CCPC Minutes 09/01/2005 R
September 1, 2005
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
Naples, Florida, September 1, 2005
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 9:00 a.m., in REGULAR
SESSION in Building "F" of the Government Complex, East Naples,
Florida, with the following members present:
CHAIRMAN:
Russell A. Budd
Mark P. Strain
Bob Murray
Brad Schiffer
Lindy Adelstein
Kenneth Abernathy
Robert Vigliotti
Donna Reed Caron
Paul Midney
ALSO PRESENT:
Joseph Schmitt, Community Dev. and Env. Services
Ray Bellows, Planning Services
Marjorie Student- Stirling, Assistant County Attorney
Patrick White, Assistant County Attorney
Page 1
MINUTES & RECORDS
AGENDA
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MEET AT 8:30 A.M., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1,2005, 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 ALLOTTED 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 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE RESPECTIVE PUBLIC HEARING. IN ANY CASE,
WRITTEN MATERIALS INTENDED TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE CCPC SHALL
BE SUBMITTED 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 A V AILABLE 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. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2. ROLL CALL BY CLERK
3. ADDENDA TO THE AGENDA
4. PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENCES
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES -JULY 21, 2005, REGULAR MEETING
6. BCC REPORT-RECAPS - Not Available At This Time
7. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
8. ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Petition: CU-2004-AR-6700. Eden Institute Foundation, Inc., represented by Kelly Smith, of Davidson
Engineering, Inc., requesting Conditional Use per Table 2 LDC Section 2.04.03 of the "E" Estates zoning
district for a private school and group care facility. The proposed project includes a school facility for
individuals with autism along with a group home which will allow for respite care, areas for outreach
services, including physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy, and recreational facilities for
the use of the students as well as program participants. The subject property, consisting of 9.63 acres, is
located at 2101 County Barn Road, in Section 8, Township 50 South, Range 26 East, Collier County,
Florida. (Coordinator: Michael J. DeRuntz)
1
B. Petition: PUDZ-2004-AR-6207. MAC Builders, Inc., represented by Tim Hancock, AICP, of Talon
Management, Inc., requesting a rezone from the C-l and C-2 zoning districts to the PUD Planned Unit
Development zoning district to allow a maximum of 86 multi-family dwelling units. The property,
consisting of 10.76 acres, is located on the northwest corner of Radio Road extension and Palm Springs
Boulevard, in Section 34, Township 49 South, Range 26 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Mike
Bosi)
C. Petition: PUDA-2005-AR-7152. Valewood Properties, LLC, represented by Bruce Tyson ofWilsonMiller,
Inc., is requesting an amendment to the Planned Unit Development "PUD" Document and Master Plan to
revise 21.74 acres ofland from Commercial to Residential use, allowing an additional 260 multi-family
residential units. The subject property is located in Section 20, Township 48 South, Range 26 East.
(Coordinator: Heidi WiUiams) CONTINUED FROM 8/18/05
D. LDC Special Cycle 2a. 2005. Continuance of the hearing, specifically on the proposed amendment for PUD
expiration and retirement of excess numbers of dwelling units. CONTINUED FROM 8/18/05
9. OLD BUSINESS
10. NEW BUSINESS
11. PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM
12. DISCUSSION OF ADDENDA
13. ADJOURN
9-1-05/CCPC Agenda/RB/sp
2
September 1,2005
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Good morning. We'll bring this meeting
of the Planning Commission to order. Please rise with me for the
Pledge of Allegiance.
(The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: We will start with our roll call.
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Here.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Vigliotti?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Here.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Abernathy?
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Here.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Strain?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Here.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Budd is here.
Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Here.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Midney is not here.
Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Here.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: And Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Here.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Very good.
Addenda to the agenda? I am not aware of any agenda changes.
Ray, are there any staff changes?
MR. BELLOWS: No. There's no changes, other than a lot of
individuals here for item 8C, and I don't know if you want to move the
-- change the agenda for that.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. We'll consider that.
Mr. Strain, you had a modification?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Yes. Yesterday all the panel was
sent an e-mail by staff. They wanted to talk about having a meeting to
discuss a meeting. So on today's agenda I would like to get that issue
Page 2
September 1, 2005
resolved. So maybe we could have a meeting on the agenda today
about discussing the meeting about possibly having a meeting.
So if you all don't mind, I'd like to get it put to bed so we haven't
got a --
CHAIRMAN BUDD: How about we put that under item 9, old
business.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That's fine.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: So it's an agenda item to
decide whether to have a meeting to have a meeting?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, that's what staffs asking, and
I just want to get it resolved rather than have a flurry of e-mails going
back and forth.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: We want to make sure the people get all
the government they're paying for.
Okay. Any other requests? And do we want to take Mr. Bellows'
suggestion that item 8C, the Valewood Properties, commercial to
residential, be moved up to the first agenda item today?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: So moved.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, Mr. Chairman, I know there's
folks here for the other one as well. Some of them asked me when the
-- when they would be up, and I told them fairly early so they could
get back to work. So I'm not sure that there's a need to change it in
regard -- for that reason.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: I don't have strong feelings either way. If
there's no motion, we'll continue with the agenda as published.
There being none, there are no -- excuse me, there was an
addenda to the agenda, Mr. Strain's item under old business.
Do we have a motion to make that change to our agenda?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So moved.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Seconded.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Moved by Mr. Murray; seconded by Mr.
Adelstein.
Page 3
September 1, 2005
Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: All those in favor, say aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: (Absent.)
COMMISSIONER LINDY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Aye.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Those opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Motion carries.
Planning commission absences. I'll be absent the rest of my life.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That's how it's been all along.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Yes.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Just going to make it
official?
CHAIRMAN BUDD: I'm making it official. This is it.
Any other --
(Applause.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Yeah, they're happy at that.
Approval of minutes, July 21 st, regular meeting minutes? Do we
have a motion to adopt as submitted?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: So moved.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Seconded.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Adelstein is the motion. Mr. Schiffer
is the second.
Discussion?
(No response.)
Page 4
September 1, 2005
CHAIRMAN BUDD: There being none, all those in favor, say
aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: (Absent.)
COMMISSIONER LINDY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Aye.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Those opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you.
Board of County Commissioner report recaps? Anything, Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: The board did not meet in August, so there are
no recaps.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: The republic is safe then,
huh?
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Good. And chairman's report, I just
wanted to point out to all those registered lobbyists in Collier County
that the renewal period is coming upon us, and I believe -- yeah, here
it is -- annual registration shall be required and shall occur on or after
October 1st of each year. So for all the lobbyists in the community,
it's time to renew.
We will move on then to the advertised public hearings,
beginning first with petition CU-2004-AR-6700, the Eden Institute
Foundation.
All those wishing to present testimony on this item, please stand,
raise your right hand to be sworn in.
(The speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you. Any disclosures by Planning
Page 5
--~-->,._,
September 1, 2005
Commissioners?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I do. Kelly Smith kind of briefed
me on this over the phone.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Any others?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. There being none, if we could hear
from the petitioner, please.
MS. SMITH: Thank you. Good morning. For the record, I'm
Kelly Smith with Davidson Engineering representing Eden Florida.
From Eden Florida this morning also is Taire Malloy, who's the
Assistant Director of Development, Dr. Vicki Isler, who is Director,
and Frank Garbarino, who is the Development Coordinator.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Excuse me for just a second. If there's
somebody from our county IT department listening in, eight out of
nine planning commissioner monitors are not working. Mr. Abernathy
is the lucky one.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Mine's on the wrong
channel. I've got it now.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: And the rest of us are out of luck. So if
somebody from IT could help get us started up.
Please continue, and we'll look at the screen up here.
MS. SMITH: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you.
MS. SMITH: The subject property is approximately 9.63 acres
and is located at 2101 County Barn Road. It is currently zoned Estates
and designated urban mixed-use district, urban residential subdistrict
according to the future land use map.
The Board of County Commissioners previously approved a
conditional use for a senior independent assisted care living facility on
the property. That approved conditional use has subsequently expired,
and other than a previous stipulation, is not a part of our request today.
The applicant, Eden Florida, is a division of Eden Institute, a
Page 6
September 1, 2005
Princeton, New Jersey, based non-profit organization founded in 1975.
The mission of Eden Institute is to provide a comprehensive
continuum of community based life-span services for children,
adolescents, and adults with autism and to provide support to their
families.
Eden Florida was founded in 1996 to meet Southwest Florida's
pressing need for individualized and specialized services for
individuals with autism and their families. Eden Florida currently
operates a facility on Learning Court in Fort Myers.
We're requesting two conditional uses for the subject property.
The first is to allow for a private school for up to 50 students with
autism. The school would provide services for individuals between the
ages of three and 21 and would include a treatment and support
facility, outreach services, recreational area, and a recreational facility.
The second conditional use is approval request for a category
group care facility to serve up to 12 clients as an -- on an as-needed
basis.
There are currently two houses on this property. Eden Florida
intends to demolish one of the homes as the area for construction of
the school facilities. The other home, which is shown on this site plan
as the respite home, is going to remain and has been renovated. They
intend to open a six-client group home, which is a permitted use by
right.
As the school is built, it is their intention to phase out the group
home and allow for respite care for their students, again, on an
as-needed basis. It would not be a permanent living situation. It's
their philosophy that their clients, their adult clients, should live in the
community, and, therefore, living on a school campus doesn't meet
that need.
The subject property is adjacent to two churches, an elementary
school, and a future private high school. The neighboring property to
the east is developed with a single-family residence, and those
Page 7
September 1,2005
property owners did attend our neighborhood information meeting and
were very supportive of the property.
As pointed out in the staff report, the predominance of education
and religious institutions surrounding the subject property ensures that
the requested continual use is compatible to the adjacent properties.
We agree to all the stipulations in the staff report and request
approval of the conditional uses as requested.
And I'd be happy to answer any questions.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you. Any questions of the
petitioner? Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Donna can go ahead.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Ms. Caron then. He defers to you.
COMMISSIONER CARON: All right. Just a couple. The TIS
says that the acreage is 9.91, and the staff report says it's 9.63. Do you
know what the actual size is?
MS. SMITH: I'm sorry. Nine point 63 is the correct.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Is correct?
MS. SMITH: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Okay. And let's go over those
student and client figures just one more time. You're going to have 50
students plus 12 clients in the building that already exists, plus an
additional six?
MS. SMITH: The building that already exists will be a
six-person group home. That would be -- that would be a transitional
use as the school is developed.
COMMISSIONER CARON: But that will always remain?
MS. SMITH: It will always remain as an opportunity for respite
care.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Okay.
MS. SMITH: It is not their intention at this point to have 12
residents in that group home. But because of funding and fundraising
and timeline to construct the school, they wanted to have that as an
Page 8
-"~-_.,,~...
September 1, 2005
option.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Okay.
MS. SMITH: Until the school is developed.
COMMISSIONER CARON: So the potential is for 68 people at
anyone time to be --
MS. SMITH: Sixty-two, because the --
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- on that property.
MS. SMITH: -- existing six people would be incorporated into
the 12.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Part of that 12, okay.
MS. SMITH: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: All right. Good.
And my last question is for transportation, so I'll wait.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah. Kelly, my only question
was, is there's a lot of facilities here. Will people, after they graduate,
be coming back here? In there you define life-span needs. So will this
be used for after they graduate the school program? Will this be a
community facility or--
MS. SMITH: I'm going to ask Dr. Isler to answer that question
for me.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: While she's coming up, what
exactly does respite mean, just to make sure I --
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: What was the question?
MS. SMITH: Respite is --
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Respite?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: You beat me to it. I was
going to ask that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Oh, okay.
DR. ISLER: Good morning. I guess I'll start with the first one.
As our students --
Page 9
September 1, 2005
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Could you identify yourself for the record,
please?
DR. ISLER: Oh. I'm Dr. Vicki Isler. I'm the Director of Eden's
Florida program.
For -- when students graduate from school at age 22 for children
with disabilities, what our program -- what our philosophy is is that
they will move into the community like any other typical child
graduating.
We would provide a variety of programs for them. It's -- we
don't want it to be near the school. We'd like for it to be like yours or
my home in the community. And, you know, various numbers, maybe
six, maybe two in an apartment.
So, no, we don't expect them to come and live on the campus
after they graduate. It's not -- we really want to be community based.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: And--
DR. ISLER: The respite. What we're looking at is, we wanted to
have a home where, say, parents have children, you know, a child with
autism, they want to go to Disney and take their other children, they
want to leave them with us for the weekend, where families could
have a safe place for their children to say, should there be a death in
the family and they'd have to leave, where trained staff would always
be available. So the respite piece would be more based on the needs
of our community in short-term stays.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And let me -- for example, the
gymnasium, which is far away from the school, or at least off to the
side, is that something that would be -- I mean, would that be used by
the old students, or is that totally something for the present-day
students?
DR. ISLER: Well, we were looking at, you know, having an
opportunity, say, there are a lot of children in -- it would be used by
school students, of course.
Page 10
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
DR. ISLER: But there are a lot of students in the Collier County
public schools who go to public school but may not have an after-care
program or after-school or place to go where something is set up for
children with disabilities.
So there could be a possibility of having like, you know, children
come after school and have a gym class or something. So it would
really be a part of the entire community but primarily for the children
who attend school at Eden.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And the reason I'm asking -- I'm
not against it. But I just want to make sure -- because the application
doesn't really clarify it, and there's a lot of square footage for 50
students that -- I get the feeling there may be other functions you're
going to want, and I'd like to make sure that that's in the application so
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: They're included.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: In other words --
DR. ISLER: I'd like -- the thing is, with the 50 students, there's
one teacher for every two students.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
DR. ISLER: So you're looking at a pretty, you know, low
teacher to student ratio. I don't know. I don't foresee a lot of things
going on outside of regular school activities.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right. But what you described
is, in other words, an after-school program for -- I mean, it could be
parents that work and the kids are in public school, you'd want them to
come in there. So I think -- I'd like to make sure that the application
clearly allows you that, because there is like -- for every student
there's 200 square feet, which is a large amount of building. It appears
to me there might be more use than is being described, and I'd like to
make sure you describe the uses so you don't have a problem in the
future with a use that wasn't at this hearing.
Page 11
---"~
September 1, 2005
DR. ISLER: Okay. Okay.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Anything else, Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No. I'm done. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: The question is, how many
students or participants are there going to be in this group?
DR. ISLER: Going--
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: You're saying basically 50.
DR. ISLER: Fifty children, yes.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: It's not going to be any larger;
you don't need more? In other words, if you're going to need more,
it's better to put in more now than it would be to have to come back to
do it again.
DR. ISLER: I understand. We don't typically -- I mean, we
could put more in. We don't typically go over 50 just because of the
needs of the children. If you get too big, you risk quality care. We
could -- I mean, we could certainly add a few more if -- to kind of,
you know, mitigate that.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Is there a possibility that you
may want to or may have to?
DR. ISLER: I think there's probably always a possibility.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Well, then I would suggest
that you consider putting -- making the number 50, not your
maximum, but go something like 75, and then let it be.
DR. ISLER: That would be fine. I'm not opposed to that at all.
MR. BELLOWS: For the record, Ray Bellows. Unfortunately,
the petition has been advertised for the amount of students listed, and
that would require a continuance and readvertising.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. And that would be the petitioner's
discretion if they chose to do that.
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah. And I was going to ask
Page 12
" -~~~~""~
September 1, 2005
actually, have you planned for facilities to accommodate more than
50, accommodations, et cetera?
DR. ISLER: I believe that our plans had been done for 50
children, yes.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And I'd like to talk to Kelly.
Thank you.
Kelly, are you comfortable, or do you think we could add
something? I'm not concerned about the 50 students, but I'm
concerned about other functions. I mean, could we add something in
there that would make sure that in the future it's clear that there may
be other functions other than the 50 schooled there?
MS. SMITH: Certainly. I don't think that Eden Florida is
opposed to making sure that any additional uses are incorporated.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Because I can see the
gymnasium used, you know, for past graduates having different kinds
of stuff there that you wouldn't want them to be excluded.
Okay. I'm done, thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Strain?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Kelly, the lady that was just here
indicated there's two-to-one staff ratio?
MS. SMITH: Yes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: You've got 62 students?
MS. SMITH: There will only be 50 students. The 12 individuals
if -- the 12 individuals would either be already students or they would
be living in the group home so that your actual student population
would only be 50.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, the way this reads, it says,
and another for a group one category care facility to serve up to 12
clients on an as-needed basis, and that's after it talks about the 50
Page 13
..--.,-.,.
September 1, 2005
students. So now you're saying that it's not 62, because I think you
earlier suggested 62 was the number --
MS. SMITH: It could be 62 people -- 62 clients on the campus,
but only 50 of them would be students.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. How many people will be
there as administrators and employees, full-time or part-time, to
service the 62 people? I know two-to-one ratio for the students, so
that's 25 right from the get-go.
DR. ISLER: It will take me probably a minute. I have to think
for a second. If we had -- obviously there would be 25 teachers for
those 50 students, so -- and then a supervisor for each 10 students, so
that would add five, and then probably your support staff would add
another 10, and your administrative staff would add -- it just went out
-- would add approximately 10 to 15.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That brings us up to about 123.
The TIS that was done, I believe, for 50. I'm not sure how Mr. Scott
may want to look at that or how staff would look at that, but the TIS
should have been done to reflect accurately what the use of the site is
going to be.
And the count that the TIS is for, I believe, shows 50. And
Kelly, if I'm wrong, please let me know. But on the first page of the
TIS and the introduction, it says number of units, A, a private school
with 50 students maximum. And it does the traffic analysis based just
on that, and I'm just wondering how 123 equates back to 50.
MS. SMITH: The land use code used in the TIS bases the trip
generation off of the number of students and not the number of staff.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Then when transportation comes
up, I guess I'll see how this is going to impact their calculations.
Again, it's not saying that it's bad, but I'd rather it be accurately stated
so everybody knows what to expect.
In your neighborhood informational meeting the -- and this is
directly from our package that was sent to us -- the agent's
Page 14
September 1, 2005
representatives committed to installation of a fence around the entire
site prior to any new construction of buildings. I'm assuming you're
going to do that?
MS. SMITH: Yes.
DR. ISLER: Yes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: The next one was, the applicant's
team stated that the proposed day school would enroll a maximum of
six students between the ages of 3 and 22.
MS. SMITH: I believe that's a typo. We didn't -- we didn't
discuss six students. We discussed 50 at the neighborhood
information meeting. And actually, the neighbor who attended the
meeting -- we also at the meeting only discussed six people in the
group home, and it was the neighbor at the meeting who encouraged
Eden Florida to seek 12 students in the group home.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. So while -- staff then needs
to verify that that's an error in their staff report and get it on record as
a corrected measure to what it needs to be.
The other issue -- and I'm just reflecting back on it. I heard you
say there's going to be an after-school program. Now, you have 123
already using the site either by employment or by students. How
many bodies will be attending, could potentially attend the
after-school programs?
DR. ISLER: The after-school program is typically a small group
of students. It's not as many as the school would have attending.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you have a number that you
would max that at?
DR. ISLER: I don't have an exact number. I could probably give
you a really -- I could say no more than what you would have there
during the day.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So another 62 students?
DR. ISLER: Is wouldn't be in addition. It would be -- there
would be no more children than you would have during a regular
Page 15
-.-----,.
September 1, 2005
school day for the after-school programs. So all those children
wouldn't stay and --
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. So at any time you're not
going to exceed 62 -- or 50 students, let's say?
DR. ISLER: I don't -- I don't predict that we will.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Where I'm trying to go, ma'am, is
to not have something come back and surprise the neighborhood they
didn't expect based on the information provided at today's meeting.
And one way to do that is to cap everything that you're requesting
with a number that works for you --
DR. ISLER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: -- but also tells the public exactly
what to expect anywhere down the road.
DR. ISLER: I mean, the only thing that I could foresee
happening where we would have more people than on a typical day
would be, say, we had a family picnic where all the children and
siblings came, we had some sort of dance for families, probably a
special event.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Those aren't really considered--
DR. ISLER: So that would be the only time that I could foresee
that we would have more teachers and students than we would
normally have on a typical day.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. This is probably more of
Kelly's issue.
Kelly, the application, where it asks for the names -- who all the
-- who, the list of the officers and stockholders in the corporation are,
it simply says, Eden Institute Foundation, Inc., 100 percent. That
doesn't provide this panel with any recognition of conflicts of interest.
We need names and bodies.
MS. SMITH: Yes. And I apologize for that not being completed
correctly. I would be happy to provide that information.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Now?
Page 16
'--.-...
September 1, 2005
MS. SMITH: We can provide it now.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, it would be nice to have it
on record so that if any of us are sitting here, we're not voting on
something that could be a conflict.
MS. SMITH: Okay.
DR. ISLER: All of the individuals that are officers on our board,
we have one regular board member that lives here in Naples, and the
other officers are in N ew Jersey.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Could you tell us --
DR. ISLER: They live in New Jersey.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Could you tell us the name of the
member in Naples. That would be most likely -- if anybody has a
conflict that would be --
DR. ISLER: Yes. It is Julie Stanley. She is one of our parents
of one of our students.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: And if you have a list of the rest,
could you leave it with the court reporter for the record so someone
has it?
DR. ISLER: Yes. We'll just leave this with you.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark, let me ask a quick one.
Is this a private non-profit or --
DR. ISLER: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Thank you. I have questions of
staff, but that's -- I appreciate your time.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Any other questions for the petitioner?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: There are none at this time.
Could we hear from the staff, please?
MR. DeRUNTZ: Good morning. My name is Mike DeRuntz.
I'm the principal planner with the Zoning and Land Development
Page 1 7
.---.....-.
September 1, 2005
Review Department.
We did hold a neighborhood information meeting on June 27th,
and at that meeting, the adjoining property owner was present and was
supportive of this petition, as was mentioned earlier, that he was
interested in having a fence installed along his property line in
conjunction with what was approved with the previous petition, and
they have incorporated that into their site plan.
I also have a copy of a letter from this joint property owner
stating his approval. And I apologize, that came in later after the
packets did go out.
As was mentioned by Mr. Strain, there was -- there's a question
about the staff report and the number of students during the day period
and it -- the six is incorrect. It is 50 students.
The application has been reviewed and is found to be consistent
with the growth management plan. And with the uses surrounding the
property, it was found to be compatible with those uses in the land
development code.
If you have any questions, I'll be more than happy to try to
address those.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Questions for staff?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I have two.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I want to get into this -- into
the transportation issue, the trip generation. Why are we using only
50 when there will obviously be more people on that property on a
regular basis, than the 50?
MR. DeRUNTZ: I'll let Mr. Scott answer that.
MR. SCOTT: Don Scott, transportation planning.
In the code it goes by the number of students. That assumes staff
and support. Now, would it assume a two-to-one ratio? I don't know.
I don't have the code in front of me that describes exactly what schools
they're comparing it to. But that assumes -- it's just like any other
Page 18
"-
September 1, 2005
thing, if you do by number of employees for a business, it also
assumes support staff and other things with that. It's not strictly just
the number of students that are at the school. It's also support.
COMMISSIONER CARON: It supposedly is built in?
MR. SCOTT: Yes. Now, is it built into the level of two- to-one, I
don't know without looking at the code, the specific descriptions in the
code.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Unlikely.
MR. SCOTT: Yeah, unlikely is true, exactly. It probably doesn't.
There's probably not that many studies when you get right down to it
for something that's specific to this that's compared to.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Did you review this before you
approved it?
MR. SCOTT: Yes, we did.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That question didn't come to mind?
MR. SCOTT: Not at the time, no.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So the ITE trip generation rate used
for private schools and middle schools then wasn't questioned in
regards to the recommendation of approval?
MR. SCOTT: No. And obviously, if you're real close to -- we're
widening County Barn, we're widening all the roads down there, so
we don't have as much of a -- if you're talking about 10 trips down
there, it's not as big an issue.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, and I would agree with that.
But my concern, Don, is kind of like we're discovering now is that
some of the things we approved in the past have greater impacts than
we thought they did at the time, and --
MR. SCOTT: As we've discussed.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: -- while they wouldn't have hurt us
now, down the road we've said, oh, we didn't account for that many
trips in the road from that generated spot. And I know you're going
through that right now with some projects in the county.
Page 19
September 1, 2005
MR. SCOTT: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: It would be better if the TISs were
accurately reflecting what's really happening.
MR. SCOTT: Well, on the other side of that, too, during site
planning, some of these things might be -- find some in the site plan __
the TIS with that will be a little different than the one you're even
looking at today.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: And I know we've discussed the
site plan --
MR. SCOTT: Yes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: -- scenario before, and a public
meeting doesn't open up to people the site plan.
MR. SCOTT: Exactly.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So for the public, I'd like them to
know what to expect.
MR. SCOTT: Yep.
COMMISSIONER CARON: I just have one more question.
County Barn Road is in the process of being widened?
MR. SCOTT: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER CARON: But it's not a failing road according
MR. SCOTT: No, it's not.
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- to this?
MR. SCOTT: We -- it's --
COMMISSIONER CARON: I just have a philosophical question.
Why are we widening roads that aren't failed when we have failed
roads that aren't being widened?
MR. SCOTT: It's a level of service D right now. Its standard is
D, but the road surface itself is falling apart.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I know. I drive it.
MR. SCOTT: To go in there and rebuild -- they did like a
$30,000 overlay on it, which was just essentially a Band-Aid job. To
Page 20
September 1, 2005
go in there and rebuild the whole road when we know it needs to be
widened, two to three years, or two years from now, doesn't make any
sense, that's why we're rebuilding it.
And obviously, there's some more growth going on down there.
We've heard there's two public schools going in and some other __
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Other questions for staff?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I have one of Mike.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Strain?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Mike, the utilities prOVISIons
provided with the package shows 100 maximum population to be
served. We now know it's going to be in excess of 120. Is that going
to have any substantial impact on the project in your mind?
MR. DeRUNTZ: No, sir.
(Mr. Midney is present.)
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That's all I have.
MR. DeRUNTZ: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Any other questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Do we have registered public speakers?
MR. BELLOWS: No registered speakers on this item.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Any concluding questions of the staff or
petitioner?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: There being none, I'll close the public
hearing.
Do we have a motion?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I would make that motion.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I move that AR-6700 be
forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners with a
recommendation of approval subject to the -- subject to staff
recommendations and the recommendations of this board.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: I have a motion by Mr. Adelstein, a
Page 21
"~.__.-.,_.,-_._"~.,-"._..,.,~-~.. -~"- .
September 1, 2005
second by Mr. Murray.
Discussion?
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I just wanted to make sure, will
the motion maker include as the conditions one, two, and three,
include items four and five, installation of a fence, to make certain
that's included, and also sidewalks or payment in lieu of, which are
also included in the packet?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Yes, but that's in staff
recommendations, either way.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. So with that clarification we'll call
the question.
All those in favor of the motion, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER LINDY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Aye.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Those opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Motion carries. Thank you.
We'll move on to our next item.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: We have to fill out the
conditional use packet.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Quick reminder. There are findings of
fact that each of the Planning Commissioners must complete and pass
down to Mr. Adelstein.
