste of something very sour already
we do not want no part of.
And I please ask you people to give us the regard that you
would give yourself. Do not put a 7-Eleven at the end of
anybody's road for a commercial transaction.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Questions?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: I would like to ask the gentlemen
-- I think your name was Mr. Winge? MR. WINGE: Yes, ma'am.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Can you point out where you live
on Benfield Road?
MR. WINGE.' I live at the front of this road. I get the impact
of my neighbors and all their people.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Point to it on the map, would you,
please?
MR. WINGE: I'm at this point right here. I'm the first
residence.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: How many acres is that?
MR. WINGE: Five acres.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Thank you.
MR. WINGE: This is a low density area. One unit per five
acres. I counted the number of properties that adjoin Benfield
Road is -- has a possibility right now existing in this plat book of
40 units. Some are going on acre parcels that have been I guess
broken up years and years ago. But now being in the Belle
Meade area, it's a low density impact area. And we have really
the capability of one unit per five acres. But I counted even the
acre parcels and the two-and-a-half acre parcels that are on
county plat right now.
And I question that 10 horses for trail rides. How many
times a day? 60 stalls to rent out to people is 60 people coming
out to see their horse every day. Plus the 10 people that ride for
the first two or three hours and then another group comes in and
rides for another two or three hours. And then maybe another
Page 35
January 18, 2001
group comes in and rides for another two or three hours. You
have an impact of over 100 people can access and do this horse
stable per day, which maybe this is good for the public, this is
good for tourists, but let's make it easy to get to. How do you
get to the M&H Stables? You go down Collier Boulevard to
Newman Drive. You can't miss it. Very easy. Problem to a
solution. And you're letting the citizens help design Collier
County in the process, which I think is my responsibility, too.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay, thank you.
MR. WINGE.' I'd like some more questions.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I'll give you one more
question, if I may.
MR. WINGE: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: You're suggesting that the
60 horses boarded there now is an illegal operation?
MR. WINGE: It has been from day one, sir.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I've not heard that in the
testimony we've heard from staff. If you have some indication of
that, I'd like to hear it.
MR. WINGE: Yes, sir. I had code enforcement went out and
cited them. This is a copy of code enforcement. They're making
a money transaction, commercially doing business out there
already. Do not reward them with my road, please.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Just to the one issue.
MR. WINGE: Okay.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Is this an illegal operation?
I want to hear staff on that.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Stabling and breeding and raising
horses are not illegal.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Including the boarding of
horses?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Including the boarding of horses. And
we are not here for those, we are here just for the rental portion
of it.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Just so you understand
what we are facing here.
MR. WINGE: I see. I'm just looking at it another way; a
money transaction is a commercial entity of life.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: So the traffic that's there
right now, that's there because of a legal operation --
Page 36
January 18, 2001
MR. WINGE: Yes.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: -- is creating -- and I
understand what both of you have said about the possibility of
danger on that read. How about -- and we don't have a way for
Newman Drive to go over 951 now. I mean, that's an easement,
but the road's not there.
So with the present situation, would you be in favor of
having some speed controls assist you in this safety issue that
you both have raised?
MR. WINGE: No, sir. This -- I would be willing for this: I
would be willing to give him back money for the portion that he
did to my property. I would be willing to give them temporary
use of this road, provided that they put in their road. Their
address is such and such Newman Drive, make it to Collier
Boulevard, make it the least impacting avenue to gain access to
this stables.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Well, that might be a longer
term solution, but that's not what we have in front of us right
now.
MR. WINGE: I realize that. I'm trying to tell that you I'm
totally in objection to what they have as a plan. This is not a
good plan at all. This is just what they want to do. And I wasn't
presented with all the facts when they came up and even paved
my road. I -- way back before it was even done, I was in total
disagreement with them to even pave my frontage. I have all
documentations. I, you know, got an attorney to contact their
attorney with my situation, that I did not want them to pave my
frontage. And now I learned that they have intended to do it as a
business from day one. Now they're finally going about it the
right way.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: I have a question. This easement
on Newman Drive between where it ends and 951, who owns the
easement?
MR. WINGE: It's a dedicated easement from the Corps of
Engineers. It's been in place long before Benfield Road was even
created. These -- Benfield Road and --
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Yeah, but somebody has to own
this property. Who owns that property?
MR. WINGE: I have no idea the adjacent to that easement.
The easement is everybody's. As is Benfield Road is an
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January 18, 2001
easement also. But I'm trying to get you people to realize that
this is -- a residential family has been using this road and now
you're wanting to take it away from us to allow them to use it,
which is two different uses, two impacting uses.
I've got a quality of life in place now I want to keep forever.
We all live in these areas because of traffic and city and maybe
to have a little bit more room between our neighbors and enjoy
this life that we have in Collier County.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Question, Chahram. This is a public
road, right?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN.' No, it's a private road. Dedicated --
basically a private road that people owning properties in the area
can use. It's not a public road.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Okay, we're talking about
Benfield is the private road. Newman Road is the public road?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: No, Newman is a private road.
MR. NINO: They're all private roads.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Oh, they're all private roads.
MR. NINO: However, we must appreciate that a private
road, when it is uninterrupted usage by the public for the length
of time that these roads have been used by the general public, by
prescription in fact makes them a public road. They're public
roads, but the county doesn't owe up to any responsibility for
them. But the county hasn't accepted them, but by prescriptive
law they're public roads.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And you cannot get to New -- you
cannot get to 951 or Collier Boulevard from Newman Drive; is
that correct?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Correct. The road does not exist.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Does not exist.
MR. NINO.' Doesn't exist.
But let me also say for the record, Mr. Winge says he's in a
residential zoning district. Mr. Winge, the property along
Newman Road is not in a residential district. It's in an
agriculture district. And the Growth Management Plan
specifically says that when you use the word residential or
residential district, it does not include agricultural. So from the
point of view of the land use laws of Collier County, housing in an
agricultural district doesn't make it a residential district, it's an
agricultural district.
Page 38
January 18, 200t
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: So it's not a residential road,
whatever that means.
MR. NINO: No, it's not a residential road, correct. Now, they
may have been misinformed, but that is the law. CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Final questions?
MR. NINO: And again, since he introduced into the record a
code violation, you should be -- appreciate that the code violation
was for the renting of horses.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Which is why we're here.
MR. NINO'- Why we're here.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: For the renting of horses? What
was the date on that, please?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: May 10, year 2000.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: May 10, 2000.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Thank you, sir.
MR. WINGE: Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Next --
MR. HOOLIHAN: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My
name's Dan Hoolihan. I'm a landowner on Benfield Road. My
concerns are -- let me not reiterate. I'm sure you heard enough.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Thank you.
MR. HOOLIHAN.' I'll try to hit some areas that you haven't
heard yet. And basically I want to hit on the business ethics,
which basically goes with the conditional use.
The business ethics -- let me just start off by saying, I don't
mind them having a business, as long as it's a legal business.
And from the beginning, it should have been legal. I'm sure that
if you were to check the records and if you were to do so, you
would find violations. That's the reason why we're going through
this right now. Because now they have to run a straight and
narrow line and they want to be proper and they want to be legal.
The first part of my questioning of their business ethics
would be the tactics used to schmooze over the residents of
Benfield Road by putting in this road, by upgrading it, putting
asphalt on the road and making it look like they're doing us a
favor, but in reality, it's for their business.
And in the beginning, I really have to admit, when I heard
that they were coming down our road and putting in this stable, I
was kind of welcoming it. I thought it would kind of give us a
little upgrade in class and I also thought hey, we've got another
Page 39
January 18, 2001
neighbor. But as things went on, after the road was put in
without our permission, you kind of feel -- you kind of get a taste
of what's going to happen down the road. And just a small taste
so far has brought us here with our genuine concerns of safety
and liability. And that would be one thing I'd like to bring up.
And let me go through my notes here. I'm sorry.
I guess the solution would be to go down Newman Drive
instead of impacting Benfield Road. Which there's another
question. And there's two words, there's a dedicated easement
and a deeded easement. I think we need to clarify what Benfield
Road is before you make your decision. And other than that,
thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Thank you.
Anyone else wish to address --
MR. NINO: And Mr. Chairman, let me again, for the record,
because the words business have been -- illegal business have
been thrown around. There has not been an illegal business
operation until recently when it came to our attention that they
were renting horses instead of just boarding horses.
