CCPC Minutes 10/05/2023 (Draft)
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
Naples, Florida
October 5, 2023
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:
Edwin Fryer, Chairman
Joe Schmitt, Vice Chair
Robert L. Klucik, Jr.
Paul Shea
Randy Sparrazza
Chuck Schumacher
Christopher T. Vernon
Amy Lockhart, Collier County School Board Representative
ALSO PRESENT:
Eric Johnson, Principal Planner
Mike Bosi, Planning and Zoning Director
Heidi Ashton-Cicko, Managing Assistant County Attorney
Derek Perry, County Attorney's Office
P R O C E E D I N G S
MR. BOSI: Chair, you have a live mic.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you, Mr. Bosi.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to
the October 5, 2023, meeting of the Collier County Planning
Commission.
Everyone please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.
(The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Secretary, please call the
roll, sir.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Chairman Fryer?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Here.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Vice Chair Schmitt?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Here.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Secretary Shea is here.
Commissioner Vernon?
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Here.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Commissioner Klucik?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Present.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Sparrazza?
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Here.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: And, Commissioner
Schumacher?
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Here.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Ms. Lockhart?
MS. LOCKHART: Here.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Mr. Chairman, we are all
present.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
Let's see. Addenda to the agenda. Mr. Johnson
sitting in for Mr. Bellows.
MR. JOHNSON: Yes, Mr. Chair. Eric Johnson.
I respectfully -- let me give some background. We
believe that we'll be having some Land Development Code
amendments coming online pretty soon that would require a
nighttime hearing to start at 5 p.m. And so I was looking at
the calendar trying to figure out a time when it would be
good for staff as well as for you.
It's been your informal policy to have these nighttime
meetings held on days that you have a Planning Commission
meeting. And so I was looking at December 7th as a
possibility for having a hearing that starts at 5 p.m., and I
was trying to solicit your input on that while you're all
together.
So December 7th, if -- depending on the number of
other items that are on the daytime agenda, Mr. Bosi could
schedule the regular agenda, the daytime agenda, later in the
day. But, certainly, the land -- at least one Land
Development Code amendment would have to start after 5.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. December 7 in the
evening would certainly work for me. What about other
Planning Commissioners?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I'm good.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: I'm going to probably miss
my second Planning Commission meeting that day. I'll be
out of town. So I'll miss the morning and the evening, so
I'd just as soon do it on another date. But if you have a
majority here, I'm fine.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Let's see what others say.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I don't know. I don't
have my phone with me, so...
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: What's the date again?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Seventh of December.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Thursday the 7th.
MR. JOHNSON: Thursday, December 7th.
(Simultaneous crosstalk.)
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I think that's fine for
me.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: I could possibly
make it.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
MR. JOHNSON: It looks like we'll have a quorum.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: How many
amendments are we talking?
MR. JOHNSON: At least one. I don't have an exact
number because we're still working on them, but it could be
more than just one. It could be two, maybe three, maybe
more.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: It sounds like we would have a
quorum, but probably not by much.
MR. JOHNSON: Understood.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I suspect I'll be
available. I just can't verify that right now.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: I'll be available,
Chair.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Oh, thank you,
Commissioner Schumacher.
Do you have a second date to run up the flagpole for us
to consider, or no?
MR. JOHNSON: I don't. I would have to --
MR. BOSI: That would be December 21st, the second
meeting in December.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. And we plan on
having a meeting that day? Because of Christmas coming
up?
MR. BOSI: And that could be a decision that the
Board of County -- or not the Board, but the Planning
Commission could make. If you feel like the 21st is too
close to the Christmastime and holiday plans, and you can
do -- you can tell me now that we are going to plan to cancel
that meeting if the Planning Commission --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right.
MR. BOSI: -- thinks that's too close to Christmas.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I will not be here.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Will not.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I'll be traveling.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Others?
COMMISSIONER SHEA: I can be here.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: I can make the
21st.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: I don't shop till the
24th.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Good for you.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Midnight.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: So we know we'll be down
one, and it sounds like, otherwise, that would work for us.
Well, it's up to the Planning Commission. It sounded to me
like we had more certainty of a quorum on the 21st, but
maybe others heard it differently.
MR. BOSI: And, Chair, as we -- right now we have
zero petitions scheduled for the 7th or the 21st.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Oh.
MR. BOSI: As we come closer to, say, the first week
in November, I will send a reminder to myself to email the
Planning Commission, let you know how many petitions we
expect to be on the December 7th and the 21st and see if we
can establish a quorum for each of those days, and then we
can have a little more certainty. You'll have a little bit more
time to -- you know, to view your calendar and understand
what you have coming up.
So if we wait for another month -- and I'll send that
email out to the Planning Commission, and I think we'll be
able to identify where we can have that quorum.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. From my perspective,
we've got these two December meetings that are still on the
books. Depending upon the number of applications we
have, if we could -- let's say we have five, if we could put all
five on one and then cancel the other meeting, particularly if
we put all five on the 7th and then cancel the 21st because of
its proximity to Christmas, that might --
MR. BOSI: Understood. Understood.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
MR. BOSI: And I will reach out the first week in
November. And, actually, I'll have a conversation with you
because --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: We'll be here.
MR. BOSI: November 2nd, we'll be reviewing the
AUIR.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Is there any reason we
can't pull it back from December, like, to the 16th of
November?
MR. BOSI: There is --
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Does it just take -- or it
can't be ready by then?
MR. BOSI: We probably could maybe make one, but
we're trying to get -- we're trying to get two specific LDC
amendments that require nighttime hearings to -- so that's
why we focused upon the December 7th date.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Well, we'll have
further discussion then, I guess, about this. You've
got -- you've got some input, and some uncertainties up here
may be resolved. By our next meeting, we could get a
better idea.
MR. JOHNSON: Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you. Any other
addenda?
MR. JOHNSON: No.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Planning Commission absences. Let's see. Our next
meeting is on October 19, 2023. Anyone know if he or she
won't be able to attend that meeting?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I'm checking. I think
I'm gone.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I'm not available on
the 19th either.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Anyone else
know -- all right.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: What's it look like for
the 19th, Mike?
MR. BOSI: Currently, we have three petitions
scheduled for the 19th. We have the extension of the
Future Land Use Map. Our Future Land Use Map and
Element currently only go -- is from 2012 to 2025. To be
statutorily compliant, we need to extend that out to 2045.
Luckily, we have the institutional knowledge of David
Weeks, who's helped us craft an amendment and do the
analysis to move the -- or the Future Land Use Element and
Map to 2045, and then we also have the GMP amendment.
And the PUD amendment for the Golden Gate Golf
Course to allow for the conversion of the Golden Gate Inn to
affordable housing and a multifamily structure, so that's
going to be on the agenda for the 19th.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: That's the second return,
though, right? Haven't we already looked at that the first
time, right?
MR. BOSI: That's been approved. It's been
amended, and this is going to be the second time it's going to
be amended, and it's also going to be amended again for
Collier's purposes because we need to move the veterans
facility from the westernmost portion of it over to the
easternmost portion of the subdistrict because of changes
within the driving -- or the BigShots entertainment facility
no longer is going to be occupying that land. But we'll get
into that later in October.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: But it's not a full
conversion of the golf course?
MR. BOSI: No, no. The golf course is being
converted to a 12-hole golf course around the Par, but we'll
get into those specifics.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. So it looks as
though we'll have a quorum, and we understand Vice
Chairman's absence.
Same question for the meeting on November 2, 2023.
Anyone know if he or she will not be in attendance?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I'll be here.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I'm pretty sure I will
not be here.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Pretty sure you will not, okay.
All right. So it looks as though we're going to have
quorums on both those days.
Approval of minutes. None are before us today.
BCC report and recaps. Mr. Johnson, are you going to
cover that? Or, Mr. Bosi?
MR. BOSI: Yes, one second. This is what happens
when Ray's not here.
At the 9/26, the BCC continued the Shamrock storage
facility on 13th Street, GMP amendment and CPUD, to the
10/10 meeting just to incorporate -- we had to incorporate
some last-minute changes related to the relocation of the
entrance on Collier Boulevard farthest to the south to
appease a number of those residents that were pretty
opposed to the entrance to the location being on 13th Street,
but they also approved the Brookside Marina zoning request
and, on summary agenda, there were no land-use items. So
it was only the Brookside that they approved.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you, sir.
MR. BOSI: You're welcome.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Chairman's report, none today.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Just a quick question,
if you don't mind.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Please go ahead,
Commissioner.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Mike, just help me
remember. The Shamrock, was that the one where a lot of
residents were concerned about the students getting on the
bus and --
MR. BOSI: Yes, yes. And the developer had actually
agreed to construct a bus stop with parking for parents to
wait for their kids to be able to get on the bus. And they
were opposed to access on 13th Street. Transportation said
that it violated the policies to put it on 13th [sic].
They were able to move the preserve -- move the
preserve to the north area to help give additional buffering
with the additional landscape enhancements that they
provided for, and the entrance is going to be the farthest
south on that parcel. It's going to meet the Transportation
needs, and it's going to align with what -- the residents. So
we're hoping the BCC meeting is a little less contentious
than what the Planning Commission meeting was.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Great result.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
All right. Chairman's report, none today.
Consent agenda, none today.
That takes us into our public hearings.
***First advertised public hearing is PL20220001779,
the Rock Creek Estates RPUDZ.
All those wishing to testify in this matter, please rise to
be sworn in by the court reporter.
(The speakers were duly sworn and indicated in the
affirmative.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Ex parte disclosures from the Planning Commission
starting with Ms. Lockhart.
MS. LOCKHART: Materials only.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: No disclosures.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Staff materials and site
visit.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Matters of public record,
meetings with staff, communications with the applicant's
agent.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Discussions with the
applicant's agent. Also, I had conversation by email with
Mr. Bosi and Mr. Bellows in regards to a petition that came
before us in 2010, and that was the Meridian Village PUD,
because of the restrictions that were imposed by the airport
authority, and I wanted to validate and verify those
restrictions against what was proposed for this.
So that petition, I received, and I think the rest of you
all received it as well. But I also took the liberty to forward
that to Mr. Yovanovich, because he and I spoke about it, and
I said I'll forward you the petition -- or the ordinance, which
was -- I didn't think it was objectionable, so I took it upon
myself to forward it to him, because we discussed the issues
in regards to the -- I guess, the covenants that were being
imposed.
So I'll talk more about that during the petition, so -- my
only other question: Is anybody here from the airport
authority?
MR. BOSI: Yes, we do have representation.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay, good.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Continuing down, please.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Matters of public
record, and I had a staff meeting.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: I had staff
materials and a conversation with Mr. Yovanovich.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Materials, site
visit, and a conversation with Mr. Yovanovich.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you very much.
Incidentally, I -- maybe I received the petition -- or the
ordinance you were talking about, Vice Chair, but I don't
believe I did. Everybody else get it?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I thought it was sent
to everyone, Mike, you said, for information.
MR. BOSI: I asked Ray to send it to the Planning
Commission members.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. I don't have
the -- I just have the one that you sent me.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: All right.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. At this point, the
Chair recognizes Mr. Yovanovich.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Thank you, and good morning.
For the record, Rich Yovanovich, on behalf of the
applicant. With me today is Erik Mogelvang. He is the
principal for Elah Holdings, LLC; Josephine Medina is with
RVI, and she is the professional planner for the project;
Marco Espinar is our environmental consultant; our
transportation consultant is Ted Treesh; and Jeff Rogers is
our coastal engineer, if you have any questions of those
disciplines.
The property is located on North Road basically at the
entrance of the commercial portion of -- the commercial
terminal at Terminal Drive for the Naples Airport.
I think -- I think the primary issue here today is what
the airport authority wants from my client with regard to
notices of easements, so I'll preliminarily get into that, and
Josie will get into the specifics of the master plan and how
it's consistent and compatible.
I think it's important to note, and this is in the airport
authority's own correspondence, that the property is not
located within the noise decibel areas that would question
whether it's compatible, and it's not within the flight pattern
for the airport.
Iron -- well, not ironically, but Mr. Mogelvang's family
has lived in this area for many, many, many years and,
obviously, believes it's compatible with the airport,
understands the noise that's associated with the airport. He
believes so much in this that he bought this property and
plans to develop it and doesn't have any concern about
others wanting to live near the airport.
The property's 11.38 acres. It's currently zoned
agricultural. As you know, that's a holding category under
the Comprehensive Plan, but we're not asking for any
changes to the Future Land Use Element. The Growth
Management Plan would allow up to three dwelling units
per acre, which would allow for 33 units to be built on this
property. We're asking for less than half; we're asking for
15 single-family homes.
Your staff has determined that that is compatible, and
Josie will give you her professional opinion as well.
What we're objecting to is a portion of the staff
recommendation, and the portion we're objecting to is the
requirement that we provide an avigation easement to the
airport authority.
We're not within a contour -- the noise contour zone,
and we're not within the flight pattern, so there's absolutely
no nexus between requiring us to give an avigation easement
to the airport authority and, therefore, in my opinion, it's an
improper exaction and can't be imposed upon my client. I
don't care what any other projects -- any other lawyers may
have agreed to in the past, in this particular case, there's no
nexus and no -- and no requirement to impose that type of
requirement on my client.
Interestingly, the information provided by the airport
authority at Page 84 of your packet states that residential
land use is generally not incompatible in the 60 to 65, 65 to
70, and 70 to 75-decibel contour intervals. We're not in
that. They acknowledge -- and then -- then we could talk
about compatibility. And in other cases, the way that was
handled was how you build the building. This was attached
to a hotel, and the hotel agreed to certain noise reduction
measures to bring the decibel levels down so they could
assure compatibility. Their own documents prove we are
compatible with the airport.
Our single-family homes at the height we're requesting
in no way impairs the safe operation of the airport or the
safety of the homes that we're going to construct on this
property, yet the airport authority is asking you to deny the
project and then, if you don't, they want us to impose this
avigation easement on our property.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Excuse me for interrupting.
And then I'm going to ask -- the Vice Chairman also wants
to talk.
The avigation easement, is this the only piece of the
Naples Airport Authority that your client objects to?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Yes. We're fine with
providing the notice that we're within -- we're in close
proximity to the airport. We're providing -- and put it in a
deed restriction on the property that we're in close
proximity. So if someone buys this without actually
coming to see the property and see the airport's right there,
they will have notice in the record.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. But the only piece of
these recommendations --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Right.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: -- from the airport authority is
the avigation easement that you object to, correct?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Right, right.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Thank you.
MR. YOVANOVICH: And I'll take you through some
slight modifications to the --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Vice Chairman?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Mr. Yovanovich, can
you explain to me what does this -- I guess you called it a
navigation easement?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Avigation. Avigation.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Avigation?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Aviation --
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Just navigation without
the n.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: What does that
easement do to you legally?
MR. YOVANOVICH: What does it do to me legally?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yes.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Well, I'll tell you what --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Or to your client, I
should say.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I'll tell you what it does to my
client legally.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yes.
MR. YOVANOVICH: It requires my client to give
the Naples Airport Authority the right to, effectively, if you
look at Page 54 of the document, to operate in a manner --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Where's 54, if you --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Page 54 of your packet.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Fifty-four of our
packet.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Which is Page 3 of 6 of their
easement.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I'm having trouble
finding that.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Can you explain?
MR. YOVANOVICH: I was waiting for Mr. Klucik.
I think he --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I'll find it.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Okay. It says in 3C of the
avigation easement that it is expressly intended by grantee
and declarant and its successors, successors in title and
assigns, that the avigation easements shall apply to the
passage of aircraft and to noise and other effects of aircraft
operations that may otherwise be objectionable or constitute
a trespass, a permanent or continuing nuisance, personal
injury, a taking, an inverse condemnation, or damage to the
property.