Okay. We're moving on to our next agenda item. That is petition
Page 22
'--"---"-"'-'-'-'_._'-"-'---"-~--
September 1, 2005
PUDZ-2004-AR-6207, Mac Builders, requesting a rezone from C-l
and C- 2 zoning district to the PUD zoning district.
All those wishing to present testimony on this item, please stand,
raise your right hand to be sworn in.
(The speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you. Any disclosures by Planning
Commissioners?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I do.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I received a fax from Cathy and
Tim Gorman and a fax from John Smith. Essentially both were
against the proj ect.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Same for myself.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Same.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Same by Mr. Adelstein.
I received the same correspondence myself.
Mr. Strain?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I did, plus I had a conversation
with another neighbor, Mr. Hampton.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Mr. Abernathy.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Same as those who have
spoken before.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Same.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Same for Mr. Vigliotti.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Same.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: And same for Ms. Caron.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mr. Chairman, since
everybody's actually taking my same, they're actually e-mails. They
weren't faxes.
Page 23
".,~,~. ._-«.,-_._.~~"~.,,,.
September 1, 2005
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Well, I don't know where they came from,
but I know they appeared on my desk.
Okay. So we have our disclosures. If we could hear from the
petitioner, please.
MR. HANCOCK: Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members of
the planning commission. I'm Tim Hancock, agent for the applicant,
Mac Builders, and that's M-A-C Builders, who are the owners of the
subject property covered by petition PUDZ-2004-AR-6207, the Mac
PUD.
Also present today is a representative of Mac Builders, Mr.
Carlos Veloz, who was sworn in, and planning coordinator Kelly
Smith with Davidson Engineering.
The subj ect property, as you can see on the -- are your screens
back up on your desk yet?
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Yes.
MR. HANCOCK: Okay. The subject property's approximately
10.76 acres in size located at the Northwest corner of Radio Lane and
Palm Springs Boulevard. Its current zoning is a combination C-l and
C-2, which was established in 1993 under the county's zoning
reevaluation ordinance.
The property was down-zoned at that time to comply with the
ordinance and retained its commercial zoning based on its location
fronting a county collector road, which was Radio Road at the time,
and its proximity to established and built C-4 property, which was
Woodside Lanes, a bowling alley with lounge, located immediately to
the west, and the Circle K located directly across the street.
I'm fairly familiar with the down-zoning since I filed the
application under the ZRO ordinance in 1993. Since that time, Radio
Road has been altered and the property now sits on a local road that
dead-ends to the east and does not enjoy the visibility that it did when
it fronted Radio Road.
As I've mentioned, Woodside Lanes is immediately west of the
Page 24
--"~."""".----,.-".."~.".-.,..--.,,^
September 1, 2005
subject property and has a lounge located on the east side of its
operation closest to our property boundary. There's an outdoor
smoking area there, again, right next to our property line.
To the south is Radio Lane and a C-4 zoned parcel with a Circle
K convenience store that, as you'll hear from the neighbors, is a very
well-traveled location used through cut-through -- used by folks for
cut-through traffic.
To the east is the Triad PUD, which this body heard and
forwarded to the county commission with a recommendation of
approval in February of this year. You may experience small moments
of deja vu today because the development standards that you're going
to be hearing today in this project are nearly identical to those of the
Triad PUD. The BCC subsequently approved the Triad PUD for
multi-family development at eight units per acre.
To the north of our project is developed single-family and
multi-family units. The property is zoned RMF-12 with a density cap
of seven, which again occurred during the zoning reevaluation period
in 1993; however, immediately next to us it has been developed as
single- family homes.
As you go one street back, you'll begin to get a mix of
single-family and multi-family or duplex, and then single-family
beyond.
The request before you today is to rezone the subj ect property
from commercial to residential PUD for the purpose of developing 86
multi-family units at a density of eight units per acre.
The county's future land use map designates the property as
urban residential, which permits a base density of up to four units per
acre. This property also lies within a density band of the activity
center, which I believe is activity center number nine, permitting an
additional three units per acre, and the compo plan further permits the
conversion of commercial zoning for a density bonus of up to 16 units
an acre; therefore, this property has the ability to request a maximum
Page 25
_····~_~."__u'_~.~_.~ '._._"
September 1, 2005
density of 16 units per acre.
The original application that was filed for this property sought a
density of 8.8 units per acre for a total unit count of 95 units. We have
reduced that to eight units per acre and 86 units, identical to that of the
Triad PUD.
After reviewing the actions relative to the Triad PUD and
meeting with the residents of the adjacent neighborhood on two
separate occasions, one was the required neighborhood information
meeting, a second was a follow-up meeting we requested with the
residents, we did modify the application to reduce the density.
The original requested density, and even that reduced, have not
been arrived at lightly. You may remember Triad came in at, I think,
13 units an acre and reduced to eight.
We submitted this zoning application before we were aware that
Triad was in the mix. First thing we heard about Triad was a public
information notice my client received to go to their neighborhood
information meeting, which we attended.
This project was really kind of built from the ground up.
Extensive market studies have been performed to determine what is
the most marketable use for the property, and what kept coming back
was townhome style development, two-, three- and four-bedroom
units.
So we've really kind of created the unit based on the market
demand, and then created the site plan. As you can see, the site plan
we're submitting has more detail than probably most PUD master
plans that you see with regard to the style of unit, location of
buildings, and so forth.
So in arriving at originally our 8.8 units per acre, we really
designed the project from the unit up as opposed to just trying to
throw a density out there that we thought might work.
That being said, what we're talking about here is strictly market
rental units for sale. And as stated to the residents of Palm Springs,
Page 26
_'~'^_h,___~'_ ._. . ..
September 1, 2005
we're willing to place a deed restriction on the property to prohibit the
development of a rental community in this location.
The proj ect, as proposed, will have a single point of access onto
Palm Springs Boulevard, and we have, again, agreed, to align -- I'm
sure transportation would require this in any event -- we have agree to
align with the entrance to the Triad PUD.
Going back to that discussion, you may recall that there was an
effort to move that entrance down to Radio Lane. It turns out that is
not going to work because of spacing criteria problems. And it
appears right now that the entrance to the Triad PUD is going to be
approximately 350 feet north of Radio Lane. That exact location had
not been determined by the time we submitted our application.
But the entrance you see up here will actually be moved south to
line up with the Triad PUD entrance, which is what I'm sure
transportation will be requiring. That's also what the residents asked
for, that we line up with that entrance, and we're happy to do so.
If we should, however, come in and receive an SDP approval
prior to Triad, we will locate that entrance as close to Radio Lane as
possible with the approval of the transportation department.
Recognizing that while the property to the north is zoned for
multi-family use, the lots have been developed with single-family. In
order to establish a higher degree of compatibility with those
properties than would exist under the current zoning today, we've
employed the following techniques and included them in the PUD:
Number one, our maximum building height is 35 feet, or two
stories. This will ensure that our building heights are comparable with
the permitted height of the existing homes and the zoning thereon.
The entirety of our native vegetation preserve is located along the
rear property line between us and those single- family homes,
providing a natural vegetation buffer of more than 90 feet in width.
When you combine the buffer with the setbacks, there will be a
minimum of 140 feet between principal structures with a 90- foot wide
Page 27
September 1,2005
mature stand of pine trees and saw palmetto in between.
The Land Development Code will also require that a wall or
woodcrete sty Ie fence be erected along this property line, and we've
left it to the residents as to whether they'd prefer a wall or a vegetative
screen. We'd be happy to request a deviation and modify the PUD if
they prefer additional vegetation along the preserve as to a wall. But
as it stands right now, the code requires a six-foot privacy wall, and
that's what we'd be required to do.
But in either event, an additional visual screen will be installed to
meet those code requirements. The balance of the property will
employ vegetative screens to comply with the land development code
requirements of landscape buffering.
I've reviewed fully your planning staff report and
recommendation of approval, and with it entered into the record, I
don't feel it's necessary to restate the points made therein, but there are
a few areas I wish to expand on in order to make a complete record for
today's decision.
Staffs position, as well as ours, is that the proposed multi-family
zoning will be more compatible with the surrounding land uses and
also more compatible with the transportation infrastructure in the area
than would development of the property under its current zoning. The
basis for this is that in 1993 when the lands were down-zoned --
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: How about slowing down a
little bit, Tim.
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir. I'm sorry. The basis -- the basis for
this is in 1993 when the lands were down-zoned, including the land
that is now developed single-family -- that was also affected by the
zoning reevaluation ordinance -- commercial zoning represented a
transitional zoning category under the conditions at that time where
Radio Road was a higher traveled collector road as opposed to a lower
level dead-end road, the way it is now.
The two key components that really went into that down-zoning
Page 28
---,'",.-,.._._-,,-_._---
September 1, 2005
have been altered, and the one we've mentioned is Radio Road. Its
status has changed; its trip levels have changed. I think if you're
looking to site commercial zoning today, this would not be a location
that you would say would be a home run for commercial development.
The second thing that has changed is, of course, the single-family
development to the rear. So we have a different condition today than
we did in 1993 when C-l and C- 2 zoning were designated on the
property .
If you were to kind of go through that process today, you
probably would shy away from C-2 zoning which permits uses such as
appliance repair, food stores, hardware stores and so forth. It also
permits medical office.
And you'd probably shy -- go to something closer to either a
lower intensity commercial or a higher intensity residential.
If this parcel were to be developed under its current zoning, you
could achieve a yield in excess of 100,000 square feet of general and
medical office on the property. C-l does not permit medical office,
but C-2 does. And based on the amount of C-2 on the site, of the
100,000 square feet, just about 30,000 square feet of it could be
medical office, which has a higher trip generation.
The result of that is, if it were to develop under its current zoning,
which would require only a site development plan approval at the staff
level, the level of traffic on the local roads would be a 300 percent
increase over what's being proposed today.
Now, I'm not telling you that Mac Builders is altruistic in their
intentions. Obviously a multi-family project here makes the most
sense from a financial standpoint. But from a planning standpoint, it
results in a reduction over the current zoning of two-thirds of the
number of trips on a daily basis.
If traffic is truly the concern, there's no question that residential
development at eight units an acre represents far less impact than the
existing commercial zoning. And when you look at how your county
Page 29
September 1, 2005
staff looks at existing zoning and rolls it into their projections for
capacity, basically this property has already -- is already in the traffic
model assuming it's commercially developed.
So this would represent the ability to pull trips out of that model.
Would it have a material impact on the roads around or cause you not
to have to expand a road? Certainly not. But we're talking about a
difference between 860 trips a day and 573.
By virtue of the BCC approval of the Triad PUD, a determination
of compatibility was arrived at through the application of development
standards contained in the PUD and the reduction in density to eight
units per acre. The Mac PUD is a nearly identical application to the
Triad.
If it appears the two columns in the table are identical, it's
because they are. There are minor differences between the two
proj ects such as the size and configuration of the preserve area,
although the locations are the same.
Also the Triad PUD requires that the project has a 24-hour
controlled access gate, while the Mac PUD does not contain that
requirement.
The second item I want to point out on the table is that we have
also, in discussions with the residents, agreed that the average unit size
within our project would be 2,000 square feet, which is a mirror of the
Triad PUD. That language was not contained in the PUD that's before
you, but we'd be more than happy to agree to it as a stipulation of any
conditions of approval here today.
Over the past month or so, development services received 34
form letters and one e-mail objecting to the project. Those letters
represent 30 adjacent homes that object to the project primarily on a
perceived increase in traffic that would result from the rezone. And
right now there's nothing there. So anything that's built there for the
folks who live in that neighborhood is perceived as an increase in
traffic.
Page 30
'~'----~""-"
September 1, 2005
From a land use perspective, we have to consider what the
existing zoning is and what traffic would be yielded from that, should
it be developed.
And I'll tell you that the C-l and C-2 zoning there is not a paper
tiger. There is a market out there, particularly with the HMA
property, the hospital going in on 951. My client believes there is an
office market out there. Is it as strong as the residential market? No.
So when I talk about commercially developing the site, it is a
possibility. I won't say that it's our -- obviously our preferred
alternative, but it's certainly not so far out of reach that it shouldn't be
considered.
The second item mentioned in the form letters is the increase in
density due to plans for some of the units being constructed as
four-bedroom units. This resulted from a meeting we had with half
dozen residents following our neighborhood information meeting
where we brought in elevations and floor plans and all the material
that had been developed.
And the objections we received primarily were, one, aesthetic. A
couple of residents didn't like the elevations. The second objection
received is, they really didn't want to see four-bedroom units.
Zoning doesn't limit bedrooms. It deals with units and bases
them on an average. But the reality is, there's a lot of families out
there, and those families need housing. Everyone can't have a
two-bedroom, 2,500 square foot condo. But the three-bedroom or
four-bedroom, 2,500 square foot condo is definitely something there's
a market for. Our studies have shown that.
But in recognition of the concerns that the residents expressed
about both floor plans, number of bedrooms and elevations, we're
withdrawing those plans from consideration.
We're standing here before you like every other person in zoning,
saying, we're asking for eight units an acre, multi-family townhomes,
and we don't want the issue to degenerate to aesthetics over the
Page 3 1
September 1, 2005
architecture of the building. We will construct townhomes with
attached garages. That's the same element of detail you had on Triad.
It's the same element of detail we're offering here today.
I would hope that withdrawing that elevation, meaning we're not
going to build what we showed the residents, we'll at least put some
comfort to those folks that were unhappy about that elevation.
After our meeting with those representatives, we asked them to
review our plans and get back to us with any requested changes. To
date we have not received any such communication, until Mr. Bosi
forwarded letters of objection to us that he had received.
Our door does remain open to discuss any relevant zoning issues
should the residents wish to do so.
I'd like to reiterate the changes that have been made should it be
the desire of this commission to mirror the elements of the Triad PUD
that the residents supported. The density, again, has been reduced to
eight units per acre for 86 units, identical to Triad. The average unit
size will be 2,000 square feet, gross floor area, identical to Triad. The
building heights, setbacks, and allowable stories already mirror that of
the Triad PUD.
The developer will install a six-foot privacy wall or equivalent
landscape enhancement, whichever the residents choose, along our
northern border, abutting the single-family. Again, identical to Triad.
In summary, the staff report contains supporting documentation
of the project's compliance with all of the decision-making criteria
contained in LDC section 10.03.05.
The proposed proj ect serves to reduce traffic impacts to the
neighborhood over the existing zoning, and the proposed development
standards are compatible and complementary to the single-family to
the north and identical to those of the Triad PUD.
The proj ect meets or exceeds all LDC requirements for
development of this nature, with one exception being a deviation
requested that normally requires sidewalks on both sides of the street.
Page 32
- ,---_.,.~_..._.~-~.~,~._._.
September 1, 2005
It's a very small internal loop road. We're asking for a deviation to
have a sidewalk only on one side of that street. If it's the desire of this
body to require it on both sides, we don't have a strong objection to
that.
Finally, it's our contention that your staff agrees that the proposed
project represents a more appropriate transitional land use than the
current zoning as it relates to the neighborhood behind the project, and
we agree with that point.
I ask for your favorable consideration of the findings placed
before you today. I'd be happy to address any questions you may have
at this time.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you.
Questions, Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Mr. Hancock, on the average,
the rendering that you show, they're all boxes and they all appear to be
the same size structure, that's your representation.
Would you please tell me what your averages are based upon,
with the low number and the high number?
MR. HANCOCK: My recollection is we're around 1,600 square
feet on the low end. Seventeen-fifty square feet on the low end, and
the high end we were approaching 2,400 square feet. I'm sorry,
2,200? Twenty-two hundred, however, more than half the units were
slated to be -- were expected to be a three- or four-bedroom unit, so
that's why the average of 2,000 square foot --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I appreciate --
MR. HANCOCK: -- was not problematic.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: But are they intended to be for
single families?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: And are there going to be
restrictions that require that only single families remain as residents
Page 33
-~--,---,.',~"-~.._.,-
September 1, 2005
and not multiple families?
I know that sounds a little odd, a little strange, perhaps. But in
other words, in the documents that will be there, they're not going to
have group families; is that right?
MR. HANCOCK: This is not a group housing project. And if
we need to place into the deed restrictions that --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'm not sure that you do. I just
want to get it on the record--
MR. HANCOCK: I'm not sure we can legally but --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: -- it's not your intention to sell a
product or build a product that is intended to house families and it will
accommodate four bedrooms.
About how many four-bedroom units do you expect to build?
MR. HANCOCK: It's about 30 percent.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Thirty percent?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Anything else, Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yes. On the site plan, the units
on the south property line and the east property line, they're backed
right up to the buffer meaning that the back door of the unit's going to
open up into the landscape buffer. Would you have a problem if you
pulled those back? I mean, I don't think the intent of our buffers is to
have people's barbecues and stuff like that in it, so --
MR. HANCOCK: Well, there isn't much room behind the back
door and the buffer.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: There's zero room right now.
MR. HANCOCK: Well, the actual setback, I believe -- and let
me look at an enlarged --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The setback's 20 feet, the
Page 34
,_._~-'~'"".__."
September 1, 2005
buffer's 20 feet, and your project's at 20 feet. And the problem with
that is, that's the public side of the project, too, so essentially what
these people would have is the back doors of all those units right up
into a landscape buffer. And, again, four bedrooms, there's children,
and that's their back yard, and that kind of doesn't respect the concept
of the buffer. So would you have a problem pulling those at least 20
feet away from the buffer?
MR. HANCOCK: Honestly I don't know that we can achieve 20
feet for two reasons, and your point is well taken. And it may be more
of a visual site planning issue here, because I don't think it was ever
our intent to have the back of the unit directly on physical
landscaping. While the buffer's 20 feet in width, the plantings don't
consume 100 percent of that 20 feet regardless.
I think we can certainly agree that a minimum of 10 feet between
the buffer and the back of the unit is achievable.
One of the problems we had is originally we wanted to shrink
this project away from Radio Lane and away from Palm Springs
Boulevard, but then the need to buffer to the single-family to the north
and placing that vegetative preserve area all along that boundary,
really squeezed the site down a little bit more than we would have
liked. But I think we can pull those off a minimum of 10 feet off the
landscape buffer. And as you understand, Mr. Schiffer, the buffer
may be 20 feet in width, but the landscaping itself occupies
approximately the center 10 feet or so.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right. But I mean, the reason
we want buffers is to buffer the proj ect. I mean, and if the buffer has,
like I said, barbecues or playground equipment in it or something,
that's not working.
I mean, I still think 20 feet. I think maybe even more because
these are the sides that the neighbors are going to see. I mean,
everybody's going to be exposed to these two sides. Even though
there's a beautiful buffer at the top, not that -- not everybody's going to
Page 35
-~"--'--<""""-"~'
September 1, 2005
see that.
Let's just talk about that one at the top. What is the width of that
buffer there? You've given it an acreage. You kind of do the math, it
comes out to something less than what you're showing.
MR. HANCOCK: No, sir. The width of that buffer is 93 feet.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And can you put that into the --
I mean, it's not on the drawing that I see.
MR. HANCOCK: Well, no, we didn't call out that detail. We
certainly can add that as we go to the county commission, if that's
your desire, sir. But it is 93 feet.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And that came from the acreage
you needed, correct?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. Because if you really
divide 600 into -- well, okay, 93 would be -- okay, that's it.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: How affordable will these sites be
for middle-class families?
MR. HANCOCK: Well, it's not an affordable housing project.
And you raise an interesting point for us. When we started the project,
the original target price was to come in around $270,000 at the low
end. That was well over a year ago.
I would expect them to be in the 300,000 range; however, the
neighbors want them to be 4- or 5- or 600,000; the higher the better.
So we -- we're stuck in a bit of a quandary in discussing this with
the neighbors. So, you know, initial price point is not a basis for a
zoning decision, but based on our looking forward, the starting price is
going to be in the 300's. The developer's indicating that's about where
it will fall, which as you look at the median home prices in Collier
County, is below median, but by no means are we talking affordable
housing here. We're talking market rate units.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Anything else, Mr. Midney?
Page 36
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: (Shakes head.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: The first point was your
statement that there would not be a -- they would not be rental units. I
don't think you can afford to make that statement, because if I bought
one of the units, I would certainly have a right to rent it out.
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir. My statement was that this will not
be a rental community. You're absolutely correct, and that becomes
one of the problems is that a particular owner has a right to rent.
Now, there can be deed restrictions which this body and the
commission do not enforce, but the deed restrictions can limit the
number of rentals per year. And it's fairly typical that a minimum
rental period of 30 or 60 days is standard in deed restrictions to keep
properties, particularly those closer to the beach, from turning over
every week or two weeks.
But can somebody buy a unit and rent it out? Absolutely. But
my statement is, this will not be a rental community, an apartment
community.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: How many four-bedroom
units does Triad have?
MR. HANCOCK: I don't believe that they made any
commitments or, at least in the neighborhood information meeting I
attended, no floor plans, so I have no way of knowing how -- what
their bedroom division is or will be, no, sir. And it's not in their PUD
either.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: No, I couldn't find it either.
So you have no idea whether these four-bedrooms units would
actually do the job you think they would do without becoming a rental
and bothering, of course, their neighbors?
MR. HANCOCK: All we have are market studies to indicate
there is a need in this community for three- and four-bedroom units for
purchase by families, and that's what we're basing our proceeding
Page 37
September 1, 2005
forward on are those up-to-date market studies.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Mr. Vigliotti?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Tim, you had said that the
entrance for your project is going to be directly across from Triad?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Then at the end of the
sentence, you had said there's a possibility it may not. Could you
explain?
MR. HANCOCK: I may have -- I may have explained myself
into trouble there.
What I was trying to say is that should the Triad PUD be delayed
and its entrance not determined by the time we go through the SDP
process, that that decision would fall to your county transportation
department as to where the entrance would fall.
I know Triad has to go through an environmental resource permit
because they have wetlands on the site. We don't have to do that, so
we may find ourselves tracking consistent with or slightly ahead of
them as it pertains to locating our entrance.
That being said, to date -- and Mr. Scott can confirm this today if
he agrees with it -- it appears that the magic distance is 350 feet from
the intersection of Radio Lane back on Palm Springs Boulevard. And
that's where Triad is, to the best of my knowledge, being told they're
going to line up, and that's where we're going to advise our plan to line
us also.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: All right. I'll discuss this with
staff.
MR. HANCOCK: OKAY. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Strain?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Most of my questions will be of
staff in order to try to shorten this discussion.
But, Tim, I have three for you. In the neighborhood meeting,
you indicated that you offered to work with Mr. Hampton and
Page 38
September 1, 2005
opposing property owners throughout the course of this process. In
regards to working with them, how did you go about doing that?
MR. HANCOCK: I followed up the neighborhood information
meeting, contacted Mr. Hampton by phone. We requested a meeting
with he and the community representatives. We met at Mr. Hampton's
house. He and his wife were gracious enough to host us. There were
six folks there that indicated they represented the community.
We met with them, we shared with them the elevations, the floor
plans, all the detail we had to that date. We discussed with them some
of the Triad PUD constraints as to whether or not they wanted to see
those rolled into our document or not. And we had a very frank and
candid discussion.
That meeting ended with our asking them to, you know, come
back to us. We hand -- you know, they have the PUD, come back to
us with any changes that you feel are appropriate or would like to
make. And that's the last conversation we had with those folks.
I have spoke to Mr. Hampton since then just to call him and let
him know that the planning commission hearing for last month would
be continued because of a signing problem on our part.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you believe he and those
neighbors at that meeting are in favor of what you're presenting today?
MR. HANCOCK: No, sir.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay.
MR. HANCOCK: I don't know about Mr. Hampton. I don't
know them individually. But no, and based on the letters I received,
they seem to want it to remain commercial.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That's where I was going.
Do you realize that -- I mean, I know you realize -- you took the
elevation apparently that you must have showed them at that meeting
off the table; is that what you said earlier?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Because it was
Page 39
September 1, 2005
objectionable; is that a fair statement?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Yet you're offering nothing
to put on the record, which means it could be far worse than what you
showed them off the record?
MR. HANCOCK: It could be. It could be far better. The point
is, Mr. Strain, architectural elevations are not a zoning decision.
So we made our best effort to bring forward something that we
thought they would find at least agreeable. They didn't. So we've
agreed not to go that route. But to stand here today and nail an
elevation to this project is not a zoning-related matter, and we're just
not ready to do that at this time.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you understand the zoning
you're asking for today is discretionary?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir, I do. I also understand that 10.03.05
lists a criteria by which you must make your decision. And we
certainly stand behind the staff report in agreeing with each of those
criteria.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I'll be discussing that with staff in
a minute.
But no elevation here today. That certainly can have a -- can
weigh on our decisions here today since you're offering none.
The other thing that is different between the Triad PUD and the
Mac PUD, when Triad was here, they did go to lengths to work
closely with the neighborhood. I know you've had meetings. They
worked out their differences with the neighborhood.
From some of the e-mails I've seen -- I think we've disclosed
them today -- the attitude of the owner of your particular piece of
property is not quite as consistent with working with the neighborhood
as we saw with the Triad PUD, and I think that may be a discrepancy
that is something you -- isn't going to compare equally to the Triad
PUD.
Page 40
September 1, 2005
I've got a list of issues that some of the neighbors have brought
up, and I will bring those up as we go through the staffs meeting, and
I'll want your opinion on them as we go through it, but I'll ask you at
those times that we bring it up.
MR. HANCOCK: Mr. Strain, may I ask, at the Triad hearing,
was an elevation a part of that hearing?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I don't recall.
MR. HANCOCK: I read the record; I don't believe it was. So I
don't know that this project being treated any differently than Triad
would necessarily be appropriate, and that's certainly your discretion,
sir. But I don't believe it was a part of their hearing, nor was it at the
county commission.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: But this is a discretionary zoning
hearing.
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, it is.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Any other questions of the petitioner?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I have one --
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- that I forgot.
Tim, when you described the height, you said it was 35 feet or
two stories, yet the development standards say 35 feet and two stories.
Would you mind changing that to or just so that -- because the way it's
written, you essentially could add two stories on top of 35 feet.
MR. HANCOCK: Certainly not our intent. So cap at two
stories, cap at 35 feet both apply.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Any other questions of the petitioner?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Just one.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: When I went into the Internet to
look up pines Florida, I found out, after a rather long period of time,
Page 41
~_"~·'"·"'_~"__~__,''''~__"M._..~_"k'~''"
September 1, 2005
Pembroke Pines, is it common to use Pines as a locality over there by
the east coast as opposed to Pembroke Pines?
MR. HANCOCK: I honestly don't know. If you're referring to
the address of the applicant?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes, I am.
MR. HANCOCK: Mr. Rose -- Hollywood and Pines apparently
are two --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: They're interchangeable?
MR. HANCOCK: Apparently, yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That gave me a little bit of a
struggle to get that one. Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. No further questions at this time.
Can we hear from staff, please.
MR. BOSI: Good morning, Chairman Budd, planning
commission membership. Mike Bosi from Zoning and Land
Development Review.
A couple things I would want to point out before we get into the
staffs presentation. One, indeed, elevations were not part of the Triad
discussion. We seem to be making a lot of reference to the past
zoning action that happened in February.
Clarification also, the wall is not required by the land
development code when you have residential units or residential
development next to residential development.
