Exhibit CC BCC minutes 7-7-2015July7,2015
Item #9D
ORDINANCE 2015-46: AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 04-
41, AS AMENDED, THE COLLIER COUNTY LAND
DEVELOPMENT CODE, WHICH INCLUDES THE
COMPREHENSIVE LAND REGULATIONS FOR THE
UNINCORPORATED AREA OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA,
BY PROVIDING FOR: SECTION ONE, RECITALS; SECTION
TWO, ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND
DEVELOPMENT CODE, MORE SPECIFICALLY AMENDING
THE FOLLOWING: CHAPTER ONE -GENERAL PROVISIONS,
INCLUDING SECTION 1.08.02 DEFINITIONS; CHAPTER FIVE -
SUPPLEMENTAL STANDARDS, INCLUDING SECTION 5.05.05
AUTOMOBILE SERVICE STATIONS, MORE SPECIFICALLY
TO ESTABLISH SITE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR FACILITIES
WITH FUEL PUMPS; SECTION 5.05.08 ARCHITECTURAL AND
SITE DESIGN STANDARDS; SECTION 5.05.11 CARWASHES
ABUTTING RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS; SECTION
THREE, CONFLICT AND SEVERABILITY; SECTION FOUR,
INCLUSION IN THE COLLIER COUNTY LAND
DEVELOPMENT CODE; AND SECTION FIVE, EFFECTIVE
DATE -ADOPTED WITH ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
MR. OCHS: Mr. Chairman, that takes us to Item 9D on the
agenda this evening. This is also an amendment to the Land
Development Code amending Chapter 1, general provisions, including
Section 1.08.02, definitions; Chapter 5, supplemental standards,
including Section 5.05.05, automobile service stations, more
specifically, to establish site design standards for facilities with fuel
pumps, architectural and site design standards, car washes in adjacent
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residential zoning districts.
Ms. Cilek?
MS. CILEK: Thank you. Yes. I'm here today to present the
revisions to this LDC amendment in LDC Section 5.05.05. This will
be the second hearing, and I will also be seeking your
recommendations to move forward.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Ms. Cilek, let me make one comment for
everybody that's here. I trust that a number of you are here because of
the second hearing on this item. This item does take four votes in the
affirmative for passage, but I will also remind you that this item does
not pertain to the RaceTrac application on Palm Street and U.S. 41.
This is site design standards and supplemental standards that will be
for all applications going forward.
And so any comments that you have on the record should pertain
to this item and not to the specific application on U.S. 41 and Palm
Street.
Thank you.
MS. CILEK: Thank you. As directed at the last meeting, the
conditional-use provision has been removed, and enhanced site
standards such as requiring consistent architectural theme, canopy
standards, and lighting standards will be required for all gas stations.
These site standards will further be enhanced when the facilities are
located within 250 feet of residential property.
Staff recommends using this distance method in lieu of the terms
"abutting" or "adjacent" because it can be applied more consistently
throughout various development scenarios; however, to address
common situations, two exceptions have been included in this
amendment. These originate from the conditional-use process
reviewed at the last hearing.
It's important to note that these exceptions still will require the
site design standards for all gas stations, which are identified in LDC
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Section 5.05.05.C, but they will not be required to provide the
supplemental standards established in 5.05.05.D.
The first exception, which was generated at the Planning
Commission meeting with assistance from public speakers, applies
when a gas station is separated by at least a 100-foot preserve with 80
percent opacity and is at least 12 feet in height within one year.
The second exception would occur when a gas station is separated
from residential property by a four-lane arterial or collector
right-of-way. As noted on the slide, the supplemental standards will
not be required. But, again, the standards for all gas stations would be
required.
As with all cold (sic) language, there will be situations when
meeting all of the site standards at either level may not be possible.
For example, in a redevelopment scenario. In these situations, an
applicant may seek relief through a public hearing process. This could
be through a planned unit development, a planned unit development
amendment, applying for a variance if there's a land-use hardship, or if
it is, indeed, a redevelopment situation, then the site plans for
redevelopment --or site plan with definitions for redevelopment. Each
of these requires a public hearing process which will evaluate the
requested relief and will require specific public notice to surrounding
neighbors.