So we have to let the airport authority and anybody
who operates an airplane out of the airport authority do
whatever they want, go as far as they want, to where it's
effectively a taking of the property.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So let me follow this
further, then. The petition I talked about at the start, which
was the most recent I recall -- I remember one other petition
coming in that was in the flight path. That was the electric
company over there in the -- off of Enterprise. They
wanted to build. There was a place they wanted to land a
helicopter on the building. I understood all of that
from -- regards to the requirements of the airport authority.
The other petition was here at Estey and Airport, which is
now located -- it's titled The Beach Club. It's -- Beach
Club. It's a condominium.
And I'll ask Mr. Yovanovich and the staff as well, are
there any other petitions that you are aware of that these
kind of restrictions were imposed by the airport authority?
MR. YOVANOVICH: I think --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I can understand the
sound. I mean, if I'm going to buy a home, and I buy a
home and the airport's across the street, it's pretty obvious
that -- but I think it could be in writing, and I have no
problem with that. You're moving near an airport, and you
might not be happy with the noise.
I can -- I vividly remember my years in Washington,
D.C., when Dulles airport was built, people thought they had
to pack a lunch to get out there. Now people who live out
there are complaining about the noise. Well, the airport's
been out there since, what, '69 or '70 or '71. Now that's one
of the largest growth areas in Virginia.
But this case here, I guess my question is, is there any
other petitions where these kind of restrictions have been
imposed?
MR. BOSI: Not to my knowledge.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Are you in the flight
path?
MR. YOVANOVICH: No.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Are you in
the -- where are you as far as the overlay for the sound
ordinance?
MR. YOVANOVICH: I'll show you that. I've got
that as an exhibit.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. Because,
again, I'm going to -- I want somebody from the airport
authority to come explain this to me.
MR. YOVANOVICH: And --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Oh, I know where he's
at. I want it to be on the record. I'm very familiar with
that. Thank you.
MR. YOVANOVICH: The only petition I recall being
involved in was in the city, and it was for Bayfront.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: And Bayfront is -- of
course, it's -- you're -- it's almost in the flight path.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I don't recall there being a
requirement that we provide an avigation easement --
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: If I may --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Typically, you
can -- you can restrict for height, because that's an FAA
requirement, naturally, and it's understandable. And if -- at
a certain height there has to be warning lights, all those kind
of things. All I ever did is jump out of airplanes. I never
flew one, but I'm pretty familiar with the whole process.
But the -- this restriction seems to be, I'll use the word
"obscene" because it is, and I want the airport authority to be
prepared to discuss with me why they want to impose this
kind of restriction. I could clearly understand the
requirements, again, to advise people that they're moving
into a facility that may be -- you may be unpleasantly
impacted by the noise of jets taking off, but as far as safety,
has there been -- is there deemed any safety hazard here
with this petition?
MR. YOVANOVICH: I am not aware of any safety
hazard where these homes are going to be with regard to the
operation of the airport.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Before I call on two
commissioners who want to be heard, I want to hear from
Ms. Ashton.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: Do you want me to comment
on the illegal exaction?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Sure, yeah.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: First of all, this is in the
county's airport overlay.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I understand.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: And this is a request -- an
intergovernmental request coming from the airport
authority.
As to the illegal exaction, this is a Planned Unit
Development. This is different from a straight zoning
district. This is negotiated. You can ask for things that
you might not ask for in a straight zoning district, you know,
rezone.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: When you say "you,"
you mean the Planning Commission?
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: Correct.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Got it.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: Otherwise, you know, all
you're doing is doing a deviation from the straight zoning
districts and the other requirements for design in our Land
Development Code with nothing coming to the county.
So I do think that you have the ability to request the
avigation easement, and the airport authority will have to
make their argument as to why they believe it's needed.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Klucik.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yeah. So what you're
saying, Counsel, is that we can -- the county -- obviously,
we make the recommendation to the county commissioners,
but the county commissioners can impose this -- if we -- if
the county commissioners feel that what the airport authority
is requesting is reasonable and even necessary, the county
commissioners have that authority. They're not
breaching --
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: I believe so, yes, if you find
that there's a public purpose for it.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: And I guess I would
just ask the petitioner if he agrees that that actually is the
case.
MR. YOVANOVICH: No. Let me give an example.
I think the law is clear, even when you come through with a
Planned Unit Development, what you request of the
petitioner has to have a rational basis for the request.
There's tons of case law --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Okay.
MR. YOVANOVICH: -- that goes back to there has
to be a relationship between the request and the impact of
the project.
Let me give an example. And I know Mr. Schmitt
will --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: So what you're saying
is that, in theory, there is the ability to make an imposition
because it's in this airport zone; however, if that authority is
going to be exercised to impose that on a petitioner, there
has to be some basis that can be elicited, and it becomes
apparent, rather than just abundance of caution, oh, this
would be really cool, this is what we would impose if we
could rule the world, this is how we'd like it, which is very
different than we really need this.
MR. YOVANOVICH: There needs --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I mean, is that really it?
It's not -- it has to be this is necessary rather than we'd like
this.
MR. YOVANOVICH: There needs -- yes, there has to
be a rational nexus between the request and the imposition
of this.
Now, let me give an example first before we --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I'm sorry to jump in,
but he said "necessary," you said "rational nexus."
MR. YOVANOVICH: Which makes it -- it has to
be --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: They're different
things.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Well, there has -- there has to
be a -- there has to be a nexus between what is wrong and
why you're asking for it. So Mr. Klucik and I are agreeing
just because you like it and it might be better doesn't make it
legal. It has to be necessary. There has to be a safety
concern related to -- a safety concern related to the request.
Now, I know Ms. Ashton and I don't agree, and we can
battle that out in court if we need to. But let me give an
example that most of you are probably familiar with. I
know Mr. Bosi's familiar with it. I know Mr. Schmitt is.
There was a point in time, a period in time when PUDs were
coming through asking for what was consistent with the
Growth Management Plan, yet in order to get that fourth
vote on the Planning Commission we had to agree to make
an affordable housing payment. We had to make an
affordable housing payment to get that vote.
Now, my clients decided, you know what, it's cheaper
to do that than to litigate, but later on it was ultimately
determined that there was no nexus between the project and
the requirement to provide affordable housing. There have
been no studies done to substantiate the request, and that
was a voluntary give. We're not voluntarily giving.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: May I respond?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Please.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Sure.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: And I'd like -- I wasn't
done, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. On the same
subject, why don't you go ahead, and then, Ms. Ashton, we'll
get back to you.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Okay. So then my
question is is the -- you know, is the practical concern that
the usage and the traffic at the airport is going to change or,
you know, it might change and that this -- you know, as the
usage stands right now, maybe your client wouldn't
necessarily be worried about this imposition, but because
there could be a change in how the airport is utilized and the
type of traffic and the amount of traffic, that that's -- that's
really where the concern lies because it's -- there's no limit
on the imposition?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Correct. And I can't -- I'm not
in the habit as an attorney of telling my client to sign
something that I can't tell them what their risk is.
It says on Page 53 of --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yeah. Without any
restriction, yeah.
MR. YOVANOVICH: We have to --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Without any restriction
on the airport authority, they can interpret this and impose
and take whatever they want.
MR. YOVANOVICH: They can do as much
as -- whatever they want to do that amounts to a taking, in
their document, and I have to consent to it.
Now, Page 53 is --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: So as a practical
matter -- and I'm sorry to interrupt -- but they could then
change a traffic pattern so that it wouldn't be safe to live
there?
MR. YOVANOVICH: They can do whatever they
want.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: No. But, I mean,
that -- I realize it wouldn't -- it's very unlikely to happen, but
if they wanted to, they could have planes coming in so close
there to those homes that it actually wouldn't be habitable
and it would be like, well, too bad, you signed this thing,
and now we're taking what everyone agreed was a
possibility of ours to take and that -- and I think when you
frame -- I realize that's a ridiculous framing of it because
they would have to reorient, you know, the runways and
everything, probably, for that to happen; nevertheless, why
should -- you know, what is the rational basis to say that
there's no limit to what the airport authority could do?
That's kind of my starting point, and I don't -- I haven't heard
from the airport authority, but that's my question. What's
the -- what is the rational basis to have that broad and that,
you know, limitless easement?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Right. And, again, you know,
I'm not in the habit as an attorney to advise my clients to
give someone property rights when there's no rational basis,
there's no nexus between the request. And now we have to
assume the risk whether -- we shouldn't have to assume any
risk.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Would you agree that
there might be some form of easement that would -- that
would be reasonable?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Well, ironically, we had
agreed to give them the same easement that was given by
Anjo Development, Inc., which was you can have an
easement over the airspace 150 feet in the air to fly over the
property 150 feet in the air. They didn't want that. They
wanted the rest of this stuff.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Okay.
MR. YOVANOVICH: So we have been willing to
give them an easement over the property to fly over the
property at a certain height level which, if you read their
easement is --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Which is reasonable
because you realize you're right next to the airport.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Which is consistent with their
request; they didn't want us to let trees grow higher than 150
feet. So we were willing to do that, but they want to go
further. And I -- I can't -- I can't, in good conscience, and
my client isn't going to do it just because it may be
expedient and maybe there isn't a risk. They would assume
the risk.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: And one more question.
Can you -- like what -- I realize I'm asking you to guess, you
know. But, like, can you -- like, what is the basis for
making the broad request? You know, like, what is the
reason that they would want -- you know, if you're trying to
come up with a reason, what would be a reason the airport
authority would insist, no, no, we need this?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: If I may, Commissioner, you
can certainly ask that question and obtain an answer, but
suffice it to say that the airport authority will be testifying --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: No, absolutely.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: -- extensively.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: No. I'm just trying to
figure out if you have any reason to think -- like, what do
you -- to me that implies that there's something later on that
they think they need that for. Is that what your concern is?
MR. YOVANOVICH: I don't know. And what I
don't know --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I don't want to force
you to guess.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I don't want to guess, and I
don't -- I think, candidly, the real issue was set forth in their
letter, and their letter was, we're concerned about more
residents being close to the airport and complaining about
the location of the airport, because right now they're under
attack. They are -- there are people complaining about that
airport, and they want it moved. I get it. We will do our
part. We will put notice all over this property that we are
with -- in close proximity to the airport.
I personally -- if I were a judge sitting up there and
someone bought a house here and said, I'm going to
complain about the noise, I'm going to laugh at them, and I'd
say, go away.
Now, they're under political attack by, I think, the City
of Naples City Council. So I understand; I understand their
concern. We will address their concern by providing notice
to everybody who buys a piece of property or buys one of
the parcels in this piece of property. That's the concern that
was expressed in their letter.
They didn't express the need to -- we have to agree to
allow noise, vibrations, odors, fumes, vapors,
air -- illumination, fuel particles, smoke, dust, and other
particular matter. I don't know what any of that means.
They didn't say they needed that for purposes of operation of
the airport. I don't know why they need that, and it's
unlimited, and we're just not going to agree to it. We're just
not going to agree to it.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Shea.
MR. YOVANOVICH: We are willing, like I said --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Weren't we going to
hear from counsel again, or did you --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Oh, I'm sorry, yes.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I want to hear what
she has to say.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: My bad.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: It's just back to the illegal
exaction.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I'm sorry. I didn't --
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: I'm referring to the illegal
exaction again where he said -- he was talking about the
history of the PUDs, and PUDs have evolved over time
where the development standards of the straight zoning
districts have been whittled down and reduced. So the law
can't possibly mean that they get one great deviation from
our code, and we can't get anything in return.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I'm going to -- I don't know
how long you-all have been around. I tried -- I've tried
twice to do straight zoning, a rezone to straight zoning, and
the Planning Commission, the former chairman, and many
members on that Planning Commission didn't like a straight
rezone request because you didn't get to see the master plan.
You had no input on the buffers. You had no input on lot
sizes. You had to live with straight zoning.
So I have historically told my client, do a PUD because
then everybody gets to see your master plan and determine
whether or not there's adequate buffers, adequate height
restrictions, all those other issues so the county has a say in
how the project looks.
That's my historical application of the processes
available. So the county gets a lot through the PUD
process. They get certainty on the master plan. They have
input on the buffers and other aspects of the development.
That's what you get.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: I've got two commissioners
who want to be heard, starting with Commissioner Shea.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: I'd just like to back up and
understand, why are you here? What do you need from us?
I don't fully --
MR. YOVANOVICH: I want a straight -- I want the
PUD approved for 15 units an acre.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: What could you do
without coming here? What could you --
MR. YOVANOVICH: I'm zoned agricultural. Two
lots.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: You're zoned -- so one to
five.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Yeah. I've got two lots, so I
have to come through, because the Growth Management
Plan, as you know, ag at that point was all of the county.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Okay.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Anything else?
COMMISSIONER SHEA: No. I wanted to make
sure.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Vice Chairman.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: This will be to the
airport authority as well. But could you go to the other map
you just had up. Just so the public's aware, show where the
terminal building is.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I believe that's it right there.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: It's about right there,
yeah. Do you know of any of these concerns for the public
safety? If I go over there to rent a car, am I warned of any
type of -- I'm exposed to fumes, exhaust, potential for some
kind of damage or otherwise? Do I -- is there -- are there
any kind of signs posted that warn me -- I'm not going there
to fly, but I'm going to go rent a car. Is there any type of
restrictions imposed upon me? Do you know of any
restrictions that are imposed upon the businesses that are
working in the terminal?
MR. YOVANOVICH: I'm the wrong person to ask.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: All right. I'll ask the
airport authority. That's another question. Thank you.
MR. BOSI: Vice Chair or Chairman?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yes.
MR. BOSI: Chair, I just wanted to respond to -- I did
recall, there has been imposition. It was -- the
mini-triangle, if you remember, has restrictions related to the
Naples Airport as well. It doesn't go as far as what they're
suggesting today. It's more in line with the Meridian
Village restrictions in terms of what's imposed within that
individual PUD.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: But that was within
the flight path?
MR. BOSI: Much closer.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yes.
MR. BOSI: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Mr. Yovanovich.
MR. YOVANOVICH: So we are -- whoops, wrong
way. No, I'm going the right way. I'm going the wrong
way.
We are asking --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Can you go back,
though. Explain the map you have up, the various
boundary lines around the approach zones. Those are the
approach limitations.
MR. YOVANOVICH: You know, I'm -- I believe this
is the flight path.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Oh, yes. It's the
flight path, yes.
MR. YOVANOVICH: And these are the noise
contours.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Noise, okay.
MR. YOVANOVICH: You can see where --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I know what they are.
I just want the public to know what they're viewing.
MR. YOVANOVICH: And so like I said, we're here
to help the airport authority by providing the proper notices.
We're asking for a revision to the language that's -- I think
it's -- ii was the original request -- or iii, sorry.
We just want to say, "The owner shall record a
restrictive covenant incorporating the following disclosure,"
and that's their disclosure. We haven't modified their
disclosure.
And I've already kind of gone through this. The
purpose of this was to show you that clearly the property is
outside of both the flight path and the contour zones that
might somehow give them some authority to request or
require the avigation easement.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Vice Chairman.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So just, in summary,
do you concur with any of the stipulations that would
demand that you inform potential buyers of the noise and the
proximity of the airport --
MR. YOVANOVICH: And also --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: -- however that
language may be crafted?
MR. YOVANOVICH: And the height. They wanted
us to limit the height, which we're fine with.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: And the height.
That's understandable. That's an FAA restriction, and
certain requirements around the airport, that's certainly
understandable, so --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay.
MR. YOVANOVICH: It's simply the avigation
easement we are not willing to provide.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Thank you.