So let me say that for years, in the county's opinion, this
property has operated in a manner consistent with the land
development regulation.
We talked about a business. You know, many, many
agricultural uses could very well be constructed to be
businesses. But in fact, in the jargon of zoning laws, they are not
businesses, they are agricultural uses that have many --
obviously many of the aspects of a business. But it's an
agricultural use. It's a business agricultural use that has always
been permitted and is permitted in many parts of the agricultural
area in Collier County.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Can we allow the petitioner to
respond?
MR. CUYLER: Mr. Chairman, as briefly as I can, a couple of
things. First of all, this, I think as Mr. Nino pointed out, is not a
private residential road. This is an agricultural district. I think
an agricultural use has -- with all due respect to the residents,
and I know that they have their concerns. But I think an
agricultural use has as much argument that there's residences
out here in agricultural use as the residential uses that there's
an agricultural use. I mean, the zoning district allows both uses.
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January 18, 2001
Stabling is a permitted use, it is an allowed use.
The traffic that we're talking about, 90 percent of the traffic
is legal and is permitted. There's only five trips a day or so that's
attributable to what we're here for the conditional use for. And I
would suggest that makes a minimal difference.
Those cars would be going down a lime rock road. If
somebody is complaining about the paving -- if I were a resident
out there, I would want it paved. Because those cars are going
to be going down the road anyway. I would rather have them
going down a paved road than a lime rock road and kicking up a
bunch of dust all over my property.
I agree with the gentleman, if there was a 7-Eleven down at
the end of the road, we would be talking about a different
situation. But we're talking about an agriculture use that has an
absolute property right to operate at the end of that road.
This does provide a service, there are people that want this
service, there are people that want their horses boarded, there
are people that would like to take trail rides through the state
park. It's a perfect location for it. And again, I would ask for your
recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners of
approval of this item.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Any questions?
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: I have a question. Would your
client be amenable to putting in some -- you know, and I'm not
intimately familiar with it, but putting in two or three speed
bumps along that road to -- as traffic calming devices? MR. CUYLER: Sure.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I had a question. What is the speed
limit on improved and unimproved roads like this? MR. CUYLER: Probably 30 miles per hour.
And we don't mind the traffic controls. I mean, we obviously
don't encourage anyone to do anything that would break the law.
You know, people speed. You know, we would like to stop it if
WE --
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: And irregardless of what the
speed limit is or what the sign says, people are still going to
probably speed. But if they hit one of those bumps at a high
enough speed, they'll slow down the next time. And I think that
-- we could not put speed bumps on a, quote, public road, but
since it is a private road, speed bumps could probably be put in
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January 18, 2001
without a problem.
MR. CUYLER: If we have the ability to do that and we don't
get objections from the residents, we would be willing to do that.
And also the speeding, I mean, we haven't identified who's doing
the speeding. I mean, there's an assumption on the part of the
residents that everyone's speeding back to the stables, but I
haven't seen any proof that it's not actually the residents that
may be going that fast.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: On the criteria that we give for
the conditional use, this fee about the ingress and egress of the
property for flow structures. Thereon with particular reference
to automotive and pedestrian safety and convenience, traffic
flow and control, access of fire, you know, in case of
catastrophe.
Would you tell me how I could say yeah, we have adequate
ingress and egress that's safe? Because this is a private road,
and we've heard a number of objections from people that own on
it. Could you help me with this, if I have to say yes on this --
MR. CUYLER: Certainly.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: -- particular criteria?
MR. CUYLER: Certainly. The -- when you say that it is a
private road, it is a private road just as much for the use of the
stable property as it is for any other property out there,
residential or otherwise. In terms of safety, the -- I think that the
paving that has been done improves the ability for emergency
services to reach both residential properties, as well as the
stable property.
In terms of safety, you know, if there are -- if there's
something that either the county can do or we can do in terms of
speed signs or something like that, I mean, I'm not sure that it's
anything other than -- and I'm making some assumptions,
because I haven't seen people driving too fast, but, I mean,
making the assumptions that the young lady is correct, then, you
know, whatever we can do, but we can only do so much.
I think the ingress and egress and safety really relates to
there is a roadway there and is it a -- you know, is it safe to drive
on it and the answer is yes. I mean, if cars have to slow down a
little bit, then they would be doing that on the lime rock road as
well. I don't think the paving has changed anything.
MR. NINO: And if I might, Commissioner Rautio, another
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January 18, 2001
indicator of safety would be is the road operating at levels of
service in -- greater than its capacity. Now, even as a deficient
road, i.e., at 16 feet versus two travel lanes of 20 feet, the
amount of traffic on that road, I suspect, is a fraction of what
would be considered the thresholds by which it triggers into an
unsafe traveling experience. I would think that there's probably
less than 100 cars a day on Benfield Road. And that level -- that
number has got to be a fraction of what the lane capacity is in
the other.
We have an expert in the room. She's not listening, but we
do have an expert in the room that might give you some
indication of what would be the capacity of Benfield Road.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Right, but then also with the --
what is it, the uniform control traffic structures, et cetera,
whatever that uniform set of guidelines they use, is there anyone
from staff that can tell us whether or not since this is a private
road, do those fit the speed signs, the slow for children, the
different signs that are there? Can a private -- MR. CUYLER: I'm not your staff.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: I know you're not staff. I'll let you
answer that while staff is chatting in the background. MR. CUYLER: The answer--
MR. NINO: Your question is what can we do in terms of
traffic calming --
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Traffic calming --
MR. NINO: -- devices on a private road?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: -- traffic control, you know, the
signs that you say there might be a speed limit, something along
that line. Help us, because --
MR. NINO: Maybe Dawn can help us here.
The question I think is what can we do in terms of traffic
calming on what's essentially a private road.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And use of the traffic signs, et
cetera, that would help this.
MS. WOLFE: For the record, my name is Dawn Wolfe. I'm
the transportation planning department director.
What the county could do in this case actually is not much.
It is at the -- it is a private road, it is not maintained by the
county. We could provide some recommendations and directions
in regards to issues such as traffic calming or signage, reduction
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January 18, 2001
and posted speed limit, the utilization of, you know, rumble strips
to identify this should be a slower speed or to the extent of
perhaps the inclusion of the speed humps, so to speak, that
would physically force the vehicles to slow down in order to go
over that or rip off the bottom of their chassis. I mean, there's all
sorts of methodologies that can be used.
As these are not county maintained roads, it would be on
the private property owners either coming together or, you know,
as a result of some requirements that they would have to come
in and do these modifications.
As a standard for roadways, yes, we do look to have -- a
typical 24-foot wide is a paved area for the roadways. However,
there are considerations going on as to what makes a livable
road, what is workable. And, you know, considerations are being
discussed on several levels as to regards to how wide do you
really have to make a road. A lot of it has to do with the speed,
the enforcement of it.
Unfortunately I do not know the answer to who enforces
speed limits on private roads. I don't have that answer. That's --
that would be a law enforcement issue. I don't know, Ron, if you
have that answer.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: So all you can do is make
recommendations and tell them what you would do if this were a
county road.
MS. WOLFE: We make suggestions.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And then the effected parties
have to somehow agree, or the petitioner would say yes, we'll do
X, Y and Z to slow down the traffic on the road, make it obvious
that we'd rather you go some other route to get to this stable
when it comes to Benfield.
MR. CUYLER: Two things. First of all, I can't be quoted on
this, because I'm not positive, but I don't think those Benfield
easements exist anymore that go the other way that they're
talking about. I think they've been vacated, but I'm not positive
on that.
The other thing is, even if you make the assumption that it is
the stable that's causing the traffic, and I don't think you can
make that assumption, and you make the assumption -- or you
know that 90 percent of the traffic is legal under any
circumstances, even if we walk out of here and don't have the
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January 18, 2001
other 10 percent for the trail rides, and we're talking about that
10 percent, it is this property owner -- I mean, I haven't heard the
residents come in and say hey, let's get together, we understand
you have an operating business, you have certain property rights,
let's all get together and see if we can, you know, address some
of these traffic issues and slow down the traffic. It's my client to
the tune of six figures that's paved the roadway and is willing to
do some more in terms of traffic control.
I mean, we certainly don't mind doing far more than our part
to try to do that. But we have a legal right to conduct that use.