Following the review and recommendations today, staff will be
preparing additional site design standards for facilities with fuel pumps
that have 16 or more fuel pumps that are within 250 feet of residential
property during the next Land Development Code amendment cycle
which will occur this fall. And it was included in the list of prioritized
amendments that you approved just a few hours ago.
That concludes my presentation, and I'm happy to answer any
questions that you may have.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Questions or comments from the Board?
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Commissioner Taylor?
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: Thank you very much for this.
And, indeed, I think you responded to the Commissions' and the
concerns that were expressed here; however, there doesn't seem to be a
caution for deliveries that would be adjacent to residential or at a
certain time, meaning they --people --trucks could come in and make
deliveries at all hours of the night whether it's on the back, with
residential side. And I'm going to pass this out to my colleagues here,
and I'm assuming you have a copy of this, right?
MS. CILEK: I do. I believe so.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: And this was --I brought this to
our Hearing Examiner's attention, and he developed this language.
And we can see if this is something that we would agree to.
And basically it says that deliveries shall be prohibited between
the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. when located between the neighboring
residential property and the facility with fuel pumps.
So, basically, if the deliveries are on the front of the building, it's
24-hour delivery, whatever they want. But if it's on the back and it's
adjacent to neighboring or it's on the side that's adjacent to
neighboring, they would be prohibited in the nighttime hours.
MS. CILEK: And this is something that we did see in the
guidelines or guidebooks regarding gas stations, and we had discussed
it among staff in earlier conversations, so we're happy to move forward
with this language if it pleases the Board.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: Okay. And that's it. Thank you.
That's all I have.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I think that's worthy of putting
in this amendment.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: All right, great.
MS. CILEK: And it's just the highlighted language that would be
added. The un-highlighted language already exists in the amendment
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as it is.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: Do we need a motion to add it, or
do we hear from public comment and then make the motion later, or
how do we --do we need a motion to add it?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Motion later.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Make a motion later.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: Okay.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Commissioner Fiala?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. I think that that's an excellent
idea, because I've been worried about --because the delivery trucks,
especially with these giant gas stations, they have breakfast in the
morning, so they have to deliver during the night, and that beep, beep,
beep, beep, beep will, you know --people would have trouble sleeping.
But I think if it's in the front, there's enough to absorb some of that
sound that gives them a better --a better possibility of having some
quietness.
And, too, with all of the new rules that are placed in this, there's
going to be some walls and things to protect them as well, and I think
that that's very important, too. Right now there isn't that provision, and
so I think those are good.
I would still love to see --instead of 16 fuel pumps, I'd like to see
eight. That would be my preference. But other than that, I think that
it's a lot better than what it was; not as great as it should be. That's all.
MS. CILEK: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Comments?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Would you like to hear from the --
Commissioner Taylor?
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: Just --I didn't know ifthere --I'm
listening to you, Commissioner Fiala. I wonder if there's any shared
sentiment up here to maybe changing that number of pumps and
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reducing it? Maybe not to eight; maybe to 12.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: That's the majority of pumps. That
goes back to the issue of the map that, you know, the --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Talk into your microphone.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Sorry, sorry. That goes to the
majority of all pumps then. Then it wouldn't even make sense to have
two tiers because the majority of all the new stations are, like, the
higher number.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Sixteen.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: So what we're protecting is against
the larger, because that's where the propensity is. I mean, we're not
going to have a lot of pump stations. We're not going to have a lot of
stations that have 12 or eight pumps, you know.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: You mean everything's going to be
monster now?
COMMISSIONER HILLER: That seems to be the trend, if you
look at it.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, it's happening in my area.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Right. That's why we want to
bolster the standards against the larger stations because the likelihood
of the smaller stations just --
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: So 16, you think, is small?