MR. YOVANOVICH: With that, I will have Josie
take you through the petition, unless -- unless you're
comfortable with understanding the petition and want us to
stop.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: No one is signaling at this
point. Do we -- yes, Commissioner Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah. My rule, you
guys know, I think you've heard me say this, I hate to give
any opinion or thought process before I've heard all the
evidence, but there's an exception to every rule.
So I want to say that from what I've seen so far -- I'm
going to rely on counsel. I'm going to say I don't think it's
an exaction, because that's what my general counsel's telling
me; however, I don't think that's the end of the inquiry. It
seems to me what Mr. Yovanovich is saying pretty clearly is
they're asking me to agree to something I don't even know
what the ramifications are, I don't think I have to give it, and
I'm certainly not going to -- pig in a poke thing. I don't
know what I'm getting here.
So I'm -- it appears -- I haven't flown right seat in 15
years, but it seems like the approach is going to go right
over it, and the airport's going to get what they need,
depending on which runway they use.
I don't understand why they're asking for this either.
So I think a lot of my questions, I think a lot of
Commissioner Schmitt's questions and Commissioner
Klucik's questions are to the airport, really. So I'm -- you
know, either -- I'm fine either way on the rest of the petition.
But I think I'd really like to hear from the airport at some
point. Well, obviously I'm going to, but that's where all our
questions seem to be focused.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Sparrazza.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Thank you.
Have any of these particular items that they are
requesting been imposed upon any of the other residential
areas, for example, on North Road?
MR. YOVANOVICH: I'm not aware of that.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Okay. Maybe
that's a question for the --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: -- authority, for
the airport authority.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: For staff, yeah.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: I'm going to call on
Commissioner Vernon, but before doing it, I want the
Planning Commission to consider maybe we expedite this
and allow more latitude on rebuttal, if that seems to be
appropriate, so that we can get to the airport authority and
get some of these questions answered. Is that...
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: That's fine.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: I'm in agreement.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. Commissioner
Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah. Just following
up on Commissioner Sparrazza, it appears -- and, again, it's
a question for the airport, not for you, really, but we've been
given this map, and as I understand it, they're asserting that
everything in red -- and there's five areas in red or maybe
seven -- five to seven or five to eight areas in red where
there is an avigation easement. Maybe you can answer for
me --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Can I see what you're looking
at? They didn't give it to me.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: No, these are not all
avigation easements. There are easements --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I think the red -- the red
is the avigation easement.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: The red is the
avigation easement, and I count --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I can tell you, I can't
find anything in the Beach House ALF that says --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Well, I believe you,
Joe, but I'm saying this map is saying there's five to eight --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: That's something staff
has to tell me.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I have no idea what you're
looking at, Mr. --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I assume this came
from the airport.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Excuse me. I'm going to ask
everyone --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Well, I'll ask them. I
don't think --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: If I may, Commissioner.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I'd like to see it. If they're
going to provide evidence --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Just a moment,
Mr. Yovanovich.
The per-meeting reminder, at least once, we've got to
not walk all over each other when we're speaking. The
court reporter can only do one at a time. Thank you.
Now, let's see. Commissioner Vernon, did you have
more?
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yes, sir.
Sorry, Terri.
Okay. He's looking at it now.
What I understand this map to say is
there's -- depending on how you look at it, it looks like
there's five to -- five big avigation easements, three little
avigation easements on this map, if you look at all the red.
If I look at the legend, it says in red -- I'm a little colorblind,
so I could be wrong, but I think it's saying those are
avigation easements. So the question to you, which you
may not know, is the avigation easements that they do
already have in these red areas, are they to the extent they're
asking from you, or are they a lesser avigation easement?
MR. YOVANOVICH: I don't know the answer to all
that. I think some are lesser. And I think for purposes of
the discussion, it's irrelevant. The question becomes -- just
because someone else agreed to it because it might have
been convenient for them to do it doesn't mean my client
should just simply capitulate so we don't have to -- we don't
have to litigate whether it was appropriate to impose this
easement on us.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: No, I understand. It
is just to let the airport -- if you can't answer it -- and I don't
expect you to answer it. But it is relevant to me because I
want to know. So, I mean, I understand what you're saying,
but I am curious about it.
MR. YOVANOVICH: And I would say, locationally,
it is very different.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Well, I understand
that, too, but that's not my question.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I understand.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: And it's fine if you -- I
don't expect you to know the answer.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I don't know. I don't know.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: But I am asking you if
you happen to know the answer.
MR. YOVANOVICH: No, I don't. I do know that
some of the examples that they provided to us, for instance,
like I told you, the one that's Anjo Development, Inc -- I
don't know which one that is.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: That's the one on North
Road.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Which one?
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: That's the one on North
Road right almost next to the property.
MR. YOVANOVICH: So I'm pointing -- I can't point,
can I? No, no. I got it. I got it. I just can't -- I guess
what I'm saying, it's this one.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: On the south side?
MR. YOVANOVICH: We'll sign that today, sign that
same -- very same form. That's the one I told you we were
fine signing it.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: That's a lesser
avigation easement?
MR. YOVANOVICH: It gives them what we told
them. We'll give them an easement from 150 feet and
above.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Is that still -- on this
one on the North Road just on the south end, that is still
considered avigation easement?
MR. YOVANOVICH: It's an easement giving them
the right to fly over the property.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: But is the term
"avigation" -- is it called an avigation --
MR. YOVANOVICH: I think that is the correct -- that
is the correct terminology.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Thank you --
MR. YOVANOVICH: So with that, again, we can go
through the entire petition, or if you want to jump to the
airport authority, unless you have questions.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Shea.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: I ask the dumb questions,
but what does the Growth Management Plan call for on this
property?
MR. BOSI: It is -- what does the Growth Management
Plan?
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Yeah.
MR. BOSI: Urban residential. I mean, it's -- it is four
units per acre.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Three. We're in the coastal
high hazard.
MR. BOSI: Oh, it's in the coastal high hazard area,
I'm sorry. Three units per acre they would be eligible.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: So they're consistent with
what the long-range plan is for the area for the county?
MR. BOSI: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. So
we'll -- Mr. Yovanovich, if it's all right with you, when we
call you back for rebuttal, you won't be limited to matters
that have been raised.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Understood.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: You can continue with your
case in chief. But I think it would be useful to all of us to
turn now to the county for its recommendation and,
certainly, Mr. Bosi, if you're going to have the executive
director from the airport authority up here to testify, that's
fine. If you're not going to ask them, we are. So your call.
MR. BOSI: And that would be the role of the
Planning Commission. I mean, they are a party -- they are
an adjacent governmental affiliated agency not under the
control of the Board of County Commissioners. We
included their restrictions as a courtesy, but by no means
was this something that we spent a tremendous amount of
time discussing with the airport authority.
From a planning standpoint, this project is consistent
with the GMP. We find no issues with compatibility. We
think there's capacity within the system. There's no issues
from a planning standpoint. So with that, that would
complete our staff report.
And in terms of what the impositions -- we will defer to
the Planning Commission in terms of what we -- what
the -- in terms of how far the request from the Naples
Airport should be imposed upon the petitioner.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Thank you.
And before we -- before we ask the airport authority
representative to come up, I've got three commissioners who
want to be heard. Fine, but remember that we're going to
have the person who has, perhaps, most, if not all, of the
answers coming up momentarily.
With that, the first commissioner signaling is
Commissioner Klucik.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Thank you,
Mr. Chairman.
So, Mr. Bosi, I guess I would ask for the sequence -- or
the genesis of the sticking point.
So petitioner submitted their petition, and because it's
in this approximate area of the airport, you approach the
airport authority. Hey, we've got this petition. What do
you think? Any concerns? You know, is there anything
that you would like us to add to -- you know, from the
perspective of the county before we make our
recommendation? You know, is that the genesis of why
this has been the recommendation?
MR. BOSI: Yes. We reach out when we have a
project in close proximity to the airport, provide them a
review, and -- to be able to incorporate any conditions they
feel appropriate.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: And so is it -- your staff
recommendation, then, is that we -- that we have to -- you
know, that we impose this?
MR. BOSI: No, it's not staff's recommendation to
impose it. It's staff's recommendation that you evaluate the
appropriateness of these conditions being suggested by the
Naples Airport Authority. You're under no obligation.
You're under no --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: No. I'm just saying,
like, in your professional judgment as a staff, do you think
we should include that, or are you --
MR. BOSI: I think there should be some restrictions
related to notification, and I would also agree that, you
know, the allowance -- the recognition that there is a
limitation in terms of, you know, trees being able to grow
past 150. There's a limitation on heights and such. The
specifics of how far they reach into -- with their -- the -- it's
not something that staff has necessarily endorsed.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah. I know the
Chairman's right, and I should be asking the airport, but we
asked Rich. What is your -- if you have any thought
process on why the airport wants this -- I probably shouldn't
use this term, but I'll say, sort of, this avigation easement on
steroids. Why do you think they want it to the extent
they're requesting it?
MR. BOSI: Oh, I think the applicant most certainly
identified it. They're under political pressure from
individuals who live in close proximity to relocate the
airport, so I think out of an abundance of caution they're
looking for additional protections to be able to impose upon
future residents surrounding the airport.
And I will let you know, the mini-triangle PUD, which
was approved in 2022, so not that -- does have the airport
authority provision within it, and it says, the developer shall
record a restrictive covenant use in the Naples Airport
Authority agreement --
THE COURT REPORTER: Mike.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mike, yeah.
MR. BOSI: -- in declaration of height restrictions and
covenants in the form approved by the Naples Airport
Authority and the public records of Collier County. And it
says, one, the maximum height of any building or structure
shall not exceed 160 feet. The restrictive covenants shall be
recorded at the time of conveying the title of the property
from the county to the developer and prior to any mortgage
or encumbrance. The developer shall provide any
declaration to condominium sales contract, leases, similar
instruments encumbering, selling, or transferring interest in
the project.
The following disclosure -- Naples Airport. The
Naples Municipal Airport is located less than one mile from
the condominium property in close proximity. Purchaser
can expect the usual common noises and disturbance created
by the operation of an airport.
And there's two other provisions. It says, developer
shall comply with all stipulations of each FAA
determination, no hazard to air aviation issued on
January 20th of 2017 or may be extended, reissued, or
subsequently issued.
And the final condition was, any crane used for
construction and/or maintenance shall first receive an FAA
determination of no hazard to air avigation [sic], and the
applicant shall adhere to any stipulations contained within
any FAA determination of no hazard.
And that was what was imposed in a PUD related to the
Naples Airport concern for the project. That was the
limitations of it.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: That was in 2022?
MR. BOSI: 2022.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: The triangle?
MR. BOSI: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Anything else, sir?
COMMISSIONER VERNON: No, thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Vice Chairman.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Mike, this map came
from where?
MR. BOSI: The Naples Airport Authority asked me --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Did staff evaluate the
validity of this in any way from the standpoint --
MR. BOSI: No. Staff simply put it on the visualizer.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: The avigation
easements that they cite here, did staff compare the
differences between them?
MR. BOSI: No.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: When you received
information from the airport authority in regards to what
they wanted to impose on this project, was there any
evaluation of these stipulations versus previous approvals?
MR. BOSI: And that was a misstep on staff's part is
we did not go back and look at the limitations being
requested today compared to what was composed in 2010 or
2022, because I -- from our understanding now, that there is
more restrictions being requested. But without direct
dialogue with the airport authority, we did not go back and
do a compare-and-contrast against it.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I'll ask the petitioner,
did you receive a copy of this prior to today's meeting?
MR. YOVANOVICH: The first time I saw this was
when I looked up here on the visualizer.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So you were not privy
to any of this information in regards to what the airport
authority, at least --
MR. YOVANOVICH: The only thing I've reviewed
is --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: -- states that these
facts are, in fact, factual?
MR. YOVANOVICH: The only information I
received from the airport authority were the sample
easements they had provided from other properties. And as
I said early on, just because someone else was willing to
give away certain rights doesn't mean my client should. We
did agree with the one sample I told you we would agree to.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Well, I'm --
MR. YOVANOVICH: And I'm assuming they
provided that as, you know, okay, you can have that one if
you want it.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: One of our
annoyances in the past -- and we've always stated this -- is
we just don't like things dumped on us the morning of the
meeting, and to come in here and see this -- I don't know
where it came from. Now I find out it's the airport authority
that actually provided this. Was this -- when was this
provided to staff?
MR. BOSI: Ten -- like 8:53, 8:50.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: This morning?
MR. BOSI: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Anything else?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: That's it.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Since, Rich, you're
back up there, just a quick question. Are you familiar with
the 2022 triangle avigation easement that Mike just read?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Mr. Vernon, I have to go back.
I read some, and some have similar language. I'm not going
to say they don't, but that doesn't --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Okay.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Yeah, there are some that have
some similar language.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: But just the
question -- and I know you haven't fully read it. Does that
sound like something your applicant would agree with?
MR. YOVANOVICH: No, absolutely not.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Okay. That's what I
wanted to know. I understand.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Because remember, the thing
was --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I understand.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Some of the terms, yes --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I gotcha.
MR. YOVANOVICH: -- but the requirement that I
sign an avigation easement that makes them happy, no.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: But just that whole
thing, you're saying no, the 2022 triangle one?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Right. No, we would do the
height. We would agree to the height that was in there.
Things like that.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: And the trees
and -- yeah.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Yes.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: But not the full extent
of what they did at the '22 --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Correct.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Gotcha.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Vice Chair.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yeah, just for the
record, again, I'm very familiar with the Beach Club, when
that came in. The other one I recall -- and it's a building
now owned by the Clerk of Courts over there on Estey -- oh,
no, correction, over in the industrial area. It was in the
approach zone. That's the one where it was once built -- it
was an electrical contractor building the building, and they
came in because they wanted to put a helicopter pad on top
of the building. That building was built with the helicopter
pad. There were several restrictions in regards to that. Of
course, that -- I think that company ended up going
bankrupt, and that building is now owned by the Clerk. But
that building was the last one I recall that came in in regards
to restrictions for aviation, but that had to do with the
approach zone and notice to the tower and all the other kind
of things that were associated with attempting to land a
helicopter on the roof of this -- the building. And, in fact, it
was built.
So staff has not gone back and looked at any of these
similar instances?
MR. BOSI: No.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Thank you. With
that, I'm going to ask the representative of the airport
authority to approach the podium.
MR. ROZANSKY: Good morning.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Good morning, sir.
MR. ROZANSKY: Chris Rozansky, executive
director for the Naples Airport Authority. Thanks for
hearing us today.
There's been a lot that's been said this morning. I can't
speak back to all of it, but hopefully I can clarify some
things.
I'd like to separate the two issues. The first issue, of
course, is our objection to the project. And I think it's,
perhaps, common sense that realize that annoyance and
disturbance from aircraft overflight isn't limited to noise
contours. Actually, some of the challenges we've been
working -- working with trying to mitigate noise impacts to
the extent possible, some of the loudest voices are from the
neighborhoods closest to the airport but are off to the side of
the runway, including the neighborhood directly behind the
proposed -- the petitioner's proposed development, including
by individuals who, full knowledge, bought their homes next
to the airport and built a new home. I'm speaking of the
Brookside neighborhood in this instance.
They even said in one of our public board meetings
that, we would enjoy the airport. We would set up our lawn
chairs, while the home was under construction, and watch
the aircraft. But that tone and perception quickly changed
once they completed their project, a beautiful home, luxury
home, similar to what's been proposed here.
The underlying objection to the project in the first place
is the nature of what will be truly beautiful luxury homes.
The premise that people acknowledge that they're -- they
should know that they're buying next to an airport isn't
always the case anymore. A lot of folks buy homes online
sight unseen, and it truly is astounding to us how many
folks, perhaps, bought in July or August or the realtor
undersold the activity at the airport, which last year had
more than 100,000 takeoffs and landings and served about
200,000 passengers by our own estimates. We don't keep
exact passenger numbers, but that is a very conservative
estimate.