I would hope that the -- with the applicant offering the ability to
build a wall, if it's the desire of the neighbors, I would -- I would hope
that the neighbors maybe clarify that position as to whether or not,
because if it's not written, the wall requirement isn't written into the
PUD at the site development stage, it will not be required, so I think
that's a matter of issue that we'd like to see clarified as well.
Also within the original staff report, this was originally scheduled
for the August 4th meeting because of sign posting deficiencies. It
wasn't able to go.
Page 42
September 1, 2005
Within that staff report, I had indicated that the transportation
department was supporting the request for deviation. That was
incorrect. Transportation's position is with sidewalks only on one side
of the street, the residents who live on the other side of the street are
somewhat neglected, and it's not an equal opportunity for pedestrian
access and, therefore, they are not supporting the sidewalk deviation
Tim had mentioned.
Also, this is a multi-family PUD request rezone. Group housing
is not a permitted use; therefore, Commissioner Murray, that could not
be developed within here based upon what's allowed for by the PUD
document.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I understood that. I just wanted
to make sure because of the question of four cars possible that it be
understood it was never intended to be multi-family.
MR. BOSI: Further on the clarification for the building height,
where it says two stories or 35 feet, I think you're right, we need to
clarify, 35 feet height, maximum height, with a cap of two stories is, I
think, where the planning commission would like to see the
modification in. And I would definitely, at the conclusion of the
meeting, no matter what the result, make sure we modify in that
regard.
It has been reviewed by all the county staff in terms of its
compliance with the growth management plan, the applicable policies
and also from the zoning perspective in terms of its compatibility, and
Tim went into the history of the site. It is surrounded on two sides by
commercial. Residential zoning with a cap of seven to the north and a
cap of eight.
It's within an inter -- it's within a mile of an interchange activity
center. Now, an interchange activity center is determined by the
growth management plan. It's the most intensive transportation
juncture that you have within the county's overall land development
scheme.
Page 43
September 1, 2005
This area, based upon the modification of Radio Road, as Tim
has mentioned, it's no longer an attractive area for commercial. And
staff sees the consistency of this action and the consistency is going to
provide to the overall zoning environmental as one of favorable.
You have your commercial to the west and to the south of the
project. This is at eight units per acre, you have seven units per acre
cap to the north, and then beyond that you have six units per acre, and
then you go down to a single-family zoning district.
We believe that this eight units per acre is consistent with what
the zoning pattern within this area establishes, and I think we pointed
that out in the staff report.
And just as a sidenote, I've heard a lot of references so far of the
development standards within Triad compared to the Mac PUD, and
the one thing is that when you have a development, when you have a
PUD rezone, a residential PUD rezone, it's -- the development
standards are the things that are in place to protect the neighborhood.
The one thing I will say, and it has been kind of lost in a lot of
the criticisms of this petition is, for example, a front yard. A front
yard in Triad PUD only calls for 20 feet. The front yard within the
Mac PUD calls for 25 feet. The rear yard is 15 feet within Triad. In
Mac, it's 20 feet.
So I think the development standards are comparable. The
density is comparable. The type of development is comparable. I
think Commissioner Strain has hit upon maybe some of the greatest
sources of contention with the neighbors, is they maybe have not
gotten off to the right -- or the proper dialogue hasn't been exchanged
between the neighbors and the -- and the individual-- the developer.
But from a zoning standpoint, from what staffs looking at, from a
professional planning standpoint, we believe and we fully support this
action as being a consistent and a beneficial zoning transportation
action within the -- within the overall area.
And with that, I would open myself up to questions.
Page 44
September 1, 2005
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Questions for staff? Mr. Strain?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Mike, page eight of your staff
report. The top of the first paragraph, you talk about commercial and
multi-family zoning districts around the site. That's because the
single- family estates homes to the north were at some point rezoned to
RSF -6 maybe, or whatever they are.
MR. BOSI: RMF-12 with -- capped at seven.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: But they are being utilized, and
that neighborhood is being utilized as an Estates residents area, is that
correct, or single-family --
MR. BOSI: No. Estates homes would be on large lots. These
are -- they're single-family homes. They are absolutely single-family
homes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. So the multi-family doesn't
occur to the north, it's basically --
MR. BOSI: Oh, it does. To -- well, I guess you have a strip of
single- family homes, and then beyond that you have duplex homes.
So there's -- and I mentioned, those single-family homes are an
interruption to the zoning pattern, and it makes -- and staff has had to
take somewhat of a different view in a different light of those
single- family homes based upon its context within the overall
surrounding zoning.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you remember which was first,
the single-family homes or the zoning?
MR. BOSI: I would probably have to say that the zoning was
first, but I don't -- for hundred percent certainty, I can't make that
claim.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Some of the residents that have
been there a while, I'll asked them to express their -- because that's an
older neighborhood.
MR. BOSI: Yes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I'm not sure how the multi-family
Page 45
~.^-,--~-"--~._..
September 1, 2005
zoning occurred, but we'll find out.
On your same page of the staff report, second paragraph, just a
minor correction. As noted, Radio Road at one time intersected with
Collier Boulevard. Didn't it actually intersect with Davis, and then
Davis intersect with Collier boulevard?
MR. BOSI: You're correct, sir.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Under your rezone findings,
number five, whether the changed or changing conditions make the
passage with proposed amendment necessary. It says, the proposed
rezone, then the lower impact to residential development in
comparison to commercial on a community infrastructure make the
proposed change necessary.
I'm going to probably get further into this where I've tabbed
another point where I didn't think you thought it was necessary. Do
you think it's necessary to eliminate the commercial and go to this
multi - family?
MR. BOSI: No, it's not, and that's an incorrect word. I guess
necessary is not -- I would say a favorable outcome. But necessary,
by no means is this necessary. The zoning as it sits could be
developed with commercial. Would I view that as professional
planner as a beneficial thing to this community? No, I wouldn't.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Is item number five one of those
items that you typically get from an applicant and paste into this page,
or did you write that yourself?
MR. BOSI: No. That was authored by myself.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So the word necessary though
written by you isn't really the correct word to have there?
MR. BOSI: That was a -- that was an error on my part,
Commissioner.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Number seven. Second sentence
of the answer to number seven, the proposed change will result in an
overall increase in daily trips within the school. I guess that's not right
Page 46
.....~_,~~v~_._~".·.~·,.~" ~__
September 1, 2005
either?
MR. BOSI: That is not right, obviously,
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So number seven isn't right.
Number six, whether the proposed change will adversely
influence living conditions in the neighborhood.
The answer goes on to talk about what is in the neighborhood
with the concluding sentence, the proposed residential PUD rezone
will eliminate the last undeveloped commercial parcels in the area.
It doesn't talk about influencing or adversely influencing living
conditions. In fact, it doesn't even discuss living conditions in the
entire response to number six. Is that a true statement, or do you see
where you may have in --
MR. BOSI: What I see is I led up to -- I didn't put the
conclusion. I put the factors -- the factors that were arriving towards
the conclusion. The conclusion was omitted.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: In this board's deliberations, I
know that we're supposed to consider the rezone findings and the PUD
-- the findings for the PUD. This one doesn't have a conclusion,
number seven is in error, number five is in error. I'm not sure where
this is going to go --
MR. BOSI: Okay.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: -- but we should have had them--
I wanted to point it out to the board in their deliberation.
Number 10, whether the proposed change will adversely effect
property values in the adjacent area. It says, in general planning
theory, you believe it is more compatible with surrounding residential
land uses, and no appraisal was done.
So does anybody know from an authoritative viewpoint whether
this will have an adverse effect or not on property values?
MR. BOSI: We do not -- we do not require applicants to provide
market studies to indicate whether or not a proposed change will be an
economic gain or an economic detraction from the individual areas.
Page 47
September 1, 2005
What I simply put was that the -- the transition would be more
compatible. And with that I was inferring that the likely outcome
would not be a negatively -- a negative outcome for the area.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: But there's no authority on --
you're not an authority on appraisals?
MR. BOSI: Absolutely not.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Number 14, whether the change
suggested is out of scale with the needs of the neighborhood or the
county. The answer that was asked both requested it of the
neighborhood and the county. The response seemed to be as related to
the county.
Was there an analysis done to respond to number 14 in
relationship to the neighborhood?
MR. BOSI: Well, I think the last sentence, the proposed
conversion of commercial zoning to residential zoning is viewed by
staff as a more compatible land use to the general area, and general
area, I should have maybe said localized general area. But the general
area was utilized to refer to the surrounding Palm Springs
neighborhood.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Under the findings for the
PUD, the last sentence of number four, the development standards and
commitments contained within the PUD document will ensure that the
proposed rezone will not negatively impact the surrounding developed
and undeveloped neighboring properties.
I guess that's a subjective statement, because some of the basis
for number four has to be from the rezone findings that we just
discussed that may not have been properly written, and I imagine the
impact of value would have an impact on the response to number four.
But since you couldn't really opine on the impacted value, then
number four then is somewhat unanswered.
MR. BOSI: I would have to disagree. I think with my
certifications as an American Institute certified planner, I can make a
Page 48
~""-----'-""'..,,_._.,_.~,~...,
September 1, 2005
professional opInIon, and what I put forward was a professional
opinion based upon the zoning action that was being requested.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So you believe that this project
will not negatively impact the neighborhood?
MR. BOSI: No.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Have you seen any kind of
elevations or anything that would indicate the type of structures and
style that's going to be built there so that we know that it's going to be
of a quality and nature that is going to be consistent with the
neighborhood?
MR. BOSI: I know that the Florida Building Code requires that
the safety of the structures will be required. The aesthetics? As a
professional planner, dealing with the land use and multi-family
structures not being required as to be architecturally reviewed, I don't
spend a tremendous amount of time on aesthetics.
The elevations that was presented at the neighbor information
meeting were not received well by the neighbors, and I -- and the
applicant has indicated they weren't going to go with it. I'm not sure
what you can do at the zoning stage to start incorporating --
incorporating an architectural requirement.
I would be open to whatever the planning commission would
suggest in that manner. But I am ill-prepared or inadequate to address
aesthetics within the zoning document.
MR. BELLOWS: And for the record, Ray Bellows. I agree with
Mr. Bosi. It's -- the zoning action really doesn't address, or we don't
have the ability to present architectural criteria or designs. The LDC
is silent on the issue; therefore, it's -- I don't think it's an issue that is a
part of the review criteria that staff is looking at.
In addition, in the question of dealing with these rezone findings
and PUD findings, the planning commission is not constrained from
taking staffs opinion at heart. You have the ability to look at these
conditions, these criteria and come and form your own opinion, and
Page 49
--_.,----"
September 1, 2005
that is the purpose of providing these criteria into the staff report so
you can look at how staff is looking at this and so you can form your
own opinion. It's not that you're constrained from making your own
determinations on these issues.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Mike, can architecture ever have a
negative impact on a neighborhood?
MR. BOSI: Oh, I would have to say most definitely.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Thank you.
Into the PUD. Section 2.6, model homes and sales facilities.
They're asking for a series of issues involving their potential sales
facility. Are any of those deviations from the LDC?
MR. BOSI: Not that I'm aware of.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Thank you. Under section 4.2 it's
talking about conservation preserve area. A principal use one, passive
recreation area, boardwalks and recreational shelters. Is that necessary
to be in there?
MR. BOSI: No. That was -- that was language that was
suggested by the applicant, and the environmental staff who reviewed
it did not take an exception to it, therefore, that's why it's there.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Almost done, Mike.
Next one is of transportation, so I think Mr. Abernathy has
something to ask you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Yes, sir, Mr. Abernathy.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Mike, I want to talk to you
about deviation for sidewalks.
MR. BOSI: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: I'm sure you're just a
conduit for this comment, but I'd feel much better about holding the
developer to sidewalks on either side of the street if that were a code
requirement rather than somebody over in the staffs opinion that to
not have them on both sides of the street would deprive people of
equal opportunity. I've never heard equal opportunity brought into the
Page 50
<,<. -'.--'~-_.~--->-' ..
September 1, 2005
sidewalk issue.
MR. BOSI: Commissioner Abernathy, it is a code requirement,
and the reason why it's a code requirement is they want to -- they want
to have residents on both sides of the streets have the opportunity to
walk on sidewalks on their side of the street, and, therefore, the equal
opportunity, maybe I was somewhat -- somewhat dramatic with that
statement, but that was the premise of the code that exists.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: I thought that they were
required. Then your eloquence just sort of overran itself, I guess.
MR. BOSI: I apologize.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Any other questions of the staff?
Yes, sir. Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The issue of the units backing
up onto the buffer, are you okay with that from a planning concept?
MR. BOSI: And you were talking about the units that will sit on
Radio Lane and --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: In other words, the only public
right-of-ways.
MR. BOSI: Radio Lane and Palm Springs Boulevard?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yes.
MR. BOSI: Well, those are -- the way this is going to be
developed as a multi-family tract is they'll be one individual parcel,
and those will be fronts, so they're going to have to have a 25-foot
setback from the property line.
Now, I know they have a 20- foot -- they have a 20- foot
landscape -- landscape buffer, so there's only going to be a five-foot.
You may want to increase -- and if there's concern about that is -- and
Tim had mentioned that there could be a 10- foot separation between
the landscape buffer and the back of the structures. You may want to
increase that front yard setback to 30 feet and you accomplish the
effect -- you accomplish that effect.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: ell, you're considering that the
Page 51
September 1, 2005
front yard setback?
MR. BOSI: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So the front door to the house
will be on that side?
MR. BOSI: Well, the front door to the house is on the internal
private road. It's going to be all with -- developed with -- these aren't
going to be -- these, I do not believe, are going to be individually
platted properties to where the condo's going to be sold with an
individual land use.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The townhouse. The
townhouse is an individually platted property. I would consider -- I
mean, the front really is fronting the private street. It's not fronting the
-- I mean --
MR. BOSI: That is not the -- if they -- if they plat the individual
parcels, that would be correct. The way that the traditional
townhouses are -- well, I guess the traditional townhouses have been
blended over the past couple years.
But traditionally it's one parcel, and the exterior of those parcels
is where you gain your front yards from. And the internal streets --
the internal streets are considered a private driveway.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So what you're saying is
reviewing the development standards, the front setback has the back
door, and the rear setback has the front door?
MR. BOSI: That's how zoning would treat it, unless they're
platted individual parcels.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: How come I want to say yikes?
Okay. So in other words, they've already violated the setback
requirements in the documents they've presented?
MR. BOSI: No.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, the 20--
MR. BOSI: I think this is a master plan. This is not a site
development plan. And the master plan, I guess, if you were to inter
Page 52
"---,...
September 1, 2005
that the condo units are backed all the way up to the setback line, then
yes, they would.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Wow, I'm confused. I mean,
this document's shown as what they kind of intend to develop, right? I
mean, it's not a joke?
MR. BOSI: It's a more specific master plan than you
traditionally would receive within a PUD.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. So say this again. On a
private road, the front setback is going to be on the public
right-of-way, and those setbacks coming off of the private road are
considered rear setbacks?
MR. BOSI: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I don't know. Okay. I'm done.
I'm stunned; I'm not done.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Other questions for staff?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Just one. I mean--
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Strain?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: -- Brad's brought up a good point.
Where would addressing put their address, on the Palm Springs
Boulevard or on the internal road?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
MR. BOSI: Probably the internal road. Actually --
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That's the back of the house.
MR. BOSI: No, actually, I'll address that question with the
response that we've gotten from the post office. They would no longer
be delivering mail to individual units. There will be centralized mail
kiosks what will be required of this for mail distribution. So that may
be -- that may gain an address off of Palm Springs Boulevard.
Probably Palm Springs Boulevard because of where their access
point's going to be.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: But if they built a house oriented
to Palm Springs Boulevard, the front door couldn't be accessible from
Page 53
,"_"'"H'",~,"__·,."w
September 1, 2005
the driveway because the driveway's going to be in the back; is that
right? Then it becomes like an alley house; is that --
MR. BOSI: The driveway --
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: How would you -- the homes that
are fronting Palm Springs Boulevard, they can't get access from Palm
Springs Boulevard. You're not going to have a bunch of driveways?
MR. BOSI: No. They're going to have an internal -- an internal
drive.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Right. But that internal drive is
their alley, not their --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: It's their rear property.
MR. BOSI: If you want to call it an alley, it's an alley. It's an
internal driveway.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: The same thing happens to the
south along Radio Road?
MR. BOSI: Correct.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So you drive into the Radio Road,
and the first thing you see is the -- well, you see the fronts of these
houses, but they're really the backs, although the fronts are on the
road?
MR. BOSI: Well, I'm sure the architectural -- their architectural
design --
MR. BELLOWS: For the record, Ray Bellows. I'd just like to
make a clarification. The road could be platted in the front, and then
you'd have two front yards. Any -- the code says you have a front
yard on any road -- public road frontage or any platted road frontage.
So if it's a platted road within the center of this project, then that
would be also road frontage, where a front yard setback would be
measured.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: We also need to remember that this is not
some new code wrinkle discovered here for the first time. We've seen
this dozens, if not hundreds of times, and it's never been a focus of
Page 54
._-~-_._-_.".
September 1, 2005
discussion. But this is pretty common, and I think maybe --
MR. BELLOWS: And the other issue is most of the master plans
don't show this level of detail, and that's a question that doesn't
typically come up until you go through platting or site development
plan.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But, Ray, then let me
understand, is that what -- the setback for the back of these
townhouses, no matter what you call them they're the back, will be 25
feet off of the public right-of-way?
MR. BELLOWS: Since it fronts a public roadway, it has to have
a front yard setback.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. And then the street that's
on the private side, you're considering that a front, not a rear like Mike
was?
MR. BELLOWS: If it's a platted road, then it is a road that has --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, it's a private drive. It's
not a platted.
MR. BELLOWS: If it's a -- I think what Mr. Bosi was alluding
to is that if multi-family projects have an internal road system that is
not platted, then it can be deemed a back or an alley.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Other questions for staff?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: There are no more at this time. We can
hear from registered public speakers.
MR. BELLOWS: The first speaker--
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Excuse me. Mr. Strain just found another
question.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That's what I was waiting for.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: We're waiting for
transportation.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: We do have more questions for staff. It
will be transportation.
Page 55
September 1, 2005
Mr. Scott?
MR. SCOTT: I thought I was going to get by.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: No, you're not that lucky.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Don, I have a question on the
entrances between Triad and this. Isn't there a way we could make
them compatible, make them work somehow?
MR. SCOTT: We will. I think the point he was trying to make
is, whoever gets to the site plan first -- it's already been decided from
-- I mean, I think we beat it to death the last meeting at the Triad. We
wanted it further back. But with, you know, discussions with the
neighborhood and you guys, we went to 350 feet. It's going to be 350
feet. His point was, he might be there first or whatever. It's going to
be at that point.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Okay. So they will match.
Thank you.
MR. SCOTT: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Don, Radio Road is still a right
out? No left out, right?
MR. SCOTT: Radio Lane.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Radio, whatever it is.
MR. SCOTT: Yep.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: When you get onto Radio Road
from Radio Lane --
MR. SCOTT: Yes:
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: You can only go right.
MR. SCOTT: Right.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Is it impossible to put an entrance
onto Radio Road from this project since they have the 660 foot
clearance?
MR. SCOTT: Onto Radio Lane?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Radio Lane, I'm sorry, Radio
Lane. You guys keep changing names. I've been here for a long time.
Page 56
.-----_.--.
September 1, 2005
We've always called it Radio Road.
MR. SCOTT: When it changed to the other portion that was
built. We discussed this in the last one. It didn't meet the spacing.
There was a driveway that was on the edge of their property. I don't--
where's the --
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: You need 660 feet spacing; is that
correct?
MR. SCOTT: It's 330 between driveways, so you're looking for
660 of clear so you can put it in the middle of it.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So between the Woodside Lane's
driveway and the Palm Springs Boulevard entryway, you'd have
greater than 660?
MR. SCOTT: I don't -- I don't believe it's that -- the frontage is
that long, is it?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I don't know. I was just -- that's
the question I'm asking.
MR. SCOTT: Yeah, I don't believe so, because we had the same
issue on the other side. I think it was about -- I don't know. Do you
know what the frontage is? Okay, 596, their frontage.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Pretty close.
MR. SCOTT: Close, yep.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: The other question I have is the
ITE code used for this townhouse condominium. I pulled the ITE
manuals up and reviewed them. It's LUC (sic) 230. And the way this
is set up is using an average. Do you have any inkling as to where the
average would go if you had predominantly more bedrooms in the
community than what the average was used in the ITE manual?
MR. SCOTT: I think the average would probably be lower than
that then. I mean, their trips would be higher.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Right, lower than four bedrooms?
MR. SCOTT: Right. The average -- my guess, not calculating
out, would be three would be an average, but --
Page 57
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So if you have four bedrooms,
most likely you're going to the higher side of the span of the ITE 230,
and they used the average for their traffic impact?
MR. SCOTT: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I did notice too in ITE, five
persons equal one trip. They have some conversion, so if you have to
count bodies. And you know with more bedrooms there'd be more
persons in these units for sure.
MR. SCOTT: And we've had that discussion before about
number of vehicles, too. If you -- it's like an average of 1.5 vehicles
per household. But obviously if you have more vehicles, you're going
to have more trips.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Thank you, Don.
MR. SCOTT: Yep.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Any other questions of staff?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: None at this time.
Ray, how many registered public speakers do we have?
MR. BELLOWS: Three.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. If you could call them up, please.
MR. BELLOWS: Cathy Gorman, followed by Rich Hampton.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: And for members of the public, you can
speak at either microphone, whatever's convenient.
MS. GORMAN: Good morning. My name's Cathy Gorman, and
I live at 722 Pine Crest Lane, and we are a neighbor.
I guess I don't think it's too often that a community comes before
you and says, could we keep commercial instead of going to
residential, but that's what we wanted to do.
I'd like to start by just answering a couple question that I heard
come up this morning. I don't believe anyone from Triad is here, but I
spoke to them just the other day so that I could ask them how many
bedrooms are you having. The answer is three; two- and
Page 58
··_·~_,_.~o········,·,.
September 1, 2005
three-bedrooms. There are zero four-bedrooms. And that question
was asked just a few minutes ago.
Just for clarification, I'd also just like to ask if I heard correctly.
When they are talking about four bedrooms, did they say 30 percent or
34 units?
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thirty percent.
MS. GORMAN: Thirty percent. Okay, thank you. I thought I
heard 34 units.
This all started with the neighborhood meeting. We were
notified exactly one week before that meeting. The letter was dated
July 5th, but we didn't receive it until July 27th, so a lot of people
couldn't come.
I spoke to Mr. Bosi, and I asked him if that's okay, is that kind of
legal? And he said, yes, it was. So I said, well, is there a way we
could have a second one? That's how the second meeting, to the best
of my knowledge, came about was when we requested it because so
many of us could not be at the other.
What we did though was, instead of having big groups of people
meet with them, we, again, took our neighborhood and said, could we
kind of speak for you, hence the 40 letters that you have, et cetera.
That's why a lot of people aren't here today.
The problem is the four-bedroom units. And I know that maybe
that doesn't usually play into zoning and whether it can be rezoned or
not, but it really does in this case, because as you already have
established, four-bedroom units are going to be teenagers driving -- I
have one myself -- you know, and many more people, many more
trips. I have three children. I assure you I make a lot of trips between
school, et cetera, during the day.
I also would like to comment, I guess, when I believe Mr. Bosi
said that we didn't get off to a good dialogue with the builder. No, we
sure didn't. When we went into the meeting, we started to ask the
builder -- I really don't care about elevation, to tell you the truth,
Page 59
. --_._-_..~"_...-",_.,---
September 1, 2005
because I know that's been a lot of question here.
We cared about what product are you putting into our
neighborhood. And I am not a realtor, and I am not a planner, but I
can tell you, if you are selling houses below the median market value
for three- or four-bedroom houses, yeah, that is going to have a
negative effect on a neighborhood. I just think common sense tells us
all that without being realtors.
When we did meet with them, again, it all centered a great deal
around the four bedrooms. I also take great exception to -- and Triad
comes up a lot here because you would think Triad has the exact same
type of units and building; it doesn't.
Triad did a 39-page traffic study from Metro. Mac did three
pages. They're right here. One of them's really just a cover page.
I called Davidson Engineering, who also did the site plan -- or
Exhibit A, as I know it -- and asked them, do you do full traffic
studies? They said no. So I don't even believe that a full traffic study
was done on this side of the property. And when it is done, it needs to
take into account all the other traffic that is now being generated in
this area from all the other developments that have since come in. It
also needs to take into account Triad's development coming onto Palm
Springs Boulevard.
So I am asking, before anything gets done, could we also do a
real traffic study and do a -- or a larger traffic study? Could we also
do maybe a pedestrian study? We have a great deal of problems -- I
shouldn't say problems. We have a great deal of children right now
who have moved into the apartments in that area. One bus picks up at
least 20 students. I don't even know how many buses come back and
forth there.
Triad is going to do, as part of their development, putting in a bus
stop, which is going to really help alleviate it, but there's just so many
more trips going and coming. People come from, not in Palm Springs,
other places down on into there to drop the children off to those bus
Page 60
--~"-,_.__..'~'-,^ .
September 1, 2005
stops.
So that's where the dialogue was going. It wasn't going too good.
I guess, in closing, I should say that I took great offense that
they're saying in the traffic study that this proj ect will not have a
negative impact to the existing roadway conditions. I think, yes, it
certainly will, especially with those amount of trips.
Also, you should know that a few things happened at that
neighborhood meeting with the six of us that I don't know if it's -- it
was represented clearly the way that I understood what happened at
that meeting.
Mac, maybe unintentionally, mislead us by saying that they
would get back to us, so we were waiting to hear, will you lower the
density. And, instead, I called Michael Bosi one day and said,
Michael, you know, where are we with this? And he said, oh, they
submitted and it's at eight. And I said, gosh, nobody told us as the
neighbors that. I called Mr. Hampton and said, have you heard from
them? He said, no, not a word.
So they're talking about, oh, they wanted to talk to the
neighborhood. No, they didn't contact any of us to tell us that. We
found out through Michael Bosi.
Mac tried to basically deceive us by not answering at that
meeting how many were going to be four-bedroom units. We asked. I
physically sat there, took their plan that you saw before and counted
A, B, A, B, A, B, and came up with 40 percent being four bedrooms,
when they knew that that was a very big touch point with us.
What they did then was -- I now felt threatened by them because
what they said was, and I quote -- and he was talking about big, bad
commercial. He said, do you really want commercial? If I build
commercial, you won't like what I build.
Now, gentlemen, I -- and ma'am, I'm sorry, all that I can say is
you have neighbors right now that I feel have been maybe
unintentionally misled, threatened in my opinion, you know, deceived
Page 61
September 1, 2005
in my opinion, and scare tactics, because the scare tactic came in when
he said, well, if we don't get this, if you fight us on this, what's going
to happen is we're going to build even more four-bedrooms.
And we said, you know, where are you going to put them? And
he said, well, when I have to start chopping up -- they had longer
strips -- and when I have to start chopping these up, then we're going
to make even more four-bedrooms to make up for that space. So at
that point the meeting was kind of over. We thought we'd hear
something back. We didn't.