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Oh, yeah, because most of the
stations --I mean, they're inching, you know, up to 16, 18, 20.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: No, they're inching up to 24.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Right. Well, 24 being the biggest.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. And that's what we've got, 20,
22, and 24 in my area.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: And that's why we have the
enhanced supplemental standards.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: I think also, realistically, if somebody's
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going to put in a facility that's a large facility then they have the ability
to be required to have additional standards. You know, they've got the
economic strength to do that. If you're talking about somebody that's
got six pumps, I don't think they're going to be able to --
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Financially.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: I don't think they'll be able to financially
qualify with even what we've outlined, because what we've outlined
here is really extensive. I mean, I don't --I think this is going to be --
you know, this is going to be the most aggressive standard that I think
you'll find anywhere. I'll be surprised if you'll ever encounter anything
that's as extensive and complete as what staff has generated.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: Okay. So the intention is 16
pumps and above we're going to look at --
CHAIRMAN NANCE: We're going to try to look and see if
there's other things that we can do to mitigate further.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: Well, what happens if in the
summertime stations come in with 24 pumps? They're not --they're not
going to be under that new regulation.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Probably not, ma'am. But, I mean, this is
--in my view this is extensive. I don't know if the Commission shares
my view. I think this is about as --you know, I'm anxious to see what
staff comes up with to enhance this, because this is really very, very
aggressive as far as buffers and requirements and lighting. I mean, I
think it's going to be --I think it's going to meet everybody's approval.
If not, I'll be really surprised.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: And there's no way we can put
out some kind of caveat that if you're coming forward with a 24-pump
COMMISSIONER FIALA: They have to come before us, then,
if they're coming for 24-pump.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: They're --staff is going to come back
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with --you know, they're working on this right now to come back, and
I think they'll advise us.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: They're coming back with a
supplemental standard to make it --to put in even more buffering and
more restrictive requirements over 16. But what we've done is we've
adopted already very strict standards for everything.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Going forward.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay. You've made a good point.
Let me ask a question about that. I'll stop you right there. Because I
thought everything over 16 would then have to come in for approval.
That is not true?
COMMISSIONER HILLER: No.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: No, ma'am.
MS. CILEK: It would be administratively approved through the
standard Site Development Plan process. And they will abide by, if
adopted today, these standards, which are two levels. One that applies
to all gas stations and the other that applies to those that are very near
to residential property.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Well, what we have is we've
bolstered the standards for everything that's close to a residential
neighborhood regardless of the number of pumps. So we're --we have
two standards. One for everybody that we've made stricter than it was,
and then the second standard is for anything that's close to a residential
neighborhood is even stricter regardless of the number of pumps.
And then what we're going to come back and do is, regardless of
where anything is, if you have 16 or more, we're going to even make it
stricter for the 16 and more. But we've already --we've already --
we're already protecting --
CO MMIS SI ONER FIALA: So these only apply to 16 and
above?
COMMISSIONER HILLER: No. This applies to everything,
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everything. But we have enhanced standards for everything that's next
to residential, like, in addition.
So we've got this --we used to be here (indicating), now we're
here for everything, and then we're here for next to residential.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Next to residential.
MS. CILEK: Correct.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: What I'm thinking of is --now, I
realize this doesn't work with Palm A venue --or Palm Street because
they're with the older rules yet, right, but now with --like Manatee
Road, and the old rules still applied, but they were building a 20-pump
gas station there flat up against mobile home parks, 55-and-older
mobile home park. Well, there's no sleeping for those people from
there on in.
And I was complaining to Mark Strain about it because they
didn't even have to come before us. We couldn't ask them to do
anything because they didn't have to do a thing.
And I said, Mark, I need you to come with me and take a ride,
and he did. He didn't have to do that, but he did. And I told him what
it looked like. Well, when he got there, he said, oh, my gosh. It's right
in their backyard. I said, that's what I'm telling you. And I said, and
see all those trees there? They're all Melaleuca. They have to come
down. And they only have a requirement to build a 4-foot. Well, a
4-foot wall is going to do nothing to protect those people.
So Mark --and I have to say this was a great thing. Mark said,
they're coming in to see some sign variations. Maybe I can work with
them.
And so then he --we talked about what would be the most
important things to protect those people. And an 8-foot wall would
work as long as it had trees on both sides, and I assist --excuse me.
So I insisted on trees on both sides as well to help buffer that.
And then Mark even threw in a buffer along the front end, and that was
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fine, too. So that was able to appease them, but at least we could talk
about it because they needed something.