The gentleman is wrong, it's not a residential area, it's an
agriculture area, and it's an appropriate use in that area, and he
has the right to have 90 percent of that traffic on there. Even if
you make the assumption they're speeding, we're willing to do
our part. But, you know, if the residents want to assist us, we're
willing to put in the speed bumps at our cost as well.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Well, Ken, don't you also
have a compatibility issue for a conditional use?
MR. CUYLER: The land --well, the land code presumes--
because you have the ability to have the conditional use, the
presumption is that it is compatible. And I think certainly a
stabling -- horse stabling area in an agricultural district. Now,
the question then becomes if you use the agricultural district for
residences, does that make your normal agricultural uses
incompatible? I would suggest no, it doesn't.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Well, you may be right about
that presumption, but we have to make a specific affirmative
finding that it is compatible, which doesn't sound to me like a
presumption.
But be that as it may, you would concede that we could
impose conditions on the conditional use -- MR. CUYLER: Yes, absolutely.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY.' -- such as speed bumps,
signs and so forth.
MR. CUYLER: And you have a couple of conditions. Now,
these -- we don't --
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY.' I'm not saying I'm
necessarily in favor of them, I'm just inquiring -- MR. CUYLER: Right, right.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: -- if we agree on what can be
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January 18, 2001
done.
MR. CUYLER: Yeah, I think the conditions usually are if you
-- when a project comes in and you identify an impact of that
project, I guess if you've gotten to the point where you're 100
percent sure or close to it that the impact is all as a result of this
petition, then, you know, I mean, we're talking about five trips a
day, as best I can figure out, or six trips a day, which is 10
percent of the 50 that staff has determined.
And again, I'm not going to argue about reasonable
stipulations now or ever, you know, if you feel you need to do
that. But I think we do need to concede the general premise that
this is an appropriate use and an appropriate legal use.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: And part of my questioning here
was simply because we're supposed to sign this finding of fact,
conditional use form. I'm not sure these residents have seen
that. That's why we're being very careful about what it is we're
doing. Because we do have to put our names to four different
criteria here, relating to compatibility, affecting other properties,
et cetera. And that's why we're probably belaboring this a little
more, because we're not --
MS. THOMAS: One of the issues I'd like to --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Ma'am? Ma'am.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Marjorie wants to shed some
light, I think.
MS. STUDENT: All I wanted to remind the commission was
you look at the compatibility of the conditional use, not the
underlying use that's already there and permissible by the
agricultural zoning district but it's what -- it's the over and above
that, what the conditional use is for. That's where the
compatibility is. Stables are already a permitted use in ag.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay. Normally we allow the petitioner
and staff unlimited. I will give you one minute, ma'am.
MS. THOMAS: I just wanted to ask again if there is any
county standards as far as the relationship of a power pole to a
paved road. Should there be a distance between a power pole
and the edge of the pavement of a road?
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: We'll ask that question.
MS. WOLFE: Dawn Wolfe for the record again. Yes, there
are normal safety standards. Once again, this is an issue of a
private road for which the county had no participation in the
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January 18, 2001
paving of it, paving asphalt up to it. There are general standards
for clear recovery zones. If you don't have a curb and gutter
section, you should have between -- you know, at least a 10-foot
recovery zone area before you hit an obstacle or a non curb and
gutter section, as is the case here.
You know, I guess the -- I do not know the process by which
the road was paved, how it was permitted, should be paved.
There are, you know, other requirements beyond that of the
county in regards to this. You have other issues when you go
from a shell road condition to an impermeable surface, such as
an asphalt overlay that requires other -- I'm not familiar with how
that came about or how it came about that it was paved up to
these actual power poles.
But there can also be an understanding, though, that these
power poles were probably in existence prior to that paving, so
they were always adjacent to the travel way.
That is purely an assumption based on what has been stated
here today. I do not have knowledge of what the preexisting
conditions were, other than the fact that had previously been a
shell road which the property owner seeking the conditional use
had gone out and paved that road. That's the only information
that I know of in regards to this private road and its paving and
how it came about.
MR. CUYLER: Mr. Chairman, just briefly, the owner
confirmed that the poles were there at the same location.
Nobody moved the power poles or the road, they just paved over
the lime rock road, so they were already there.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Any further questions of the petitioner?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Badamtchian, just to push the envelope a little bit
further, what is the distance that would have to be paved to get
access to Collier Boulevard?
MR. NINO: It's one mile, isn't it?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: No, two miles.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: It's only about an inch on
my map.
MR. CUYLER: Again, I'm assuming that those have been
vacated, so that doesn't exist. But the owner tells me it's about
one and a half miles, and there's wetlands between the paved
portion and Collier.
Page 47
January 18, 2001
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: So the applicant does not
view this to be a part of the solution to the issue here of traffic?
MR. CUYLER: No, the petitioner does not view that as part
of the solution.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Then how about further
improvement on Benfield Drive, since that's such a narrow
parkway?
MR. CUYLER: In terms of what?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Make it wider.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Mr. Richardson, I think he has to
acquire land. And I'm not sure that the people on Benfield would
really be willing to give up some of that land for a wider road for
his purpose.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Maybe I didn't understand
the nature of this private roadway. There's no easements
involved at all then?
MR. CUYLER.' There are easements. I think what the owner
did was to take the existing roadway, which was as wide or as
narrow as before as it is now, and --
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: And lined the way it was.
And I'm just saying, in terms of -- this is our only chance to work
on this problem.
MR. CUYLER: Right.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: And what we've had brought
to us by the public is that this is kind of a meandering 16-foot
wide roadway that's been paved at the applicant's expense to
I'm sure help himself out as well as the other property owners.
And that it's -- it has some obstructions on one side with the
power poles.
I'm wondering in terms of trying to address this entire
problem at this time if we couldn't somehow get that roadway to
be a little wider, put in some speed controls, and is this not a
possibility that the applicant would consider?
MR. NINO: Don't you think, though, that in the interest of
fairness, when you're talking about major improvements to a
private road that's going to benefit all the property owners along
that road, that there be some that -- that the action address the
need for cost sharing? I mean, this land is in the -- in an area
that may very well some day be urbanized, and every one of
those five-acre parcels are going to enjoy the opportunity to
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January 18, 2001
re-subdivide their property and they'd be on a road that's now up
to county standards at somebody else's expense.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: I have a question of Mr. Nino. Is
there a swale on one side of the road? MR. NINO: I don't know.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I think it's going to be tough for this
commission to impose any kind of stipulation on the petitioner
that's before us today on someone else's land on which they
have their own rights. That certainly is not within the realm of
this commission, or even within the Board --
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Mr. Chairman --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: -- of Zoning Appeals.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: -- I'd just like to hear the
response on that.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Well, I don't have a problem with that,
but you're asking him to do some things that I'm not sure is
within his power. Now, he can go to the neighbors and certainly
ask. But for to us make that a stipulation I think would be
beyond our ability.
MR. NINO: Well, Mr. Chairman, except that the easement is
certainly wider than 16 feet. You know, traditional easements
tend to be at least 30 feet; if they're for road purposes, at least
30 feet. So I suspect that there is at least a 30-foot easement in
there. So it really is not going to be a case of trespass or having
to go to each property.
If they enjoy an easement across that property, then by the
same token, they enjoy the opportunity to make improvements to
the entire width of that easement. The question is fairness here.
Is it reasonable to ask a person on the end of the road to bring a
road up to county standards, which is what I hear you suggesting
for a use that is basically permitted by law.
MS. STUDENT: Well, what I have to interject here is we
have to be concerned, there are constitutional limits on what you
can require of a property owner. And we have the Nolan and the
Dolen cases that tell us you cannot over exact beyond the
impacts of the development. And we cannot do that.
If the petitioner agrees to do some things over and above
that, that's fine. But for us as a government to impose that, we
have to be mindful of the constitution and the protection of
property.
Page 49
January 18, 2001
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Did I say I was going to
make that a stipulation? I did not. I just asked whether the
applicant was amenable to helping solve this problem, so --
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Why don't we have the fact about
how wide this Benfield Road is.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: 16 feet.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Well, I mean, it's wide, but if
there's an easement that's 30. Who would come up with that
fact? Would you have that on behalf of your client?
MR. CUYLER: The easements are at least 30 feet. The
owner tells me -- the petitioner tells me that the road is 18 feet
wide, not 16 feet wide.