So you can see there's a very legitimate public purpose
to what we've requested.
Now, realizing the airport authority doesn't have
land-use authority, we look towards the request for the
developer commitments in the avigation easement. I
don't -- I am not certain, because we have been in
discussions with the petitioner and multiple attorneys
representing the petitioner for more than a year now, I
would have to look back to whether we've provided this
exact exhibit before. But what I can tell you is that we did
provide the text, the actual avigation easements represented
by -- and I don't have a pointer but, essentially, everything
on -- almost everything -- four of the five highlighted red
and blue subject properties south of the airport. So that's
the Meridian Village on Airport Road, the condominium
development immediately across from the airport, the
mini-triangle, and the hotel where the Hyatt House sits
today.
Those recorded documents are in our letter of July 13th
which are included in your packet that the petitioner and
their multiple attorneys have certainly seen over the course
of our discussions since the project was first proposed. So
I'd like to further separate two issues, two further issues
within the avigation easement.
I, of course, am not a land-use attorney. We have our
general counsel here, who has been engaged in discussion
with the petitioner's attorney.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: He's here today?
MR. ROZANSKY: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Oh, good. Thank you. Go
ahead.
MR. ROZANSKY: We first -- there was prior counsel
that we were working with for, I would say, not quite a year.
Initially, we were working with the petitioner himself, the
owner himself, and then he engaged counsel, and we had a
dialogue back and forth and discussion over some language
in the proposed easement.
I believe it was only within the last two or three weeks
that Mr. Yovanovich was engaged, and our attorney had
their first conversation. At that time, they -- well -- and I
don't want to speak exactly. There's been so much
dialogue. Throughout the course of the petition, they have
generally objected to providing disclosure, saying that they
would put it in HOA documents. That has been their
position up until what we've seen here today.
We believe there is a past practice and a legitimate
public purpose behind what's being asked for today;
however -- in an avigation easement; however, our counsel
provided a Word copy of the proposed language in the
avigation easement and has not received anything in return
since that -- they first spoke two or three weeks ago.
So raising an objection to a disclosure or easement
altogether versus negotiating the exact language of the
easement itself is something -- are two different issues, and
we're perfectly happy to further engage in that dialogue with
the petitioner and their counsel. But I can assure you,
because I deal with this personally almost every day, that
should this project move forward with no stipulations, no
developer commitments for disclosure or rights of overflight
and noise and disturbance, the project will be built, no doubt
it will be beautiful, and people who are looking to buy there
will overlook, in the lure of Naples, the lure of Southwest
Florida, and their project, and the emotions that come along
with buying a beautiful slice of paradise, they no doubt will
turn to the airport authority, the county, almost
immediately -- not in every case, not in every case, but in
some cases, and either insist, as the example I mentioned
earlier, to either close or move the airport. And so that,
fundamentally, is why we're here today.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. I've got a couple of
commissioners who want to ask questions or make
comments, Mr. Rozansky. First is the Vice Chairman.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Mr. Rozinsky, is it?
MR. ROZANSKY: Rozansky, yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Rozansky, thank you.
How long has the airport been in business? Or when was
the airport built?
MR. ROZANSKY: Since about 1943 is --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I believe, yeah, '42,
'43. Wasn't it a training -- originally a training site?
MR. ROZANSKY: Correct, yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So the building -- the
airport's been there since '43. Naples grew around it.
MR. ROZANSKY: Yep.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So you
believe -- what I heard you say -- and I'm going to put it in
laymen's terms. You believe that -- I assume what you just
said is you object because you think people are going to buy
this property and not understand that they're buying near the
airport, and then that way you're trying to -- you're trying to
not be the recipient of their complaints. Because you don't
like people complaining; therefore, you are objecting to this
project being built near the airport.
MR. ROZANSKY: Well, not exactly.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Well, that's what I
heard you say.
MR. ROZANSKY: That's not exactly correct. We
deal with it almost every day, and we try to mitigate noise
impacts to the extent possible. Yes, aircraft make noise,
and we know it can be disturbing to people.
It's not enough for us to say, well, the airport was there
first. There's -- there is a quality-of-life factor that people
who object commonly bring up. We believe that because
people buy homes online, they don't even look at the
neighborhood around. Even people who live on North
Road have been actively engaged in opposition to the
airport, even -- not the petitioner, but other people, prior
ownership of the RV resort down the street and folks that
live in the neighborhood around the corner, Avion Park,
have been actively engaged in opposition to the airport
despite driving by the front entrance to it on their way to and
from their homes.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. So -- and,
again, I'll restate exactly, in my words, you don't like people
complaining; therefore, you're voting against this, or you
recommended disapproval?
MR. ROZANSKY: Not that we don't like people
complaining. There's only so much we can do to protect
the quality of life of people who choose to live near the
airport.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: But I'm going to use
the words that Mr. Yovanovich said. If I were a judge
sitting and listening to the complaint, I would say, there's the
door. Didn't you know the airport was there when you
bought the home? And if you didn't, that's your problem.
I don't understand what's your justification -- and I -- the
petitioner agreed to all the other restrictions that you
imposed except for this, I call it, onerous, pretty much
giving up all their rights, what was that, Petition I, 3I, I
believe it was.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: 3IC.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: 3C.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: 3C. So are you
stating here today you would agree or move forward in
regards to this petition if they were to agree to everything
except that one element that they disagree with?
MR. ROZANSKY: The easement itself, the two core
issues are overflight -- well, three issues: Overflight, the
height restriction, and disturbance from noise that comes
along with it. Those are the three core issues.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So I go to the terminal
and I rent a car, am I warned of any type of noise or any
type of problem that -- or are -- the businesses that operate
out of the terminal, are they under those type of restrictions
as well?
MR. ROZANSKY: So commercial or industrial land
uses are generally compatible with airport operations, and
you wouldn't look at those considerations in the same way.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Is this -- is this
property in the noise restricted area of the property or the --
MR. ROZANSKY: No, no.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: It's not?
MR. ROZANSKY: No.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So how can you stand
there and tell me that you want to impose these restrictions
when, in fact, it's not in the noise restriction area?
MR. ROZANSKY: Almost none of the highlighted
avigation easements on that screen are in a noise contour.
So there is an established precedent for -- for this request.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: And what precedence
is that?
MR. ROZANSKY: It's on that screen.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: But none of the
other -- how many other petitions contain the same
language -- avigation easements contain the same language
that you're asking this petitioner to agree to?
MR. ROZANSKY: I can't answer that here.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Then why did I get
this document? Did you do an evaluation of the various
easements?
MR. ROZANSKY: Yes, we have all of them. I can't
recall them from memory.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: And how --
MR. ROZANSKY: They're all in the letter we
provided.
Now, the petitioner's attorneys request that they would
happily sign a document from the 1980s, that -- a one-page
document from the 1980s that was missing some key
information such as disclosure to potential buyers. Yes, it
would be recorded, but a disclosure in a sales contract is
something that's generally in all of these agreements that
have been agreed upon over the years.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Can you explain, who
do you report to?
MR. ROZANSKY: The airport authority board of
commissioners.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: And it's -- they are
under -- they are a separate governmental entity, or are they
part of the City of Naples?
MR. ROZANSKY: No. They're appointed by the
Naples City Council; however, it's a separate government
entity.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So your concern
is -- what I'm hearing you state today, your concern is that
you've got too many people complaining about the airport,
and they want it moved. What's the reality of that
happening?
MR. ROZANSKY: Well, coincidentally, we're going
to begin a study on the feasibility of developing a new
airport in Collier County. We're going to spend, perhaps,
half a million dollars, starting next month, to look at, over
the next six months of study, working with Collier County
on this endeavor because, clearly, there's nowhere in the city
where you could do something like that. What the
feasibility of it is, the reality of it is, I don't know. The
study will determine that.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So, in summation,
you've recommended disapproval simply because of the
proximity, but there's no other justification that I heard you
say other than you believe these people will complain about
noise, you believe that they're going to buy this property
because they don't realize they're buying a piece of property
near the airport, even though it's right across the street from
the main entrance, and that you don't want to hear people
complain in the future who move into this property. That's
pretty much what I heard you say.
MR. ROZANSKY: I object to your summary, but --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Please explain, then.
MR. ROZANSKY: It's not that we don't want to hear
from people. We know there's going to be complaints.
Luxury homes in particular are going to -- like the one that I
recently referenced, and others, are particularly going
to -- because those folks -- they do buy sight unseen. We
see it all the time.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: What difference does
that make -- I hate to use that statement, but -- if it's a trailer
or a luxury home, I don't understand the basis of your
argument.
MR. ROZANSKY: Let's separate the argument. We
object to the project. It's not within our purview to approve
or deny it, okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. Please justify,
then, your objection.
MR. ROZANSKY: Let's move -- there's not much
more I can say other than what we've --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Other than you don't
like it and you're afraid that people are going to complain?
MR. ROZANSKY: I don't agree with that
interpretation, but I will --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Well, that's what you
just said.
MR. ROZANSKY: -- respect your right to have it.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: All right. You know
my position on this, so...
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Klucik.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Thank you,
Mr. Chairman.
All right. So you mentioned there's a public purpose,
so I wanted to kind of explore that. What is the public
purpose for -- and, you know -- and I realize you probably
have already somewhat stated it, but I'll -- you know, I want
to phrase it, you know, in a particular way. What is the
public purpose for insisting on the particular extent of the
avigation easement that you're insisting on?
MR. ROZANSKY: Well -- and let me help rephrase
that question. The public purpose behind an avigation
easement subject to language that is agreeable. We've
provided this documentation. We've not -- we've not
received proposal back from the petitioner's attorney.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: No, no, you're not
answering the question.
MR. ROZANSKY: And I will answer that, sir.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Okay. Yeah. Please
don't do a preamble. I do preambles, but you don't get to.
MR. ROZANSKY: The public purpose is to protect
an asset used by the broader community for the economic
and the public service benefit that it provides.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Right. Okay. So
there's definitely a legitimate interest that the airport
authority has about what's going on around it. That makes
sense. Right now it's somewhat generic or general that
you've come up with.
So what is the -- these particular restrictions that the
petitioner is objecting to, what is the nexus of those
particular restrictions to the public purpose that you have?
Because what we've got is, you know -- and I guess, you
know, a side question is, are you -- are you saying that you
would agree to something less but you just haven't had a
chance to negotiate that?
MR. ROZANSKY: We would agree to some
narrow -- more narrowly tailored compromise language, yes,
that perhaps is -- I'm not sure we could be agreeable to the
language from -- if I'm recalling it correctly, the Anjo
Development, which is the condominiums on North Road,
but more analogous to what was included in the Meridian
Village, which is a bit more recent.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: So, I mean, are
we -- are we sort of -- I don't want to say we're wasting our
time, but would our time be better spent to allow them -- it
sounds like they haven't communicated directly about
hashing this out. I mean, is that something that seems
possible that you guys could talk for half an hour, and then
we could come back and --
MR. ROZANSKY: We'd be happy to do that. As I
mentioned, the petitioner's new counsel was only engaged a
couple of weeks ago. And we had discussions with prior
counsel, but not Mr. Yovanovich.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: And I do have just a
follow-up.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Let's hear what
Mr. Yovanovich says.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Let me start with, I have had
conversations with their attorney.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: It's hard to hear you.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Let me start with I have had
conversations with their attorney, and I raised the same
objections that the prior counsel raised. And I read the
letter. They said, no, they're not going to make the change.
Yes, I asked for the Word document. I quickly realized that
there was no way I could modify that document in a way
that would be acceptable to us and acceptable to them.
So I am willing to make a proposal, if it's appropriate
now, and then maybe we could talk about it in the hallway;
otherwise, it's a waste of time to send us out in the hallway.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Let's hear it.
MR. YOVANOVICH: And my proposal is, we'll sign
the Anjo easement, and we will add the notice disclosures
they have asked us to that we said we'll put on the property
as well as the height.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Can I just interrupt
there? So when -- I think -- I'm sorry. Rozan --
MR. ROZANSKY: Rozansky.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Rozansky.
Mr. Rozansky, I think he makes a point; I've made it before.
I tend to get frustrated by the official recorded, you know,
documents that nobody reads, even though that, you know,
they might want to read, that that doesn't -- as a practical
matter -- as a legal matter, it's notice. As a practical matter,
it's very odd to think anyone would ever see those things if
there's something in there that's kind of frightening. That is
a good place to hide it because no one's going to read it.
So are you talking about something beyond just the
legal notice that gets recorded? Are you talking about
actually making sure that a potential buyer gets this
information before they're at the closing table?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Look, I'm perfectly willing to
impose a requirement on my client that in his sales contracts
he will let them know, but I'm not going to commit to any
future buyer as to what they may or may not do.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Right, right.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I don't want that responsibility.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: No, no, no, and I think
that's great --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Right.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: -- because I think
that's -- in the contract is where it's a meaningful notice that
a consumer -- I mean, a sophisticated consumer isn't -- you
know, I agree with, you know, a lot of what you've said.
People are not -- they're acting kind of rashly because
they're excited, and that is often what happens in home
buying, and then some people go the opposite way, and they
scrutinize everything, and you never know what you're
going to get.
But the problem, then, is presented to the airport
authority. They have to deal with whoever it is in
whichever approach they take. So, I'm sorry. I interrupted
you. You're talking about a notice beyond just a legal
notice. You're talking about something that seems
meaningful.
MR. YOVANOVICH: We're happy to put a notice in
the contracts from us to the first buyers --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Okay.
MR. YOVANOVICH: -- that -- the same notice that
we'll record on the property. So they'll get a double notice
that they live close to an airport. Happy to do that.
Now, we can add that also to their -- one of the samples
they gave me, which was the Anjo Development easement,
which I assumed was an acceptable easement. We're happy
to add to that -- because it talks about flying over. We're
happy to add what he just said, height and notice to that
easement. We are not willing to give them carte blanche
and adding all that other stuff that is in that avigation
easement.
I appreciate the predicament that they're in because
people are complaining about the airport, but if -- what
should have happened is the airport authority should have
bought up all the property around there to protect
themselves, and they didn't, but now they want to protect it
by saying don't approve the project.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. At this point,
Mr. Rozansky -- and we're coming close to breaktime. I'm
not asking you to agree or disagree right now, but do you
think it would be fruitful if we had a lengthy -- more lengthy
breaktime, say 15 or 20 minutes, would that be a good use of
our time?
MR. ROZANSKY: I believe so. I think we could
find compromise. It would be, perhaps, slightly more than
what Mr. Yovanovich has proposed, because he mentioned
two items. We mentioned a third, which is overflight and
the disturbances that come along with that. But we have
language that's been used in the past that summarizes that
very succinctly, and we're very openminded to that.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. So it would be
useful for us to, when we take our break, to take a 20-minute
break so that you can sound this out and see if there's a
possibility it can be disposed of amicably and --
MR. ROZANSKY: We'd be glad to do that.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: -- informally? Okay, good.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yes, go ahead.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I think it might be
helpful to us, if you do come up with something, even if
there's a little bit -- you know, there still might be some
disagreement -- if you could have it so you could at least put
it up on the screen for us, even if you can't give us a copy of
the written, you know, the -- this additional language, I
guess.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. You want bullet
points, okay.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Right. I'd like to see
what it is that -- you know, visibly what the sticking points
might be or what you've agreed to, either way.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. I'm going to call on
the two commissioners who are signaling at this point. I
have some questions I'd like to ask the general counsel. I'm
not sure whether it would be useful for me to do it before we
take a break or after, but we'll confront that decision in a
moment.