I just want to make sure that, you know, because --I think it's
because it was forced down our throats, it's tougher for me to --
because I want to make sure we're protecting the neighborhoods.
Everybody that lives in a home now doesn't want that to be in
their yard. And people --Mark was saying something like, well,
everybody should check to see what zoning is by them. I don't know
of many people that do that. Maybe there's some people smart enough
to do that. I sure wasn't. I mean, I just bought a home.
And I'm trying to protect those people that don't know to check
their zoning first, because who would think that there would be a
monster station? They didn't think that 20 years ago, even 10.
MS. CILEK: Let me share two things with you. Staff has done a
lot of extensive research to make these standards very comprehensive
and so that --so that they will provide the utmost compatibility with
regards to site standards and being near residential property.
So in the future, these being applied to that situation will greatly
enhance, you know, the gas station that would be proposed near a
mobile home park.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Can I just clarify, like, isn't, for
example, the wall next to residential for the situation that
Commissioner Fiala is describing 12 feet now?
MS. CILEK: IfI may, it is on Page 7 under 5.05.05.D, and it is
actually eight feet in height but it's on a 3-foot berm.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: So that's 11 feet.
MS. CILEK: That is 11 feet.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: So they would have 11 feet.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, I know that now.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Commissioner Fiala, a lot of the things
that you spoke to with the Planning Commission chairman have been
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incorporated into this for all.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes, I understand that.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: So, I mean, this whole thing has been
raised to a whole 'nother level --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Right, and I think --
CHAIRMAN NANCE: --and then those next to residential are,
you know--
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I think that helped to open his eyes
as well when he saw the difference it made. Because we went back
then with Hitching Post and did the same thing.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Right. Well, this is a combined product
of all those efforts. So, I mean, I'm personally very delighted that
we're at this point because this is about --I think this is about as good
as we can reasonably put together.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Until we find the next thing, but then
we can go back and change it again, and that's the only thing --
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Right.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Always.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: --that gives me a little bit --
MS. CILEK: We'll be back.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: --of comfort is that --
CHAIRMAN NANCE: They're going to look further.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Because as soon as it's done, you're
going to find something else.
MS. CILEK: We'll be back.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: But then we can bring it back.
MS. CILEK: And just to relate information to Commissioner
Taylor's comments about the number of pumps, we will bring the
research back that shows, on average, you know, what applications are
coming in, what number of fuel pumps for you as well.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: But my concern is between now
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and when you bring it back --
MS. CILEK: That is true.
July 7, 2015
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: --the stations --that wonderful
direction that Commissioner Nance authored, Chairman Nance
authored at our last meeting is negligible, because once we pass this,
those 16 pumps and above, they're under stricter standards, but they're
not under what we envision going forward. And short of --I don't
know how you remedy that.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Ma'am, I don't know --frankly, I don't
know --you know, I left this open for staff who are very thoughtful to
come up with additional standards. Unless you just want to make the
buffers thicker and wider, whatever, I don't know what you're going to
come up with, because this is about as comprehensive a program as
you could possibly require for every applicant.
In addition, I honestly don't know any applicants that we've had
coming forward that haven't made an effort to work with the
community, even within their requirements to meet special
circumstances. I mean, look at what has happened even on some of the
other applications. People have gone in and we said, hey, well, you
know, we've got this special circumstance, this particular layout of this
property; what can we do? And people have also come up and worked
with us to do that.
So I just think we've raised this so high. I believe if we get it too,
too high, you know, I believe we're going to be challenged as to
whether we're really realistic as what we're asking for and acceptable
in the community at all --
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: --well.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: --because, I don't --you know, I hope
you've reviewed this. This is extensive. It really is.
MS. CILEK: And we'll use our time wisely to provide you
additional standards.
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Any other comments on the amendment?
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Commissioner Hiller?
COMMISSIONER HILLER: I think what needs to give us
comfort in the interim period is that no matter how many pumps,
anything close to a residential area we have really jacked up. I mean,
we have jacked up standards to really protect the residential
neighborhoods which to me is the greatest concern.