We would not be willing on our own to do that. I mean, we'll
be happy to talk to the other residents, but I think Mr. Nino really
hit the nail on the head and that is we're at the end of the road,
and 90 percent of our use is absolutely legal. We're talking about
a small incremental amount for something that I think we, with
your good judgment, should be entitled to.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Well, for the record, Mr.
Chair, I don't like to be discouraged from trying to help solve
problems for the public.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I'm not trying to discourage you. I'm
just trying to make a point that I wasn't sure that we could do
what you were asking we could do. And that's just my
disagreement was all. And Ron cleared that up for me. Any further questions?
MR. NINO: I liked the suggestion that Dawn made of -- what
do they call those, rumble?
MS. WOLFE: They're referred to as rumble strips. They're
not the exceedingly large speed bumps. What they are is they're
a staggered, slightly raised portion strip of an asphalt type
material that as you go over it, it rumbles. Therefore, the -- and it
gives you -- brings your attention to the fact that either you're
coming up to slow down or that the speed is being reduced. It's
trying to bring your attention to something occurring.
A lot of times you'll see it on -- adjacent to the major
interstate facilities, that should you run off the edge and into the
emergency lane, you'll hear that rumble.
It can also be a matter of basically sawing into and creating
a difference in the texture, and that's what creates this rumble.
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January 18, 2001
And it's more of making one aware. It doesn't necessarily
physically force you to slow the vehicle down, but it brings it to
your attention.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Mr. Chairman, what that rumble
strip is going to do is annoy the neighbors, because they're trying
to take naps and put their kids to sleep, when people run over
them, they're going to disturb them. I think what we need to look
at is, if anything, a speed bump or two.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Well, let me -- being we've discussed
this issue, I live in a neighborhood that put in speed bumps, and I
can assure you, those that were speeding before have figured
out what the actual maximum speed is that they can go over
those without tearing their car up. Although it does slow down
those of us that are law abiding citizens to start with. But
anyway, having said all that --
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY.' If you'll close the public hearing --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Well, I'm working on that.
Any further questions? Does anybody else from the public
wish to address this? If not, I close the public hearing, and I will
entertain a motion.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Mr. Chairman, I move that we
forward Petition CU-2000-18 to the Board of County
Commissioners with a recommendation of approval, with a -- the
stipulation of a maximum of 10 horses for hire and that the
necessary speed bumps be put in place by the neighbors.
COMMISSIONER BUDD: Second.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: It's been moved by Commissioner
Priddy, seconded by Commissioner Budd. Any further
discussion?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Any question of signage on that?
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: No, I'm not going to put signage in
there, because I think it's a wasted expense, because the people
that are going to speed are going to speed, irregardless of the
signs. But if you all want to put up signs, there's certainly their
right.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Again, living on a private road, the only
thing that will slow them down is the presence of a cop car,
which normally don't show up unless you ask them. So I agree
with Mr. Priddy, people -- I don't know whether you have a
community watch that stand out and take their license plate,
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January 18, 2001
send them nasty letters. That's about all you can do.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Mr. Chairman, there are two
staff conditions. I assume --
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Yes, I was including the staff
stipulations.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: He entered those.
Any further discussions?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Mr. Chairman, this is
perhaps not appropriate to the motion, but I'd like to have the
sense of the board go forward that we'd like to encourage the
property owners in the are to get together and make some
improvement on Benfield Drive to improve the safety conditions
which have been brought before us.
I don't know what the proper forum for that is, but I'd
certainly encourage the applicant and the property owners to get
together and see if you can get another couple of three feet. I
mean, it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. He spent
$100,000 on it already, and it seems like it would help everybody
that he would be able to get the cartway a little further away
from those poles, which are so dangerous.
Again, I don't know what the proper forum of that is, but I'd
like that to be on the record in some fashion to --
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: The stipulation was to add speed
bumps. Do you have any numbers that you would like to see,
how many speed bumps?
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: I think that ought to be left up to
the neighbors.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I would agree with that.
Also -- okay, calling for the question, all in favor of this vote,
signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER YOUNG: Aye.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER BUDD: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Opposed?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Aye.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: That was --
Page 52
January 18, 2001
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: On the Item B, I'm not convinced
about the traffic and the convenience part, so I'd have to say no.
I don't feel like that's quite been addressed. And I do believe
the Board of County Commissioners has to discuss this. They
would discuss it anyway, because we have a number of
neighbors who would like to present their information, their
testimony, to the County Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I believe that was 8-1, right?
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: 7-1.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: 7-1. Thank you.
Just a few minute break for our court reporter.
(Recess.)
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Let's call the meeting back to order.
The next item on the agenda is Item F, the Activity Center
No. 9. Marjorie, is this --
MS. STUDENT: It's legislative. You don't have to swear.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: As soon as I get order on the
commissioners, I'll ask the question again.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: I'd like to make a motion to
approve.
MS. STUDENT: No swearing, and no disclosures on this.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Legislative, no swearing of -- okay, with
that, Amy?
MS. TAYLOR: Yes. Good morning, Planning Commission.
My name is Amy Taylor, for the record. I'm with the
comprehensive planning section. I will be happy to be brief and
give more time for WilsonMiller, our consultants in developing
the interchange master plan, more time to provide you details,
and we'll both be available to answer your questions.
Very briefly, as a background, the interchange master plan
for Activity Center No. 9, the concepts and the idea were
developed back in '95 and '96.
As the evaluation and appraisal report for the entire
comprehensive plan was being accomplished, the Board of
County Commissioners determined and directed that language
text changes to the Future Land Use Element be made and a map
change be made to include another piece of property, this
property right here, into the active center boundary. The -- as I
said, in 1997 it was adopted by the board and transmitted to the
state.
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January 18, 2001
The delay in developing the interchange master plan was as
a result of our being found -- the plan being found not in
compliance with DCA.
So finally in May of 2000, our plan, which included the
language directing the property owners and county staff to
develop an interchange master plan, was finally found in
compliance, and we moved forward with that.
The language in the Growth Management Plan provides that
staff and property owners work together in coordination. That
was accomplished. July 11th, the property owners met and we
prepared a vision statement which was taken to the Board of
County Commissioners on August 1st and approved. This vision
statement provided a guideline and -- the consultants and staff
and property owners, in developing the interchange master plan.
October, the property owners met again and reviewed the
results of the WilsonMiller's efforts in developing the interchange
master plan. And there were -- there was consensus and
agreement on the interchange master plan by the property
owners and their representatives that were in attendance.
The basis for developing an interchange master plan in the
first place are -- there's multiple reasons, and I'll go into them
briefly.
Land use and transportation issues within that area.
Transportation access management within that area has become
more and more important as it develops out. The aesthetic value
as an enhanced gateway was considered very, very important to
the Board of County Commissioners, as it is accessed to -- from
1-75 to residents and visitors alike to various parts of Collier
County. It provides the first impression of Collier County and an
entrance to -- via 951 and State Road 84 to Golden Gate, Marco
Island and the Naples downtown area.
The land use issues in particular were to -- as it developed
out, that there would be a 55 percent cap on any additional
commercial. This was essentially because there was a concern
about traffic movement within that area. So there can be a full
array of commercial uses with a 55 percent cap and residential,
and encouragement for mixed uses. There are already properties
that are industrial, commercial and residential within Activity
Center No. 9.
The study parameters also included architectural design
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January 18, 2001
guidelines, common architectural design, as properties are
improved, redeveloped or as new developments come in. And
common landscape material would be encouraged to be used as
well.
Common signage and gateway features. And where the
signage and gateway features and some of the landscape issues
come in are also in the public realm. It will be recognized it will
be the responsibility of the county, as road improvements are
brought in line, that various landscape improvements and
signage improvements will be made to be consistent with the
direction of the IMP.
There are various -- also, there are various grants that would
be available to offset the cost -- any additional cost of those
improvements.
There's been a real high level extensive coordination coming
out of WilsonMiller through staff to property owners that -- and
actually the property owners participated in great numbers. I
believe we had most properties represented there by either the
owner themselves or their representatives.
Also, extensive coordination with FDOT in its future plans to
improve State Road 84 and the interchange access. And this has
been ongoing, you know, really for about -- prior to May, 2000
when the language was finally found in compliance.
Also, extensive coordination with our architectural and
landscape design staff, and our previous transportation
department and our current transportation division.
With that, I would like to move forward, if you don't have any
questions, and allow WilsonMiller to present the particulars of
the project.