Also as a final note, just so that you know, Triad, who has
worked with us and who came to our neighborhood and who has been
very decent with us, is only building 72 units, not 86.
So again, please take into account that I as a neighbor feel
misled, deceived, and with scare tactics.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, ma'am.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BELLOWS: Rich Hampton, followed by Jonathan Smith.
MR. HAMPTON: Good morning. My name's Rich Hampton. I
live at 706 Pine Crest Lane. And for the record, I don't oppose the
rezone, but I come before you today to talk about some issues that I
think you need to take into account when you decide on a fair density.
And I think you recall maybe last time I was up here when I
talked specifically about the safety of our neighborhood, because that's
what I'm most concerned with.
I've heard the professional planner talk, I've read all the -- I've
heard all the -- I'm not a planner, but I live down there and I have a
great interest in the children.
I can tell you that the school bus -- the first week of school, the
school bus picked my two children up, a fourth-grader and a
first-grader, there were 92 kids on that bus. Six to eight of them
standing in the aisle. I had to rectify the problem with the bus barn.
Page 62
September 1, 2005
We got it fixed. Since then we've had four temporary buses come
down to pick them up because they cannot facilitate picking all those
kids up that we didn't take into account that live back in Tuscan Isle,
which has now completed its phase II.
All traffic, these studies, all the things that we're talking about's
all hypothetical theory . We live down there.
I'm going to tell you right now that someone's going to get killed
walking through Circle K. Every day -- I've had to move the bus stop
twice now. We've got eighth-graders who walk to and from to get
their breakfast. And although this sounds trivial maybe, go down
there sometime. I asked you last time to go down and take a look at it
between seven and nine o'clock.
Although I realize we're faced with the fact that we're a growing
community, we've got to look at these things, maybe it's preferred that
we downgrade to residential, we need to be smarter about the way
we're planning these things, because someone's going to get killed
because of our lack of planning. We've got no sidewalks for the kids
to walk to bus stops.
And I want to correct something that Mr. -- I think, is it -- Bosi
said. He said that these single-family units were a disruption to the
development down there, which is completely incorrect.
If you look at the -- and I don't know how to move that around.
But if you look at the back street, I believe it's Pine Cone Lane, that is
the only street where multi-family exists in our whole neighborhood,
okay? Those were built 14 months ago, is when they CO'ed.
Since then code enforcement's been down there every day,
because we call them every day, to talk to them about the cars up on
blocks, the walls that have been dead bolted with doors shut so that
they can put two and three families in each side of the duplex. That's
a disruption to our neighborhood. And now we're talking today about
putting more multi-family units in the same neighborhood.
I'm okay with the rezone. I'm okay with the building, but I think
Page 63
....,...~'O>".__~.~_,__.__.,_..".~
September 1, 2005
we've got to be smart about the density we allow, and we've got to be
smart about these traffic studies and looking at where we're going to
put these entries and exits, because that's what's truly affecting our
neighborhood.
And the talk about commercial, you know, I realize I wouldn't
want commercial behind me, and I live there, and it will be behind me.
The bottom line is, we need to decide what's the best for the
neighborhood, not what's best for the financial market.
You know, I heard somebody say, you know, what's the average
cost going to be? And I'd want to clarify that point. Our concern was,
what is the price break going to be? Because we're going to end up
with two and three families, just like the street to our north, in these
dwellings if they're built at 265, 270 with four-bedroom units. That's
what's going to happen. We all know that.
And I was told we can't have the institutional bias against having
many families living in apartment complexes, things like that. We
paid a premium and dumped our entire life savings into an
estates-sized home, and that's going to be severely disrupted if we go
with these units at that density.
Now, I do commend Mr. -- Tim for doing what he's done. I think
they have tried to work with us. I just don't think we're there yet. I
think it's going to be up to you, it's a discretionary hearing, to decide if
the density is appropriate. That's the only thing I'm asking you for, and
for some suggestions from the planning commission on how we're
going to fix our traffic problems. I mean, it's really -- you know, I
know you face them countywide. But I'll tell you, we're at a threshold
right now in our neighborhood that needs to be addressed ASAP, right
now. We can't wait any longer.
That's all I have to say.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: What do you suggest is the
appropriate density for this project?
MR. HAMPTON: Honestly I think there needs to be a natural
Page 64
~-...,.",._-,..^
September 1, 2005
decrease, because as you start at Tuscan Isle, I think they're at 14.
Maybe somebody can correct me on that, but I was told originally 14
at theirs. Saddlebrook up the way, I believe, is just less than that, then
we've got Triad, which is going to be to their west, which was
approved at eight, and as you heard Mrs. Gorman say, built out at
seven. They decided the market would bear seven. I would like to see
a decrease of that, and I think that's the best way to answer that, Mr.
Abernathy.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. I have one question, sir.
Have you lived there very long in the home that you're in?
MR. HAMPTON: I've lived there a little over two years.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you know how the zoning got
rezoned, whether the home was there before the zoning and it was a
different type of zoning, or that zoning came on later? Do you know
anything about the --
MR. HAMPTON: I don't. I do know that the builder who built
the majority, or a good portion of our homes, Mrs. Gorman's home,
my home, when we bought -- when we purchased the home, was
hopeful that they could build more single-family homes in the back
street, and that was kind of the expectation that we had.
And if you go down there and you drive, you will find homes
built in the '60s, single-family dwellings, where people have lived for
20, 30 years, and now are being faced with this huge density issue.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Thank you.
MR. HAMPTON: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please?
MR. BELLOWS: The last speaker is Jonathan Smith.
MR. SMITH: I'd like to thank the board for allowing me to come
before them. And my name is Jonathan Smith. I live at 761 Pine Vale
Drive. I have lived there on Pine Vale since 1988, and I've lived as a
Page 65
September 1, 2005
full-time residence in Florida in Naples since 198 -- '78.
We're not against the rezoning to a multi-family, but we are --
we'd prefer a commercial for the reasons of it being more of a
nine-to-five flow of traffic.
As you can see from the little map there, that the -- though it's not
-- it's zoned commercial and it's not isolated. There is the Woodside
bowling alley, there's the Mazda dealership, and there's the Circle K,
there's also a vacant lot which does obstruct the view as far as being
commercial right now. But once those trees are removed, it would be
obviously easily seen from both arterial roadways.
I kind of feel it would be a poor place for residential because of
that unless it is -- unless there's enough buffering to block the view for
the residents and for the commercial.
Right now there's some 438 units in Saddlebrook and Tuscan
Isle, and there's some 91 units in Palm Springs, plus the 86 in the
Triad area, not to mention the surrounding residential areas, so there is
a need for commercial still, especially a C-l where like child care or
something where the low-income housing that basically the Tuscan
Isle and the Saddlebrook is, would have a place to take their children.
We also prefer to see the access for the development off of Radio
Lane. I believe there is adequate distance. The distance between the
Woodside bowling alley and the Palm Springs Boulevard is some 750
feet, which, divided by two, is greater than 350. So we believe that
there is adequate distance there to put the traffic onto Radio Lane.
We'd also like to see -- I didn't realize the -- since the PUD I read,
whatever, they -- I guess they have decided or are willing to put a wall
up, I was hoping to get at least a type B buffer. Nothing was stated in
the PUD that way. A type B allows for an 80 percent opaque buffer
with a six-foot wall. And I'd like to see at least that on -- along the
residential areas and the two roadways. I'm sure they'd want to have
one along Woodside, too.
And I guess one thing that concerned me was in the PUD; I didn't
Page 66
September 1,2005
know that they had changed it to 2,000 square foot. But in the PUD is
stated for 750 square foot units. And if there were any four-unit
buildings -- or four-unit structures, that that would be far undesirable
since the adjoining estate homes on the north and the Triad, which is,
in their PUD, stated to be an average of2,000 square foot.
Like I say, we're not really against the rezoning, but we would
like to see something that's not as dense as the -- what they're
anticipating and something that's desirable for the neighborhood. We
do know that development's going to happen, and it would be nice to
get the homeless off the vacant lot anyway.
So thank you for your time.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Strain, you have a question?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Mr. Smith, I've got a couple
questions for you. I notice the shirt you're wearing is one of our local
engineering firms. You do work for the firm?
MR. SMITH: Yes, I do.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: What kind of work do you do
there?
MR. SMITH: I'm a civil -- well, we're a civil engineering firm,
as a draftsman.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Are you used to dealing with
distances and numbers?
MR. SMITH: Yes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you feel that 750.5 feet is an
accurate reflection from center point to center point of the openings
along that --
MR. SMITH: That is taken from a county aerial, the GIS
mapping. It is very accurate, yes. The county maps are very accurate.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Transportation was here a minute
ago and they represented a lesser number than you're coming up with.
I'm just trying to weigh which one.
Page 67
September 1, 2005
MR. SMITH: Well, if you look on the -- here's a -- there's a
picture of the plat that's -- recorded plat. The number that it shows on
there of -- it's showing 660 from the property corner to the center of
Palm Springs Boulevard. There's also the distance from the property
corner to the entrance to Woodside. On their site plan they are
showing less than 600 feet, but that didn't account for the radius.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: But just for measuring of those
distances, do you normally measure for traffic opening purposes from
center point of the nearest opening or from the right -- edge of the
right-of-way of the nearest opening?
MR. SMITH: We measure from the center to center.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. I just wanted to confirm
then, there is enough distance based on the center to center
measurement to fit in under the criteria of transportation, an opening
onto Radio Road?
MR. SMITH: I believe, yes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Thank you, sir.
MR. SMITH: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Are there any other public speakers, Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: No other speakers registered.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Do you have questions for the petitioner
or staff?
(N 0 response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: If there are none, we will close the public
hearing.
Do we have a motion? I think they're waiting for you, Mr.
Strain.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, the problem I have is I didn't
believe that the Triad PUD should be approved, and I recommended
denial on that and I lost. So I wasn't going to start the meeting out
with that kind of a note because I didn't want to waste the time.
Page 68
September 1, 2005
I have a series of 10 stipulations, if it's deemed to be approved. I
also have a series of what I believe are inconsistencies with our codes
in regards to this proj ect, just as I had with the Triad development.
Now, I can proceed to make a recommendation for denial only to
be overturned by the rest of you. So before I go that far, does
anybody want to make a recommendation of approval?
(No response.)
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: If not, I will continue.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Continue.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Give it a try.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I'd like to make a recommendation
to the Board of County Commissioners for denial of
PUDZ-2004-AR-6207, the Mac residential PUD. I'm finding it
inconsistent with land development code section 4.07.02(B)1, D-3b,
D-3d, D-3f, D-3g; inconsistent with section 5.4 of the growth
management plan; inconsistent with the rezone findings of five, six,
seven, 10 and 14; inconsistent with the findings for the PUD of one,
three, and four. Most all of those are issues in reference to
compatibility .
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I'll second the motion.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Motion by Mr. Strain, second by Mr.
Adelstein.
Mr. Strain, I hate to admit this, but I don't have all those code
sections memorized. Could you give me just kind of an overview of
what your inconsistencies are?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I can read each section, if you'd
like.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Not -- well, just kind of a summary of
what your -- what your assertions are, please.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: The future land use element,
policy 5.4 refers to compatibility. Under the land development code,
all those sections I referred to are 4.07.02 of design requirements
Page 69
September 1, 2005
talking about the areas for the PUD, the external relationships, and
especially the residential density.
Under the sections I cited, most of them were discussing
convenient and unsafe access, traffic congestion, conflict or -- with the
GMP, create a threat or incur abnormal public expense, be
incompatible or inconsistent with surrounding neighborhoods, areas,
or otherwise be inappropriate.
In the rezone findings I used the issues that I was talking to Mr.
Bosi about, where under testimony today he admitted there were some
errors in those rezone findings.
And the findings for the PUD, I do not agree with him on the --
on his analysis of compatibility.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Thank you.
Discussion on the motion?
Yes, sir, Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: I'm in favor of the project
because I think it at least is minimally favorable to families. It's not
affordable housing, but it's a whole lot better than most of the projects
that I see come before us for housing which are half a million dollar
residences and above.
It's almost like there's a bias against families and children. And
in my experience, children always grow up to be teenagers. And if we
have all the housing that's going to be approved by this board only for
upper-income people, we're going to have jammed roads leading into
and out of Naples, and people who work in Naples are all going to
have 12-hour commutes, which is already true of most of the people in
Immokalee who have to drive to Naples in order to go to work.
I think that this is the kind of thing that we need. We need
families that can live closer to where they work. So I'm going to vote
against the motion.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Thank you, sir.
Any other discussion on the motion?
Page 70
September 1, 2005
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: There being none, we'll call the question.
All those in favor of the motion of denial, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER LINDY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Aye.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Those opposed?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. So that is two in opposition, seven
in favor, motion carries.
It is 10:22. We'll take a 10-minute break.
(A brief recess was taken.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: If everybody could please take their seat,
we'll call the planning commission back to order and resume with our
next agenda item.
We will pick up with item C. Petition PUD-A-2005-AR-7152,
Valewood Properties requesting an amendment to the PUD document
and master plan to rezone from commercial to residential.
All those wishing to present testimony on this item, please stand,
raise your right hand to be sworn in.
(The speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you very much. Disclosures by
planning commissioners. For convenience, let's start at the end with
Mr. Murray.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: No, I don't believe I had any
conversations with anybody on this.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you. Mr. Schiffer?
Page 71
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yes. I had a phone conversation
with Bob Shafto regarding density, a conversation with Martha
Lancaster, resident of Quail II, regarding the Valewood Drive
aesthetics, and the three letters from Robert Myers.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah. Those I had, Mr.
Chairman.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. None, Mr. Midney?
Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Same three letters, and I
talked to Mr. Y ovanovich.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: I received three letters from Mr. Myers
and spoke with Rich Y ovanovich regarding this item.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I've got so many letters I don't
even want to spend the time repeating them all, but I think they're all
in public record, and I have spoken to Richard Y ovanovich on some
general issues and Clay Booker on some general issues. I believe
that's all.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: And I appreciate that reminder. I also
spoke to Mr. Booker. I had forgot to disclose that.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: I had three letters, but
consistent with my policy, I didn't open them, so I don't know who
they're from. I saw the letterhead, but that was enough.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I received the same three
letters.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah. I have letters and some
e-mails, and that's it. I have no conversations with anyone.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Before we hear from the
petitioner, I just want to make one personal comment. It's pretty easy
to see that the room's fairly full. This is going to be an item of some
great excitement and interest, and I would request by everybody
present here that you show appropriate respect to everyone that comes
forward and speaks and not have any side comments, and that is
Page 72
September 1, 2005
appropriate and fair and polite for everybody involved.
And we really need your cooperation, because with crowds this
big and issues that are of this much importance to so many people,
things can get out of hand, and we're not going to let that happen.
So with that, please, if we could hear from the petitioner.
MR. TYSON: Good morning, Commissioners, I'm Bruce Tyson
with WilsonMiller. I'm a landscape architect and a planner, and I'm
here on behalf of JED of Southwest Florida, the petitioner on this
property. They are also the owner of the property, and I believe we
have disclosed in the application their financial interests.
With me today is Richard Y ovanovich, who is representing them
as well, our land use attorney. We have Joe D'Jamoos, the president
and owner of JED of Southwest Florida; Andy D'Jamoos, the
vice-president; Brad Guarino, the project manager; and Gavin Zones,
professional engineer and AICP, also of WilsonMiller. He is our
traffic engineer.
What we are asking for -- and this may be a slight modification
to what you have in front of you -- but is to change the land use from
commercial C-3 to multi-family residential at a density of nine units
per acre, not 12. So we are at nine units per acre.
On the visualizer you'll notice the red indicating the property. It's
21.7 acres. It's located approximately three-quarters of a mile east of
Interstate 75 on Immokalee Road, and it is immediately abutting to the
east Longshore Lakes, where you see the cursor. You have Quail II
PUD. It's part of the Quail II PUD.
Let me see if I can move this around to help you out a little bit.
That is right there, and then you have Quail Creek to the north. All of
those properties are served by Valewood Drive.
In front, between Immokalee Road and the Valewood Village
property, as we will call it, is a 20-acre commercial property part of
the PUD, and in that red area that you see right there is also part of
that commercial land right now. That is the portion that we are
Page 73
September 1, 2005
requesting to be rezoned from commercial to residential.
Immediately to the west and across Valewood Drive from this
property is a property called the Meadows, which is a 60-unit
multi-family development which was approved as part of the PUD, the
original PUD, and is going to be absorbed into the Quail Village home
ownership association.
Let me quickly go through some specifics of the property. This
-- and, again, it's 21.7 acres. It was -- as a matter of fact, it was
cleared in the '60s for agricultural purposes, and it was part of a
property from the existing maps that extends over into Longshore
Lakes. That was all part of an agricultural development.
We have not gone before the EAC simply because it was
determined that there are no wetlands on the property, and the
property had been -- there's no native vegetation as well. The only
vegetation that exists is along Valewood Drive, and that happens to be
an exotic Brazilian pepper hedge, primarily.
In addition to that, the one thing that does exist on the property is
a water management permit. And the unique thing about this water
management permit is that it ties it to Longshore Lakes so that the
drainage from this development goes into Longshore Lakes.
As a matter of fact, it's not only this development, but it's all of
that development that is in the front of this property as well, meaning
out toward Immokalee Road that is also commercial.
Let me just try to help you along with that. This is the piece here
that I'm talking about and referring to. That entire component is part
of the water management district permit.
Pipes are already in place, and the water goes through the pipes,
comes down, and goes through the back yards and then into that
portion of Longshore Lake.
The developed properties, there are four or five of them now.
This is in 2004, January aerial, so consequently some of the properties
are missing, but all of those properties are allowed to discharge in the
Page 74
September 1, 2005
exact same manner.
Now, how did we -- to come up with 196 units, how did we
really get to this density? Well, as you are aware, the growth
management plan allows for projects that are commercial to be
rezoned to residential at a rate of up to 16 units per acre. We
recognize that that is a sizable number. It would be one thing if we
were immediately tied to an activity center, but at the same time, we
looked at that, and that is a number that exists within the growth
management plan.
In addition, the growth management plan allows for a density of
up to three units an acre to be allowed for projects that are within one
mile of an existing activity center. In this case, the center of the
activity center is at Immokalee Road and I-75. I believe it's activity
center number four. And as indicated before, you can see where
Valewood Village is approximately three-quarters of the way out. It is
completely within that density band.
The interesting thing about it, of course, is that it also cuts
through a portion of the Quail II PUD. And when you look at all of
these numbers that are put together to be -- to look for the words
consistency and compatibility, the most important thing, of course, is
to recognize and make sure that the underlying densities of any of
these projects are never violated.
And so when we looked at that -- as a matter of fact, when we did
our original plan and looking at it at 12 units an acre, everything fit
into the exact same category. So at nine, it would have to as well.
And when we did that, you come up with an underlying density
within the Quail II PUD at 193 acres of777 units. The 135.55 acres at
three units per acre gets you to 406 units.
The overall potential allowable density, therefore, within the
Quail II PUD by the GMP is 1,183 units. And the total density of the
Quail II PUD within Valewood Village by the time you add Valewood
Village at the nine units per acre is 556.
Page 75
_~h_,~,_.____~.._.__.,..·__· M
September 1, 2005
Quickly translating those numbers for you, totally we're at 47
percent of the allowable number of units in the GMP, and we are at
gross density within the Quail II PUD of 2.9 units per acre. Certainly
we're taking advantage of those numbers. You say, well, how can it
be that low? Well, there's a golf course that's in -- that's part of the
Quail II PUD and creates a substantial amount of open space.
When we looked at this in trying to come up with where we
were, again, with all of the number of units and what seemed to make
sense, one of the advantages, of course, is the fact that, as you heard
me say earlier, that the water management would be contained on
another property.
Typically, the water management of projects in Collier County
takes about 15 -- somewhere between 15 and 18 percent, depending
upon their density and depending upon how much impervious surface
you have. Assuming the lower number of 15 percent, it would equate
to about 1.3 units per acre if you extrapolated that out.
So consequently, if you took a site plan and placed it on here at
nine units per acre that would be common throughout the rest of the
county and placed that same site plan on here and had the use of that
15 or 18 percent that we don't have to deal with here because the water
management is taken care of in Longshore Lakes, the effective density
is reduced to about 7.7 units per acre as a feel on the ground. So
there's a big difference between what's approved and what's
constructed.
And consequently, taking in all the considerations and the fact
that you don't have to do water management, it has a very major
impact on the way in which the proj ect is developed, finalized, and
exactly how it feels. So that was a very important consideration in the
determining of the number of units to request.
We also tried to take a look at what would happen if this proj ect
wound up being a commercial venture. And since it is already a
commercial property, the question was, what does a commercial
Page 76
,-,.~---».,,,
_..._.~-"-
September 1, 2005
property do for anyone here? Is it viable? And in talking to the ---- as
a matter of fact, our owners and developers here are primarily
commercial developers. They, too, recognize that there's a certain
value and there's a compatibility issue if you look at it when you think
about what's going on when you come back in Valewood Drive.
Now, if you've been back in Valewood Drive, the first think you
encounter is coming across quite a pleasant bridge that goes across the
Immokalee Road Canal, you go under a number of live oak trees that
have, over the years, because this project started a number of years
ago, they now have created a complete canopy. And if you drive back
in there, the feeling is far more residential than it is commercial.
However, that being said, we can point to a number of examples
-- I'll point to a couple in the Strand, and I can point to a couple
around the hospital on Immokalee Road -- that have sizable office
buildings, sizable retail components that are not right on -- directly on
Immokalee Road, and at the same time, they exist very nicely back off
the roadway. So it's not impossible to say that this could not (sic) be
developed as commercial.
However, you'll also notice that this property butts up against a
whole series of single-family units in Longshore Lake. And in that
situation, having sizable buildings, and as a matter of fact, continuing
with the existing code that allows that C-3, it also allows four-story
buildings, up to 50 feet in height to be developed in there. That could
be a commercial development.
So consequently, that is right in the code right now. As a matter
of fact, that's in the Quail II PUD, that's an SDP process, and that
could be done without having any board hearings. So our -- we took
an approach of saying, maybe it could be done as a complete office
proj ect.
And so when we looked at that, the traffic that was developed
from that versus a 12-unit building at the time in that development,
was about 40 percent more from an office building at the peak hour,
Page 77
September 1, 2005
and we just looked at it from that standpoint. We didn't do an in-depth
evaluation.
No matter which way we turned with that, we felt that it was
going to be better for the community, far better for everyone along
Valewood Drive, if the project came out as a multi-family residential
project, because the traffic was going to be substantially less.
In reality, if you were to build that, it would probably be a mixed
use type of commercial development. They would have some retail,
because you can see to the east on your visual point there where the
property line comes down and virtually touches out to Immokalee
Road, you've got good visibility, so probably it would wind up being
somewhere -- a certain component would be commercial, a certain
component -- meaning retail, some component would be office, and
some component would be medical office.
And if you look at that -- and we looked at a.m. peak, we looked
at p.m. peak, we looked -- we looked at it any way you could, and we
looked at it from an -- average daily trips. And no matter which way
we looked at it, in all cases, a nine-unit multi-family project was going
to have less traffic than would a project of 230,000 square feet, 30
percent of it being retail, 30 percent of it being office, and 40 percent
of it being medical office, which would probably be built there, and
that's at 230,000 square feet, which, by the way, does not max out the
property .
So I think where we've come to is the fact that, as we look at this
-- and I want you to look at this as not necessarily just Valewood
Village. I think what you have to do is step back and look at this as the
Quail II PUD. And the point is, if we were standing here today and
we came to you, would you approve a PUD which has an overall
density of 2.9 units per acre, is only 47 percent of the total allowable
residential units, offers compatibility with the surrounding uses, and is
consistent with the growth management plan, and I hope your answer
to that would be yes.
Page 78
----"-'-,,--.-.---..----,,---.-"
September 1,2005
I'll entertain any questions.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Questions for the petitioner?
Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah. And I think Margie, this
is kind of for you, too, is, I'm familiar with the commercial reduction
to residential for 16, but does that apply within a PUD? Can a -- first
of all, I think that's being removed from the GMP to begin with, and
secondly, I thought that was for existing zoning districts, not within
PUDs.
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: It is my understanding that that
would also apply in a PUD zoning district.
MR. SCHMITT: Do you want to talk into your microphone,
please.
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: Yes. It's my understanding that
that could apply in a PUD zoning district; isn't that correct, Mr.
Bellows? And I believe our long-range planning staff or growth
planning staff has concluded that it does.
MR. BELLOWS: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So a developer could -- with a
PUD, put in commercial, come back 10 years later and say, hey, I get
16 units, or I can ask for 16 units? I guess if you said he could, he
could.
Is this area in a traffic area where you require reduction in
density? Isn't there a situation where you would have to --
MR. TYSON: No, it is -- it is definitely east of Airport Road,
which is the limit for where the traffic congestion boundary is.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. And the -- okay. I'll
come back later.
MR. TYSON: Could I just make one more point? I should have
concluded with this instead. I handed out to you a version of -- a
revised version of the PUD, and let me just go through a couple of
changes that happened.
Page 79
September 1, 2005
This happened as a result, by the way, of a meeting that we had
with the Quail Village and the Quail-- excuse me -- Quail Village and
Longshore Lakes homeowners' associations. And as a result of that, I
just wanted to go through a couple of things with you.
I'll start out by just the changes. There's a number of changes
that happened right up front in the statement of compliance, simply to
go from the 12, so that you'll see a whole series of changes there right
in that first section.
On page eight, you will notice a change going in the application
of 12, that is now nine for the number of units. The maximum number
of units, also on page eight, on paragraph 8.34D, is 196 versus 260 in
the application.
On page 12 in the table, the maximum building height is in the --
is there right now as three stories over parking. We are proposing two
stories or 35 feet abutting the Longshore Lake PUD and Valewood
Drive. Three stories, or 45 feet, elsewhere. That, by the way, when
you work it out very quickly, is, about half of the building would be at
two stories and half of the buildings would be at three stories. That's
about half of the property fits into that area.
On the building setback on page 12 as well, 35 feet was in the
application on the east side. That is now 50 feet, and minimum
building area, which was not in the application, is now 1,600 square
feet.
And if you will look then on the -- on page 15, under the
landscape section, 35H, the fourth paragraph has been added. If you
will notice on your graphic, the little yellow spot that's up in the far
north corner, there's a portion of the wall that has not been completed.
It's actually right now behind a lot of shrubbery so you don't even
notice that.
But the developer has agreed to construct that wall and to finish it
so that it's a complete wall. There's an existing wall that exists all
along the entire east side of the property right now.
Page 80
September 1, 2005
And finally, the last point in there is that trees -- or the property
from a buffer on the east, north, and west side, so therefore, it's all
along the east property and then all along Valewood Drive -- shall
contain trees with a minimum height of 12 feet. That's two feet above
the requirement right now in the LDC.
And in addition to that, shall be one-half of the height of an
adjacent building, whichever is greater. So if we wound up with a
32-foot building that adjoined those properties, you'd wind up with a
16- foot tree in the buffer. So those are the changes that we have gone
through and looked at.