I'm --yes, I am concerned about the impact of, you know, one of
these pump stations, you know, in a commercial zone, but I'm more
concerned about the impact of the station relative to a residential area
and, with respect to that, we have gotten very aggressive, and no
matter how many pumps. I mean, whether it's 8, 12, 16, 24, I don't
care. I mean, for residential it's very tough. You can go over them . again.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: I predict that it's basically going to
exclude the small stations altogether.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: I think so.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Because I don't think they're going to be
able to afford it.
Commissioner Henning or Commissioner Taylor, additional
comments before we hear from the public speakers?
Commissioner Henning?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Mr. Miller?
Mr. Chairman, we have six registered public speakers on this
item. The first speaker is Vern Hammett. He'll be followed by Bruce
Anderson.
MR. HAMMETT: Good evening. My name is Vern Hammett.
I'm a Collier citizen.
As you can imagine, I'm disappointed that the conditional-use
provision of the LDC amendment was removed during the previous
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BCC meeting. One argument for the removal of this language was the
concern from some on this commission that the conditional-use portion
was not legal.
My question is, then, why was the County Attorney not asked his
opinion? I assume that he reviewed this language and could make a
reasonable assessment as to its defensibility.
Also, it was articulated effectively during previous commissioner
dialogue that the conditional-use process would allow for a closer
examination of proposed mega-station development when located
close to residential property. I can think of specific examples where
this closer examination is incredibly important.
Older communities were never laid out by our former planners in
a manner to consider mega gas stations because this concept didn't
exist at the time. This is a new entity. And in circumstances of new
residential development, particularly PUDs, it certainly makes less
sense for conditional use because mega-station location could be
considered at conception.
Finally, I'm still of the opinion that the health and welfare issues
associated with living in close proximity to large service stations
should be closely examined, and I'm concerned that this commission
doesn't seem to share that sentiment.
In closing, I'd like to know why the County Attorney was not
queried when the legality of the previous draft was questioned, and I'm
asking you to reconsider the conditional-use process, keeping in mind
that it will provide the ability to take a closer look at mega-stations'
developments when located next to our older, well-established
residential areas.
And we're talking about 16 pumps. Maybe the 16 pumps --until
we can get the new language for stricter criteria, maybe 16 or above
between now and then should be conditional use until we can get that
criteria in place.
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Thank you.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Thank you.
MR. MILLER: Your next speaker is Bruce Anderson. He'll be
followed by Robert Pritt.
MR. ANDERSON: I'm waiving.
MR. MILLER: Robert Pritt, and he will be followed by Rick
Baer.
MR. PRITT: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, members of the
Commission, my name is Robert Pritt. I'm an attorney with Roetzel &
Andress. I'm here on behalf of American Commercial Realty and
Naples South Plaza that's located at Tamiami Trail East and
Rattlesnake Hammock Road in District 1. I did speak at the first
hearing.
On behalf of my clients, we have a tremendous opportunity to
redevelop this constrained plaza by tearing down about 15,000 square
feet of tired and mostly empty commercial areas and replacing it with a
facility with fuel pumps, what I always thought was a service station,
and a convenience store of about 6,000 square feet plus the fuel
pumps.
Successful development of this plaza is largely contingent upon
being able to develop this service station facility. The problem that we
have and still remains is the measurement for the separation from
property --being currently from property line to property line.
I did put up on the visualizer --and, unfortunately, the red does
not show up very well. But I showed you what the plaza looks like.
And, essentially, the edge of the back, that yellow building there --if
you look at yellow building and the orange building on your screens
there, the yellow building would be the back of the proposed
convenience store, and the orange building is the building that is the
closest residential property.
In fact, they kind of both go away from each other rather than
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toward each other. So this is not that type of a situation where they're
always up against each other or going to be that closely --close to each
other.
The pumps --I don't know if you can see that in the visualizer,
but I'll put my finger on it here. The pumps are way out here on
Tamiami Trail East about as far away from that orange building as you
possibly can get. The way that the ordinance is --the draft is written, it
would seem that we miss it by just a few feet.
If we go --if we went from the edge of the back of the store to the
edge of the property line, it's about 205 feet. The edge of the back of
the store to the closest edge of that multifamily structure is about 280
feet, the edge of the fuel pump canopy to the property line is about 300
feet, and the edge of the fuel pump canopy to the closest edge of the
multifamily structure is 3 7 5 feet.