First, Commissioner Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah. I think -- I
think my view is different than Commissioner Schmitt's on
this. You know, I've watched the airport. I haven't flown
in 15 years, but I do have a pilot's license. I've been to the
airport many times. You guys do a phenomenal job. And
you're under extraordinary pressure. And to say -- and I
understand Mr. Yovanovich said that. But to say you can
just go before the judge and the judge will say, go away,
neighbors, your half million dollars to figure out a new
airport could very easily be spent on litigation defense
getting the judge to say that very easily in today's world.
And, you're right, we're dealing with a lot of very wealthy
people who move to the nuisance and then complain about
it, so I understand that this -- this is a big problem. So I'm
very sympathetic. You guys provide a great service.
And I don't think -- and I'm relying on counsel. I don't
think it's an exaction, so I think we have the power to do
something about this in terms of addressing your concerns.
My problem is, I'm not -- I'm not sure -- I think I'm
kind of -- if I'm hearing you, you're talking about flyovers,
you're talking about height restrictions of trees and
structures, and you're talking about noise.
If I think I understand Mr. Yovanovich, the applicant, I
think they're okay with the flyovers. I think they're okay
with the height restriction. They're not willing to do the
noise, is the component that I'm --
MR. YOVANOVICH: (Shakes head.)
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Okay. Maybe I'm
misunderstanding. Wait a minute. Wait. You don't need
to get up. That's okay. That's okay, because I don't have
to fully understand. I just want you guys to know my
thoughts.
So I think we do have the power to do something here.
I'm just not sure whether I feel comfortable doing it on
behalf of the airport.
I love Mr. Klucik -- Commissioner Klucik's idea of you
guys going out in the hallway for, I'd say, maybe a half hour,
and try to hash these things out. And I think it would be
important for the Chairman to ask his questions first,
because I think that will give the parties a better
understanding of where everybody's head is to the extent the
commissioners want to speak before we take a break.
So those are my thoughts.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. Thank you.
At this point no one else is signaling.
What I'm going to ask you to do -- and we're probably
not going to get complete with this by 10:30, which is when
we usually take our midmorning break, but I'd like to at least
start it.
Would the general counsel please join you at the
podium, and I'm going to ask you to stay up there,
Mr. Rozansky, because I'm going to ask questions that you
may be more in possession of the answer than the general
counsel.
And I guess the first question may be one that
Mr. Rozansky has a better understanding of, but whichever
one of you wants to respond is fine with me. Just identify
yourself before you speak.
My question is: On the City of Naples side -- in the
interest of full disclosure, I reside in the City of Naples.
But on the City of Naples side of the airport, are there -- are
there any property owners who are -- who are subjected to
an avigation easement? City of Naples people.
MR. ROZANSKY: I believe I can answer that. Chris
Rozansky with the airport authority.
When you look directly off the end of the runway, it's
the Hyatt House where the hotel developed nearly 10 years
ago now. And the other development on the other side of
the road, I can't recall whether those are condominiums or
boat storage. And there are -- as you can see, those other
developments highlighted in yellow that are required to
provide disclosure, that, I believe -- and the legend doesn't
show on the screen, but when you look at the legend -- yep,
that -- those are required notifications.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. If I may, I take it
from your answer that you're not aware of any avigation
easements that have been signed onto by property owners in
the City of Naples?
MR. ROZANSKY: Property owners, yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yes.
MR. ROZANSKY: The ones that are highlighted in
red are property owners.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yeah, but they're not in the
City of Naples. One of them, maybe, is on the border. Are
they? That may be the city. Okay. All right. All right.
So that's that.
Now let me turn to -- I think maybe the general
counsel's better equipped, but however you want to divide it.
Let's say that you've got a property owner in the City of
Naples who is complaining that the flyovers are -- they
constitute a trespass of some kind on his property, his or her
property, and the noise is unacceptable, and that he claims
that there is a taking that has happened and wants
compensation. In your judgment, as counsel -- and, of
course, if this is privileged, you may certainly invoke the
privilege, and it won't go any further. But subject to your
invocation of privilege, can you advise in your judgment
whether that property owner would have a cause of action
on any of these points?
MR. OWENS: Good morning. My name is Bill
Owens. I am counsel for the Naples Airport Authority.
I am, first disclosure, not a land-use attorney, but I will
tell you, in general, it would be my opinion that having an
avigation easement that encumbers a piece of property
would most definitely protect the Naples Airport Authority
against those types of claims.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Well, that may be so. That's
not quite what I asked. I'm trying to determine if you're
asking more from folks who are living in the unincorporated
county than have been given by the people in the city. And
my main concern is, you know, whether the avigation
easement gives you immunity or protection that you don't
already have by virtue of the fact, let's say, that they moved
in knowing full well that there was an airport there.
MR. OWENS: To answer that question, I can answer,
yes, it is my belief that it does provide the airport authority
protection.
The best example I can give is if a property owner has
people walking across their lawn, say, to access the beach
that is on the other side of the property and that property
owner, subsequently -- complains about that and can make a
claim for trespass. If that property owner subsequently
provides a public access easement for ingress and egress to
the beach, clearly, that property owner would not have a
claim for trespass.
I think the same analogous -- you know, could
be -- analysis could be to the airport, so that if someone was
to try to bring a claim against the airport authority for
trespass or a taking because of nuisances from overflying
aircraft, then I believe, if there was an avigation easement on
that property that allowed those overflights and allowed
those noises and disturbances, then the airport would be
protected from that claim.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Before we move on, I'm going
to ask the County Attorney -- and my objective here is
to -- and I realize that the airport is having issues with the
residents in the City of Naples, particularly certain
segments, certain neighborhoods in the city who are
complaining about noise, and I also realize, at least in my
opinion, that it's a zero sum game. If you take -- if you
reduce the noise in one neighborhood, you're probably going
to have to be increasing it in another.
And so that's a delicate equation that you-all are -- it's
also got huge political overtones. And so you're contending
with that, and I understand the difficulties in contending
with that.
I want to be sure that we're not asking more, though, of
people in the unincorporated county to protect the City of
Naples and the City of Naples taxpayers like me than we're
asking for the residents of the City of Naples themselves.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Mr. Chairman, can I ask you
one question before the break --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Well, I want to hear from
Ms. Ashton first.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: What question you're asking,
whether he's asking for more from the --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Well, mindful of the fact that I
know very little about the law in this area, we've got -- the
issue of trespass has been mentioned, which I assume is
flyover, into airspace beneath a certain level; we've got
noise, and we all know what airport noise is about. That
one I get. And then we've got a taking. I also understand
that.
The folks in the City of Naples, are they -- will they
have an easier time of it complaining to the airport authority
since they haven't signed an easement than would the folks
in the unincorporated county if they do and are requested to
or are required to live under that easement?
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: Well, I think the concern of
the Naples Airport is being sued taking some of these air
rights -- or air -- you know, area above the homes. I think
it's more of a money issue.
And their secondary issue, obviously, is that they're
going to get more complaints, and it's going to be politically
more difficult, but I think there's more than one issue here
that they're concerned with.
Now, whether or not they've increased what they're
requesting from properties around the airport and whether
the increase in the request of what restrictions they want to
put against the property is greater than it was, you know, in
1989, which is the Anjo easement that they're referring to,
which kind of has evolved over time, I think you need to
look at what they're requesting and decide whether you think
it's reasonable or not.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: The extent we do have copies
of the Anjo easement, as I mentioned, and then Mr. Perry
has pulled up the other seven that are recorded. If you
would like to see them, we can forward them to you, or we
can have them printed out.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Thank you.
So with -- I've got two commissioners who want to be
heard.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I just wanted to follow
up on what you said. Maybe I misunderstood your
question. I thought you were asking is somehow the city
going to be exempt from this restriction. Is that not what
you were asking?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Well, partly. I think -- I don't
know that there's been such a level of aggressiveness on the
part of the airport to protect itself from lawsuits brought by
individual owners in the City of Naples because, as we
heard, the airport is an instrumentality of the City of Naples,
quasi independent, but, I mean, its membership are
appointed by City Council.
So I just -- I want there to be fairness here, particularly
since, you know, the airport finds itself in a very difficult
position not of its making, and that is neighborhood
associations within the city flexing their muscle with the
City Council to see if they can't alter paths -- landing and
takeoff paths to reduce the noise on the west side of the
airport and, of course, that's -- they have every right to do
that.
But, now, we're representing also -- in addition to the
people who live in the city, whom we represent, because it's
part of the county, we're also -- we've also got our
unincorporated people, and I want to be sure that they're not
having more onerous undertakings offloaded to them than
get offloaded to the people who have a better connection
with the City Council and the airport authority because they
live in the city.
Now, having said all of that, with leave to the Vice
Chair who's signaling, it's 10:30, I would like to --
MR. YOVANOVICH: May I ask one question before
we go on our break? I think it's important.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Go ahead.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I want to make sure I heard
Mr. Rozansky correctly. The yellow areas just provide
notice; is that correct?
MR. ROZANSKY: Yes, disclosure.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Just disclosure.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yeah, that's what I heard, too.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Okay. And that includes, I
think, the Bayfront project, the condominium project
directly to the north, and to the west of that is a new
condominium project that's been developed by Ronto,
correct?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Naples Square, I guess.
MR. ROZANSKY: Naples Square.
MR. YOVANOVICH: And that was satisfactory to
the Naples Airport Authority that they provide a notice?
MR. ROZANSKY: No. That's not our initial
position, and up until recently, we've not heard that, as a
recorded developer condition, that the petitioner would be
agreeable to disclosure.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Happy to --
MR. ROZANSKY: Contrary to what's been said
before, up until Mr. Yovanovich was engaged, that's
not -- two, three weeks ago, that's not been the position.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. Well, it sounds like
progress of some kind could be made during this break in
order to --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Just one question
before the break.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Go ahead. Go ahead.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Just for the record,
okay, with this map, all of these are relatively new
developments, so -- but from the standpoint,
Mr. Yovanovich, you are not disagreeing with -- not
negotiating an avigation easement. You just are -- you just
are objectable [sic] to some of the language that they
proposed. But regards to the other steps that you stated,
height, noise, notification, tree height, those type of things,
you're in agreement?
MR. YOVANOVICH: That's not an issue for us.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. So with that said, it's
10:35, plus 20, is 55. Let's take a break until 10:55. That's
20 minutes. If you -- if it's productive, come on back in and
tell us you need more time, and we'll extend the break, all
right?
And with that, we're in recess until 10:55.
(A brief recess was had from 10:35 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.)
MR. BOSI: Chair, you have a live mic.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you, Mr. Bosi.
Ladies and gentlemen, let's reconvene. I have been
informed that the airport authority and the applicant did not
need additional time, yet they are still out of the room,
which I take it to be a productive sign.
We'll stay in session here for a few seconds and see if
we can get them back in the room.
Would someone please report to us as to the progress,
if any, made during the break.
MR. YOVANOVICH: We have actually -- you know,
we have an agreement.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Excellent.
MR. YOVANOVICH: So, essentially, we need to
just -- we'd like to revise the PUD to say something along
the lines of that the owner and developer will enter into a
mutually acceptable easement. We have an agreement on it
but, obviously, we haven't crafted it yet. But the major
business points have all been resolved.
So instead of talking about a specific easement, we'd
just rather -- and you can leave the disclosures language in
in the PUD if you want to. It doesn't really matter, because
we've agreed it's going to be in the easement.
But if you want to just impose a developer commitment
that we'll enter into a mutually agreeable easement, that will
be fine, because we'll have it done before the Board of
County Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Let's see.
Vice Chairman, do you want to be heard?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Well, if that is
resolved, I do have a question on access.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: You're right across
the street from the main entrance. Is transportation -- from
the standpoint of that will be a full opening -- of course, it's
a two-lane road, so there will be -- it's right across the street
from the entrance of the airport.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Has that -- my
concern there -- and I'm in favor of -- supporting the airport
in this regard. Has that been coordinated with the airport
from a traffic safety issue?
MR. YOVANOVICH: I don't think there's a concern
about our accessing our project. I think the -- and my last
experience at the airport, that's not the busiest part of the
airport, but I don't know.
MS. MEDINA: Josephine Medina, for the record.
There's only one tract that's directly across from the
airport.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: There's one entrance
there?
MS. MEDINA: Yeah. And there will be -- yeah, and
that's where -- the Tract A where we have the
recreational -- private recreational.
MR. YOVANOVICH: So we're not right across?
MS. MEDINA: No.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Wait a minute.
That's the main access to the development as well.
MS. MEDINA: No, there's --
COMMISSIONER SHEA: They're farther down.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. My mistake.
MR. YOVANOVICH: We can pull the master plan up
so you can see it.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yeah, please do.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Whoops. I'm not on. If you
put us on, you can see.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay.
MR. YOVANOVICH: So you have the recreational
tract which is directly across.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. I see it there.
MR. YOVANOVICH: And then you have the main
entrance further -- I think that's east. Did I get the right
direction?
MS. MEDINA: Yes.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I'm bad at that.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: May I ask Mr. Rozansky to
come back up?
MR. ROZANSKY: Sure.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Just a housekeeping question,
sir. You heard Mr. Yovanovich's testimony and his
characterization of an agreement reached. Is that accurate
and complete in your judgment?
MR. ROZANSKY: Thank you for the question, Chair.
Yes, we agree. The airport authority agrees that's a fair
assessment, and I think on the high-level points, we're in
agreement. Of course, the devil is in the details, but we
have confidence, based on the discussion we just had, that
that can be resolved amicably before it gets to the BOCC.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Thank you.
Commissioner Schmitt.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Does that then
remove, officially, your objection to recommend
disapproval? You now are recommending approval of
subject to the negotiated settlement?
MR. ROZANSKY: I don't have that authority. The
board -- our board of commissioners didn't grant me the
authority to support the project, but we certainly are in a
much better position --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yeah, I think --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I think it's important
that somehow you take back -- that back to your board
before this comes back to the Board of County
Commissioners, because if you go into the Board of County
Commissioners with a recommendation -- you recommend
disapproval, then we're back to this food fight again.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Let me see if I can
characterize it. And you may still feel the way you do.
But the airport authority is saying we recommend denial, but
if you approve, we ask that you include conditions, and the
language of the conditions has now been agreed to.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Yeah. Let me help. I
understand his inability to bind his board. I know he's got
to go back to the board and say, "These revisions were
made. What position are you going to take?"
If the board says we're still fighting, I'm going to have
the condition in the PUD removed or try to get the condition
removed at the Board of County Commissioners' level. I
hope it will never come to that, but I still have an out if we
do not get -- if the board decides we still want to object.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Well --
MR. YOVANOVICH: The Naples Airport Authority
board.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: That's fine. For our purposes,
if we'd be so inclined -- and we haven't had our discussion
yet -- but if we were so inclined to approve this with
conditions, we could say we approve it with the conditions
as informally agreed to by the airport authority and
petitioner and to be reduced to writing.
Okay. All right. Commissioner Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah. And I'm
stating the complete obvious, I think, but I just want the
Board of County Commissioners to understand that we have
not looked at the mutually agreeable agreement you come to
so they don't think we've vetted it for other objections we
might have, separate and apart from you two guys agreeing.
You with me?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Yeah. Do you want to vet?
COMMISSIONER VERNON: What's that?
MR. YOVANOVICH: I've never had the Planning
Commission vet private agreements before as part of --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: No, no. I'm just
saying it's not going to be just a private agreement. It's
going to be a condition of whatever gets approved.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Correct.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I'm simply saying I
want you to tell the Board of County Commissioners --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Sure.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: -- that we are very
pleased that you guys came to an agreement, but we don't
know what that agreement is and, therefore, we have not
reviewed it, and I want to put that on the record and ask
Mr. Yovanovich if you'll represent that to the Board of
County Commissioners.