MS. JENKINS: Good morning. I'm Anita Jenkins, with
WilsonMiller, the project planner on this particular master plan.
Do you all have a copy of the book?
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Yes.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Yes.
MS. JENKINS: I'm going to briefly just highlight each
section for you, so if you have any questions on those particular
sections, feel free to make those comments as we go through
the section. But I will keep it brief, believing that you've had an
opportunity to review this plan already.
Beginning with section one, this is just really the
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January t8, 2001
introduction, and it gives a lot of the background information, as
Amy has already highlighted in her review of it. The BCC has
directed this master plan through the comprehensive plan
amendment back in 1997.
The BCC also set forth the study parameters. They directed
us to exactly what was going to be studied in this master plan.
Those parameters are of course listed in the introduction as well.
And Amy did hit on them before: Land use, transportation and
access, landscaping and buffering, signage, architecture and
various maps.
The purpose of this study, as directed by the board, is to
create a gateway for Collier County, coming off 1-75 and 951. So
the idea is to have a comprehensive plan that will be
complimentary to the area and create this gateway for Collier
County.
As Amy had mentioned, the property owners were very
involved with this process. And beginning back in July, we had
the first visioning meeting with the --
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Have you gone past step
one then?
MS. JENKINS: Yes, I'm at envisioning on step two.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Could I ask a question about
MS. JENKINS: Absolutely.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON:
I notice in the background
statement it says the entire interchange activity center is
eligible for up to 100 percent of the entire acreage to be
developed. How am I to understand that relative to open space?
MS. JENKINS: The open space criteria will still be applied.
This 100 percent is in regards to the uses that are referenced
above as far as industrial, commercial, residential.
That statement says that you can develop 100 percent of
the uses in residential, industrial, other appropriate uses;
however, only 55 percent can be developed in commercial in this
area.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: In terms of the definition of
the area, the Activity Center 9, there seems to be some conflicts
in the document about what describes the boundaries of that.
MS. JENKINS: If I can refer you over here to the -- I believe
this -- this graphic is also in your book. The boundaries of the
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January 18, 2001
activity center -- and it looks like we've lost a line here. The
boundaries of the activity center include Golden Gate Commerce
Park, this PUD, this area zoned ag. This line should be coming
straight down here. So it would be this quadrant. The activity
center also includes this commercial portion of City Gate Park
PUD. It includes White Lake Industrial Park, Tollgate, a small
portion of the Forest Glen commercial area, the Westport
Commerce Center PUD, this industrial area, and then the
boundary for this quadrant is here.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: That -- what's titled
commercial tract is -- what did you call that?
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Forest Glen.
Forest Glen?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON:
MS. JENKINS: Yes.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON:
undeveloped properties now?
And these are all
MS. JENKINS: No, sir. As you may be aware, and you might
be able to see some of the development in the Tollgate Center
PUD.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I knew that. But later on in
the implementation, it says it's to only apply to all undeveloped
properties.
MS. JENKINS: Actually, the board's direction would be that
this would apply to all undeveloped and developed properties, so
that when property owners came back in to amend their PUD's or
for redevelopment, they would have to be consistent with the
IMP.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Okay. So that's a correction
that needs to be made in Section 5, when we get to that.
Why did you not include anything further south of that, be it
Naples Golf Estates? I mean, presumably in the future, that
could change.
MS. JENKINS: It could be -- the boundary of the activity
center was set forth in the comprehensive plan amendment by
the Board of County Commissioners. All activity centers were
addressed during that plan amendment cycle. And that was the
final boundary in the study area for this project.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: So you had no input to the
boundaries. That was a given?
MS. JENKINS: That's correct.
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January 18, 2001
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Thank you.
MS. JENKINS: Beginning now in Section 2, as I had
mentioned, we first met with the property owners on July 11th
for the visioning meeting.
The vision statement, as listed in Section 2 -- and this was
come about through consensus with the property owners and the
Collier County staff that all Collier County staff departments that
this project would affect were invited to those meetings, and
those that attended had input during that time with the property
owners.
The visioning statement addresses the items that are the
parameters of this study. Again, it's land use, transportation, the
design elements. And this schematic graphic is a representation
of that vision that the property owners came up with. It's a
vision of a more formal area with street trees, defined edges,
architecture that is complimentary to the area. And we'll get
into that architecture and signage in just a few minutes. It's a
very highly defined landscaped area, with a concentrated
gateway here at the intersection of 1-75, because you have a lot
of available land for landscaping and focal points in this area.
So this schematic again, it's just a culmination of what that
vision would be to the property owners, and is representative of
this master plan.
Are there any questions on the vision statement in Section
2?
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: I must say that this is pretty
dramatic. It's pretty aesthetically pleasing, at least the
schematic you have. And that is -- was developed through the
property owners input?
MS. JENKINS: Yes.
COMMISSIONER RAUTIO: Impressive.
MS. JENKINS: That vision statement was also endorsed by
the Board of County Commissioners on August 1st, so they have
already seen the vision statement and endorsed that so we can
move forward with the details of this master plan.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: They obviously envision a pedestrian
traffic pattern in this intersection?
MS. JENKINS: Yes. And the pedestrian sidewalks that are --
some of them are out there now. But understanding that this will
change with the change of the state's interchange plans. So, you
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January 18, 2001
know, this is as we know it now. Because the state has not
come forward with the final design of this interchange area. So
this is fluid.
But yes, they do envision a pedestrian activity out there,
because you have a lot of hotels, restaurants, convenience
stations. And if you spend a little bit of time out there right now,
you'll see people walking from the hotels down to the Burger
King or the McDonald's to get something to eat, over to the
Cracker Barrel. So there is quite a bit of pedestrian activity
today.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: I don't deny that. It's just that within
each quadrant, and I've been there, I wouldn't risk my life trying
to get across any of those roads.
MS. JENKINS: But we hope --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Not an overpass or an underpass. And
those are bad words in Collier County.
MS. JENKINS: We have to try to improve that situation with
further improvements to 951 and Davis Boulevard. And the
defining of the edges and landscaping certainly will help that
situation.
Let me change this graphic one more time.
Moving to Section 3 now is where we got into the details of
the design, beginning with the architecture and signage. The
signage will be complimentary to the architecture.
The property owners decided that they would like three
characters represented in this activity center. And the
characters would be Everglades, rural and old Florida. Those are
three architectural characters that are complimentary to one
another, but allow the property owners flexibility in selecting the
designs that are most appropriate for their land use and their
buildings. Those are representative on this graphic.
And with the architecture, we have also selected a color
pallet to be complimentary to each architecture character that
would be complimentary as a whole to the area. The idea is to
be able to enter this activity center and be able to define the
boundaries when you are in the activity center.
So there again, this design sets forth the characters of the
area, but it will not be until the next phase in the LDC
amendments where you really get into the details of the
architecture. As we have an architecture code now, one will be
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January 18, 2001
developed for this area as well. But this is the basis for that.
In the landscaping, there are two different buffers that were
discussed. One landscape buffer and one landscape area will be
within the public rights-of-way. And there again, that is for
mostly the arterial roads, the public rights-of-way. That is along
the streets edges and within the medians.
The character in there again, it's formal and it's highly
defined edges. This helps create a more pedestrian feeling.
Because if you can imagine right now what 951 is just north of
75, it's wide open, it's undeveloped, and you have no sense of
limits there. And it's not a very friendly area, but as it develops
and encouraging these highly defined edges, it could be
something as you see on the conceptual roadway section at the
bottom of this graphic.
We anticipate that those landscaping elements will come
about with the improvements of the roadways and will be part of
the county's program and responsibility for including those
landscaped themes.
The other buffer area will be the buffer areas that are
surrounding properties, landscaped areas within properties.
There again, where we're trying to give all the property owners a
specific landscape pallet so all of the area within the activity
center becomes unified and definable and complimentary.
So the nonadjacent buffers or the perimeter buffers, the
parking lots, things like that, may include the landscape pallet
that you see within the plan here. And some of those are
represented in this graphic as well, but it's much more extensive
in your plan that you'll notice.
Finally, the other things that will help define this area are
boundary or gateway features. You'll recall on the last plan
there where we showed the interchange of 1-75 and 951, there's
a lot of land there with great landscape opportunities and focal
points. That will be one of the focuses of the -- creating a
gateway in this area. That will be the primary gateway.