So, in fact, they're quite a ways away. I was encouraged to hear
staff say that site plans with deviations are still a possibility, but we're
really --this is one of those situations where the ordinance does not
quite take into consideration the factors here, and this is an example of
one of those situations where no matter how you visualize it, it's not
really up against anything, but it could be thrown in with --not be able
to have the exception that's afforded.
I've learned that over the years if you're going to object or say that
there's a problem, you ought to come up with a solution, so here's my
solution.
My solution is to read up and down the paper. Oh, no. That's it
right there.
Essentially what this would be would be simply to add a No. 2 to
the exception in 5.05.05.D. You already have the exception --the
yellow highlighting would be the change. You already have the
language that you see that is 5.05.D (sic), and then just add something
that would say "or to the fuel pump structures are separated from
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existing residential property by a minimum of 250 feet, and the store
structure is separated from existing residential property by a minimum
of 200 feet."
I thought about three or four different ways of accomplishing a
similar result, but that would --to me to would be the best way to take
this problem that we would continue to have and take it away.
I'll be glad to try to answer any questions you have. Mr. Baer is
going to speak also.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Commissioner Henning?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah. Take that language off. I
think I have another solution.
MR. PRITT: Okay.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Take that white paper off the . viewer.
It's a site design problem, okay. If you take your product and
move it towards or into the parking lot and replace the parking next to
the retail buildings or, you know, somewhere else where it can be
utilized, you solve the problem. You'll get the separation distance.
I mean, that's similar to asking the Board to move the residential
away from your commercial. Just move the commercial within the
project away from residential. It solves your problem.
MR. PRITT: I won't even argue with that. The only problem is,
is this is already --this has already been built; the buildings are what
they are. We're tearing down a lot of the buildings to move it as far
away as we possibly can.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: You're redeveloping, like you
said. So you're redoing the whole site out of it. So redo the parking
lot. Move your building in the parking lot away from the residential,
and we could keep the language the way it is. That's my solution.
MR. PRITT: I understand.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: I like it.
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MR. PRITT: Anything else?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I think that would work. What do
you think, Bob?
MR. PRITT: Well, the whole thing --I don't want to keep
throwing out problems, but the problem is, is that the whole plaza is
one --is one unit. And try as we might, that plaza is going to be --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Site plan deviation.
MR. PRITT: --there where it is. I'm sorry?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Site plan deviation.
MR. PRITT: Well, I was encouraged to hear that from the staff,
and I would be encouraged to hear that from the Board.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Not closer to the residents, you
know. Move your building into the parking lot.
MR. PRITT: I understand.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: That's your deviation.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And going along with what
Commissioner Henning just said, you're tearing down that building in
the front, too, that old dress shop that became a general --or Dollar
General or something. You're tearing that down, and you're tearing
down half the shopping center, right?
MR. PRITT: Let me have Rick Baer tell you what they propose
to tear down. It is actually the wing that is on that --on the east side,
the northeast side there, and that would be what would be used for that.
So when he gets to speak, he'll explain that to you.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay, great.
MR. PRITT: I think. Okay.
MR. MILLER: Mr. Chairman, Mr. Baer is your next registered
speaker.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Sir.
MR. MILLER: And he will be followed by Tom Hardy.
MR. BAER: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, my name is
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July 7, 2015
Rick Baer. Thank you for the opportunity to speak before you this . evening.
First, before I try to answer some of the very good questions, I
want to commend the Commission and the staff for the continuing
efforts which are constantly made in Naples and Collier County to
make it one of the best places in America to live.
And that's just what attracted my associates and I to acquire this
property some time ago, and it's why we have hung on with it through
some rather difficult economic times, particularly with this property.
When it was acquired, it was anchored by a Winn Dixie, and it
was predicated upon an entire redevelopment with a redevelopment
that was going to take place of the Winn Dixie store. Unfortunately,
they went bankrupt and shut the store shortly thereafter, and it's been a
collection of struggles and various things over time.