In addition, there's a couple of other points that should be made
because they're far more appropriate to be placed in a -- in any kind of
homeowners' or condominium documents, and they will be that
Valewood Village will contribute a proportion of dry land -- in this
case it's 12 percent -- of the dollar amount for the maintenance of the
stormwater management that goes into Longshore Lake. So they'll
take care of their proportional share of the water management for the
maintenance of that facility.
Secondly, when he comes to rentals, this is a -- definitely a
for-sale market-rate project. And what will happen here is it will be --
occasionally some owners may wish to lease. Well, as a document
that will be inserted in those homeowner documents, we'll indicate
that all leases shall be for a minimum period of 90 consecutive days
and no residential unit may be rented for more than three times in any
calendar year. So it's just to avoid the transient nature of any type of
rental.
Another point is that there is an association between Longshore
Lakes, Quail Creek, Quail Creek Country Club, and Quail Village that
deals with the maintenance and upkeep of Valewood Drive. They are.
all quarter-share members right now. Assuming Valewood Village
becomes part of that, they will now be an equal partner or pay for 20
percent of that maintenance.
Page 81
September 1, 2005
And roofing materials will not be asphalt shingles. They will
wind up being other than that.
And then one other comment that we plan to do is build a gated
community. The idea is that every other community that is back there
is gated, so the idea will be to make it to the point of where that is the
case, and that will continue the existing high quality that will exist
within that community. Okay.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Anything else, Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah. Going back to your page
12, the setbacks. The concern I have is that you describe front yard
setbacks as what you're showing on here as building setbacks. Could
you remove the word front from that and make it yard setback so that
-- for example, you remember the last hearing, you know, you have a
different rear yard setback, and I wouldn't want anybody to be
confused that your intention there is that 50 feet there is devoid of all
buildings, accessory --
MR. TYSON: Okay. We can make that modification, sure.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And there's no buildings within
that 50.
MR. TYSON: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And I would just get rid of the
word front to make sure of that. That's all for now. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: What do you anticipate will be
the sticker price of these units?
MR. TYSON: Everything we're hearing from the standpoint of
market, they will be above -- about 500, and I would say that would be
the entry point in a couple of years when it comes out.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Does this project plan to do
anything for affordable housing in Collier County?
Mr. TYSON: Could I have Rich Yovanovich answer that,
please?
Page 82
---'--'-"'-"-"<'-'.~,---_.".~.
".,.-...........-.--....
._.'_._,~--~,-~...,~..._..._-,_._.-"._--~..-
September 1, 2005
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We recognize that there's going to be an
impact to affordable housing, and we have -- or will work out an
arrangement. We'll make a donation, which we've done on other
projects, of roughly a $1,000 a unit, depending on what gets approved
to go towards addressing affordable housing, either in Collier County,
within the urban area or in the Immokalee area.
So we recognize that we need to address that issue, and we'll
address that issue.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Marjorie, on that issue that
Richard just mentioned, Marjorie?
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Requesting or requlnng an
applicant to donate to a, I'm assuming, a private enterprise for a
specific non-profit purpose --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Mr. Strain, nobody's asked me to do that
or required me to do that. We've agreed to do that.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Has anybody asked you on your
other projects?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Well, that's irrelevant to this discussion.
Let's talk about this project.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, Richard, I just want to make
sure that if there's an extraction, it's legal.
MR. YO V ANOVICH: I never said it was extracted.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Anything else, Mr. Midney?
Other questions of the petitioner?
Mr. Strain?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Mr. Tyson, under your project
description on page 2 of your PUD, item 2.2B, it talks about a
maximum of 60 dwelling units added for a conversion of a sewage
treatment site.
MR. TYSON: Excuse me. This is part of the existing PUD.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Yes.
Page 83
September 1, 2005
MR. TYSON: That is the part, talking about the Meadows. That
is the Meadows.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That's what I'm trying to find out,
yes.
MR. TYSON: Okay. I'm sorry.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That is been converted?
MR. TYSON: That is correct.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. The 360 units existing,
does that include the Meadows or not include the Meadows?
MR. TYSON: It includes them.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Of the 360, how many of them are
single- family; do you know?
MR. TYSON: Not off the top of my head.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I'm not familiar with Longshore.
Do you know the density -- do you know the number of units in
Longshore?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Five hundred and fifty-six.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you know if their only exit is
Valewood Drive?
MR. TYSON: I believe it is.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Five hundred and fifty-six.
Under your page -- and I have to go with the PUD that was given
to us with our package because I couldn't read yours this morning. So
page 8 of the one that was provided to us.
The residential R-l district -- oh, you already answered that, 360
does include the water treatment center. I just found it in a couple
places, so I kept tabbing it.
Let me go back. On Page 10, J, development standards, this may
be a staff question as such. You're talking about what the standards are
going to be for the proj ect infrastructure. Why? I mean, aren't you
going to have to be consistent with land development code?
MR. TYSON: Totally.
Page 84
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. This shouldn't -- this really
isn't necessary to be in your PUD?
MR. TYSON: It doesn't need to be. Frequently it winds up being
there.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Under same page L4, little
i, principal uses and structures. Townhouses, multi-family dwellings
and neighborhood recreational facilities. Those are usually noisy.
Where are you planning to put those?
MR. TYSON: That would certainly be in the center of the
project. The neighborhood in this case means the neighborhood for
Valewood Village only.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: If you could -- under the same
category but the following page, little 3i, you again refer to
community parks and similar uses, shuffleboard courts, tennis courts.
If those were to be placed in the project, where would they be placed?
MR. TYSON: Again, the idea would be to have that as a
community central facility . We would certainly strive to place most
of those in the center of the facility so it would be as close as possible
and not encourage traffic. We want people to walk to it, not to ride to
it.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: And the noise to the surrounding
neighborhoods would be minimized, too.
Under N, development standards.
MR. TYSON: Yes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: You provide a nice paragraph
saying that you're going to be in accordance with the LDC.
Ray, is that an option?
MR. BELLOWS: No, it's not an option.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So we don't need to mention it
again in the PUD.
Under your development standards table, you have front setback
from internal drives at 20 feet. I know that 23 feet is supposed to be
Page 85
September 1, 2005
the minimum to allow for parking. I just want to make sure you're
aware that 23 is the minimum, not 20.
MR. TYSON: Well, in the -- I'm aware of the fact that it's 23,
but in this case, we will have -- everything will be garaged.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay.
MR. TYSON: They're planning on two-car garages. So I don't
know if there's a need. I recognize -- let's put it this way, I recognize
that there is a need to make sure that the bumper does not overhang
the sidewalk.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Right. And that has been deemed
by staff in the reviews they currently provide to the public at 23 feet,
so -- I mean, I know you could argue you could use a shorter car, but
if they're not going to allow it, it doesn't make --
MR. TYSON: I'm not into -- no.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Page 13, C, water management.
You're going to submit anything for approval, CDES. Do we need to
say that in the PUD?
MR. BELLOWS: No.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Under transportation,
you're going to be consistent with our traffic control procedures. Do
you need to see that in the PUD?
MR. BELLOWS: No.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: No. I would just hope that maybe
after doing this enough times and wasting enough meetings on it, we
would eliminate some of this language.
Under the engineering, detailed paving and all that will be
pursuant to CDES. We don't need that either.
Under landscaping, item H, second paragraph. Up to one-half, or
seven and one-half of the 15- foot Collier County draining easement
that runs parallel to and 20 feet west of the east property boundary
may be used to satisfy the landscape buffer requirements of section
four of the LDC. I couldn't figure out what you're trying to say there.
Page 86
September 1, 2005
Could you explain that to me?
MR. TYSON: Sure. Very characteristically on drainage
easements, and drainage easements only, the landscape buffer can
occupy half of them, and I just wanted to make sure that it was -- it's
not a specific statement that is made in the LDC, but it is allowed.
And I just wanted to make it clear exactly what was happening here.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Is this a deviation to the LDC?
MR. BELLOWS: I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: The whole thing?
MR. BELLOWS: Just the last part.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Heidi, have you been following
this?
MS. WILLIAMS: Good morning. For the record, Heidi
Williams, Zoning and Land Development Review.
This was reviewed by our landscape reviewer, and this was found
to be in compliance with the land development code.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. But is this a deviation to
the land development code?
MS. WILLIAMS: I don't believe it is.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Then we don't need it here, I
would think. I would just offer that up for maybe next time.
Next paragraph, I would ask you that same question. It's talking
about six-foot high fence. Minimum setback. Trees shall be planted
30 feet on center, 30-inch heights with three feet on center. If it's not a
deviation then -- if it is a deviation, you have to stipulate it, and I want
to --
MR. TYSON: It's not a deviation. It was a request by the
reviewer of the landscape, because normally it would be the
commercial developer who would wind up putting in that wall or
fence.
In this case, it will be the residential developer simply because
there have been commercial developments already started that have
Page 87
September 1, 2005
not been asked to put in a fence or a wall behind their facilities. So
we're making it very clear as to what needs to be accomplished.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Under your traffic
improvements, you talk about a -- access on -- the PUD talks about an
access on Valewood Drive, and it's 4.1C, little i. And it says, the
street connection on Valewood may be the principal access to the
lands to the east unless such principal access is authorized by the
Quail Creek and Quail II Development Organization. The PUD map
shows it as an access. Is this now not a principal access point, or how
is this being addressed?
MR. TYSON: First of all, this is in the old portion of the PUD.
Nothing's being asked to be changed here.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Right.
MR. TYSON: Our interpretation of that is that was the access
point that goes into Longshore Lake. That was the -- that was the
request when this PUD was developed to say, leave a point where we
can access the development to the east. That has nothing to do, as we
interpret that, has to do anything with Valewood Village.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Is Valewood Village to the east of
Valewood Drive?
MR. TYSON: Yes, but all of Longshore Lakes is, too.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Oh, I'm just wondering why you
limited it then to Longshore Lakes. I understand your reasoning.
MR. TYSON: I didn't change it. That's exactly what the
wording was in the previous PUD.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: But your analysis limits it to
believing it's just Longshore Lakes that this applies to and not to your
development; is that right?
MR. TYSON: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. I'm just wondering how
you concluded that.
On 4.3, Band C were crossed out. Does that mean those were
Page 88
,-~"."',,-,,, 'q ..... .-
September 1, 2005
completed?
A combination of -- in this case, no, neither one was completed.
They were no longer determined necessary with the water
management permit that now takes all of the water from this locale
and puts it over into Longshore Lakes. Those were requirements. As a
matter of fact, we were asked to clean this up by the engineering
department so that those points were no longer in here because they
were no longer necessary.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I've been here for a long time, and
I remember driving past that area when the canal to the south was
being reworked. In fact, the machine that was reworking it knocked
out a bunch of sections of that Cedar Creek fence that Longshore
Lakes has around it, and there was a sign up at one time saying, see
what they did.
This says, the Immokalee Road canal shall be improved along the
entire southerly boundary with Quail II project. If that got done, who
paid for it; do you know? Because it looked like this PUD was
obligated to pay it for it.
MR. TYSON: No. I think what happened at the time, or
between the original writing of this PUD and this, if you recall, South
Florida came in and did a significant widening and bridge
improvement project on that canal, I'm going to guess, about five or
SIX years ago --
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Yes, they did.
MR. TYSON: -- and I think they were the ones who did it.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Interesting. I have a lot of
questions of Mr. Scott, so I thank you.
MR. TYSON: Okay.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Any questions for Mr. Tyson while he's
up here?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Scott, looks like it's your turn.
Page 89
September 1, 2005
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm out of sequence. If that concludes the
petitioner's request, or representation, then we'll move on to our staff
report, and Heidi Williams would open that.
MS. WILLIAMS: Thank you. Again, for the record, Heidi
Williams, Principal Planner with Zoning and Land Development
Review.
This petition was reviewed by staff on a request for 12 units per
acre, conversion of commercial property in the Quail II PUD to
multi-family residential.
Staff found that the petitioner's request did comply with the
growth management plan and the land development code.
The required neighborhood information meeting was held on July
5th. It was well attended by area residents. Concerns were expressed
by those who attended on traffic and the proposed density.
You have before you today a revised PUD document explained
by Mr. Tyson. You also received, for the record, additional
correspondence that was received by me after your packet was sent to
you.
The zoning analysis of this petition is highlighted in the staff
report and covers the transition of uses Mr. Tyson did explain.
Essentially we looked at commercial development along
Immokalee Road and the lower density residential to the north and
east. This proj ect could be viewed as a transition between something
that is considered very low density and something more intense.
The applicant was asked by our landscape review to provide a
wall and place that requirement in the PUD. The land development
code does require a commercial developer when building to provide
that wall when adj acent to residential. Because the residential does
follow, it was asked that this requirement be placed on the second
applicant, in this case the residential property.
In response to Commissioner Strain's question about the weir and
the language that was removed from section 4.3, that was a request of
Page 90
September 1, 2005
our engineering department noting that those improvements have been
made, and this language was now extraneous.
Staff does recommend approval of the petition. And as I said
before, it was reviewed at 12 units per acre. Certainly at nine units per
acre that is now proposed with the additional stipulations given by the
applicant staff is still in favor and recommends approval.
I'd be happy to answer any questions you have of me.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Questions for staff? Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Heidi, what kind of review did
staff do for the need for commercial in this area, specifically office
area like that? I mean, obviously we know there's a lot of retail in the
area. But is there any review as to whether this area needed office
space to balance out everything?
MS. WILLIAMS: We haven't reviewed what could be needed in
the area. We simply reviewed the request made by the petitioner on
what they would like to put in that space.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. But in other words,
there's no concern over whether, to balance our community, it would
be good to have commercial in this area, places where people go to
work and stuff?
MS. WILLIAMS: The petition was reviewed to look at what was
proposed, and the multi-family proposed here and the surrounding
area seemed to blend in a way that would be compatible. Office space
in this location is not -- is allowed currently, but that's not what the
petition is for.
MR. SCHMITT: Mr. Schiffer, just for the record, Joe Schmitt,
administrator of community development, environmental services.
We don't evaluate an overall evaluation in regards to the commercial.
That is market driven.
If this is in commercial -- or it's within an activity center,
certainly it's within one mile of the activity center and all the
commercial zoned areas within that activity center. But in regards to a
Page 91
.-.----
September 1, 2005
holistic review for commercial, that is not part of our review. That
aspect is market driven.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
MR. BELLOWS: Especially on individual amendments, we're
looking at an amendment that has to be consistent with the
comprehensive plan, and staff has found, the comprehensive planning
department's found it consistent, and there's no override -- there's no
overriding commercial office policy that says a certain amount of
office space has to be located in North Naples or whatever. There's
just no plan for staff to go by.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So there wasn't any review like
that. My concern is we're getting a lot of PUDs. Obviously
residential's hot. They're converting a lot of commercial to res -- I
mean, I hope we're not trying to solve the workplace housing problem
by getting rid of the workplaces. I mean, the workforce housing.
That's it. Okay.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Other questions of staff?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Just one. Heidi, my memory's
getting difficult at times. I know I've driven by Quail II before it was
probably built, and Longshore Lakes. But do you know which one
came first?
MS. WILLIAMS: The Quail II PUD was adopted before
Longshore Lakes was adopted.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Did they have a common
developer, if I'm not mistaken? Was that the Hardy group that
developed both of those; do you know?
MS. WILLIAMS: I'm not aware of that history.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: At some point someone had to,
maybe Don Scott -- never mind. I'll save you.
Don Scott's the guy that maybe could answer this. It has to do
with Valewood Drive.
MS. WILLIAMS: Okay.
Page 92
"~--,._-..-,->,..--'-
September 1,2005
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Go right ahead.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Hi again, Don.
MR. SCOTT: Hi.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I think we'll build up to my
question here so I can understand what I'm trying to say and give it to
you in the most concise way possible.
MR. SCOTT: Okay.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: There was a transportation study
provided to us in contrast to the one provided by the applicant. This
one was provided by Gray Calhoun and Associates. It came in our --
it came in one of our packages. Have you seen that?
MR. SCOTT: I don't think I have then.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Because they come up with
a startling difference between traffic impacts of this proj ect from the
way the applicant saw it and the way they're seeing it. And I'm not
sure that they even have got all the issues in there, but I didn't know if
you had time to review it or not.
When Longshore Lakes decided to connect into Valewood Drive,
the Quail II was already permitted or zoned or had an order for 360
available units there. Longshore added 550.
Now, I know Longshore is all single-family, and I know probably
300 of the 360 in Quail II is single-family, or at least a good portion of
them, I should say. I know that 60 out front are Meadows, and I've
already heard today that that's multi-family. But we've got close to
say 800 single-family.
The traffic counts done for this applicant's proposed project was
done on the townhouse style, which is 5.7 ITE trip generation.
MS. WILLIAMS: Uh-huh.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Single-family comes in at almost
double that, at 9.57 ITE trip generation. The reason that's important
is, because when I generally understand PUDs to come forward to us,
Page 93
September 1, 2005
they try to show the best possible scenario for their trip counts on the
road system. And if they have a mixed-use PUD with a commercial
component, I have not seen one yet come through that hasn't taken
advantage of the capture rate.
MR. SCOTT: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: And since two PUDs now exit
through Valewood Drive, you've got a combined capture rate under a
single- family category and ITE of over 800 units.
Now, just on the Quail II -- let's forget Longshore Lakes, because
I didn't realize how its interconnection occurred until today. But if
you just take the calculation of 360 single-family times the trip
generations rate 9.57, you get a daily trip count of 3,445 EDT.
Twenty-five percent of that is what you would normally allocate to
internal capture if you had a mixed-use component; is that fair to say?
MR. SCOTT: Yeah, 20, 25 percent.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. That's 1,361 EDT. They're
claiming that there's 1,446 weekday trips generated by what they're
proposing, and they're showing a net gain by the 230,000 square feet
of commercial taken off of 10,087.
But if you add the intentional capture rate that the PUD probably
depended on to get approved in the first place, you've got to add 1,361
additional trips just for Quail II, and that doesn't include Longshore
Lakes, which probably relied on the same benefit of internal capture
rate, and it also doesn't take into account up to 10 or 15 percent bypass
rate.
Are all those logical conclusions to possibly come to?
MR. SCOTT: I think you're hitting on it with the commercial
side. Is getting rid of commercial everywhere best for transportation?
No. If it's an area that you need it and -- the funny thing is that it
would be better if you could pick exactly what it's going to be and
then say, you know, this is what I really need in this area, and that will
cut trips in a different part of the county, but you don't always have
Page 94
"¥..----.---,.--.--
_, " I ,,~~' .-
September 1, 2005
that choice either, so --
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, what I did was calculated
out, like I just explained to you, and I showed not that they have a
positive increase on trip generation at the density they're trying to get
of one-oh-eight-seven, they actually have a negative increase of 790
EDT, and it only gets much, much worse by the time you add in
Longshore Lakes.
So, in essence, the loss of that internal capture kills the traffic
impacts in relationship to what it could have been and what that PUD
probably relied on at the time it was approved, assumingly your
predecessor, if there was such a thing.
When your department reviewed this, did you look at the internal
capture rate that was logged?
MR. SCOTT: And we've looked at different scenarios through
actually having other submittals of it. If it was retail, office, and
medical. If it was, you know -- different scenarios from trip-wise.
Now, strictly, is that going to lower it on Immokalee right out in
front, probably not. But does it help something from somewhere else?
F or instance, if someone from the Estates is coming in, and instead of
going to Pine Ridge and U.S. 41, they go to this location, yeah, it
helps the network out.
And that's the problem with, you know, specifically saying that
all commercial's bad or residential's what we want in certain areas.
Now, I know you kind of touched on this, there are a lot of
locations around the turning from residential to commercial. Are we
meeting the future demand for the whole entire population of the
county? That's a concern of ours in transportation.
Is it specifically at this location? No. I'm a little less concerned,
obviously, because we have a lot of commercial at the corner of -- or
retail at the corner of I - 7 5 and Immokalee. As we get further out
towards the Estates and some of the things that have changed recently,
yeah, we're very concerned by that.
Page 95
'N.__."'__'~'^-
September 1, 2005
MR. SCHMITT: Don, if I could just interrupt for a minute. I
mean, you -- as the planning commission certainly can recall, we had
another petition which was clearly commercial where staff recognized
it was a needed entity, that was the commercial site on 951 just south
of Immokalee Road, and, of course, that was going -- that went down
in defeat, and now you're going to see that proj ect come back as a mix
of residential and commercial.
So we recognize in some areas of the county there is a desperate
need for commercial sites because we want to bring that capture rate
away from the urban area, or at least in areas where we know where
growth is taking place. So it -- many times it depends on the mood of
the community because that one went down in flames, so to speak, if
you use the analogy, because the residents in and around that proposed
site were totally against it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And back to the other question.
I mean, good planning isn't based on mood, isn't based on
marketplace. It's based on good planning.
MR. SCOTT: Yeah, but -- and even if you can get the residents
of a neighboring place, let's -- you know, no specific place, they want
to have reduced, you know, like office, a reduced use. But, you know,
look around the county, we need gas stations for crying out loud, and
-- but does anybody want a gas station next door? I mean, that is a
problem for our future planning.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, Don, in looking at the TIS
that was supplied, they are indicating that they have a -- only a couple
segments exceed the di minimis impact. It didn't take into
consideration the argument that I just proposed to you, so I certainly
would question the validity of the entire TIS in regards to its impact of
the PUD on the roads when the internal capture rate is taken away.
And also, as you indicated, Estates people and other people may
pull into this thing, so your bypass traffic of 10 to 15 percent, all these
percentages that are recommended uses by ITE, and I see continually
Page 96
~_.~--~-~--~--~-~-
September 1, 2005
when these proj ects are initiated, developers take advantage of them.
Well, it may work in the opposite effect for something like this.
And also on that intersection that's being planned for I-75 and
Immokalee Road, in your analysis of the road system versus this
change, did you take the Target into consideration? I know the
Wal-Mart's already up and running, but the Target is not.
MR. SCOTT: Yes, yes. And one of the things, if from a -- if you
look at what I submitted to you last year for the AUIR, in the capacity
in there, it did not assume the loop, it did not assume six lanes onto the
interstate.
N ow that we've gone to the board and got approval for the
right-of-way at the Target, and we're moving forward with FDOT with
that project, the capacity's increased on that segment of roadway also.
So not only do we have the impacts of their developments -- which
actually, if you look at it from the model, was higher anyway, because
that -- when Target went in, it had a much higher square footage, and
they've reduced that. It was -- I don't know, it was like 400 something
down to 325, or whatever it was originally.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Well, that's all I've got,
Don, thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Yes, Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I have a couple of Don.
Don, review the traffic study, isn't the flow of the commercial
essentially the opposite of the residential? In other words, in the
morning when everybody's leaving the residential thing, the
commercial people are coming in the opposite way, and --
MR. SCOTT: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- essentially, you know, to be
balancing that this is a lesser flow. It's an opposite flow, too, isn't it?
MR. SCOTT: Yeah, it can be an opposite flow. Obviously it
will be different if it ended up being -- for instance, retail it might be a
later peak than the morning peak. So, you know, it depends on what
Page 97
September 1, 2005
type of uses it ends up.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Another question, too, is, I've
been in there in the morning, and it's really kind of difficult to come
out of there; there's a lot of backup. Would it be a good idea to
connect Valewood through this -- the Executive Drive by the gas
station? Wouldn't it be wise to add another outlet for this
neighborhood, something further away from the Oaks light and
everything?
MR. SCOTT: In some of the issues specifically where signals
are going to be in the future, one where you've got -- we're doing --
Immokalee is the design build. The design hasn't started because it is
design build. Within about three months we'll be kicking that project
off. Weare looking at some of the access issues.
Obviously, people want to keep their signals, but the more
signals, the worse the level of service is going to be in the future.
Logan, obviously, is going to be a signal in the future also, to the
south and to the -- you know, the southern portion, widen -- we're
doing the new roadway from Immokalee down to Vanderbilt, the new
two-lane section, and then the developer's doing the section from
Immokalee up to Bonita Beach also.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But the question -- I mean, you
know, where Valewood comes in is very close to Oaks.
MR. SCOTT: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And it's obviously extremely
difficult to even stack. Wouldn't it be wise to add another alternate
route out of this development? You know, there's a lot of claim that
this is an interconnected development, but it isn't really an
interconnected. It's an only-connected development.
MR. SCOTT: And you're hitting specifically issues that we've
tried to address previously with the neighborhoods up there. I don't
know where we're going to end up.
Valewood was put up as a temporary signal. That's not, I believe,
Page 98
-,,,~.,._....,,,,.,,-"'
~.._--
September 1, 2005
where they want to end up. The thought behind that was at one point
Oaks was talking about removing their signal. I believe they want to
keep their signal there, too.
We -- end result is we don't want them that close together. And I
know where you're going from there. And are we going to get there
from an interconnection? I don't know.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But wouldn't it be -- as we're
looking at this piece of land here -- because it's -- where they want
access, wouldn't it be wise for that access to come all the way through
their property, come out onto Executive Drive and give that extra
access? It wouldn't add traffic to the neighborhood. If anything, it
would peel traffic off in two ways.
MR. SCOTT: It makes sense.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Any other questions of staff?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. There being none at this point, are
there registered public speakers?
MR. BELLOWS: We have about 14 registered speakers.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay.
MR. BELLOWS: The first one is Bob Shafto, and I believe he
has a PowerPoint presentation.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: As there are so many speakers, I just want
to make a point. The official policy is that individual speakers will be
limited to five minutes on any item. Individuals speaking on behalf of
an organization or group may be allotted additional time.
And it has been my policy as chairman of the planning
commission that as long as we're receiving new, competent, and
credible testimony, that it is not redundant, we'll extend whatever time
is necessary. But as we may possibly receive redundant testimony, at
that time I'll call the speaker and try to hear new and fresh testimony
so that we can consider the issues.
Page 99
September 1, 2005
Sir?
MR. SHAFTO: Yes. Mr. Chairman, my name is Bob Shafto.
I'm the president of Quail Creek Country Club, and I've been asked to
speak, in addition to the country club, for the Estates, so I would like a
little more time, if I could. I think I can get this done in a little less
than 10 minutes.
I'm going to make some introductory comments as an overview
here, then I'm going to talk about our position, the position of Quail
Creek and the Estates, talk about our concerns and make some
arguments about compatibility and about the impact of traffic on this
project, and then make some summary comments.
If you'd like to interrupt me as I go through this and ask
questions, feel free. Make them easy though, would you?
As a quick overview. There are three communities that share
Valewood. To the north is Quail Creek Estates. By the way, that's
about 25 years old this year. To the east is Longshore. Both of those
are single-family homes. And then we have the Village and the
Meadows to the left, and then the property that we're talking about.
Valewood goes right through the middle of this property. At one
end is a gatehouse at Quail Creek Country Club and at the other end is
this traffic signal. You can see Longshore over to the right.
Now, this property --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Stop a second.
MR. SHAFTO: The Valewood Drive goes through this property.
It's approximately eight-tenths of a mile. It's a constrained road.
There's nothing we can do to modify it. It's the sole access, this stop
light, to three gated communities with 1,183 homes. And by the way,
94 percent of those are single-family homes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Sir?