MR. YOVANOVICH: I will be happy to. I'm
assuming staff will also include that in the executive
summary.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Right. You're with
me.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Thank you. Anything
else on this point?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I guess I would say that
it probably is appropriate for us to direct staff to make sure
that the commissioners are aware of that, the point that was
just made.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yeah. And I think Mr. Bosi
nodded his agreement.
MR. BOSI: Yes. Staff understands and will include
it -- that point within the executive summary.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yeah. Thank you.
Okay. Anything else? Let's see. I guess we
were -- we had concluded the staff recommendation, then
we called up Mr. Rozansky. I'm not sure if that was part
of -- let's just say that it was an important discussion that we
needed to have, but is it now the wish of the Planning
Commission that we return to the petitioner's application in
chief, see if they have anything further?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: And the public.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: And the public, of course, yes.
Okay. Go ahead, sir.
MR. YOVANOVICH: Unless you want us to go
through a detailed explanation of the project, we have
nothing further to present.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yeah. I don't -- I don't think
we do. Am I wrong?
COMMISSIONER SHEA: No.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: No. Okay, we don't.
All right. So we've heard from the applicant. Oh, did
you want to be heard?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yeah, just one
question. As far as the boat docks are concerned, from the
standpoint of permitting, have you gone through that process
in regards to the permitting? It's the Manatee Protection
Plan and the valuation and in regards to all that, that's all
been --
MR. YOVANOVICH: I'm going to have Mr. Rogers
come up quickly and explain where we are in that process.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
MR. ROGERS: Good morning. For the record, Jeff
Rogers with Turrell, Hall & Associates.
To answer your question, no, we are still in the
preliminary design phases to get through this local process,
and then the docks themselves will be subject to their own
permitting process, state, federal, as well as local county,
which has not started to date.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: None of that's started?
MR. ROGERS: No, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: You have to go
through DEP as well as Army Corps of Engineers?
MR. ROGERS: In this case I think it's going to be the
South Florida Water Management District instead of DEP
because it's a multifamily development, so to speak. So,
yes, they would be the state agency, the Army Corps is the
feds, and then, obviously, Collier County.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: But in regards to the
Manatee Protection Plan, you're clear in --
MR. ROGERS: Yes. So we have --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Jaime's going to come
up. Because I'm going to ask Jaime in regards to this,
because it's always been an issue in regards to the various
aspects of the plan. So, Jaime, where are we with
the -- what -- we've deemed this to be what, a -- go ahead.
MS. COOK: Jaime Cook, director of Development
Review, for the record.
The applicant has gone through the consistency
determination for the Manatee Protection Plan. Under the
plan, they would be allowed up to 129 slips based on the
shore length as a preferred site. They're proposing 12,
which is well under the limit.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. Pretty
minimum, yeah. Minimal impact on regards --
MS. COOK: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So no objection from
the county in regards to the Manatee Protection Plan?
MS. COOK: No.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay, thank you.
MS. COOK: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you. And no one is
signaling at this point, so we will move to public comment,
and I'll ask Mr. Sabo, Ms. Padron, do we have any registered
speakers?
MR. SABO: Mr. Chairman, we have two registered
speakers. Mr. Rozansky was one of them. I imagine he's
completed. And then Chris Brown is the other.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. Mr. Brown.
MR. BROWN: Is this the right podium?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Either one.
MR. BROWN: Okay. Thank you. Thank you,
Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, for giving me an
opportunity to speak.
I'm speaking on behalf of my family and some other
residents in the Brookside neighborhood. We have the
house at 2347 Harbor which -- on the other side of Rock
Creek, probably about 100 yards to the west of this proposed
development.
As we just heard at the end -- and it was very
interesting listening to the back and forth regarding the
airport. I've never attended a meeting like this. But we
just heard first mention at the very end here of the boat slip
piece, because I see this as a two-part development. You
know, you're building 15 homes in a fairly large tract of
land. And I don't have any comment regarding the airport
and the noise and all that. That's outside of my area or my
concern, but the second piece is putting 15 boat slips -- and
this is a concern that -- I know I speak at least on behalf of
my neighbors, the Browns, no relation; Mr. Faett who was
here earlier who had to leave who also lives on the creek;
that the big concern here is -- and I know there's some folks
that have done site visits, and there's probably people that
have taken their boats up Rock Creek at least at one point.
This is a very narrow, very shallow waterway in which
there's development -- other than some old existing really
dilapidated docks, all of the development is on the south
side of the creek. And so what we're talking about here is
not just putting in a boat dock or two boat docks but 15 new
boat docks, multi-million-dollar homes, which will probably
be beautiful homes, but multi-million-dollar homebuyers
buy big, expensive boats.
And to be quite frank, if you've ever boated that creek,
the thought of 15 large vessels with seasonal residents trying
to get in and out of there is comical but also a little bit scary.
So, you know, we're talking about DEP approval and
things like that, but I don't think that this commission or the
County Commission should cede its authority over the
change in the use of a piece of property that's always been
zoned one way. And I realize Mr. Yovanovich says it's a
holding -- it's a description for a holding pattern, if I'm using
the right term, agricultural use, but not only changing it to
allow it to be residentially zoned, but to put in a cut-in with
15 boat slips in an area where you could wade across that
creek -- you know, you could toss a baseball back and forth
between the two sides. You wouldn't need a mitt. I don't
know how many other examples to use. This is not a large
body of water where 15 boats is an insignificant addition to
the boat traffic in the creek.
Quite frankly, I'm not even sure how they would get in
and out of there. Recently I tried at medium tide to get to
the spot where this proposed development was, and there are
so many mangrove roots right down in the middle of the
creek that it's very difficult to get through there without
getting hung up. So I actually think it's absurd, the concept
of putting 15 boat slips in there.
The houses I have no objection to; it's their property if
things can be worked out with the airport and it's consistent
with the county's land-use plan for this coastal area. But
the boat slips and the effect that it will have on this
sensitive, really, beautiful small body of water that we love
and the mangroves around it and the ability of the people
who already live there to enjoy their property is the massive
concern that we in the neighborhood -- I don't claim to speak
for everyone in the neighborhood, but I have, and my
immediate neighbors have, Mr. Faett has, and other folks
that I've spoken to in the neighborhood. So that's what I
wanted to address.
And I'm hoping that not just a developer's rights to
make money or the airport's ability to protect itself from
lawsuits -- I'm hoping those aren't the only considerations
but that the citizens of Collier County, who already live
there who have invested into improving their properties and
maintaining their properties -- the Brookside neighborhood's
becoming a really amazing place to live, not that it hasn't
always been.
I hope -- I'm hoping those concerns are taken into
account, the concerns of the voting citizens who live there
and not just whether or not the developer can maximum the
profit from this parcel.
Thank you for your time.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you. Don't go
anywhere.
MR. BROWN: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Vice Chairman Schmitt.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Well, I have a
question, number one, and probably for Mr. Yovanovich, in
regards to riparian rights. The -- and maybe from Turrell,
Hall. Who's that from -- I can't remember his --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Jeff Rogers.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Jeff?
MR. ROGERS: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yeah, Jeff. Two
questions. One, the riparian rights, you have a right to
access?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: And, Jeff, from the
standpoint of preliminary design, is this going to require any
type of boat dock extension requests, or are you going to be
able to -- are you looking at building docks within the areas
that will not restrict navigation? Because that's all going to
be part of your permit application.
MR. ROGERS: Correct. And per my last time I was
up here, that's what we're subject to at the county local
level --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Correct.
MR. ROGERS: -- is we will be required, as shown
currently, a boat dock extension process, which is also a
public hearing, meeting the criteria, water depths come into
consideration, size of vessels come into that petition as well,
and that's all part of the criteria we will be subject to.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Well, this is -- these
are -- these are tidal waters. Is this Title 10 navigable
waters?
MR. ROGERS: It's not a federal channel by any
means.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: It's not a federal
channel.
MR. ROGERS: It's a local knowledge channel.
There's no markers in it.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: No marker. So
you're not subject to Title 10, but you're still subject to the
requirements to allow for -- because what I'm hearing are
safety concerns and issues with depth and other types of
things.
Are you coming in with a request for a type of dredging
or removal of mangroves? Of course, you know if you
remove the mangroves, you're subject to mitigation or other
types of measures to avoid, mitigate, or compensate.
MR. ROGERS: Correct. So, yes, the docks and their
proposed access points will go through the mangrove fringe,
and we'll have to design those access points per the state
criteria, which allows for walkways through mangroves.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yes.
MR. ROGERS: So we'll also limit our impacts to the
mangroves by pushing the docks out as far as we can to be
within the allowable 25 percent that we're allowed as
riparian right owners. So across the waterway, they're
allowed 25 percent, leaving approximately 50 percent
open --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Fifty percent open.
MR. ROGERS: -- for navigation.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Now, as far as the
application -- and I -- anybody has the right to review -- or
to review or comment on the application for docks.
MR. ROGERS: Correct. Yes. So the State of
Florida and the Army Corps will do a public notice --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Right.
MR. ROGERS: -- where they -- I believe it's 500-foot
radius, so it's not huge, but also once we get to the county
level, there's a public noticing, just like this meeting was
publicly noticed, for the boat dock extension to go in front
of the HEX.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Does that help you
understand? I'm a former Army Corps guy, so I know all
those answers. I just wanted it to be on the record.
MR. BROWN: I understand.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: But I want you to
know that you will be able to view what is being proposed,
and you can object if there's a reason to object, whether you
feel it's a safety issue otherwise. That will be probably
through the -- through -- it will be through the Fort Myers
office -- Army Corps of Engineers Fort Myers office.
MR. BROWN: I do understand, and I do know that
there will be public notice of the proposal to build the docks.
That being said, the change that's proposed for the PUD to
the county ordinance allows for 15 boat slips, so it's a
two-step process.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yes.
MR. BROWN: So you're being asked to approve it as
well. And I'm simply saying -- and I mean this very
respectfully that -- especially with the knowledge you have,
Commissioner Schmitt, yourself, that issue simply not be
punted over to whether it's the Army Corps or whether it's
the Southwest Florida [sic] Management District. This is
actually a matter of simple common sense. You can't get a
johnboat past there.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Well, I have no -- I'm
sorry.
MR. BROWN: And it's going to be -- not that, you
know, I have standing to make an argument for them. I
even wonder about these future homeowners. They're
going to come down and buy $100,000 boats, and they're
going to come right around that corner and be hung up,
and -- but, you know, that's also going to correct a problem
for the rest of us when Sea Tow is in and out of there every
five minutes because it's just -- this is not a tenable plan.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: And, Jaime, question.
I pretty much know the answer, but I'm going to ask again,
the Manatee Protection Plan for this area restricts size of
boats? Will it restrict the size of boats for this area?
MS. COOK: Restrict the size of boat.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Size of boats, yes?
The draft -- the draft that the --
MS. COOK: Yes. They would have to -- it's going to
be restricted based on the water depths in the area.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Correct.
MS. COOK: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So it's -- I can't tell
you what -- I don't know what $100,000 is going to buy in a
boat, but --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Johnboat.
MR. BROWN: Not much -- well, maybe a johnboat.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Johnboat.
MR. BROWN: Maybe I used a bad example.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: But from that regard,
it is -- it will go through the process. The county will
evaluate that as well, and it goes through the public process.
So I can -- all I can do is assure you that all we do is approve
it for zoning, but we don't approve the design and
construction of the docks other than what Chris stated was
the 25 percent restriction on the depth or
the -- correction -- the width of the waterway.
MR. BROWN: Sure.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: They could only go
out 25 percent. If they exceed that, they have to come in
for a boat dock extension, which now goes to the Hearing
Examiner. They used to come here, but they no longer do.
MR. BROWN: Well, you know, and that's another
concern, too. And I'm not directly across from this parcel,
but since you bring that up, if you go 25 percent on both
sides where they are, you're not going to be able to get
vessels in between those docks, not of any decent size. So,
you know, the problem here is you're changing the usage of
something that's never been used for this purpose ever
before across from properties that have been for decades --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay.
MR. BROWN: -- on a very small body of water.
And do we know what the depth is there? I mean, I
understand that this is subject to later approval by different
groups, but this group is being asked today to approve it in
principle subject to these other groups approving it. And
I'm saying the principle of the thing is -- not the principle of
the thing. But the idea of putting in 15 slips there on its
face is ludicrous. I mean, what is the depth there? I mean,
what is the ability? Has it been studied whether vessels are
able to get in and out of where they're proposing to build
these 15 slips?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. I am going
to -- and I know I've got two commissioners who want to be
heard. Do you want to be heard on this?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Go ahead,
Commissioner Klucik.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yes. So, sir,
you're -- thank you for your input. Where are you living or
who are you representing?
MR. BROWN: No, I'm not representing anybody.
We have the house at 2347 Harbor, which is directly --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: So you're right --
MR. BROWN: Across but to the west.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: You're right along
Rock Creek then?
MR. BROWN: Yes, on Rock Creek.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Okay. But closer to
the gulf?
MR. BROWN: Yeah, right, exactly. Not directly
across from --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: So what was your
property zoned before it was -- it was zoned for residential?
MR. BROWN: I have no idea, because it's been zoned
residential probably since the 1950s, but I couldn't tell you
before then.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Probably agriculture,
but I don't know.
MR. BROWN: At some point probably.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I guess, you know, the
point -- you can guess what my point is. Everyone comes
to the table with rights and goes through the same process.
As the Vice Chair, you know, mentioned, we don't get into
the particulars of what the dock is going to be like. That's a
problem that has to be resolved by the petitioner at the next
stage with whoever -- whatever body they're going forward
with.
I get that there's practical -- there could be practical
issues, but we also have -- you know, are there riparian
rights that go with agricultural land?
MR. BOSI: I'd have to defer to the County Attorney's
Office on that.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Like, are there -- right
now is it zoned -- are there riparian rights to have docks?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Oh, yeah.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: Well, I think that in order to
have a dock you'd have to have the principal use, which
would be a residence, so they could probably have up to two
docks; is that correct, Jaime?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Probably three.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: Or two slips.
MS. COOK: They can have up to two slips with a
primary residence on the property.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Which is probably
going to, you know, make an imposition 25 percent, so
you're going to have that narrow, you know, place anyways.
MS. COOK: Correct. And again --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: And my point simply
is, people have rights. Landowners have rights.
Landowners have a right to petition. We have a right
to -- you know, we, then, have a duty to -- an obligation to
evaluate the petition. You raise a good point, but I think
the -- to the extent there are practical issues with
whatever -- however the riparian rights end up being
executed, you know, by the petitioner at that stage, that
really isn't our decision to worry too much about. It's
certainly, you know, good for us to be aware of it, but I
certainly wouldn't make a decision on that -- on that basis.
But I appreciate your input.
MR. BROWN: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah, let me give you
kind of a tough hypothetical. Let's pretend you're a judge
and pretend you don't live at Brookside and Mr. Yovanovich
appears in front of you and Brookside folks, and you've got
to weigh the rights of the existing neighbors who have been
there, had docks, and it's a small, I understand, local
channel, and they've got property rights, and I would assume
that their ability to say it's going to be a boating community
is extremely valuable to them, what compromise or what
would you propose that they build, or would you just -- you
don't have any thoughts other than they shouldn't have the
docks there?
MR. BROWN: Well, obviously, I'm highly biased,
but I'm going to try to take off that hat as being somebody
who lives there and also that probably most of us don't want
judges proposing compromises to parties in court, but -- say
I'm a mediator.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: How about king for a
day.
MR. BROWN: Yeah. Well, I mean, I did hear
something about size limitation on vessels, and I would like
to see a study that indicates depth and the ability of vessels
to get in and out of there. There's a safety issue. A study
that would show if you went out 25 percent on both sides of
the creek at the point they're talking about, you know, how
large of a vessel could be accommodated. At that point
how are vessels going to turn around?