We proved the validity to the Wynn family of operating one of
their Sunshine Ace facilities on the East Trail, and then they relocated
into their own land. So once again, working towards redevelopment.
So looking --oh, where's --Bob, can you bring your drawing
back, put it there?
MR. OCHS: There you go.
MR. BAER: Oh, look; miraculously.
MR. OCHS: Do you want to work off this microphone?
MR. BAER: Testing, okay.
So the redevelopment which is contemplated right now only
involves this area here. This is the 15,000-square-foot building which
is close to 41 that goes back which has substantial vacancy. The other
buildings on the shopping center are not anticipated at the present time
for change, though we are hoping that this will be an impetus for
further redevelopment of all of the property.
We are currently under construction at the shopping center to
bring in a new Sears appliance facility to the property, and that ties in
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July 7, 2015
with the point relative to revision of the parking lot, because we do
have a number of regional and national merchants which are a part of
the main part of the shopping center which would remain, Sears,
Dollar General, and Anthony's in particular, all of which have legal
rights that go for another 20 to 30 years that constrain movement of the
driveways. So it would be rather difficult if not impossible to move
that building substantially.
So the one point that I would make, because I believe in the
separation between the fuel service areas and residential, is that the
principal concept of separating fuel service from residential should be
measured. If it's building to building, then you're going from the
nearest point of where, ultimately, the convenience store building goes
to the nearest residential building or, if it's from the fuel pump, that
you measure from the closest point of the area servicing the fuel
pumps to the property line and that additional buffers and such, per the
regulations that you've set out, can be provided, and that would be our
intent to provide them in the best possible way while still keeping the
property viable, because the majority of it does have to stay; otherwise,
it would be financial Armageddon.
So that would be my main point, and that's what I encourage you
to consider, and I thank you for the opportunity. I'll be pleased to
answer any questions that I can.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Yeah. I would like to make one
comment, then I'm going to go to Commissioner Fiala.
Sir, honestly I will tell you, it was very clearly the intent of this
entire board to establish an extraordinary standard. It was requested by
the community. And the only way I could find comfort and I think
others on this board could find comfort and not go into a
conditional-use process was to start out with a very, very aggressive
standard.
Furthermore, Commissioner Taylor has added a couple more this
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July 7, 2015
evening related to noise that I think are appropriate. So I'm just remiss,
and I think others are going to be remiss, to tell you that I'm going to
start making exceptions to this.
I apologize to you for that, but that's the only way that we're not
going to have a conditional-use process in Collier County is if we stick
to this. And I think this has been vetted in the community. It's been
the subject of many meetings. It's been the product of almost a year's
work by staff going over it and considering it.
And I thank you --I thank you for your comments, but I believe
that these are the standards we need to adopt, and I believe that's what
the community requests from us. So thank you for your comments.
Commissioner Fiala?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. Yeah, I don't know how long
you've owned this place, but that shopping center is an embarrassment
to the community. It's so run-down looking.
Now, maybe you've only owned it a year or two and maybe --you
keep talking about redevelopment. You plan on getting there, although
it sounds like you're going to do it piecemeal. How long have you
owned it, by the way?
MR. BAER: I've been involved in the ownership for quite a
while, but I was out of any active management until about six months
ago and put forth the plan that was bringing in Sears and now working
to do the convenience store, so --
CO MMIS SI ONER FIALA: Because that place really needs to be
mowed down and redeveloped entirely, to be perfectly honest with
you. And I'm sure that the new stores would love it.
MR. BAER: And one thing I should have mentioned is that we
have been in discussion with the residential community, which is on
the far edge we're pointing out on the plan, regarding redoing the
existing landscape barrier that's there and building it up in a very
attractive manner for all sides.
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July 7, 2015
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, I live right down the street,
and I'll be watching it. And now I know who to call.
MR. BAER: I'll give you my home and cell phone number.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Oh, and you know what? I'm not
kidding.
MR. BAER: Nor am I; nor am I.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I think the Wawa will be the best
thing that could happen to that whole site. I would just like to see it
redeveloped totally rather than leave it like it is and try and do it
piecemeal by piecemeal. It's kind of like buying --going to the dentist
and saying I need a pair of false teeth and, oh, by the way, I only want
one tooth at a time, you know.