We would anticipate formalizing gateways at each entrance
to the activity center, for instance, where the boundary begins
on Davis Road, there will be some type of gateway or feature
that would help you define that boundary. And as well as on 951
coming north and going south, there would be some type of
feature that would help you define the boundary of that activity
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January 18, 2001
center.
And finally, on the arterial roadways, again, referring back to
this graphic, we have some specifics here to define the elements
of what those roadways should be. And again, we are trying to
encourage a higher pedestrian level than what's out there now.
Particularly in safety, and street trees for shade, and improving
the intersections for pedestrians, and median plantings; those
type of things we would hope to be incorporated into the arterial
public roadways.
We would also hope to see that there would be specialty
lighting that would help this area, as represented in this graphic,
as well as something to that effect to help you define the area.
And then all directional signage that you would see in the area
would be complimentary to the architecture and the private
property signs as well.
Those are the -- briefly the highlights of the design elements
of the Activity Center No. 9 interchange master plan. And I'll be
happy to answer any of your questions.
If not, I'd like to introduce Jeff Perry. He's going to highlight
the transportation elements land use. And then he'll reiterate
the implementation process, what's next for the interchange
master plan.
MR. PERRY: Thank you, Anita. Good morning,
commissioners. For the record, my name is Jeff Perry with the
firm of WilsonMiller.
Land use and transportation are covered in Section 4 of your
document. They are intimately linked together, and for the
purposes of this study, we wanted to treat them as one, because
when we're talking about transportation, we're talking about the
land use in that particular area and how it impacts it.
The section is laid out as basically as sort of an overview
dealing with the commercial land use -- excuse me, with the
master plan land use characteristics. Some technical analysis
that was done projecting out into the future, the build-out of the
activity center and what impact it would have on the
transportation system.
We've offered a number of recommendations and strategies,
both in the area of land use decision making, because there are
still a few parcels out there left to be zoned within the -- zoned
something other than agricultural within the activity center
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January 18, 2001
boundaries, although the bulk of it is already zoned one way or
another for the uses permitted in the master plan.
We've offered some transportation recommendations, and
we've also included conceptual revisions to the activity center
master plan access management plan. You presently have
within your Land Development Code an adopted access
management plan. What we're suggesting to you today are
changes or revisions that would ultimately be brought forward to
a Land Development Code amendment through a Land
Development Code amendment process to amend the plan to
incorporate some or all of the recommendations in the master
plan.
Just an overview on the existing land uses. As I said, most
of it is presently zoned something other than agricultural,
although there still are a few parcels left as an agricultural
category.
The land use plan that is being suggested to you today really
is nothing more than taking into consideration the existing
zoning, insuring that there's no deletion of anybody's rights that
currently exist on the property, but we've also added some
flexibility in the mixed use industrial and the mixed use
commercial areas to insure that even those existing zoning
projects might have some additional opportunity. Should they
decide to redevelop or redesign their project, they would still be
within the limits of the access mas -- the interchange master
plan.
The transportation overview really assumed a build-out
when we looked at the land use characteristics that were
approved and what would be expected under the comprehensive
plan and under this master plan. We have a computer
assimilation model. We actually developed a scenario of building
all the land use out by the year 2025 -- actually, 2024 in this case
-- and examined what sort of impact that would have on the
transportation system.
What I think has already been alluded to is the
improvements that the Florida Department of Transportation is
currently studying on the south half -- south side of the
interstate, on the south half of our master plan area. And for that
reason, we've sort of divided the study area into two chunks,
north of the interstate and south of the interstate.
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January 18, 2001
South of the interstate we're offering what we believe are --
what we're calling interim transportation improvements. Those
recommendations that would be for at grade improvements prior
to there ever being an expansion of the overpass or an additional
overpass that might be developed at the intersection of 951 and
State Road 54.
We believe that while we would like to think there is money
out there to make all of the necessary improvements, most of the
time these things are done in stages. So we might see a
widening, for instance, of State Road 84 to either four or six
lanes at grade with improvements to the intersection at State
Road 84 and Collier Boulevard. That might come within, let's
say, in the next five or six years.
The interchange, or the flyover, whatever you want to call it,
whatever is finally decided there, may be another five or 10 years
after that, depending on where and when the money is made
available for the project.
So in the interim period, while there is no flyover there and
there is no yet FDOT approved plan, we wanted to have some
sort of marching orders that developers and people could deal
with in terms of half grade kind of improvement.
So in the access management plan that I'll talk about in just
a moment, they'll actually see some kinds of medians, some
future widening of the road and where driveways would be and
where interconnections would be.
And while the recommendations in the plan deal in part with
land use decision-making, the kinds of lands uses that might be
appropriate, the things that should be encouraged as you review
land use proposals, there are also some recommendations in
there on transportation concerning future widenings and
improvements that might help relieve some of the traffic
congestion problems in that particular area.
I'd like to focus -- if there's no specific questions, I'd like to
focus a little bit on the activity center master plan -- the access
management plan, and kind of go through what we're suggesting
would be adopted formally as Land Development Code
amendment.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: I had one question, Jeff. I
never use this interchange, I always use 16. This Davis
Boulevard, if you extended it eastward, becomes old Alligator
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January 18, 2001
Alley. Does that actually go right into 1-757
MR. PERRY: No, it does not. In fact, that's Beck Boulevard
that is -- the road you were talking about in the previous --
access road that goes out to -- in your previous petition, that
goes out to, what is it, Benfield or that road? Okay, that
particular road, if I can show you --
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: I saw it referred to in here as
an access road, but all the drawings seemed to show it
connecting to -- at least I would interpret them as showing it
connecting right into 1-75.
MR. PERRY: Before State Road 84 or Alligator Alley became
1-75, it was a direct connection from that intersection, which is
where Davis Boulevard comes in beyond Radio Road and ties into
County Road 951. It was directly east of there and the tollbooth
was right out here. This was when 1-75 was developed, it came
down through here and connected with State Road 84 and State
Road 84 was then widened, this was -- that old State Road 84,
what is now called Beck Drive or Beck Boulevard actually just
becomes an access road out to land to the north, which is
actually in our activity center, which is the Tollgate commercial
center, as well as the other land development further to the east,
which is Benfield and some of the other roads that might be out
there.
So this is now more of a local collector that provides access
to commercial and agricultural development.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: So people who come out
Davis have to turn north and then access it up there on the other
side of Tollgate.
MR, PERRY: That's correct. If you're going to 1-75, when
you hit the intersection, either east or west on 1-75, you turn left
at the traffic signal, when you hit 951 or Collier Boulevard. The
eastbound off ramp -- excuse me, the eastbound on ramp to go to
Fort Lauderdale is immediately to the north of there.
To go west or north on 1-75, you go under the overpass and
then hang a left and get on the ramps to take you up north on
1-75. Likewise, the off bound ramps of 1-75 comes directly down
into the intersection of 951.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Does it make any sense to
connect this old Alligator Alley so you would have two accesses?
MR. PERRY: In fact, there is one of the proposals that -- the
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January 18, 2001
Florida Department of Transportation is currently underway to
study this entire intersection because of the current congestion
there, the future build-out of this particular area, as well as the
build-out of the roadway system. They're looking at a number of
different alternatives that would include overpasses at State
Road 84 and Collier Boulevard, different connections to the
interstate, one of which I've seen actually goes out through Beck
Boulevard and connects up to 1-75.
So there's a whole sort of litany of different options that
they're looking at. As Anita had mentioned before that -- or
perhaps Amy, they're not yet to a point where they're -- they have
a firm plan.
So our purpose today was to try to identify, absent that plan
and absent some sort of major alterations, we wanted to have
some at grade improvements in case there was a widening of
Davis Boulevard that we would be able to accommodate with
some median openings and driveway connection spacings and
things like that.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Okay, thank you.
MR. PERRY: Let me focus a little bit -- again, a little bit on
the south side of Interstate 75. That is the intersection of State
Road 84 and 951. We're showing some medians in through here
with access in driveways to existing and future roadway
connections. We're looking at the first potential traffic signal
being at the very edge of the activity center right there and
interconnecting through some existing and future rezoning
properties in order for access to be provided to all of this
particular area on the north side of -- to that particular signal.