I mean, that's a dead-end there, so -- just past there, so
you've got to be able to -- you know, up the creek, you've
got to be able to turn back around and head back out.
So I would probably want to know the answers to those
questions before I would be able to say if there's any
acceptable use that involves putting a bunch of vessels on
the other side of a narrow waterway where there are already
boat docks on one side that have been there for decades.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: And if we had to make
a decision today, what would you propose? What kind of
condition would you propose we suggest or --
MR. BROWN: I would propose denying it unless you
had proof that it would not adversely impact the property
rights of the other owners that have already been living
there.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: I think there are other
approval authorities with much greater expertise than
perhaps we have to look at this, and I have confidence in
their judgment to know that if all you can get up and down
there is a johnboat, that's what they're going to limit it to.
But I'm not in a position to make a judgment on that, and I
don't know that there's -- the people in the room have
sufficient evidence to inform me sufficiently that I could.
So I guess from my perspective, I think we're getting out a
little bit ahead of our skis.
MR. YOVANOVICH: For the record, Rich
Yovanovich.
There's a process that we have to follow. All
your -- and the process is to go get a boat dock extension
after we get our zoning approved. If we can't safely
navigation, I'm not going to meet the criteria, and I'm not
going to get approval for a boat dock extension.
We have pretty much all of those questions that he just
raised available to you, but I don't think this is the right
place to make the determination as to whether or not to
approve the boats. The right place under the County
Attorney's process is to go apply for it and go to the Hearing
Examiner. And if we meet the criteria, those criteria
protect not only our riparian rights but the riparian rights of
everybody else who's accessing that water.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: I'm inclined to agree with that.
Mr. Brown, you're excused. Thank you, sir.
MR. BROWN: Thank you very much. Have a nice
day, everyone.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Do we have any further registered speakers?
MR. SABO: Mr. Chair, there are no further registered
speakers.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. Anyone in this
room who is not registered to speak but wishes to be heard
in this matter, please raise your hand.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: I see no hands being raised, so
with that, we'll close the public comment segment of this
hearing.
Mr. Yovanovich, any further rebuttal?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Yeah, there's -- no, it's not
rebuttal; just a clarification. It should be 12 boat slips, not
15. So we need to make that correction.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Oh, okay.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Can I ask a question,
Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Go ahead.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I heard 12 from you,
15 from him; 15 houses, 12 boat slips. But are you
authorized to do 15 and planning to do 12, or you're only
authorizing 12?
MR. YOVANOVICH: What I'm asking you is to
modify the PUD to limit us to 12.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yes, gotcha.
MR. YOVANOVICH: If it says 15, it should say 12.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Gotcha. And are
the -- if you don't mind, Your Honor -- Your Honor. Your
Honor? He's not responding. Your Honor?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: I have no honor.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Your Honor? Do you
currently have any restrictions on the size of the boats in --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Do you really want me to get
into the detail of the depths of the water and --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: No. I'm just asking
you whether you currently -- I can ask, Jeff, do you
currently have thoughts on that?
MR. ROGERS: Yes, sir. Basically, we got a third
party to do a water bathymetric survey for us to provide to
the county as part of the MPP consistency review process,
which is here -- we're getting into the weeds here, but
negative 4 feet mean low water, which means on an average
low tide, you have four foot of water, which allows for, you
know, enough room for a manatee and a vessel. This is a
natural waterway. It's called Rock Creek for a reason. It's
shallow. It's narrow. It's one creek left that hasn't been
man altered significantly until you get closer to Brookside
area. So it's a natural waterway. We have the study. We
have the depths. We're subject to the process, and that's
really -- it's gonna be a tough process, but we're subject to
the process.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. No one is signaling
at this time. We've closed the public comment segment.
One final question of Mr. Yovanovich; if you want to
be heard on rebuttal, now's the time.
MR. YOVANOVICH: No. All we're asking is you
recommend approval to the Board of County
Commissioners, you know, with the condition that we deal
with the Naples Airport Authority between now and the
Board.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. So just -- let me
before -- because we may be getting some motions coming
in pretty quickly. We're going to take the paperwork before
us, and we're going to say our approval is subject to the
conditions informally agreed to by the petitioner and the
Naples Airport Authority and, second, to modify from 15 to
12 boat slips, and I think --
MR. YOVANOVICH: Correct.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: -- in every other respect it
stays the same.
With that, I'll open it up for discussion and/or motions.
Vice Chairman?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yeah. I just want to
add, in regards to my colleagues, the enforcement of the
Manatee Protection Plan is pretty strictly enforced by Jaime
and her staff, so -- and the whole process is pretty strictly
monitored, which Turrell, Hall & Associates is well aware
of.
So it's -- I have every confidence from what was stated
here that we have nothing to worry about in regards to the
approval process. And then when it goes through the state
and the federal review entities, it will be strictly controlled,
and the regulations will be strictly adhered to. So I just
want to make sure everybody knows that.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Klucik.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yes. I would like to
make the motion to approve as you stated the motion.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you. Is there a
second?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Further discussion?
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Go ahead, Commissioner
Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I do have concerns
about the docks, but I think that, based on what
Commissioner Schmitt said and my understanding, it's
probably beyond -- it's not a legitimate basis for me to object
to the project.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Any further discussion before we vote?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: So it's the paperwork as
presented plus the conditions informally agreed to between
the petitioner and the Naples Airport Authority and
modification from 15 slips to 12.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Mr. Chairman, and
that's subject to their eventual mutual agreement?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yeah, of the language.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yeah, yeah.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All those in favor, please say
aye.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: It passes unanimously.
Thank you, applicant, members of the public, staff,
Planning Commission.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Sir, go ahead.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: I would just like to
say, on behalf of all of us -- and I apologize if -- I'm not sure
if it was my colleague next to me or not that suggested the
two parties that were having a difference literally go in the
hallway and work through it, and they did. And if we could
do more of that throughout government, business, and,
heaven help us, in Washington, this place would be a lot
better. And I just want to applaud both of these guys
that -- let's face it -- that were not going anywhere, they
went out in the hallway, and in 25 minutes came back and
they told this board we have an agreement that we're both
going to work through and take care of the dotting the i's and
the t's, and I just think that was great. It was a great
example of what can be done when you put your mind to it.
Thank you, gentlemen.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you very much. I
agree with all that.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: And all I did was
mimic our chairman, his past practice, so...
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Well, thank you for that, I
think.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Your Honor.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yes.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Your Honor.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right.
So I would like to throw this out as a suggestion how
we proceed. I'd like to start on the next matter now.
We've got, I think, possibly six public speakers. It would
be nice if we could get to them. And if this runs -- if this
runs us into, like, a 1:00 p.m. lunch, and I'll extend it, even a
1:30 lunch, is this -- is this the way the Planning
Commission wants to proceed?
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. And the court
reporter's okay with that?
THE COURT REPORTER: (Nods head.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. So that's what we'll
do. Let me call the next matter.
***Okay. PL20220003791, the Marco Shores Golf
Course CPUDA.
All those wishing to testify in this matter, please rise to
be sworn in by the court reporter.
THE COURT REPORTER: Do you swear or affirm
the testimony you will give will be the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth?
(The speakers were duly sworn and indicated in the
affirmative.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Disclosures, please.
MS. LOCKHART: Staff materials only.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: No disclosures.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Staff materials and site
visit.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Matters of public record,
meeting with staff, and communication with the applicant's
representative.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: My only comment
was, walking in, I said to Noel, I got his email. I had no
questions to ask of him, so I never responded to his email.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Plus the fact that we
were off email for several days, us two new commissioners.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: They forgot to renew us.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Very strange.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: They didn't renew us.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Klucik.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I have not had anything
but the staff briefing.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Just staff briefing.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Packet of
materials and a conversation with Mr. Davies.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
With that, Mr. Davies, you have the floor.
MR. DAVIES: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good
morning, Commissioners. Noel Davis with the law firm of
Davies Duke on behalf of the applicant for this item, SK
Holdings Real Estate, LLC.
I have with me today Jonathan Kassolis, the client
representative. My client is a local legacy developer here in
town. They've done a number of projects, very high
quality, over the years here, and they typically are
accustomed to managing their projects after construction.
Christopher Scott is our professional planner with
Peninsula Engineering. John English is here today, our
civil engineer, also with Peninsula, and Norman Trebilcock
is our transportation engineer.
The subject property's located at the end of Mainsail
Drive immediately west of the Marco Island Executive
Airport. Our request is an amendment to an existing PUD,
Marco Shores, which covers approximately 314 acres.
My client is seeking to add 90 market-rate apartment
units, which results in a density of 5.3 units per acre across
the PUD. The PUD is currently approved for 1,580
dwelling units, which is five units an acre, and our request
would increase that total number to 1,670, which, again, is
5.3 units an acre.
The subject project would be Phase 2 of what's known
as the Mainsail Apartments. Phase 1 completed
construction in July of '22. It has leased up very quickly.
There is still significant demand for market-rate apartments,
particularly in this portion of the county.
The subject property was previously owned by the City
of Marco Island. It was used as a utilities wastewater
treatment plant and related uses. The utility use and
corresponding improvements were discontinued and
removed from the property between 2018 and 2020, at
which time the City of Marco put the property up for sale,
and it was recently purchased by my client.
With that, I would like to introduce my client's
professional planning, Christopher Scott, who will walk you
through the rest of our presentation.
Thank you, Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
MR. SCOTT: For the record, Chris Scott with
Peninsula Engineering.
Again, this Planned Unit Development amendment
request is for the additional 90 units, which would make
possible the second phase of the Mainsail apartments. The
Phase 1 includes existing 100 market-rate units, and this
would allow for an additional 90 units.
The transportation study identified this additional
density would result in another 35 peak-hour p.m. trips.
The development team on this project is the same that did
the first phase; the same engineering firm, same
architectural firm. So the units will share a similar look and
feel of what is already there. Those are shown on the
images on the bottom of the screen, and there will be an
interconnection from the existing first phase to this one.
So this is the proposed Master Concept Plan. The
image on the right is just a blowup of the area on the eastern
side of the development. The area would all become part of
residential Parcel 2A. On the opposite side, you have the
golf course -- opposite side of Mainsail Drive is the golf
course. To the north of the property you have existing
preserve lands.
We are adjacent to the Marco Island Executive Airport.
I know you just had lengthy conversations about airports, so
timing could not be more perfect. We are in the airport
overlay. The obstruction height listed is 100 feet, which is
measured above the elevation of the runway itself.
The maximum height permitted for this property would
be 58-foot zoned height, 72-foot actual. So we will not be
considered an obstruction by that requirement, and we've
also added a couple conditions to the PUD to address
making sure that -- let me see if I have them in here. I do
not. They are in your staff report, but one would be a
notification to potential lessees that they are adjacent to an
airport and there's noise associated with that, and the other is
to provide a copy to the Marco Island airport any FAA
permits that we would be required to go through both for the
new construction and the cranes associated with that
construction.
So the proposed amendment is consistent with the
findings of the Land Development Code. That analysis is
in your staff report. I won't go through there. But we are
suitable with the development near by. There's multifamily
immediately to the west. This would be a continuation of
golf course to the south, preserve to the north. It conforms
with the Growth Management Plan.
The staff has reviewed the petition and is
recommending approval. And with that, I'll ask that the
Planning Commission forward a recommendation of
approval to the Board of County Commissioners, and I'm
here for any questions that you may have.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you. No one is
signaling at this point.
Planning commissioners have any questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Apparently not.
Commissioner Sparrazza.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Thank you, sir.
A quick question. I apologize. I thought you answered.
Just want to confirm. Will there be an interconnection
between the existing property and the new property?
MR. DAVIES: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Okay, great.
And with a letter that we received -- not that I'm for it
or against it -- but what is your vacation rate currently with
the existing building?
MR. DAVIES: I think it's right around 7 percent or
something. It's in the 90s occupancy-wise.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Oh, you're that high,
okay. Very good. Thank you. No further questions.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Let's see. Commissioner Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah. Are there
any -- just a couple basic questions. Any environmental
issues because it's formerly a water treatment plant?
MR. DAVIES: No, I don't believe so. I think that's
all been remedied.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Okay. No affordable
housing component, right?
MR. DAVIES: Correct.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: And I just can't resist
doing this; is there an avigation easement in play here?
MR. DAVIES: No, sir.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: What is the -- a little
more serious. Has the airport had any input on this?
MR. DAVIES: The airport's reviewed it and doesn't
have any objections.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Okay.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Anything further from
the Planning Commission?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: If not, we will turn to staff for
its recommendation.
MR. BOSI: Mike Bosi, Planning and Zoning director.
As contained within the staff report, we've reviewed the
proposal for consistency against the Growth Management
Plan, reviewed the location for compatibility analysis,
access, infrastructure availability. We have positive results
on each one of those analyses, and based upon that, staff is
recommending approval of the proposal.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Any questions or comments for staff? Commissioner
Shea.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Just a question. I mean,
we go through this all the time. You're putting 90 homes on
four acres. That's 22 dwelling units an acre. And I know
we're averaging it out over the entire PUD. I'm assuming
that this additional 90 would still keep the PUD within the
agreed-to density, or is this going to -- I always hate when
we take a little piece of land, we overload it, and then we
spread it out over all these other acres. And I know that's
the way it works, but --
MR. BOSI: This project is unique in terms of the age
of it. By Florida Statutes, it's vested for 1,970 overall units.
This request will put them well below that vested number of
units that are entitled to the project. So even though the net
density at the -- on the four acres will definitely be higher
than 5.3, the total units that are being requested are within
the -- within the rights that are associated with this property.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Bosi, you said 1,970. My
notes say 1,980.
MR. BOSI: I think I misspoke; 1,980.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. So 1,980 divided by
314.7, what kind of density does that give you?
COMMISSIONER SHEA: How many acres; 340?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: 314.7.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: 6.3.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: That's what I roughly thought,
yeah.
MR. BOSI: Correct.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. So even at 5.3, they're
well under what they've already been vested for, are they
not?
MR. BOSI: Yes. Yes, they are.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. All right. Other
questions or comments for staff from the Planning
Commission?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: If not, thank you. And we
will turn to the subject of registered speakers.
MR. SABO: Mr. Chairman, we have 10 registered
speakers, about six online. And we have two podiums, so if
we can get David Wuellner at the right-side podium and
Ann Marie Foley at the left-side podium, please.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. And you're
Mr. Wuellner.
MR. WUELLNER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: You have the floor.
MR. WUELLNER: My name is David Wuellner. I
live at 1528 Mainsail Drive in the Tropic Schooner
Condominium.
Just a little bit of a history about the Mainsail Drive or
Marco Shores development. It was the result of many,
many years of litigation between the state and the federal
government and the environmentalists and the Deltona
Corporation when they were madly going about trying to
develop Marco Island and all areas north all the way up to
Naples. When the environmental movement began in the
'70s, they were pretty much stopped in their tracks, and
through years of litigation, were finally allowed to develop
one little piece of land left which was the little road that
went to the airport and Mainsail Drive.
And so the PUD that we're talking about here has been
in existence for greater than 40 years. Tropic Schooner was
the first community that was developed by the Deltona
Corporation.
I found it interesting that in the prior agenda item, there
was a lot of talk about the sanctity -- I don't want to use the
word "sanctity," I guess. The nice thing about PUDs and
master plans is certainty and that in PUDs you can get more
than if you just follow basic zoning law. And I guess that's
pretty much what we're asking for here.
And I might also add, if you're doing your math, 1,980
or 1,580, whatever the number is, divided by the number of
acres, you're throwing in, you know, a huge 18-hole golf
course within that -- within that 314.7 acres. So, actually, if
you really count the density, it's much higher than that if
you -- you're not talking about -- including the golf course
land.