MR. BAER: I understand your point but, unfortunately,
contractually, because of other leases which are in place, the only
alternative would be to hand it to bank and let the bank redevelop it in
20 years, and then it would really be bad.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, there's a lot of empty ones,
though, right? I mean --
MR. BAER: Well, there won't --with what we are doing here,
there would only be one or two spaces empty, all of which would
likely be occupied, because we're actually not working on leasing those
now.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, it starts about Anthony's now,
and then it goes to the UPS, and then it goes --
MR. BAER: Yeah, all of that --that's 100 percent occupied there,
so we would be moving some of the existing merchants from the
building which would be removed, and that's going to fill up most, if
not all, of what is at the complex.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Remaining ones. Thank you. I just
wanted to say I hope you --
MR. BAER: I appreciate your input.
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July 7, 2015
COMMISSIONER FIALA: --do a better job, because we're
trying to improve the appearance of our community.
MR. BAER: I agree completely. Thank you.
MR. MILLER: Your next speaker is Tom Hardy. He'll be
followed by Rich Yovanovich.
MR. HARDY: I waive.
MR. MILLER: And Mr. Hardy waives. Mr. Yovanovich also
waives. That concludes your public speakers on this item, sir.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Thank you, Mr. Miller.
Commissioner Henning?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Move to approve the
amendments with the addition --additional language that
Commissioner Taylor submitted.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: I will second that for discussion.
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: That's great.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Any further discussion from
Commissioners?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Comments? Commissioner Hiller?
COMMISSIONER HILLER: I just want to clarify the additional
wording where it says deliveries should be prohibited between the
hours of 10 p.m. and 7 p.m. (sic) when located between the
neighboring residential property and the facility with the fuel pumps.
In other words, deliveries in the space between the --
CHAIRMAN NANCE: The building.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: --building and --the facility and
the neighborhood.
MS. CILEK: Correct.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: ~o they can have deliveries on the
other side.
MS. CILEK: Uh-huh.
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July 7, 2015
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Yeah. That's not as well written as
it should be. I understand what the intent is, but --
MS. CILEK: Well, we can take a look at it when we come back
for the --
COMMISSIONER HILLER: I mean, it just --something like --
why not deliveries made between the facility with the fuel pumps and
the neighboring residential property shall be prohibited between the
hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.?
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Or when the delivery is adjacent to the
residential property.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Yeah, because all you're trying to
do is describe where the delivery occurs, and you're prohibiting the
delivery in that particular space. Actually, let's ask one of our
reporters. That's their job.
fine.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Replace "when" with "in the area of''
COMMISSIONER HILLER: What?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: --"in the area located," and you'll be
COMMISSIONER HILLER: We need wordsmithing. What?
MS. CILEK: "In the area located" is --
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Yeah. Deliveries, you know --or,
yeah, in the area located between; yeah, that works, too. So deliveries
shall be prohibited between the --in the area between the neighboring
residential property and the facility with the fuel pumps.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I'll include that in my motion,
and then I'll call my motion.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: That's all I have to say.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Acceptable, Commissioner Taylor?
COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: Yes.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
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COMMISSIONER TAYLOR: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Any opposed?
(No response.)
July 7, 2015
CHAIRMAN NANCE: All right. It passes unanimously.
MS. CILEK: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: Thank you.
Item #12A
RESOLUTION 2015-149: RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 14-
155, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE "ZONING IN
PROGRESS" DECLARATION WHICH PROHIBITED THE
ISSUANCE OF DEVELOPMENT ORDERS FOR AUTOMOBILE
SERVICE STATIONS ABUTTING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY -
ADOPTED
MR. OCHS: Mr. Chairman, that takes us to a companion item,
which is Item 12A under your County Attorney's report. This is a
recommendation to rescind Resolution No. 14-155, as amended,
relating to the zoning-in-progress declaration which prohibited the
issuance of development orders for automobile service stations.
COMMISSIONER HILLER: Motion to approve.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Second.
CHAIRMAN NANCE: There's a motion to approve and a
second.
Any comment from the Board?
MR. OCHS: Mr. Klatzkow, you had two options in your
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