There would be a continued unsignalized access controlled by
median openings at those two existing driveways that are there
nOW,
We're also suggesting that the Burger King access would
ultimately go away and they would obtain their access through
the internal roadway network. That may or may not occur as
part of the at grade improvements or the widening of Davis
Boulevard; it may occur as part of the overpass or something
else. But the logical connection for the Burger King would be as
the McDonald's is, off of the internal side streets.
The south side, we're talking about interconnection that
would continue existing proposed loop road around through here
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January 18, 2001
with interconnecting parcels here to encourage that there would
be adequate spacing for driveways and not a continuous location
of driveways for out parcels or parcels along -- they would all get
their access off of this internal road system.
On the north side of 1-75, there's basically with the
exception of the White Lake Industrial Park, which is currently
under development here, this is the access intersection right
here that goes back to the county landfill. It is immediately
north of the northbound off ramp of 1-75. We are suggesting that
it would probably be appropriate to bring that off ramp under
signal control at this point to provide adequate spacing to
improve the intersection here by removing or deleting this
particular section of the roadway here and putting the roadway
back through here, allowing for an adequate throat distance from
this intersection.
Major improvements, and then interconnecting all of these
parcels, so that you don't end up with access points all along
951. This parcel and all these parcels here would have access off
the backage road that would prohibit additional access points
from being in there.
This is a limited access corridor here up to that signal, so
that you couldn't have driveway connections there anyway. We
are suggesting that a right-in access might be appropriate to this
parcel here to help carry some of the traffic into that area before
actually hitting this particular intersection.
But this is an access road, public access road, that goes
back through here, separating those two parcels. And we do
have provisions for interconnections. They're actually already in
this development approval here to interconnect to this road there
so that there would actually be an interconnection between
these two parcels.
This is presently a mixed use zoning. This is an industrial
and commercial zoned area, in fact, over in through here, even
outside the activity center and of course the water plant facility
back in through here. This access road goes all the way out
through here out to the county landfill.
So these are the kinds of interconnecting improvements that
we believe would be beneficial long-term, as well as obviously
being beneficial today, even though there's not a lot of
development in this area. Most of the congestion that we have is
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January 18, 2001
on the south -- current congestion is on the south side of the
interstate.
But in the future, as this area begins to develop, there's
going to be a lot of congestion for land uses that are attracting
traffic from the interstate or have residential components where
they're actually generating traffic. We believe that encouraging
mixed use development in these areas helps eliminate some of
the traffic that would otherwise be hitting the roadway where
they can find shopping or business opportunities close by, either
at this site or this site, and this particular access management
plan accommodates those kinds of benefits.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Jeff, what is the projection on
when we're supposed to -- the state or feds are supposed to have
that interchange improvements plan done? Do we have a time
frame?
MR. PERRY: We're very close to it. There may be -- I'm not
sure if there's a public hearing set yet for the recommended
alternative.
Dawn, do you know if there's a hearing set for the
recommended alternative yet? It was supposed to be in January,
but it obviously hasn't been.
MS. WOLFE: Dawn Wolfe, for the record.
I do not believe they have scheduled as of yet the public
hearing, which is inclusive of the State Road 84 widening
project. The current FDOT tentative work program does not
identify beyond the design of the State Road 84 east-west
improvements, although the Florida Department of
Transportation, in continuing working towards funding the
improvements in this area is looking at the potential resources
just beyond the year 2010 for the actual implementation of the
ultimate interchange improvements. They're continuing to work
with us, as well as Mr. Perry, as he's part of the long-range
transportation plan update process, in defining when we will be
seeing those improvements out there.
So we anticipate, if state and federal resources remain the
same for interstate and interchange improvements, that just
beyond the year 2010 we may start seeing activity from the
Florida Department of Transportation on those ultimate
improvements. But before that's decided, you will have a public
hearing in regards to the concepts.
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January 18, 2001
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY'. I'll quit looking then.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Just a quick question. Is there --
there's nothing -- I thought at one time there was something that
tied up with Davis extending on east, going to 9517
MS. WOLFE: That was a corridor study that was conducted
back in 1997, '98 by the Florida Department of Transportation. It
was to evaluate the viability of alternative alignments versus
using the existing State Road 84 alignment.
The findings of that corridor study was that you did not
receive any substantial benefit by relocating the alignment south
to the direct east-west connection. There were not only
environmental issues in regards to putting that alignment
straight east; however, one thing that was very clear was it did
not eliminate the intersection of existing State Road 84 with --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Well, I wasn't attempting to. I just --
the issue was with people coming north got to go all the way to
that intersection to get on Davis, and all the people on Davis got
to go south on 951, or Collier Road. You're telling me it's gone, in
other words?
MS. WOLFE: Yes, it is.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE.' Okay. That was my question.
MS. WOLFE: There's development currently in the way now,
SO w~
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Too bad.
MR. PERRY: Any other questions about the transportation
section?
I'd like to just briefly cover implementation, or reiterate
what Amy has already told you. Implementation basically means
that this is going to end up coming back before it really gets
hammered down into final regulations or laws that somebody has
to live with.
We're suggesting that there be a zoning overlay that would
sort of trigger the regulations that would ultimately be developed
as part of the Land Development Code, which is the second part
of the implementation strategy, so that you have a zoning map or
zoning overlay that says if you have land within this activity
center, there's a separate set of regulations that apply to you.
So if you're outside of that black dotted line, you go with the
standard zoning restrictions, standard Land Development Code
regulations, if you're on the other side of that line, you're within
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January 18, 2001
this particular zoning overlay, you now have to comply with a
new set of -- a different set of Land Development Code
regulations.
The Land Development Code regulations, as you know, come
back through every couple of times a year. The staff would be
developing not only the zoning overlay language but the Land
Development Code regulations, and property owners and the
staff and everybody would get another chance at determining
exactly the final fit of all these kinds of things that conceptually
we're suggesting to you has a broad support from the landowners
and generally from the county staff.
But they like what they see here. It's really just a matter of
getting it into final legislative restriction regulation format which
comes with the Land Development Code, and any capital
improvement element plans that would actually find the money
to implement these things. That would be either in the county's
capital improvement program or road construction, the state
work program obviously for State Road 84/I-75 improvements,
other kinds of improvements that might be available, other
money that might be available, enhancement funds that might be
actually programmed for this project to make some of these
things actually happen.
So it's kind of a three-pronged approach: Zoning overlay,
the Land Development Code regulations, which is actually the
meat of it all, and then the funding strategies and actually
getting some of this work accomplished.
And if there's no other questions about that --
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Mr. Chairman, may I --
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Sure.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Either to you, Mr. Miller (sic)
or perhaps Ms. Taylor, I understand that this overlay and the
Land Development Code that will follow that will apply to both
developed and undeveloped, or is it just undeveloped?
MR. PERRY: The strategy would be to all lands within the
activity center. Those that are already developed -- when you
say developed, we have to think in terms of the subdivisions that
are developed still have vacant parcels on them. Certainly when
someone comes in for that particular area, they would be subject
to the things that would be in the Land Development Code.
But it would not be retroactive to the point of forcing
Page 69
January 18, 2001
somebody to change the color of their building or tear down their
building and build something new. But if there was
redevelopment occurring, then they would be required to comply
with the Land Development Code.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: So it would be more
accurate then, this implementation strategy, to talk about it in
terms of any impacted developed or undeveloped property.
MS. TAYLOR: We can make that change, if that's in
agreement.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Second question, if I may.
And perhaps this is to you, Ron. I notice in the agenda item that
we passed over today, which was the industrial park, which is in
this zoning -- this overlay, that there -- part of what they came to
us with was to change the nature of what that property is to be
used for, from industrial to corporate.
And I guess I'm concerned that we're trying to catch up with
something here. Bryan Milk I see is part of the group that
participated in this process. Now, next time they come to us and
they're trying to make changes that are inconsistent with this,
this has not been adopted, I'm concerned that we've got people
out of sync again with what we're trying to do.
MS. TAYLOR: I could address that a little bit. That
particular project was reviewed, I believe, by our comprehensive
planning staff. And we had encouraged and met with property
owners as they're coming in with these to comply with the intent
of the interchange master plan. Now, they're not required to
until the Land Development Code amendments are made, but we
are working with them in reviewing their plan.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Is that one of the reasons it
was held back, to make them comport?
MR. NINO: No, it was held back for another reason.