MR. SHAFTO: Sure.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Could you go back three -- two,
before?
Page 100
~.,~.".---,""
September 1, 2005
MR. SHAFTO: Sure.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I just --
MR. SHAFTO: That one? You want me to go back one more?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Would you point out to me, if
you could, where the gatehouse is there?
MR. SHAFTO: The gatehouse, I have an arrow there. At the
very --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Is that the gatehouse?
MR. SHAFTO: That's the gatehouse of Quail Creek Country
Club, and it dead-ends there obviously, unless you can get in, and it
dead-ends at the traffic signal, and it's eight-tenths of a mile.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Thank you.
MR. SHAFTO: Now, in addition, Quail Creek Country Club is a
member-owned country club. And we got a letter because we're in
standing as an abutter, and there are some 420 or so non-resident
members that use this street, plus we have 160 employees that use this
street, and so we've got a lot of concerns, as you can see.
Today we have problems. I've been told -- I don't go to work.
I'm retired. But I've had a lot of people tell me, that going to work in
the morning, they can see 15 to 20 cars and have two and three light
changes. Our primary problem is a.m. peak hour, but, of course, we
have problems in the afternoon.
Now, I took that picture yesterday. We've got substantial backup
every morning at that light trying to get out of there. Kind of a
nice-looking picture, isn't it?
Now, we're opposed to this amended PUD. We're opposed both
to the density of nine units per acre, and we're opposed to the
development standards of 45 feet and three stories, because we think
they are incompatible.
We proposed six units per acre, building heights of no more than
30 feet, two stories, and 1,600 square feet.
Our concerns to begin with on compatibility of the neighborhood
Page 101
~.,. -""~.._.-.-"",,
,..-._-
September 1, 2005
start with -- it's my understanding from reading the land development
code that the calculation of residential density is you take the number
of dwellings and you divide it by the gross acreage, excluding any
existing residential and commercial property.
If I do that calculation for Quail Creek with 291 single-family
homes on 640 acres, it's less than one unit per acre. If I do that
calculation for Longshore with 566 on 346 acres, it comes out to 1.97.
The Meadows and the Village are now legally put together into one
community. When I do that calculation for the Village, I get 1.9.
Now, the applicant has been saying that he can blend the
densities, and he can take his higher densities and blend them with the
lower densities of the Village in order to come up with a number that
makes this work.
We -- our analysis says the only way you can blend density is if
you have unified ownership, number one, or you've got an
environmental sensitive land. That doesn't seem to exist in this.
It seems to us this proposal is incompatible with both the growth
management plan and the land development code, and I can't find any
wording in there that talks about the feeling that you get, as they are
talking about the feeling that you get when you look at it.
Now, a concern about traffic. WilsonMiller did a very, very
good job, very thorough job, made a point in their calculation that
there was going to be more traffic with commercial, as they said,
maybe 40 percent, than with residential, but there were unanswered
questions as we read that material.
The first point that we want to bring up is that the existing
commercial zoning, its primary access as described by the traffic
impact analysis, is on Commercial Drive, as compared to the
residential site plan, which has the primary access on Valewood
Drive.
Now, somebody mentioned that commercial will be going in the
opposite direction, and that would be going in and out of Commercial
Page 102
._--
-"', .. 11 .- .~""-'-'-'"
September 1, 2005
Drive, where the Valewood for residential would create a substantial
problem on our traffic light, and we didn't feel that was adequately
addressed in that analysis.
So we contacted a company in Tampa, Gray Calhoun and
Associates. By the way, they're doing the automation of the traffic
lights right now for Collier County. And I said to them, you're not
doing a very good job, because they're not working. They said, well,
they're not done -- we're not done yet, he said. We've got a lot more
work to do.
Anyway, it's a very credible organization. And we asked them to
use the Institute of Traffic Engineers' trip generation study to estimate
the impact of this project over and above existing residential traffic.
And what they've calculated with that ITE trip study is at 10 units
per acre there would be an additional 1,255 cars per day over and
above the existing residential.
Now, the proposal -- this has been a moving target in our
discussion with the developer -- at nine units per acre, that number is
1,150 additional cars per day.
I found an interesting comment here in the community character
plan, it essentially says, Collier County's made up of pods of isolated
developments, and we are clearly one of those, with limited mobility,
and it's primarily the cause of traffic congestion. We think that over
time Immokalee Road will get just ever increasingly more congested.
The residential build-out study said the majority of the
population, when it's built out, over 55 percent would be east of 951,
and they're going to be using Immokalee and creating a problem. And
then when you add in these two retail stores adding thousands of cars,
we are very concerned. That picture was taken yesterday at about a
quarter of eight.
Now, that's off season. We're not in compliance now with the
concurrency management rules. And even with the development of
adding additional lanes, we are very concerned about the impact at our
Page 103
.0 "M___M___
'""~..,~..~,..,,-,.-
September 1, 2005
light.
Now, from all this, it's our conclusion -- we don't do this for a
living like you do. It's our conclusion that the road system is the
limiting factor. It sure looks like the road system ought to control
densities. And we have read that the density bonus is discretionary.
We've also read that it requires compatibility with surrounding
neighborhoods, which we would argue it doesn't. We would urge you
to apply your discretion to this situation, and we think it makes good
sense.
In summary, we don't think it complies with the goals and
obj ectives of the growth management plan. We think it would create a
traffic problem for us that's unacceptable. We think we're looking at
the perfect storm, gridlock and delays and backups, and we think the
impact of all of this will be on our property values.
We have a very large number of letters. In fact, we have -- we're
ready to submit right now an additional 360 letters, for the record,
whoever's supposed to take those. That produces 1,082 people that
have signed supporting our position.
And I'd ask now if anybody in the room that supports the
position, please stand.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BELLOWS: The next speaker is Hal Rosen, followed by
John Wooldridge.
MR. ROSEN: I'll defer to Mr. Wooldridge.
MR. WOOLDRIDGE: Thank you for hearing us. I am the
president of the Quail Creek property owners' association. And as Mr.
Shafto presented a statement for both the country club and the
property owners, I just want to say that obviously the property owners
are in full agreement with the presentation that was presented, and I
won't waste any more of your time.
Page 104
September 1,2005
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BELLOWS: Don Stone, followed by Dr. Robert Ackles.
MR. STONE: I withdraw my request to speak in view of the last
two speakers.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BELLOWS: Dr. Robert Ackles, followed by Terry
Schindler (sic).
DR. ACKLES: Good morning. Thank you for allowing me to
speak. My name is Bob Ackles. I'm a homeowner and resident at
Quail Village.
And during August, another resident and homeowner, Dick
Molten, and I sent letters out and a questionnaire out and requested
that those who agreed with the questionnaire should return it to us.
The questionnaire stated as follows: I am opposed to the rezoning of
Quail II PUD to multi-family residential permitting 260 residential
units, 12 units per acre in three- and four-story buildings.
The developer's proposal is clearly not compatible with the three
communities serviced by Valewood Drive and would significantly
increase the traffic congestion at Valewood and Immokalee
intersection.
I support Quail Creek Country Club and the Quail Creek Estates
Homeowners' Association's position that a maximum of six units per
acre, limiting the building height to two stories, a minimum unit size is
1,600 square feet, aesthetic landscape buffers on Valewood Drive and
adjacent to off-site traffic controls would be more in keeping with the
surrounding residential communities and minimize the impact on
current traffic conditions.
In response to this questionnaire, we have received from Quail
Village 211 affirmative answers. We have 285 residents, so this
amounts to 80 percent of the residents.
Page 105
--.----
September 1,2005
Now, some may say that Quail Village is adding the Willows,
and they'll be under our aegis, but it's impossible to survey those
people because the Willows consist of a vacant lot and a few cement
blocks right at the present time.
So I think 80 percent is pretty significant, plus the fact, if the
Willows were present and this development was going to go in right
across the street from them, I submit that possibly the same
percentage, 80 percent, would vote against this development.
So thank you for listening.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MS. BELLOWS: Terry Schneider, to be followed by Robert G.
Myers, and if Mr. Myers could come up and be ready to speak right
after.
MR. SCHNEIDER: My name is Terry Schneider, and I'm a
resident of Quail Creek Village and a member of Quail Creek Country
Club.
I was sent several petitions during the summer to Kentucky and
signed the petitions in the affirmative. The neighbors, my neighbors,
asked me to support the density of six versus 12. Subsequently, I
didn't realize that the commercial -- the property is already zoned
commercial.
I believe that if the -- there's not some accommodation between
all the parties, that the property can be developed -- will be developed
commercial, possibly. I think a more compatible use for the property
would be residential, and I hope some accommodation can be made.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BELLOWS: Robert Myers, followed by Marilyn
VonSeggern, if she can also come up and be ready to speak.
MR. MYERS: Good morning. My name is Bob Myers. I'm
Page 106
._._~...-.._<~--,_.,,,.., .-···.-.'·P_-'--
.~.._~._,...__......_.
September 1, 2005
president of Quail Village. Quail Village is both a residential
community, and we own a golf club.
You heard all kind of numbers this morning, and probably that's
the nature of your role. Our board represents 1,000 plus people. I'm
including husbands and wives, both our residents and our golf member
community in that number.
The four communities that are here represented this morning
represent about 4,000 members, both husbands and wives, so it's a
substantial number of concerned citizens.
Heidi Williams mentioned the -- in her staff report and referred to
it at the information meeting that was conducted in early July last
month -- in that meeting where there was lots of discussion, there were
85 people out of 4,000 that attended that meeting, and there was a
reference made that one of the residents was going to circulate
petitions, and you have received hundreds and hundreds of petitions.
Our board supports the application as it currently stands. We--
we are concerned about the density question because there could
potentially be an economic impact if that density were lower on the
developer, and it then could revert back to its current status of a
commercial development, as was discussed earlier on.
We're not in support of the six or seven density. Weare in
support of the PUD application as has been presented.
We all have concerns about traffic. We all have a legitimate
concern about the impact on our real estate values.
And, again, just to close out, our board unanimously has voted
for support of the application that has been applied. So we're
representing the 800 folks that have not signed petitions. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Yes, ma'am.
MS. VonSEGGERN: My name is Marilyn VonSeggern. I live at
11011 Linnet Lane, Longshore Lake, Naples. My husband and I own
a home in Longshore Lake that directly abuts the eastern border of the
Page 107
_._.~"_.,,.._.__.,_,,__n~.'____·'··"'''·''__
September 1, 2005
proposed Valewood Village.
Among all the parties presenting information to you today, I
believe our family and our neighbors have the most to lose or gain by
your decision, and several of my neighbors are here. All those people
that didn't stand up are my neighbors.
My husband and I are here to urge you to recommend the
rezoning change from commercial to residential as requested by the
applicant, JED of Southwest Florida. With upscale residential
communities on three sides of the proposed Valewood Village,
residential zoning is more compatible than commercial.
Under this rezoning, JED Development has agreed to several
concessions, and I'm not going to repeat them because you heard them
prior. We have no such guarantees with commercial development.
If Valewood Village is granted the ability to be a gated
community, we will also have added security on the eastern perimeter
of Longshore Lake.
With apologies to Mr. D'Jamoos, the devil you know is better
than the devil you don't.
The nit-picking over which traffic study is correct or whether
eight or nine, or six or nine units per acre is better is quite insignificant
compared to the negative impact unrestricted commercial
development could have.
I have pictures that I took over at the Strand and Carlton Lakes.
And I'm sorry I didn't have a PowerPoint presentation to show you
what it looks like to have a three-story office building with no
setbacks.
Weare talking about the quality of life we have in Longshore,
the property value of our homes, and the importance of having good
neighbors.
In my view increased traffic is a non-issue. No matter what is
built, traffic will increase on Valewood. Noone knows for sure what
that will be. Valewood is not the issue. Immokalee Road is the issue.
Page 108
September 1, 2005
Other communities such as Quail Village, Quail Creek Estates,
and Quail Creek County Club have been invited to provide input on
this petition. Some of those groups have opposed the request as it
stands. They are pushing for density undoable by the developer,
which will result in a default to commercial zoning.
I think you will agree with me that 90 percent of the impact of
this development will be felt by Longshore Lake residents. Quail
Village will be affected by the view from their homes, but at a
distance.
The boards of directors of both Longshore Lake and Quail
Village support the rezoning request. I believe the needs of these two
entities far outweigh other communities in the area. Maybe if I were a
member of Quail Creek Country Club, the only thing I would worry
about would be the traffic. I don't think I would though. I think I
would consider the total effect on my neighbors.
Quail Creek is a remote development from this project. I hope
you will weigh the impact from the most affected, not just those who
drive by.
I urge you to recommend approval of this petition to the Board of
County Commissioners. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, ma'am.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BELLOWS: William VonSeggern, followed by James
Kirk, and if he could be ready at the podium, too.
MR. VonSEGGERN: My name is William Arthur VonSeggern.
I live at 11011 Linnet Lane, Naples, 34119.
I would like to note that my address -- by my address you notice
that my wife and I live on the western border of Longshore, directly
abutting the parcel under consideration for this zoning change request.
I would like you to envision in your minds the view from our
lanai as we sit outside in the evening looking west in approximately
the year 2009. If the property is developed commercially, we would
Page 109
September 1, 2005
be looking at a brick structure 50 feet tall, lighted all night long by
sodium vapor lights; we would smell the odor from the dumpsters and
the byproducts of various industries; we would have the vermin and
other things of nature that would come across into our property from
the commercial.
We would feel insecure since it's possible for people in the
ungated commercial property to leap the wall onto our property and
thus bypass our security gate system; we would be hearing the sounds
of garbage trucks in the wee hours of the morning, the voices of
patrons leaving a restaurant at 11 or 12 o'clock at night saying
goodbye to each other, and the sound of delivery trucks coming to
resupply the stores.
If the property is zoned residential, we would be looking at a
brick structure 35 feet tall, lighted all night with shielded, ordinary
street lights. The only odor we might endure would be from an
occasional barbecue.
We would have the security of knowing that the security gates in
the community would act as a second level of protection for us; we
would be hearing the wonderful sound of silence, with the exception
of an occasional car door closing as residents come home from an
evening out.
From someone who loves to sit outside in the evening, my wife
and I feel that residential is the best choice for our neighborhood.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker.
MR. BELLOWS: James Kirk, followed by Robert Lewan.
MR. KIRK: Hi. My name is Jim Kirk, and I'm the
vice-president of the Board of Directors for Longshore Lake.
Longshore, as you mayor may not know, is a middle-class
community, teachers, firemen, policemen, small business owners, civil
servants, retirees, and several young professional families.
Traffic in season is unbearable for all of us. Traffic out of season
Page 110
,-~..._._-~" ,
.~".."-----~--
September 1, 2005
is very -- is just tolerable; however, no one can say for sure if
commercial or residential zoning will produce more or less traffic.
We all worry about getting in and out of the community in order
to go to work, to shop, keep doctors' appointments, and run errands.
Quail Creek Country Club members and residents of Quail Creek
community seem to have, as their only concern, traffic. They have
many members for the country club, and they have a smaller
community than we do, and they are stuck in traffic just as we are.
They first were against the rezoning, and, in fact, sent out a
petition to all the members of Quail Village and to their members and
to their employees and to their country club people. Then two weeks
later they changed their mind and they sent out another petition to the
same people opposing the -- I'm sorry -- favoring the new proposal,
but at six units an acre instead of what was then proposed.
They are as informed as we are that the developer at six units an
acre will resort back to commercial. We've been told that, and we
believe it.
We don't have their resources to hire a high-priced law firm to
present you with a fancy PowerPoint presentation. We also don't have
the resources to hire an outside traffic expert to represent us.
We are, however, the only community -- and I want to stress this.
Weare the only community that is coming before you that is directly
affected by this rezoning. If you look at what's on the screen now,
Longshore Lake abuts with 24 houses backed up to what could be
four- and five-story commercial buildings. That's 24 families.
And across the street from those families, you'll notice there's
another 20 to 30 houses that will look across the street to that
commercial property.
These are the families that have to live with whatever is built
here. They're our residents, and they are, as I said, the only residents
whose property values and quality of life will be directly affected by
what is built on this property.
Page 111
--~.'-
September 1,2005
On their behalf, our board has worked with Mr. D'Jamoos to
minimize the effects on these residents. He's agreed to just about
everything we have presented to him; buffering between the property,
paying for the flow of water into our lakes and helping with our lake
maintenance, paying for the landscaping and upkeep on Valewood
Drive, and keeping the buildings that abut our property at no higher
than two stories.
Our residents have told us that they much prefer this than having
commercial property next to them.
We feel the quality of life and property values of our
middle-class working families and our retirees is worth much more of
your evaluations than the complaints of our affluent neighbors and
country club members who may spend a few extra minutes in their
autos.
F or those reasons, the residents in Longshore, who I am -- excuse
me -- who I am representing today, request that you grant this
rezoning. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BELLOWS: Robert Lewan --
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Schiffer, did you have a question?
MR. BELLOWS: -- followed by --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, I did.
MR. BELLOWS: -- Richard Brinson (sic), and if Mr. Brinson
could be --
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Excuse me. Mr. Schiffer, did you have a
question for the last speaker?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I did. Just a curiosity, which
came first, the PUD or Longshore Lakes? I mean, it looks like this
vacant lot --
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That was already answered. It
was the PUD.
Page 112
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. So these people in
Longshore Lakes knew what was there when they bought into
Longshore Lakes?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I don't know if they knew, but the
PUD for Quail Creek was approved prior to the Longshore Lakes
projects.
MR. KIRK: I've lived in -- excuse me. I've lived in Longshore
Lake for 13 years. Almost 14 years ago we bought our lot. At the
time we bought and at the time many of these people that abut that
property bought it was zoned commercial, but it was zoned for
assisted living and nursing home, and that's what they were told was
going to be built in there. That was the original zoning, or that's what
we were told when we all bought.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But in the PUD it's classified as
commercial with those two uses allowed within there. So do you
think you weren't told that it was commercial or --
MR. KIRK: We were told it was commercial, but it was
commercial for an assisted living facility and a nursing home, and that
was changed later on. Mr. Hardy changed it, and I'm not sure at what
point, or had it changed.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Sir, let me clarify. In the PUD that
was approved back in, I think it was '92, section 3.3Al, it says,
permitted principal uses and structures, commercial uses as listed in
the C- 3 commercial intermediate district. Then it does go on to sayan
ACLF could be there. But all the uses in C-3 were already in the PUD
back when that was originally signed in.
MR. KIRK: Okay. So all the uses were available, but it was
stated when these people moved in. Because I know the question has
come up, well, they should have known something was going in there
when they moved in. They did, but they were all told it was going to
be, at most, a nursing home with an assisted living facility. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Page 113
._.o_~.___
September 1, 2005
Next speaker, please.
MR. BERENSON: Good afternoon, almost afternoon. I'm
Richard Berenson. I live in Quail Creek Estates. I thank you for your
dedication and concentration. It was most impressive.
We had a neighborhood information meeting, but it didn't include
any of the specifics that have been talked about today, and so many of
our residents who attended that meeting are not aware of all these
nuances that have taken place today and new discussions. I think
there should be a new neighborhood meeting to make everybody
aware of the discussions today.
Furthermore, a point that was brought up earlier in the prior
application had to do with school buses, and that was never discussed.
And those kind of buses will certainly increase the problem to
Valewood Drive entrance and exits.
Also not mentioned is the substantial danger to the aging
population of Quail Creek Estates and the other Quail properties.
Emergency trucks will be totally unable to get into and out of
Valewood Drive to assist any resident in the need of emergency
vehicles. It is horrid as you see and as you observed on the pictures.
And in season it will be worse, and this will present a clear and
present danger to the people who are residents at Quail Creek.
I also suggest that Executive Drive be considered as the main
entrance and exit for this project of an additional 21 acres.
And lastly, anything that you do should be totally delayed until
Immokalee is finished. Immokalee is a mess now and it's going to be
worse as the construction -- and we are in the third phase, so it will be
another year or two before this part is fixed. And we need -- we need
that extra time for the entrance and exit to service us so that -- you
should delay this until the road is complete in our area east and west
of us. Thank you.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Sir? Sir?
CHAIRMAN BUDD: We have a question for you.
Page 114
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I have. You mentioned about
emergency vehicles being unable to access, and I would like you to
clarify that for me. I'm not clear on that.
MR. BERENSON: If you increase traffic to the point that we
discussed, it will be more difficult for emergency vehicles to gain
access and exit. With the line of traffic that you saw, they can't jump
over the cars that are lined up every day.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Oh, that's what you meant, okay.
Thank you.
MR. BERENSON: Yes. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BELLOWS: Robert Lewan, followed by Garry Larkin (sic).
MR. LEWAN: Thank you for the opportunity to voice our
concerns in support of the rezoning request of JED of Southwest
Florida from commercial to residential.
My name is Robert Lewan, and I am the Board President for
Longshore Lake Foundation.
As a complex directly abutting the 21.7 -acre parcel of land under
discussion, our community from the outset favored residential over
commercial. This was concurred by our Board of Directors vote on
June the 19th, 2005. Concessions were negotiated with the developer
that have now become part of the PUD.
First of all, we support the rezoning request. Secondly, we
support the density of nine units per acre. This is a reduction from the
developer's original request of 12 units per acre.
Unfortunately, this has become an issue with our neighbors to the
north, Quail Creek. They favor a lower density of six units per acre.
We attempted to reach an agreement of eight units per acre, a
figure they broached us with on July the 20th and then rejected at a
meeting on August the 29th.
As of yesterday afternoon, we still had sought to be unified on
Page 115
September 1, 2005
the rezoning request to no avail.
The developer has maintained all along, and all parties were
informed, that a figure of six units per acre would not be economically
acceptable and he would revert to commercial.
Weare aware of the traffic problems that may occur but believe
residential would be a better neighbor than commercial.
Of the planning commission's information, the Longshore Lake
community residents homes exceed the combined Quail Creek
communities, and we are the most affected by what is developed on
this parcel of land, whereas Quail Creek is approximately a mile away
from the forthcoming development.
To support our stand, we have our people -- if they would please
stand. These are just some of the people, including well over 200
petitions that we presently have here, and several hundred back at the
office that has to be tabulated per resident.
Your concurrence to the JED rezoning request as presented
would be most appreciated by the people involved. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BELLOWS: Garry Lakin, and followed by Frank
Barickman.
MR. LAKIN: Thank you. My name is Garry Lakin, and I live at
Quail Creek Estates, excuse me. I have four points that have not been
mentioned to date.
One is it was mentioned by the petitioner that he would be
allowed to have 16 units per acre if he went to residential, that was
allowed under the zoning codes in Collier County. I believe a careful
reading of the zoning codes and also reference to the second
evaluation and appraisal report in Collier County would indicate the
opposite of that.
F or example, in the EAR report, it is mentioned that in
conversion to commercial zoning, new development that involves the
Page 116
--~~'-'-'--"-"'-'--'--"---.-
September 1, 2005
conversion of vested commercial developments may receive an
application -- allocation, pardon me -- of 16 units per acres for every
one acre -- 16 units per acre for every one acre of commercial zoning
being converted, but then it says, this bonus does not apply to new
development within the mixed use activity centers or interchange
activity centers.
And we've heard testimony before today that this PUDA is -- lies
within those activity centers and the interchange activity center, so I
don't think that 16 units is feasible or allowed under the zoning.
Number two item that the developer said -- pardon me. They
talked about access on Valewood Drive being permitted, and Mr.
Strand (sic) mentioned that that wasn't his reading, and nor is it my
reading.
Under the Quail II 2 PUD, the original PUD, section 4, general
development commitments, part 4.1 D provides that space shall be
reserved to permit a future minor street connection between Valewood
and lands to the east and goes on from there.
It is clear in the original PUD that the only access point for this
property would be a minor access point. The major access points
should be at Executive Drive and Commercial, which solves a lot of
problems for whatever is developed in this site if that access point is at
the southeast comer of the development that slides the traffic over
there, and that's been mentioned.
Two other points that have been mentioned today, and one is that
the Longshore residents have testified, or some residents have
testified, that they oppose commercial. This was commercial. It
always has been commercial. They knew when they bought it, it was
commercial.
It's -- what the problem here is, at the initial -- initial
neighborhood meeting, the developer stood up before us and said, you
really don't want commercial because, and then he went through these
threats of lights all night and garbage containers. He ignored the parts
Page 117
--------
September 1, 2005
of the zoning codes that prohibit such interferences.
But he put the scare in the people who are adjoining the property.
They don't want to see that, and so they are justifiably afraid of what
the developer threatened he would do if the development went
commercial.
And my last point is that the board's presidents of Longshore and
the Village testified in opposition apparently to what I think is a
majority of the petitions from the residents. So you have -- I believe
there is a divided constituency at best, and perhaps the board is out of
touch with the constituents. That's a possibility.
In any event, I hope that a compromise is reached, and I thank
you for your time.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Excuse me, sir. I think Mr. Strain had a
question.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Yeah. It's actually a follow-up to
staff on his first concern involving the GMP. Could you clarify that.
It involves the density bonuses.
MR. BELLOWS: Yeah. I have the memorandum from Jean
Jourdan, who's with comprehensive planning, and basically the
density rating system applies to the PUD overall. It allows for
conversion of commercial, not commercial within an activity center,
but commercial zoning. This is a PUD with commercial zoning, so,
therefore, that is eligible to be calculated towards conversion of
commercial in that provision of the land development code. So it does
apply.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do activity centers allow a
conversion of commercial to residential?
MR. BELLOWS: The provision is for commercial zoning.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: In a PUD. Is it for anywhere in an
activity center?
MR. BELLOWS: It doesn't necessarily have to be in an activity
center. It can be commercial outside of an activity center.
Page 118
">,,~--_...,-"-~_. ,.
_,_~,o·"....._·~.,......-,._._
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Can it be in an activity center if it
was not in the PUD?
MR. BELLOWS: Yes. There are provisions in the land -- or in
the growth management plan that allow for PUD commercial outside
of activity centers. There are certain criteria they have to meet.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Inside.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. The reason this is -- I'm
trying to ask is because if this gentleman's hit on an issue, I just want
to make sure it's clarified for the record.
You have an activity center. Within the activity center you have
a commercial piece. Let's say it's 21.74 acres, not relating to this one.
And you wanted to convert that to residential. It's in the activity
center; it's not part of the PUD. Could you convert that to residential?
MR. BELLOWS: You would have to go through the zoning. It
does allow for -- the growth management plan does allow for
residential, so you can convert it.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I think that's what --
CHAIRMAN BUDD: That's a yes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: -- I'm trying to find out.
MR. BELLOWS: Yes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Sorry for putting you on the spot,
but I wanted to get it clarified.
MR. BELLOWS: That's all right. I just wanted to understand
your question.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Wait. Isn't the intent of that for
isolated commercial properties? I mean, we discussed that in great
length at the workshop. We decided to get rid of it because it was
something that didn't make sense with the smart growth. It was just
that if you had an isolated piece of commercial property out there
somewhere, you could turn that in and ask for 16 units an acre or -- I
still don't see how --
MR. BELLOWS: That was the intent of the original creation of
Page 119
September 1, 2005
that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, this is next to
commercial property. I mean, this isn't an isolated parcel.