MS. STUDENT: Mr. Chairman? I recently reviewed a
revision to that plat, and I can state that there is language in
there that I can't quote it to you exactly, but it does deal with
this Activity Center No. 9 in the plan.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: My last question, you'll be
happy to hear, is perhaps to staff. Is this the only entryway to
Collier County that's being considered for this kind of treatment?
I mean, I live up north on Exit 17, and I consider that the entry to
Collier County as well. And I'm wondering why we're not
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January 18, 2001
afforded the same grand -- CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Actually, that's the exit from Lee
County.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: I see.
No, I would be interested in knowing what the future plans
are.
MS. WOLFE: Just coming off of some recent MPO
discussions in regard to the Golden Gate Parkway interchange,
which is upcoming, and the fact that the transportation division
will be coming forward in March to do a workshop on the issues
with board, we will also be coming forward with some policy and
other implementation issues, including looking at an overlay
district plan for the Golden Gate Parkway interchange area as
well, so you'll see additional ones coming forward in the future.
MS. JENKINS: And if I may add to that, when this came
initially before the Board of County Commissioners and their
encouragement to do this master plan, there was an idea from
one of the commissioners that wouldn't it be wonderful to do this
for all of the activity centers, particularly access management,
architectural guidelines, creating a place there so it's all
complementary, you can identify what the activity center is.
So there was some thought at the Board of County
Commissioners at that time to do an interchange master plan,
particularly for the gateways along 1-75, but also addressing
each of them as needed that had opportunities to do so. We had
not received any future direction to do anything for any of the
activity centers.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay, anybody else?
MR. NINO: Yes, you have speakers. Mr. Nadeau.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Here I was just about to say there was
no dissension.
MR. NADEAU: No dissension at all.
For the record, my name is Dwight Nadeau, McAnley
Engineering & Design. I represent three properties in the
interchange: This 74-acre Golden Gate Commerce Park, this
37-acre PUD, it's called East Gateway, it's currently in process,
as well as the Westport Commerce Center.
Extensive time and study has been put into this interchange
master plan. I commend staff, as well as WilsonMiller, with
working with us, and the property owners in putting together this
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January 18, 2001
plan.
In reliance with the two drafts of this interchange master
plan and the interconnectivity of the projects, we have designed
and have marketed properties with consideration and reliance
with the signalization and the access points that has been
carried through the process.
There has been some recent concern that there may be
some changes, as maybe directed by staff, related to these
interconnections, signalization, et cetera. I do not have personal
knowledge, I got it from a reasonably reliable source.
In -- I just want to put on the record that when this comes
back in the form of a Land Development Code amendment, that it
very closely represent, if not identically represent the
transportation components that are included in Section 4 of the
interchange master plan. To change any of those
interconnections could affect the safety of the pedestrian
movements, it could affect the circulation and interconnectivity,
which is a policy of your planning staff, and with that, I support
it. Please adopt it as is.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Thank you.
Anyone else?
MR. NINO: No.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: If not, we are to take a motion to
approve this or forward it?
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: Mr. Chairman, I move that we
forward Activity Center No. 9 interchange master plan to the
Board of County Commissioners with our blessings.
COMMISSIONER PEDONE: Second.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: It's been moved by Commissioner
Priddy, seconded by Commissioner Pedone.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Just one comment. With
suggestion on changing the language on the implementation that
we pointed out, which was to include the developed property.
That doesn't make any sense to do it just on undeveloped.
COMMISSIONER PRIDDY: They're all inside the dotted line,
so it's -- I think it's, you know, somewhat redundant. But I mean,
if it's inside the dotted lines, it's covered ultimately here anyway,
but that's fine.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay. With that, I'll ask for discussion.
Hearing none, all in favor, signify by saying aye.
Page 72
January 18, 2001
Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Motion carries.
No more old business? No more new business?
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: In the packet we received --
these are addenda or--
MR. NINO: Those are the supplements to your land
development code --
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Which I don't have --
MR. NINO: -- which you don't have yet, but which are
ordered. We don't have extra copies. We've ordered them.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON: Thank you.
MR. NINO: So what you do is you paste those into your book
into you get the regular supplement.
CHAIRMAN WRAGE: Okay. I'll take that under advisement.
Anybody from the public wish to address any issue? If not,
we are adjourned.
There being no further business for the good of the County,
the meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 11:25 a.m.
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
GARY WRAGE, CHAIRMAN
These minutes approved by the Board on
! as
presented
or as corrected
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF GREGORY COURT
REPORTING SERVICE, INC., BY CHERIE' R. LEONE~ NOTARY
PUBLIC
Page 73
COLLIER COUNTY GOVERNMENT
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIVISION
January 22, 2001
PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT
2800 NORTH HORSESHOE DRIVE
NAPLES, FL 34104
Mr. Miles L. Scofield
Scofield Marine Consulting
3584-B Exchange Ave.
Naples, FL 34104
REFERENCE: BD-2000-32, Elliot F. Brainard
Dear Mr. Scofield:
On Thursday, January 18, 2001, the Collier County Planning Commission heard and approved
Petition No. BD-2000-32.
A copy of CCPC Resolution No. 2001-03 is enclosed approving this use.
If you have any questions, please contact me.
Ross Gochenaur
Planner II
g/admin/BD-2000-32/RG/im
Enclosure
c~
Elliot F. Brainard
P O Box 461
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
Addressing (Peggy Jarrell)
Land Dept. Property Appraiser
M. Ocheltree, Graphics
Minutes & Records (BD, PSP & PDI)
File
PHONE (941) 403-2400
FAX (941) 643-6968
www. co.collier. fi.us
CCPC RESOLUTION NO. 2001- o3
RELATING TO PETITION NUMBER BD-2000-32 FOR
AN EXTENSION OF A BOAT DOCK ON PROPERTY
HEREINAFTER DESCRIBED IN COLLIER COUNTY,
FLORIDA.
WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of Florida in Chapter 125, Florida Statutes, has
conferred on all counties in Florida the power to establish, coordinate and enforce zoning and such
business regulations as are necessary for the protection of the public; and
WHEREAS, the County pursuant thereto has adopted a Land Development Code (Ordinance
91-102) which establishes regulations for the zoning of particular geographic divisions of the County,
among which is the granting of variances; and
WHEREAS, the Collier County Planning Commission, being the duly elected and constituted
Planning Commission for the area hereby affected, has held a public heating after notice as in said
regulations made and provided, and has considered the advisability of a 25-foot extension of a boat dock
from the permitted 20 feet to allow for a 45-foot boat dock facility in a PUD zone for the property
hereinafter described, and has found as a matter of fact that satisfactory provision and arrangement have
been made concerning all applicable matters required by said regulations and in accordance with Section
2.6.21. of the Collier County Land Development Code; and
WHEREAS, all interested parties have been given the opportunity to be heard by this
Commission in public meeting assembled, and the Commission having considered all matters presented;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY the Collier County Planning Commission of
Collier County, Florida, that:
The petition filed by Miles L. Scofield of Scofield Marine Consulting, representing Elliot F.
Brainerd, with respect to the property hereinafter described as:
Lot 9, Southport on the Bay Unit One, as described in Plat Book 15, Pages 51-53, of the
Public Records of Collier County, Florida.
be and the same is hereby approved for a 25-foot extension of a boat dock from the permitted 20 feet to
allow for a 45-foot boat docking facility in the PUD zoning district wherein said property is located,
subject to the following conditions:
All docks, or mooring pilings, whichever protrudes the greater into the water, regardless
of length shall have reflectors and house numbers four (4) inches minimum size installed
at the outermost end on both sides.
In order to address the protection ofmanatees, at least one (1) "Manatee Area" sign shall
be posted during construction. _J
Permits or letters of exemption from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection shall be presented prior to issuance of a building
permit.
All exotic vegetation as defined in Section 3.9.6.4.1 of the Land Development Code shall
be removed from the site and the property shall be maintained exotic-free in perpetuity.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution relating to Petition Number BD-2000-32 be
recorded in the minutes of this Commission and filed with the County Clerk's Office.
This Resolution adopted after motion, second and majority vote,
Done this 18th day of January ,2001.
ATTEST:
DUNNUCK, III
Execut~e Secretary
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
COLLIER
G
Community Development and Environmental
Services Interim Administrator
Approved as to Form and Legal Sufficiency:
Mar~ori~ M. Student
Assistant County Attorney
g:/admin/BD-2000-32/cw/RG
2