MR. BELLOWS: The codes don't make that distinction though,
so --
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Thank you, sir. Appreciate your
presentation.
MR. LAKIN: One other point. You're mentioning, if I may --
that -- one other premise that's been mentioned here before, and it was
mentioned briefly in the presentation by Bob Shafto, and that is the
right of this developer to come in and claim unified ownership of his
PUD, his 21 acres, so he can see if he can get his property rezoned
without the consent of the owners of the rest of the PUD, yet he wants
density spread over the whole PUD.
You have a situation in the Collier County code that, in my mind,
is inconsistent, it has not been challenged legally in court, there's no
case law, there's no rulings, there's no definitions, it's ambiguous, and
there's a right of people, neighbors and homeowners' associations, to
challenge this, if the developer has the right to go -- to have the
definition go his way both times.
For purposes of unified ownership, he talks about the small PUD,
21 acres. For purposes of blending the density, he can talk about the
194 units. There's that inconsistency, and I think that at some point
the Collier County board is going to be challenged on that ambiguity
in the code.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Maybe before he leaves, he did
bring up another good point, Ray that you could answer. Is the
original access to this PUD, isn't there only one access point on the
original PUD to the commercial, and that's to Executive Drive?
In the documents we've been getting, which are really pretty
Page 120
September 1, 2005
crude documents, it does show all the access points, and it only shows
one allowed down on Executive Drive, right?
MR. BELLOWS: I think Heidi has the master plan and can take
a look.
MS. WILLIAMS: Heidi Williams, Zoning and Land
Development Review.
In your staff report, there are two master plans. One is the
original adopted master plan, and that does not indicate where the
access points must be located.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The original one?
MS. WILLIAMS: The original one does not.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I take exception. It shows the
location of Longshore Lake, it shows the location of all the access
points, and it shows this one down at what ultimately became
Executive Drive as the only access point for the commercial.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I have the original PUD, if you'd
like a copy. And I think you're right. The original master plan doesn't
show the access points attached to the PUD. Is that the one you're
referring to?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I mean, the documents we
got on this are probably the worst documents we've ever gotten, yet,
this is a pretty critical issue. But I do think it -- I mean, what little it
shows, it does show the access points, so --
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Strain has the original PUD, and he's
going to put the map on the overhead scanner so we can all view it.
And that's it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And that's the access point.
MS. WILLIAMS: Which access are you referring to?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That little black mark coming
In. What do you think that is? I mean--
MS. WILLIAMS: Right there?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yes. No, no, no, no.
Page 121
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Down at the --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Move to Immokalee. There you
go.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Lower left.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And then if you go up, it shows
you the access to the other development. It shows you the roads. I
mean, what little it shows, it shows access points.
MS. WILLIAMS: That is the current location of part -- a portion
of Executive Drive. Certainly the connection to Immokalee Road
where the short north/south portion that is termed Commercial Drive
is not shown, the remainder of Executive Drive is not shown. I don't
believe there's anything in the PUD text or master plan that limits
access to Executive Drive for this commercial portion.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But we get these documents that
are pretty crudely, borderline vend (sic) diagrams, and they show very
little but usually what they do show is the access. So in other words,
in the future we should not pay attention to these marks?
MS. WILLIAMS: I believe when the master plan is a little
unclear, we defer to the text in the PUD document, which does not
limit access to Valewood from this property.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And the following issue -- it
looks like there's been some subdivision along Valewood, it's all
commercial adjoining this property, so this isn't an isolated piece of
commercial. It looks like when that was subdivided it cut off that
access; is that right? Or if you look at the site map we were given in
our packets, it's the only document I have. It wouldn't be in an aerial
unless --
MS. WILLIAMS: There has been subdivision of the commercial
property. There are parcels on the south side of Executive Drive. The
master plan -- the original master plan shows the stub out of Executive
Drive. You can see that it curves to the north --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
Page 122
...._"___.",..'_._~.M'_'.___"
September 1, 2005
MS. WILLIAMS: -- and then wraps back down to the south.
The properties south of that Executive Drive have been subdivided
and developed in a commercial fashion. They do access onto
Executive Drive.
The properties on the north side of Executive Drive are -- some
are site planned and some are not. At this time their access point is on
Executive Drive.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: See what I mean? The way this
was subdivided, Executive Drive's access to this property, looked like
it was cut off, the subdivision, or there may be unity in that parcel
with the parcel above or something, but anyway.
MS. WILLIAMS: One portion of the subject site, if taken on as
one parcel as separated by proper -- the property appraiser's office, is
not adjoining to Executive Drive.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'd like to see what -- since
you're the one that --
MR. LAKIN: I'm sorry. I have a map.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: You have to go to the--
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Go to the podium and use the overhead,
then everybody in the public and all of us can see it, too.
Please restate your name for the record, please.
MR. LAKIN: Yes. My name is Garry Lakin. And I would like
to say that the map that is now being shown to you, I believe I got off
the Internet as a copy of the PUD, I'll call Quail II. And you can see
that the lower south edge, you can see the way it is today with
commercial on both sides of Executive Drive and the main access
point at that southeast Commercial and Executive Drive, as --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
MR. LAKIN: And then there's an access point also on
Valewood. And my understanding, according to the master -- the
PUD, the original PUD, is the access point on Valewood is supposed
to be minor and the main access is at the southeast comer at
Page 123
-,,""-,--,~-
.-" ._-~,-""",--,., ~,.,
September 1, 2005
Commercial and Executive Drive. Now that's not a map I made up. I
believe I got it off the Internet, and it's a copy of what exists.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That's the same. That's what we
have, too, but -- and the poignant point I want to make is that the
access off of Valewood is new to this application. It wasn't available
in the prior PUD.
MR. LAKIN: That could be. Thank you.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: In other words, it's not in the
prior PUD. This is the new PUD that's on the screen.
MS. WILLIAMS: Commissioner Schiffer, staffs interpretation
of access to this site does not prohibit access from Valewood. The
reference in the PUD document in section 4.2 is -- does reference
lands to the east, and that has been interpreted as access point for
Longshore Lake and is not limiting on the development of this
21.7 -acre parcel under consideration today.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I kind of agree that that's what
that means, but I also think in the exhibit, the intent of the exhibit was
to limit where the access was to this commercial property. We could
argue that forever.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Very good. Before the next
speaker begins, Ray, how many speakers do we have, including the
one currently at the podium?
MR. BELLOWS: Looks like I have four.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Tell you what, first thing I want to
do is commend everybody in the public because there's obviously
strong disagreement, and everybody has been very respectful. And
one of the things that county can use more of is people who can
disagree without being disagreeable.
So you're to be commended for that because it's been my
experience that people were not always civil in expressing their
opinions, so thank you very much. And we will continue that theme.
But right now, in favor of our court reporter who's been keeping
Page 124
September 1, 2005
track of us for two hours without a break, we're going to take a
10-minute break, then resume with our next speaker.
(A brief recess was had.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Call the planning commission back to
order, please. If everybody would retake their seats. Whatever the
outcome, we've got a good process going, so we're going to stick with
it. We're in the final round of our registered speakers.
Next speaker, please, Ray.
MR. BELLOWS: Frank Barickman, followed by Gary Wrage.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Ray, before we do that, can't we
discuss what's on the screen, which is the issue of the 16 unit density?
MR. BELLOWS: It's up to --
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Is that a presentation by staff? Is it
somebody making a presentation, or can we --
MR. BELLOWS: I don't think there's any presentation. We
don't have -- unfortunately we didn't know this issue, and I don't have
a compo planner up here, but --
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Let's pull that off the screen so we
don't distract our attention from the speakers, and we'll address that as
soon as we complete our registered speakers. Thank you.
Y "?
es, SIr.
MR. BARICKMAN: My name is Frank Barickman. I live at
11035 Linnet Lane in Naples. I live in Longshore Lake. I've lived
there for over 12 years.
My residence will abut the new development, whatever it may
be, in this area. I feel very strongly that it should be residential. I feel
that the developer has -- we've come to an agreement with the
developer, and it is satisfactory.
I feel that when you have on the west a very pretty golf course
and on the east a very beautiful homeowners' association
development, why in the world would you want a commercial right in
the middle of it?
Page 125
September 1,2005
So I think if I asked everyone here today -- and this question
hasn't been asked -- do you want commercial in this area or do you
want residential? I doubt there'd be one person here that would stand
up and say that they want commercial in there. I thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker?
MR. BELLOWS: Gary Wrage, followed by Meggan Davis.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: In spite of the fact that Gary Wrage is the
past chairman of the planning commission, we'll hear his testimony
without any bias.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Is he allowed to even talk
here?
MR. WRAGE: Gary Wrage, 11023 Linnet Lane, a 10-year
resident of Longshore Lakes. In other words, you want to hear what
the realtor promised me was going to go in there; is that what you're
asking me?
He said something about gopher tortoises, and they would never
build back there. No.
When I moved in there, I did my homework. I know that was
commercial. And everybody stole all of my thunder. All the
comments have been made that should be.
I'm begging you, please, forward this to the county commission
with a recommendation for approval. I want a house back there of
almost any height, but I do like the idea that it's only 50 feet. I think
it's a good project and a good developer, negotiated in good faith.
And, by the way, I own my wall back there as part of that wall.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BELLOWS: Meggan Davis, followed by the last speaker,
Clay Brooker.
MS. DAVIS: Hi. This is afternoon now. Good afternoon, and
Page 126
September 1, 2005
thank you for your time. My name is Meggan Davis, and I'm a
Longshore Lake resident. I've lived there for 16 years. I'm also a past
President. I started the initial negotiations with D'Jamoos, JED, earlier
this year.
And I -- just for the record, he's met with us whenever we've
asked him to meet with him. There's been a change of leadership at
Longshore. He's continued to meet with them, and I think really
operate in good faith. So I appreciate his cooperation on it.
My comments are very succinct. Everyone who's come up has
said that they prefer -- that they want residential. I mean, everyone
has said.
There's been concessions made on the part of Longshore, there's
been concessions made on the part of JED, concessions made on the
part of Quail Village, and I think that we're depending upon your
advocacy and the wisdom of Solomon. It seems to be a unit number
that they have -- that that is a problem. But for compatibility issues
and quality of life issues, I think residential is the way to go. I support
the petitioner's request. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Thank you.
Next speaker, please.
MR. BROOKER: Clay Brooker with the law firm of Cheffy,
Passidomo, Wilson, and Johnson. We have been assisting Quail
Creek Country Club with respect to this petition.
I was not planning to speak but feel forced to make one very
general comment. There was some representation about an offer that
was made and then later withdrawal -- withdrawn. We understand
that all such negotiations are confidential. We ask that the board not
be biased by that particular comment. And I'll leave it at that, that
there is more to the story, but I will respect the confidentiality of the
negotiations. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: I can tell you, it was such a passing
comment, if you hadn't have reminded me about it, I wouldn't even
Page 127
" ~.--_."",,*,,-,-_._,_.,,
September 1, 2005
know what you were talking about.
Are there any other speakers?
MR. BELLOWS: No other registered speakers.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Thank you.
Are there summary comments by the petitioner?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We do. I'm going to make some brief
comments, then I'm going to ask Mr. Jones to come up here and
address traffic issues specifically in response to some comments or, I
guess, factual testimony made by Mr. Strain on traffic comments.
I don't believe -- and I'll ask you, Mr. Strain, did you go back to
look at the original TIS that was done for the proj ect?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I didn't have one. I was hoping
transportation would have done that.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: That's fine. But I mean, you did make
some statements that you said might be logical conclusions, but
they're not based upon any facts in the record right now. So I just
want to address that as those are your guesses as to what could have
happened in the past and are not supported by any facts in the record
right now.
We need to get back to the compo plan. The compo plan today
would not allow commercial development on that property. The
reason commercial got to stay is because of the zoning reevaluation
that occurred, and it was determined that because there were
improvements that were in place already, the commercial zoning
would not be taken away.
Because back in 1989 when the comprehensive plan was
adopted, we went to the activity center concept. And commercial in
this location was inconsistent with the comprehensive plan.
And there's a provision in the comprehensive plan that talks
about converting commercial that's in the wrong location to
residential, and it allows up to 16 units per acre. And you go through
a zoning reevaluation and analysis of the criteria. And if we meet the
Page 128
"..,.,.",~-"-"",",-"-~-,..".;"
September 1, 2005
criteria, we are entitled to be rezoned to that -- to that use.
I take exception to the statement that it's discretionary . We have
the ability to meet the facts. And if we factually meet the criteria, we
are entitled to what we're requesting. There's no discretion.
It's your job as the planning commission to evaluate the facts.
We presented our case. We provided factual testimony . Your staff
made factual statements.
There was discussion from Quail Creek Country Club Estates -_
they're the first speaker -- about a traffic analysis. He's not provided
the detailed analysis. He just provided you with an excerpt, so I don't
know what the entire report says. It would be nice if he would provide
the entire report so we can all look at it and see, you know, the
conclusions.
We have our traffic report in the record. It's been reviewed by
your staff. Your staff is recommending approval.
Mr. Jones will get into the details about some of the issues raised
regarding traffic. It's important we have to look at the facts. We have
to look at competent testimony, not testimony that's not supported by
anything but statements from somebody who's telling you what
another report said when we don't have that report in front of us.
If we were standing here today with a 196-acre parcel that had no
improvements on it and I came to you and I said, we want to do a
multi-use project that has a golf course in it, that has single-family and
has multi-family in it with development standards for the multi-family
that says, two stories not to exceed 35 feet adjacent to our residential
neighbor, two stories not to exceed 35 feet on Valewood Drive, two
stor -- and three stories not to exceed 45 feet, with an overall project
density of 2.9 units per acre, I feel fairly confident that that would be
submitted or transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners with
a recommendation of approval.
There's nothing unusual about that type of PUD that gets
presented to the planning commission all the time, and that is 100
Page 129
--.--..'^
September 1, 2005
percent consistent with the comprehensive plan that talks about a base
unit density of not to exceed four units per acre. We are less than four
units per acre.
Internal to this project you have the Meadows, sometimes
referred to as the Willows. But the Meadows project, that is 10 units
per acre within the same PUD, immediately adjacent to a
single-family portion of the PUD.
We're asking for nine, after we've had a lot of nice discussions
with Longshore Lakes, with Quail Creek Estates. We haven't reached
-- we haven't reached an agreement with them and don't meet eye to
eye with them on that, but we've had civil discussions. We've made
our proposal, they've made their proposal, and we just respectfully
disagree with what they're saying.
I don't think Mr. Shafto meant that it was a moving target in a
negative way. I think he meant it in the fact that we'd been
negotiating and trying to figure out what everybody can live with. And
we're still doing that and still -- you know, I don't want to get into
confidential negotiations.
But we have done nothing but been willing to speak to all of our
neighbors on how this impacts them. And as you can see, we came in
at 12 units per acre. We're at nine units per acre, reduced height,
increased setbacks for Longshore Lakes. We have worked hard to do
the best we could to make this an economically viable residential
project.
If we can't get more than the six units per acre that Quail Creek
Estates and the country club are requesting, it will be a commercial
project. And that's not a threat; that's the only zoning I have left. I
only have commercial left on the property . We have to do that.
So we're prepared to go forward with the commercial if we have
to. I don't think that the people -- the general comments have been
that they want commercial. It's a question of density. We're telling
you we can't do it at six units per acre.
Page 130
.." m"_____..~
.._'.;._",_..,,"~.,,"..'"
September 1,2005
There's already a project in the development at 10 units per acre,
so we're not asking for something that's not already within the project
itself.
Y .?
es, SIr.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'm just a little confused. Before
you made a point that it really can't be commercial.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: It is commercial. No, it can be
commercial. It's C-3. That's the only zoning I have on the property
today.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Then I didn't clearly understand
what you were conveying before when you said about the '89 and the
rest of it when --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: That's correct, in 1989. If I were to come
to you today and I were to ask for the approval of that PUD with a C-3
zoning, you would not permit it. It would be inconsistent with the
comprehensive plan. But it got to --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: But it is. You have vested.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I have. I've got the right to continue to
go forward. So that's my point about consistency and compatibility.
The comprehensive plan has already decided that I shouldn't be
commercial on that site, although I -- because I had some right, I was
allowed to continue to keep that. But there's a provision to encourage
me to not be commercial, and that is to convert to residential.
We're not asking for anything that's atypical for any other
mixed-use project in Collier County, by mixed-use meaning
multi-family and single-family combined together.
Frequently you see the multi-family at a higher density than the
approved base density. That's not unusual. That's what you do. You
put the multi-family together, and it has a higher net density on that
acreage, but the overall proj ect density is what the overall proj ect
density is.
There's been discussion about we're in an activity center. Let's
Page 131
.,-,..",-,-,
,~,.,,-.,.,.,,-,,~..",..
September 1, 2005
make that real clear. We're not in an actIvIty center. We're
three-quarters of a mile from an activity center. We're within a
residential density band that would allow us to request an additional
three units per acre.
There already is, Mr. Schiffer, plenty of retail in the area. It's
within three-quarters of a mile of us. I don't think that you need more
commercial that close to the activity center.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But we just determined there's a
lot more use than retail in the commercial area.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: And there's office uses that can go into
those other areas and have gone in those areas. You know, Pelican
Strand's got offices. It's all -- it's all in the general vicinity.
We have been working with the communities. We had a town
hall meeting as recently -- it was Tuesday, correct? Everybody was
invited to it, Quail Creek, Quail Village, Longshore Lakes, to where
we talked about all these issues.
The gentleman who said that, you know, he wished he would
have known that we were down to nine units per acre, that was -- you
know, that's been out there for quite a while with Longshore Lakes
and Quail Village, and I know it's been discussed for quite a while.
That's nothing new.
With that I would like Gavin to get into some of the
transportation issues to rebut some of the statements in the record.
And with that, we'll open ourselves up to any questions you may
have on our --
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Why don't we do your
questions right now.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Yes. Before Gavin, we've got some
questions of you. Mr. Abernathy?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Sure, fire away.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Rich, look at that section of
the code that's displayed on the visualizer. The second sentence,
Page 132
---
"'''-''''"~-'"'¡''"'~--~'~'<-'"^''
September 1, 2005
density bonuses are discretionary, not entitlements and, emphasize
and, are dependent upon meeting the criteria for each bonus provision,
and so forth.
You tried to tell us that all you have to do is meet the criteria and
they're entitlements, and that's clearly not what this says. If it's -- in
order to read it the way you want it read, you would have to take the
words density bonuses are discretionary not entitlements and strike
them and just start with, they're dependent on meeting the criteria.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Mr. Abernathy, I don't agree with your
interpretation of the comprehensive plan and what that says. It has
always been interpreted, and the law is clear in Florida, that if you
meet established criteria for a rezone request, you're entitled to the
rezone. That -- you're entitled to it if you meet the criteria.
You're to determine whether or not I've met the criteria. If I've
met the criteria, then I think you have to vote my way. I don't think
you can come to the conclusion that, Mr. Y ovanovich, your client met
every one of these criteria, but I don't feel like giving it to you
anyway. I don't think the law gives you that discretion.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But Richard, you're saying our
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: It sure does.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- our growth management plan
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I don't think the -- yeah, what I'm telling
you is I don't think the law in Florida will allow you to ignore the fact
that I have met the criteria, and you can just say, you know what, I
don't care if you met the criteria, because then there's no reason to
have the criteria. There's no reason to put me through the exercise of
proving that I've met all the criteria where you can just simply say, ah,
we don't really care.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Do you have a question, Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No, I don't.
Page 133
<~...---,_._;,.;'''''...<--..
September 1, 2005
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Other questions for Mr.
Yovanovich?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Yes, I do.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Strain?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Richard, do you have a copy that I
could look at now from the Quail Creek -- original Quail Creek traffic
impact statement?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: No.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you have a copy of the original
Quail Creek II impact statement I could look at?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: No.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you have a copy of the
Longshore Lakes impact statement I could take a look at?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: No.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you know if any of them used
the capture rate for their traffic counts?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I do not know.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Thank you.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Do you know the answer to any of those
questions?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I'm going to find out in a little
while.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Okay. Well, we'll find out.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Other questions for Mr.
Yovanovich?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: I think your traffic engineer was going to
speak to us.
MR. JONES: Good afternoon. My name's Gavin Jones. I work
for WilsonMiller.
I am the author of the traffic impact statement that accompanied
this application. When that application and impact statement was put
Page 134
~~~.._..~~.__.~,,-""" ."
'~...."."_..._,--"'".~~".-
September 1, 2005
together, the trip generation information in it was based just on the
additional multi-family dwelling units, and at that time it was 12 units
per acre, and the total number was 260.
And the traffic in the analysis period was the p.m. peak hour,
which was what was required by the county reviewers. And the
conclusion from that amount of traffic was that the impacts on the
adjacent arterials would be insignificant in all cases and di minimis in
most.
It was done that way in the absence of analyzing all the uses
together that would be contributing traffic down Valewood Drive and
the effect of internal capture and pass-by capture. It was analyzed in
the absence of those things because it's quicker and easier to do it that
way and because -- and because in the absence of those capture rates,
it's actually a conservative estimate of the increase in traffic that
would be coming from the new development, and because the
conclusion was that the effects were di minimis, there didn't seem to
be a need to analyze it in any other fashion.
Then we went to a public workshop and discovered that there
was a lot of concern about traffic. There seemed to be a focus on
traffic trying to get out of Valewood Drive in the a.m. peak period,
and there was an analysis done by another consultant that tried to
incorporate trip capture and look at, you know, the combination of all
the uses within the PUD and not just -- not just what would happen on
this parcel in isolation.
So I have the tools and the ability to do that kind of analysis, and
I did. Used an estimate for future background traffic that included 858
multi-family dwelling units -- or I'm sorry -- single-family dwelling
units, 60 multi-family dwelling units, an assumption of development
on the commercial parts of the PUD that are not under discussion for
rezone, and you know, could ultimately be developed commercial.
What would the traffic from all of those uses be, including
pass-by capture for any commercial uses including internal capture
Page 135
_____,,"h
September 1, 2005
between complementary uses. Set that as a base line, and then
compared additional traffic from alternate proposals on the parcel
under discussion today.
And developing it at nine units per acre, which is what you're,
you know, considering today, the traffic in the a.m. or the p.m. peak
period is significantly less than you would expect to get. The increase
in traffic for the entire PUD is less with nine units per acre residential
than it is for a plausible combination of use under the existing C-3
zonIng.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Mr. Jones?
MR. JONES: And I can put those numbers on the visualizer if
you'd like.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: No. I have a question.
MR. JONES: Sure.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: You said you were directed by
staff to conduct the evaluation in the p.m. peak; is that correct?
MR. JONES: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: What staff? Was that __
MR. JONES: That's transportation planning staff.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes. Now that -- if I'm not
mistaken, on Immokalee Road that's when everybody's pretty much
going east; is that right?
MR. JONES: In the p.m.?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes.
MR. JONES: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: And that's on the north side, so
their entry into Immokalee Road would be going -- generally going
west, I would presume.
I'm just fascinated that they picked that particular time. I'm not
sure it has great relevance, but I'm going to ask Mr. Scott why they
would do that.
MR. JONES: Oh, I could answer that, save him a trip.
Page 136
- ~'_·__*'·'M~_
'~-"---.,..."",,"~-'~
--.,..---
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Well, why don't you do that then.
MR. JONES: Because normally in most parts of the county the
p.m. peak period is the -- is the heaviest hour of the day, and so that is
the chosen analysis period.
I can tell you that, you know, we're here seeking a rezone at the
moment. At the site development plan stage there will be an
additional traffic analysis required and submitted, and it's at the
discretion of staff to ask for an analysis in the a.m. peak period, and
I've submitted -- you know, I've followed through applications from
the rezone to the site development stage and done -- provided p.m.
peak hour analysis at the rezone stage but a.m. and p.m. at the site
development plan approval stage. So that's -- you know, staff has the
option of doing that of seeking an analysis in the a.m. period.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: And I'm not questioning that.
I'm offering the opportunity to learn more about -- all of us to learn
more about the -- many people here believe that the a.m. peak is the
critical factor for them, that they're going to lose opportunities to get
on the roadway, et cetera. And so I wanted to get that issue out, if I
could.
MR. JONES: Yeah. And we didn't analyze conditions. We
didn't count turns at any of the intersections in the a.m. peak period.
We would do so and will do so if requested.
What I did do is I did look at just the trip generation numbers
coming in and out of the total PUD and how those will change under
different development scenarios. And even in the a.m. peak period,
the exiting traffic will be -- the change in exiting traffic in the a.m.
peak period will be greater with one possible commercial mixture on
that parcel versus nine units per acre residential.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: How do you figure that out? I
mean, because --
MR. JONES: Those are done using ITE trip generations.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The testimony is that the
Page 137
".-~,.~."--.,
-··'·.____,.__'N,.
September 1, 2005
traffic's in the opposite direction. So if you're adding cumulatively,
you're missing the fact that they're both going different directions. In
other words, the residential will join the other residential and tie up
that intersection worse. The commercial will be on the other side of
the road, and --
MR. JONES: I'm saying the total-- the change in the total traffic
from all uses, all uses --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Added together?
MR. JONES: -- commercial and residential added all together.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
MR. JONES: As I said, started with a base line of what the
future would look like with nothing on that parcel and __
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But could that concept miss the
point that things are going in different directions?
MR. JONES: Well, no. The analysis -- I mean, the ITE trip
generation numbers provide you entering and exiting numbers for the
a.m. and p.m. peak periods, and I produced all of them for both the
combination of all the land uses as a base line and then for what the
total combination of land uses would be with the addition of either
commercial or residential on this parcel.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. So your testimony is that
if that was a commercial property, there would be more traffic exiting
the parcel in the a.m. period than the residential would cause?
MR. JONES: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, where are these people
coming from? Did they sleep overnight in the office?
MR. JONES: No. There's a certain amount of -- there's a certain
amount of deliveries that would be made to businesses in the morning,
and those trucks are leaving.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Let's move on a second. The
question is, did you think that if there was a connection between
Valewood and Executive Drive probably about where they show the
Page 138
".._-~-,
-,' '·"'·__''''''___n»__.
September 1, 2005
access point, would that take pressure off of the other intersection?
Would that be a better way for people to exit these developments?
MR. JONES : Well, it will -- it will depend ultimately on the
nature of the access that is provided at those intersections on
Immokalee Road by the designer of the improvement. The tendency
for the traffic to use the intersection will depend on whether they can
make the movement they want when they get there. The designers of
Immokalee Road may decide that some intersections will remain full
movement and some will not.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I don't know what the answer
was but--
,
MR. JONES: And my answer is, I don't know what the answer is
until the designers of Immokalee Road decide what those intersections
are going to look like and what movements will be permitted in them.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. But right now the way it
is, I mean, does the ability to make an eastward turn off of that
Executive Drive where there's no ability at the Valewood Drive -- so if
-- anybody going east out of this development now is going up,
swinging around through some other project and coming on back.
MR. JONES: Well, anybody that's leaving -- and we saw them
leaving east when we counted turns at that intersection. So there are
people that are leaving and going east. It's difficult, it's difficult.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Might be hair raising, but you
don't want to raise mine.
Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Other questions for this speaker?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Yes, I've got some.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Strain.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Mr. -- Gavin, did you review the
TIS for the Quail Creek PUD?
MR. JONES: No.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Did you review the TIS for the
Page 139
"'-..----".. .
·.·n"...______..¥..__
September 1, 2005
Quail Creek II PUD?
MR. JONES: No, sir.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Did you review the TIS for the
Longshore Lakes PUD?
MR. JONES: No, sir.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Do you know if any of those TISs
that you didn't review have any references to capture rates?
MR. JONES: I don't, sir.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Your statement that a total
of all the increases of the traffic for the entire PUD would be less with
this going to residential?
MR. JONES: Correct.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: How did you conclude that if you
didn't know if there was any capture rates involving the original TIS?
MR. JONES: I can do those calculations and I did those
calculations. I'm capable and competent to analyze a mixture of uses
and the capture between them. I can put it on the visualizer if you'd
like.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I don't care how you get about it.
I'm going to ask you how you did it then.
MR. JONES: Sure. This is a summary -- this is the summary
table.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: We can save a lot of time if you
just answer my questions and you can do it from pointing on this, if
you'd like.
You have 360 residential units, single- family that are on
Valewood Drive in the original PUD. What is your trip generation
rate that you're using for the EDT for those?
MR. JONES: Well, I wasn't looking at daily traffic because I
wasn't aware that anyone was -- any reviewer was going to be
concerned about the change in daily traffic. I focused on what
typically is the concern of reviewers, which is the a.m. and p.m. peak
Page 140
'---
.. "-_..~-~~-
September 1, 2005
periods.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Could you stop wiggling that?
It's difficult to read. I guess it's much more difficult.
MR. JONES: So this is--
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, before you go farther -- let
me ask the questions, we can save some time. Transportation element
provided to us by staff, the comment was, the proposed conversion to
allow 260 multi-family dwellings will generate 1,446 weekday trips.
Now, how does that calculation relate? Is that an a.m./p.m., or is that
weekday?
MR. JONES: If they said it was weekday, I assume.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. That's what I'm trying to
compare to. That's the only source of comparison I could find.
MR. JONES: Okay. I focused my analyses on the a.m. and p.m.
peak periods --
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay.
MR. JONES: -- rather than daily traffic. And I can tell you that
ITE only provides recommendations on internal and pass-by capture
rates in the p.m. peak period. And so really the most accurate analysis
that incorporates both pass-by capture for retail and internal capture
for retail and internal capture between complementary uses is in the
p.m. peak period.
But the table that's on the visualizer now is for -- is for one -- you
know, the future for the entire PUD in the absence of development on
the parcel, it includes pass-by capture for the retail uses, includes
internal capture between -- between complementary uses.
All of the capture rates are based on ITE recommendations. ITE
-- ITE makes recommendations on maximum capture rates by
direction between pairs of uses. And I did an analysis that made sure
that none of the single direction capture rates between pairs of uses
exceeded the ITE maximums.
So I calculated the capture rates in that fashion and produced an
Page 141
,.-.,-,.,-..--".~,..~
.",.,,,.~~-..-
'~_""""""""""d'_'"""'__""'_'~"""'_'_'__
September 1, 2005
external trip total for the entire PUD and then added difference types
of development on the parcel under discussion today. And __
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That's fine. I understand what
you're saying. Honestly, I don't understand what you're saying. I
understand what I was looking for from you, and you haven't provided
it.
Basically I want to know, then you did not -- you do not know
what the internal -- if they used or if there were any internal capture
rates used for the original TISs?
MR. JONES: I don't know, no.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Thank you.
MR. JONES: I feel that, you know, you're absolutely correct,
that it is the most accurate way to analyze -- analyze what's going to
be happening in the future, and that's why -- that's why I did that
analysis.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I'm -- still need to talk to Mr.
Scott, because somehow I've got to find out if anybody's seen these
internal -- these ghost internal capture rates, if that's what we want to
call them.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Let me ask you a question. The
thing on the screen is, when you say background, that's what would be
developed today, correct, under the current commercial zoning or __
MR. JONES: No, no, no. That's what would be -- that's what
could plausibly be there in the absence of any development on the
parcel. That was -- that was the starting point.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: This right here?
MR. JONES : Yes, okay. And then I did similar -- I have similar
tables that look like that, only they add either additional multi-family
units to reflect the fact that the parcel is developed multi-family, but,
again, look at the possible trips that can be captured between pairs of
complementary uses, ensuring that none of the capture rates by
direction exceed any of the ITE maximums, and then look at what the
Page 142
..- ~,~..""---,.,,.~ -'-'..",.---_.
-_.....,..,~_....
September 1, 2005
new external traffic is with the addition of some development of some
sort on the parcel.
So I did that for -- both for nine units per acre, 196 multi-family
units on the parcel, and I also did it for 230,000 square feet of
commercial in the parcel, a mixture of office and retail and medical
office.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And do we have that study?
MR. JONES: I have those numbers here.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But do we have that study?
MR. JONES: No, you do not, no. That wasn't prepared for the __
it was prepared very late, and it was provided to staff to get their
comment, and they -- and they, you know, didn't see any problems or
flaws in the analysis.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
MR. JONES: It wasn't provided as part of the initial application
because, as I said, it did not seem necessary.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Any further questions for Mr. Jones?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Jones, did you have any further
presentation or just here to answer our questions?
MR. JONES: Sure.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Any others?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: There are not.
Mr. Y ovanovich, anyone else from your team?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: No. And if you have other questions,
we're happy to answer them.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: We know where to find you.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Rich, I just have one question.
I just want to verify some information.
Does the applicant actually own the property, or is it under
contract?
Page 143
·___"~w"
'.-.-_.,"~-
.'..".-..'''.."'.........-.-.-,...."."
.- "'. "._._._._>.~--"."'~-~-"
September 1, 2005
MR. YOV ANOVICH: He owns the property.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Okay. Thank you.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mr. Chairman, I'd like -- can I
ask Bruce one question?
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay, sure.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And Bruce, with all our studies,
all our smart growth stuff, all that stuff, did you ever look at and
consider maybe a mixed-use thing for this? I mean -- because I could
see, you know, that access drive I'm pushing for, I could see that be
the main street, a little bit of retail, a little bit of commercial
downtown.
MR. TYSON: Great--
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Residential blocking, Vale __
Longwood (sic), I mean, that would be the thing that would solve
everybody's problems.
MR. TYSON: It's an excellent question. And the answer is, yes,
we did. As a matter of fact probably, I don't know, four or five
months got absorbed into what's the best way to approach all of this.
And I told you, taking a comprehensive look at that, we looked at
the blank parcels of land, seeing if we could absorb those into the
project, seeing if we could get some unanimity into this project that
would come in off of -- off of Immokalee Road and capture some
visual aspect to it that would make it to the point where it was
something that was really special and could work.
The reality was, and the bottom line in the long run, nobody
wanted to join forces with that. They all thought it was a great
concept, but, in fact, nobody wanted to play.
The other side --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, who's -- excuse me a
second. Who's nobody; the neighbors or--
MR. TYSON: No, the owners.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
Page 144
---_."'~ -~._- ~'-..--->-..."" --.. -... . _.'
"".............._-"".......,
September 1, 2005
MR. TYSON: The owners of those parcels. Remember, did you
see when we had the complete subdivision that was going on along
Executive Drive, one of those plans that was put out? Ray do you
have that?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: We did, I did. Remember, that's
the one I questioned why the access was --
MR. TYSON: We had to deal, or the D'Jamooses had to deal
with four or five different owners. All of them thought it was a great
idea, but, in essence, at the time nobody wanted to step up and say,
okay, I'll join you.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But the testimony that you just
gave Robert that he owns the whole property, why __
MR. TYSON: He does own -- well, he owns everything that you
see in red.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right. So wouldn't this involve
everything we see in red?
MR. TYSON: No, not my earlier conversation just a few
seconds ago.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Because the mixed use I was
referring to, if you put a connector off of Executive Drive up into the
middle of Valewood, just about where you show your access, that
could be, quote, your main street of a really cute little mixed used, and
the people and the residents would all be stopping there and having
dinner, not that we don't want them out on the streets in our area--
MR. TYSON: We understand.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- you know, but they wouldn't
have to come out, so --
MR. TYSON: I understand completely. We've done a number--
if you can appreciate, we've done a number of look into and see what
does and what doesn't work. And any time you wind up getting a
proj ect that we call the mixed use, how do you wind up getting these
neighbor or town centers? How do they work?
Page 145
,..~.."--'~'""---~-_.,_._---
September 1, 2005
What you saw when you were presented Ave Maria, that worked
because Ave Maria is its own entity, has 5,000 acres, has something
that you can control.
You come into a proj ect that is relatively small of 21 acres, yes,
you've got a significant acreage behind it, but the reality is, at the most
we're going to have about 1,000 units, let's just say arbitrarily, that
will come in ultimately up and down Valewood Drive. That is not
sufficient to hold any kind of critical retail operation for any
substantial amount of time.
I think we could get a retail appraiser or a retail developer in
here, and you could put them back in that location, and the reality is,
that over time, it would probably fail, and it would probably fail
because there's not enough people to sustain it. And sustainability is
the big issue, and you just don't have the critical mass in order to make
just one or two retail components, even though they may be only 4- or
5- or 6,000 square feet.
The challenge is when you get to those low numbers, it's
impossible to make it work over an extended period of time, also
given the fact that much of the traffic that goes in and out of here is
seasonal. You have a fair number of people now, that for -- especially
from Longshore, that wind up using this on a full-time basis. But we
did look at that. I mean, it's not to say that we didn't.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: It's too bad you didn't, because
the developer, with all due respect, did an excellent project. I mean,
they would be the ones that could pull that off.
MR. TYSON: I agree completely.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: We really need--
MR. TYSON: I agree completely, and we tried -- very difficult
to make that happen.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. We really need to get back on
focus. However valid that might be, that's not the petition that's here
before us today.
Page 146
September 1,2005
Are there other questions for staff?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I just have a quick question of Don
Scott. I'm sorry to belabor this point, but I want a clarification, since
Mr. Y ovanovich brought it up so eloquently.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Watch yourself, Rich.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Don, did you review the TIS for
Quail Creek, Quail Creek II or Longshore Lakes in regards to the
review of this project?
MR. SCOTT: The original, no.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Do you know --
MR. SCOTT: You understand, we've only existed about four
years, so I don't think we'd ever have it.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Do you know then if they
would have relied on a capture rate?
MR. SCOTT: Not sure.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Would it have been an assumption
that that could have happened?
MR. SCOTT: It could have, but, you know, if you look at
history of these parcels, how they're put together, this whole thing
should have been a DRI to start with.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, we've been through that
before. If the -- I had talked to you about some calculations that I did
from my understanding of ITE, and basically it was that you take the
rate of whatever the use is in there, multiply it times the number of
those uses, you get a weekly, daily -- or EDT, then a certain
percentage of that can be allocated to capture rate if the developer so
chooses. Is that a reasonable assumption?
MR. SCOTT: Some -- yes.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: And does the same kind of
reasonable assumption apply if it's a passer-by, 10 to 15 percent?
MR. SCOTT: Yeah, it can be higher depending on the type of
thing, like we talked about.
Page 147
-"...,--,""-..-.",--
September 1, 2005
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Clearly for the record there is no
records that I know of that say that was done for this project. So you
don't know of any?
MR. SCOTT: Right.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Any further questions for staff?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Questions for the petitioner?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: There being none, we'll close the public
hearing.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: I want to ask Rich one
question, if I may.
This is fairly straightforward. If I maintain my position that
you're not entitled to the benefits of the commercial conversion
provision, that would leave you with four units base density and three
for the mixed-use activity?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: The residential density at seven units,
yes, SIr.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Can you live with seven?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: You know, I was hoping you -- that's not
a simple question. Straightforward, but it's not simple.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Well, it's a yes or no
question.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Well, but it's not one that Rich
Y ovanovich can answer right this second, but if you give me a minute
to caucus.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Well, it would make the
difference on whether I vote for or against, I think.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Excuse me.
Mr. Abernathy, there was discussion at one time about eight units
per acre. That we can live with. I don't know that we can go all the
Page 148
'"-«""'_""___'~""'A
September 1, 2005
way down to seven. We probably can do -- I mean, to be honest with
you, the number -- all right. I can go seven and a half, is what I was
told.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: No.
MR. YO V ANOVICH: You know, that's __
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Let's make it seven because
anything beyond that relies on the conversion.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: On a half an acre -- on one half a unit of
.
converSIon.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Well, if you take the
position you're not entitled to any --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: That's if you take that position.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Well, I do.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I understand that.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: And I've got one of the
votes.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I know you do. I know you do. And--
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: In other words, I could very
easily by the time the members finish discussing this, I could very
easily vote against the project, but I don't believe we're going to the
commercial.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Mr. Abernathy, we -- that's fine.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Seven is fine?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Fine.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Okay.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: So with the close of the public hearing--
MR. YO V ANOVICH: Do I get to sit down now?
CHAIRMAN BUDD: -- we're looking -- we're now looking for a
motion. Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I move that AR-7152 be
forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners with a
recommendation of approval subject to staff recommendations and the
Page 149
._--~~,_. ...........-
September 1, 2005
recommendation of the county planning commission.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Second.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. At how many units per acre?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: At seven units per acre.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. That was a motion by Mr.
Adelstein and a second by Mr. Murray.
Discussion on the motion?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I have discussion.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Brad?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: What I'd like to do -- I'd like to
make sure that the -- and I'm having trouble finding it in the planned
unit development. Hold on, please. Page 12, I'd like to make sure that
where it says front yard setback, that that would be somehow clear
that no buildings will be in those setbacks so we could get rid of the
word front and make it yard setback, and that would include
everything.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We had already agreed to that earlier,
Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. Well, I want that to be--
CHAIRMAN BUDD: That is incorporated in the motion. Is that
okay with the motion maker?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Absolutely.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: And the second?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: That's incorporated.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: There's one other thing I would
like to do, is I really would like to see -- and Don Scott testified that it
would be available, that the Valewood Drive go all the way through
the project. I know you want to gate it, but you may have to break it
in two or something, so that Valewood would go through to that other
access.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Schiffer, the motion maker's not
Page 150
-."'..."-.........-.----...
.'. "-,-,-,',_ r t ~,~.,-
September 1,2005
willing to --
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I will not accept that.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: -- receive that suggestion.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Mr. Schiffer, they can already go down
and do -- already go down to Executive Drive to cut through.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But where Executive is is right
at the intersection.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Schiffer, the motion maker's not
willing to accept that suggestion.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, okay.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Other recommendations, discussions?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I've got some.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Mr. Strain?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: The issues where we talked about
stipulations, one of them was there be no asphalt shingles, it will be a
gated community; the neighborhood rec. centers will be toward the
center part of the parcel; all of them will have at least two-car garages;
and there was some discussion about the CO dates. No COs until the
completion of the six-Ianing of Immokalee Road and the completion
of the cloverleaf on I-75.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Hold on, hold on, hold on.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I'm not asking you.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: No, I'm just trying to hear what you're
trying to say . You're going a little fast for me.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Slow down a little bit.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Can you go -- you lost me at the
requirement that we have two -- all units have to have a two-car
garage.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I heard someone -- I thought I
heard Bruce say that.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I don't think we committed to every unit
Page 151
..-.,-,.---
"..,~-,-",-",,,~-,
September 1, 2005
having a two-car garage.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Yeah. Yes, you did.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I though you did.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: You were when we were
talking about the depth of the 20, 23 feet. You said they're two garages
(sic).
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I wrote it down.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Okay. Go ahead. I mean, make your
motion and we'll just -- we'll see what stipulations find their way in.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Okay. The other one was the CO
dates will be linked to the completion of the six-Ianing of Immokalee
Road and the cloverleaf on Immokalee Road for I - 7 5.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We can't agree to that. No, we can't agree
to that.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: There was discussion about the --
and, Margie, I need your help on this. There was discussion about
adding some things for helping with the maintenance of the
stormwater percentages sharing. Where that isn't part of the covenants
in the property with that community association there, is there any
way we can link that to a stipulation?
And there was like a 90-day -- like a 90-day -- leases were
supposed to be limited to 90 days, no more than three times a year,
and there was -- they were going to retain 20 percent of the
maintenance costs for Valewood Drive.
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: I think if the petitioner's willing,
they can agree to, in the PUD document, include that in restrictive
covenants, if they're willing to put a provision like that in the PUD
document.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: That's what they said. Are you
willing to put that in?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: They were on the record saying
that.
Page 152
-^".--,---.-- ,..-....."."'._'"'~-'~-"---_.~"
'"'~"'-~"".._',~.--,_._...,'--,--
September 1,2005
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We've already said that we're going to do
that and put that in our homeowners' association documents. They've
already said that on the record. They're going to go in the
homeowners' association documents.
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: And I can tell you, Mr. Strain, in
the past this has come up in a little different scenario, but in TTRV
PUD districts where the petitioner agreed in the PUD document to
incorporate rental restrictions on the travel trailer/recreational vehicle
units, and what they -- the PUD document said was that they were
going to put restrictions in their restrictive covenants. So if they agree
to do that, I think we can put it in there.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, if they've agreed on the
record, then I don't know why they wouldn't agree to have it written in
the PUD. Is that a problem?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: It's -- you know, Mr. Strain, is it a
problem, yeah, because it's not typically included in a PUD ordinance
of the government. We've committed to it, we're going to do it, and
it's a commitment. We'd rather it not find its way into the PUD
document.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, I'm suggesting it as a
stipulation. The panel can make its mind up.
And the last one I would like to suggest is that we limit the
density to 6.1 units, and the reason for that is the applicant stated a
few minutes ago that they must have more than six per acre in order to
make ends meet.
MR. YO V ANOVICH: No. Mr. Strain, I told them that we
would not accept six. We didn't come up with a number. Mr.
Abernathy asked me what the number was, and it was seven.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: This was before your conversation
with Mr. Abernathy.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Let's go back through those things.
We have suggestions by Mr. Strain that that, at the option of the
Page 153
September 1, 2005
motion maker and the second, mayor may not be incorporated.
As far as no asphalt shingles, Mr. Adelstein? That's in the
motion and the second. That's agreed.
As far as it being a gated community?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: That's agreed In the motion and the
second.
That the rec. centers will be in the middle of this development?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Is in agreement with the motion and the
second.
That there be two-car garages with every unit?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Accepted.
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: That was my recollection.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Then that's in the motion and the
second.
That there be no COs until the six -laning of Immokalee Road is
complete and the cloverleaf at I-75 is complete.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: No.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. The motion maker does not want
to include that as part of this motion.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: How about just the
six-Ianing part without the cloverleaf?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Mr. Abernathy, if I may interject myself.
I know it's unusual, but -- it's not unusual that I interject myself, but
we already have the ability under the concurrency management
system to go forward with the commercial now.
Ifwe have to wait, then, you know, that doesn't work for us.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Okay.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: No.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: I'm sorry. Mr. Adelstein does not want to
Page 154
^,,·,,~,,~~_,_O''''''''''~"''_..
September 1, 2005
incorporate that into his motion.
Mr. Strain, there was something about stormwater, and I didn't
pick up on it.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: It was just adding some provisions
to the PUD they had indicated they would include in the covenants,
the homeowners' docs, whatever the appropriate vehicle is, that they
would take their proportionate share of the stormwater maintenance
and they would provide a --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We're not going to let that be a deal
breaker. It can go in.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Stipulation for 90-day leases, no
more than three times a year, and then 20 percent of the maintenance
cost of Valewood.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I'll take them all.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay with the motion and the second?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I also asked for 6.1 units per acre.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: No.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Motion maker's not receptive of that.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: And before we vote, I need to
make a statement.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Well, let's make sure we know
what we're voting on. This is where -- this is the -- the making of
sausage and the making of laws and ordinances is an ugly process.
Ray, do you have that clearly down what we're --
MR. BELLOWS: I think between Heidi and myself.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Sir, the public hearing has been
closed.
Okay. Is everybody understanding of the motion we're making?
Mr. Strain, you want to make a declaration before the vote?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Only because it's lengthy.
Page 155
~--~.
September 1, 2005
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: With the stipulations that were not
accepted, I do not feel that it's consistent with the GMP in section 5.4;
the transportation element, 5.1 and 5.2; LDC section 4.07.02, B-1,
D-3, A, B, D, F, and G; rezone findings four, five, seven, and 14; and
PUD findings one, three, four, and seven.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Other discussion before we call the
question?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: There being none, all those in favor of the
motion, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER LINDY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Those opposed?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. And if I'm correct, that was Ms.
Caron and Mr. Strain in opposition.
Any others?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: So the motion carries, 7-2.
(Applause.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate your
good manners in helping us get through this. And if you could clear
the room quietly, we still have to work.
Ladies and gentlemen, please clear the room as quickly and
quietly as possible. Please leave and continue your conversations
Page 156
, ~~--"."--._~.~,._-_.-
September 1, 2005
outside. We have more matters to consider, and we can't work over
the noise that you're creating.
Thank you. F or the planning commissioners. Item of discussion.
It is now 1 :20 p.m. We've been working right through our lunch. We
still have two agenda items to consider.
Ladies and gentlemen, please clear the room quietly.
We have the LDC special cycle 2A, which has been continued
from August 18th, as well as Mr. Strain's request that under old
business we have a meeting on the meeting.
Now, it is up to us to decide, do we want to break now for lunch
or continue with our agenda items and push through as long as it may
take to finish. It's up to other planning commissioners.
What's your desire? Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I would like to get my lunch.
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: Me, too.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: I'm leaving.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I'm not going to be able to stay
here probably past two o'clock, so --
CHAIRMAN BUDD: And Mr. Strain has a business meeting at
two o'clock, so if we break now for lunch, he'll be out of further
discussions.
Mr. Abernathy has other obligations also that, when we break, he
will not be returning. Do we still have a quorum? Everyone else still
ready to return?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes. Perhaps we should continue
further because of the fact that Mr. Strain is unavailable, and he, as we
know, has many insights.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Russell, could Mark make his
presentation now and then we go to lunch? Is it a long one, Mark?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, I mean, mine's going to
probably be lengthy, and that's -- there's a lot of issues involving
Margie's rewrite, and that goes back to the Lindy declaration that we
Page 157
'" ...'--~.,,-~...._-, .
.~'"~,~_ - v
-"_._--,..'".".""'~---,......,-".,---
September 1, 2005
talked about last time.
Basically my position, and I'll state it now and then you guys can
debate it later. It hasn't changed. And I like what we suggested last
time, and I also believe that administratively this density can be
handled through the concurrency issues. We don't need to add another
layer of overview on what's already there.
At the most possibly a paragraph might be added to the PUD
section addressing what happens to leftover density, but we don't need
to get into a document of this magnitude, I believe, and that was what
I was going to express and walk through some issues, but those issues,
I'm sure, aren't as overwhelming as just that statement.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Well, I'm confident that with Mr. Strain's
diligence and eye for detail, that there's at least an hour, maybe more,
of discussion, and -- if we proceed on this, and I agree with the
comment made earlier, that obviously Mr. Strain is the detail-oriented
one, not that everybody else doesn't have valuable comments and
interaction, but I would not be enthusiastic about proceeding on that
aspect of our business without his input.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Neither would 1.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: And with that in mind, we've continue this
from August 18th. We could continue to another date certain to gain
Mr. Strain's input. Is there an inclination to proceed in that way?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I would prefer that, because I
would prefer to have him present.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I'd second that. If that's a
motion, I'll second.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Well, what we need to do -- we need some
advice from the county attorneys. Can we continue this to a date
certain or indefinitely, or how should we properly continue this item?
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: I think we can continue it to a date
certain. It is supposed to go to the board on September the 13th with
them taking final action on September the 27th. And so I'm just --let's
Page 158
.~-_._"",.,,,.~.,,-.-~-,,,,,-.,.-,,,,-,,,-
September 1,2005
see. Our next planning commISSIon -- what's our next regular
planning commission?
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: The 15th, I believe.
MR. BELLOWS: The 15th, would be September 15th.
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: I think -- I think that we can
probably -- we've done that before, and then the board has -- you
know, because they will have your input by the time they have the
final hearing.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Since there's precedence and the
county attorney's office advises us that it's legal, do we have a motion
to continue --
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I said that.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: -- item 8D to our next regularly scheduled
meeting of September 15th?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I so move.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: We have a motion by Mr. Adelstein, a
second by Mr. Vigliotti.
Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER LINDY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Aye.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: (Absent.)
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Those opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: It is unanimous among the eight planning
Page 159
,---.'..--..---
September 1, 2005
commissioners present.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: I just want to thank all of you. I
appreciate the deference in that. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Okay. Last item of business, item 9, old
business, discussion of the meeting on the meeting.
Mr. Schmitt came up during one of the breaks and made the
comment that it was a suggestion, not necessarily a good one or a bad
one, but it was a suggestion. And the conversations he's heard from
various planning commissioners separately and specifically to him as
is legal and appropriate, is that there is not an inclination to hold a
meeting before the regularly scheduled meeting.
And if that's the consensus of the planning commissioners. Mr.
Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Ray, do we have a -- our next
meeting, do we have a big schedule, a lot of items? Because we could
maybe find some time then to take -- we could isolate a couple of
Issues.
MR. BELLOWS: I don't have the agenda, I'm sorry. I can't tell
you.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: There was one in the -- just
one in the paper that I was able to find.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Well, Brad, what you're proposing
is to do a workshop on the meeting?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, not a workshop.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Because we can't bring the issues
in the meeting up to the 15th because we've already continued them to
the 21st.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. So it's a moot thing
anyways.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Yeah. I don't know how you would
do that without getting into notices we provided at the last meeting.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Unless we do have a workshop,
Page 160
September 1, 2005
I guess.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: So would the inclination be to meet on
this item as originally scheduled with no modification or change?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Is that correct?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Just to clear the record, do we have a
motion to that effect?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: So moved.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: So moved.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Motion by Mr. Strain, second by Mr.
Adelstein.
Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: All those in favor, say aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER LINDY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Aye.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY: (Absent.)
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Those opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Motion carries. We will not have a
meeting inside the meeting.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: One more issue. Mr. Chairman,
before you hit the gavel, I want to express the gratitude of this entire
panel for your leadership for the past couple of years.
(Applause.)
Page 161
___',·~N_··,~_·~..._ ,
.~'<~,.,,-_.........,-,--"._,-_...."""'-
September 1,2005
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Yes, absolutely.
COMMISSIONER STRAIN: We're going to certainly miss you
and your -- I guess I should say it's a kind way and nonabrasive way
of keeping everybody in line. So I certainly have appreciated what
I've learned from you, and I want to thank you for all the years you've
provided to the planning commission.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Echo that strongly.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Ditto me.
CHAIRMAN BUDD: Well, thanks. We're adjourned.
*****
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 1:26 p.m.
COLLIER COUNTY
PLANNING COMMISSION
RUSSELL A. BUDD, CHAIRPERSON
Page 162
----_..>"..,.,..,..-._-,._~._--,,-