And I can't speak to the -- to the history that was -- that
happened a few years ago when they developed Borghese,
but my understanding is -- and I'm sure future speakers will
speak to that -- is there was a capitulation among the
Mainsail owners at that time when they developed that that
if we would allow them to increase the height of those
buildings to three stories we, in turn, would get something
because we're a PUD, and they would -- they would develop
or landscape the road from the Hammock Bay entrance all
the way to the airport. The county invested God knows
how many, $20 million, whatever, in the new airport a few
years ago and, frankly, the road looks like something out of
third-world country, especially this time of year.
I've got to say the worst landowners we deal with on
Mainsail Drive is Collier County and how poorly maintained
and cared for our road is. It's not
maintained -- mowing-wise, they wait until the grass is
two feet tall. The sidewalks that you just spent a bunch of
money on repairing is allowed to just grow over with weeds
this time of year. It's -- you have allowed at least 12
squatters to remove mangroves so that they can keep their
boats and their boat trailers in there. It looks like a
homeless community in busy times of the year, and that's
been allowed to happen.
So it's hard for me to understand how important
mangroves and the environment are when this PUD was put
together to protect all that.
So in the interest of that, I would implore that
you -- that this not be allowed. That land was supposed to
be a park. So if the master plan has any value, that's what
that land was supposed to be. Half of it was going to be to
support the Marco Island Utilities property, but the property
adjacent to it where these apartments are was supposed to be
a park. So so much for master plan.
So that's all I really have to say about the matter. But I
really hope that this would get a negative recommendation.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you, sir.
Ma'am.
MS. FOLEY: Good morning. I'm Ann Marie Foley.
I live at 1355 Mainsail Drive, Unit 1501.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Did you say Foley?
MS. FOLEY: Foley, yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Got it. Thank you. Go
ahead.
MS. FOLEY: And my husband, John, and I live
at -- on Mainsail in Mainsail 1, which was the first property
that was developed along Mainsail Drive back in the -- back
in the day, a long time ago.
I had the privilege of working for the Mackle family
and the Deltona Corporation a long, long time ago, so I'm
very familiar with the plans and what happened over the
years. And one of the things that they did right was they set
land aside for parks. And there's lands that's been set aside
for parks. Now, they were forced to sell the property, but
the zoning didn't change. And I don't -- I think the
developers are going to get their way and be allowed to
develop the property. I get that. I accept that, but I think a
more appropriate way to handle this would be to take land
somewhere else between the current rental property and
Mainsail 1 and convert it to that many acres of a park and
not give up parkland. I mean, I think as a Planning
Commission, that's a very important part of your role is to
maintain a property that will be left in its natural state.
I don't ever want the park developed. I don't want a
playground. I don't want a parking lot. I want it to be a
passive park where people can go and enjoy, those of us that
can walk to the property.
I have a couple of other thoughts on this. I want to
emphasize that the -- there will be a better presentation
about the median work than I'm prepared to give, but I
strongly, strongly endorse that. But I think this trade of
parkland property is particularly important.
The other -- what the gentleman before me spoke
about, the people storing boats and chairs and destroying the
mangroves, that's a real problem, and Collier County should
be addressing it, but so should the landowner. The
landowner has a responsibility to call. I -- you know, I'm
not sure that I'm allowed to call and complain about those
things, but the owner of the property has the responsibility
to make sure it's not used in such a trashy way as some of it
is.
The last and final thing that I would suggest is
that -- and there may be -- I'm sure some of this is overlap,
but the rules at the rental property complement the rules at
the condo associations that predate there. So all the
Mainsail 1, 2, 3, and 4, Fairways 1 and 2, Tropic Schooner,
we all have rules, and we think that it's important that those
rules also apply in rental property in the area to maintain the
value of our property, which is all we're asking to do, is to
maintain what we have.
For example, most of us do no allow motorcycles on
the property, and -- so particularly overnight parking. And
anything like that would be very helpful to ensure the future
attractiveness and to maintain and, in fact, build on the
beauty of Mainsail. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Vice Chairman?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yeah, I have a
question. You mentioned you would like to see it become a
park. Are you suggesting that maybe the county should buy
this land and convert it to a park?
MS. FOLEY: Oh, gosh, no. No. I'm suggesting that
SK Holdings take other property that they own and ask for it
to be zoned parkland right on Mainsail Drive, because I
believe they own all the property between the rental
property and Mainsail 1.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: So you're asking that
the developer convert this to a park?
MS. FOLEY: Yes, yes, and that you ask him to do
that as well.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Well, I can't ask him
to do anything. It's not my property. I mean, I can only
recommend based on the Land Development Code. I can't
say you need to build a park here. I just wanted to clarify,
you wanted a park, but you want the developer to build a
park?
MS. FOLEY: I don't want anything built. I want to
trade the designation of parkland from where they want to
develop, okay, fine, develop there, and give us other equal
amount of property as passive parkland on Mainsail Drive.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: This land was once
owned by Marco Utilities. That was -- and that's who they
bought land from. Because originally it was going to be an
expansion of the water plant, if I remember, or the
water/sewer plant. I'm not sure.
MS. FOLEY: But it's zoned for park.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. The second
question, I just want to reiterate, if you see anything that
violates the Land Development Code, chairs, debris,
mangroves being destroyed, you have every right to call
Code Enforcement. That young lady sitting in the back
way back there, Jaime Cook, I'm sure she could help you
understand you have every right as any other citizen in the
county to make -- file an initial complaint through Code
Enforcement, which will require Code Enforcement to come
out.
If it's an issue with the homeowners or the property
owner or whomever, they will be issued a citation if they're
found in violation of the Land Development Code.
MS. FOLEY: Well, I do have their phone number in
my phone, so, rest assured, we'll be chatting.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Good.
MS. FOLEY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you, ma'am.
Next speakers, please.
MR. SABO: Mr. Chairman, the next two, David
Abrams at the right podium and Marlene Mahony at the left
podium, please.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Go ahead, Commissioner.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I'd just like to ask
counsel, or maybe staff, is there any obligation of the
landowner to have any parkland in this general area?
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: No. There was a prior
master plan that did show a park, but it was -- I'm not sure
which direction it is, but to that side.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: But that master plan --
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: But it was modified.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: -- didn't obligate them
to use it as a park. That was just a concept they had?
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: I think they changed it over
time. I don't know if you have any more history, Mike?
MR. BOSI: Mike Bosi, Planning and Zoning director.
What I can say is it's not a park that's a public park.
This would be an internal decision from the developer.
And the original developer --
(Simultaneous crosstalk.)
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Right. So there's no
legal -- there was no legal obligation to provide a park for
anybody, whether it was their own nearby residents or
whatever. That was a concept that they had.
MR. BOSI: There's no legal obligation for it to be
built, and as any master plan, the designation can be
changed to a different use if it, you know, goes through the
public process.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Thank you.
Mr. Abrams, you have the floor.
MR. ABRAMS: David Abrams. I'm resident, along
with my wife, at Mainsail Drive, 1042 Mainsail.
I'm here today because I've looked at some of the
statutory requirements regarding density, and I've heard the
comment about the density being a ratio of four acres, 22
units per acre. And, quite frankly, I think that that is an
accurate statement in this regard because what they are
looking to do is they are taking a separate tract of ground
that they acquired after the PUD was created, and they're
trying to get it zoned for use by the PUD. That is, in my
opinion, an infringement on the density requirement,
because the density requirement deals with the four acres,
not with the 321 acres which, interestingly, shows on the
first PUD.
This transaction is not increasing -- not dealing with the
vested part of the original PUD. That was changed to 1,580
units, I think, in 1994. I don't remember the exact date;
however, the point of the matter is that someone made a
decision to reduce the density, not increase it. It was
reduced -- the density was reduced by virtue of the fact that
the PUD was changed by ordinance from 1,980 to 1,580.
Now they want to increase it. They're using the
additional four acres and arguing that, in fact, it's an increase
in density but not by very much.
I think this board, quite frankly, is relegated to looking
at the four acres. I think that that's an important factor here
because of the concentration of the density. They have 100
units, and immediately next door they want to put 90 more.
I don't think that the Growth Management Plan, the current
proposed Growth Management allows for that. I think that
the most they could probably put on that property is maybe
64 units, not 90. And I think it's -- if you look at the
Growth Management Plan, and it's -- hold on -- 2.05.01, the
density standards and housing types.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: That's the Land Development
Code.
MR. ABRAMS: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Not the Growth Management
Plan.
MR. ABRAMS: Well -- but it deals with the Land
Development Plan. If you read it, you will see that in a
multifamily section -- they even give an example. If it's an
RMF 6(4), it allows all uses and development standards of
the RMF-6, but density is limited to four dwelling units. In
this case, there's an issue. Is it six? Is it 12? Is it 16?
And I believe that you have to look at the four-acre
tract, not the 321-acre tract, which, by the way, is different.
The original PUD shows, if I can, Exhibit E to the original
PUD, shows 321.4 acres. They somehow now have 314.
And if you look at the size and dimension of the golf course
which is, I think, a major factor -- we're not looking at
density within a golf course; it's between 183 acres and
173 acres of the 314. We're looking at a density factor
that's much greater, especially in a concentrated area with
100 acres and, right next door, 90. I don't see how you can
take a golf course, which is 173 acres, and use that as a
multiplier to determine the density factor. The density
factor deals with the housing and how much housing is
allowed.
Now, in conformity with that --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: You have 30 seconds, sir.
Mr. Abrams, just to let you know, you have 30 seconds to
wind up.
MR. ABRAMS: Okay. I would point out to you that
if you look at 163.3215, it talks about development order
materially altering the use or density of a use on a particular
piece of property, not necessarily a golf course, and not
necessarily 321 acres.
So I would ask you to take a look at that, and I would
also -- I looked at the staff proposal. The staff proposal
talks about transportation issues, and it sort of slides by it
because it looks like it was done sometime in May.
Sometime in May, it is not in season. So when you get into
that situation, you're going to find that there's probably a lot
more traffic that impacts on it from Collier Boulevard.
And I'll rest with that. Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you very much.
Ms. Mahony, are you --
MS. MAHONY: I'm going to relinquish my time to
Zoom where Gary Ceremuga is going to be discussing the
same thing I was going to discuss.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Who's next?
MR. SABO: Mr. Chairman, we are now at Zoom
speakers. Allen Butterfield is next.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Butterfield, can you hear
us?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Butterfield?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Who's next?
MR. SABO: Next is Gary Ceremuga, please.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Ceremuga, are you there,
sir?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Ceremuga?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Next, please.
MR. SABO: Next is Ethel Quinn.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Ms. Quinn, can you hear us?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Are we confident that we're
connected to the public?
MR. SABO: Yes, Mr. Chairman, we are connected.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Are they
unmuting themselves?
MR. SABO: Yeah. We are sending "ask to unmute"
requests to each speaker.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right.
MR. SABO: All right. Next is Frank Sparicio.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Sparicio, are you there?
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Is it possible we're
muting them?
MR. MILLER: We're good here.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Miller?
MR. MILLER: Oh, wait. Hold on a minute. No,
they were not good here. You're going to need to try them
again.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. Well, we'll start
over again.
MR. SABO: All right. Mr. Chairman, we're going to
go back to Allen Butterfield, please.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Butterfield, can you hear
us, sir? Mr. Butterfield?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Next?
MS. BUTTERFIELD: Hello.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Hello.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Who do we have?
MR. BUTTERFIELD: I'm not muted.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Are you Mr. Butterfield?
MS. BUTTERFIELD: This is Butterfield. Can you
hear me?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yes, we can. Go right ahead.
MS. BUTTERFIELD: Oh, wow. Great. Thank you
so much. We've been having a problem. I know that
Gary, who is behind us, was also actually trying to speak,
but you were unable to hear him.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Well, we'll revert and find out
who else wants to speak, but you go ahead, Ms. Butterfield.
MS. BUTTERFIELD: Okay. Thank you so much.
I want to thank Ms. Foley and Mr. Abrams and some of
the other speakers for getting up and sharing their positions.
I actually think that it will probably be approved even
though I think that the transportation study might have not
been full.
I would like to propose, though, that, in good faith, that
the roadway, the median, actually be improved. Somebody
earlier -- I believe the first speaker mentioned about the fact
that it was supposed to have had palm trees and a median all
the way down to the airport, and that was never done. I
think that that would actually go quite far to help mitigate
the traffic noise and increase the beautification of the area.
So it would be nice if the developer actually took that
into account when they actually get approved, because I do
believe they will be approved.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. Well, the
applicant --
MS. BUTTERFIELD: And that is all. Thank you so
much for --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you very much. Did
you want to --
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Well, I wanted to
follow-up on her question about the roads. Who is
responsible for the roads -- the road in the community? Is it
a county road? Is it an HOA road?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: It's more complicated than
that. And let me say what I think is the case, and then
correct me, Jaime, if I'm wrong. But I believe that there
was a developer who had undertaken to do something -- a
previous developer who had undertaken to do something by
way of the median. Then that developer went into
bankruptcy, and that the current applicant, the owner, does
not inherit that legal obligation. Have I stated it correctly?
MS. COOK: Again, Jaime Cook, director of
Development Review, for the record.
You are correct; however, the commitment within the
PUD ordinance that has been there states, "Landscaping
within the platted right-of-way would improve aesthetics
and be of benefit to the community and the Marco Executive
Airport. Landscaping within the right-of-way is
encouraged."
Based on that, I can't enforce that.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. I've been down that
road before on that word. Thank you.
MS. COOK: You're welcome.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Wait, wait, wait.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Well, we've got Commissioner
Shea and then Commissioner Vernon, but stay up there,
Ms. Cook.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: No, I asked mine. I'm
sorry. I forgot to take the button off.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Commissioner
Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: So you're talking
about being encouraged -- the previous developer was
encouraged, never obligated?
MS. COOK: Correct, yes. Now, if this petition were
to move forward, any landscaping within the development,
foundation plantings, the parking lot areas, buffers would
still be required per our regular Land Development Code
requirements, but Mainsail Drive is only encouraged, per the
PUD.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Shea.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Just a clarification. It is a
county road. So if there's a pothole in the road, they call the
county. They don't call the HOA.
MS. COOK: I believe that is correct, but Mike
Sawyer can correct me if I'm wrong that it's not a county
road.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Because there's two
issues: The road and the landscaping.
MS. COOK: Correct.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Sawyer?
MR. SAWYER: For the record, Mike Sawyer,
Transportation Planning.
I'm actually currently trying to confirm that it is a
county road and that we do maintain it. I believe so, but I'm
trying to get confirmation on that.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Let us know. Thank
you.
Next speaker, please.
MR. SABO: Mr. Chairman, next is Gary Ceremuga,
please.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Ceremuga, are you there,
sir?
MR. CEREMUGA: I am. Can you hear me? I am.
Can you hear?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yes, yes. Please go ahead,
sir. You have five minutes.
MR. CEREMUGA: Okay. Thank you.
I'm an 18-year owner/resident on Mainsail Drive, so
I'm going to give you a bit of recent history. The Marco
Shores Planned Unit Development was designed for
two-story low-rise residential buildings, and when the
Hammock Bay Borghese condos were being built about 20
years ago, the developer, WCI, wanted to add a third story.
And in consideration for the Marco Shores community, they
offered to complete the palm tree line median to the airport.
Well, sadly, WCI went bankrupt before they honored
their commitment. I realize that was then and this is now
and that was WCI and this is SK Holdings, but the goal
remains the same. Over the years, there's been several
unsuccessful attempts to get Collier County to get this done,
but always not in the budget.
This rezone request opens the door to get this median
landscape project back on the table, in my view. With this
proposed rezoning for 90 more apartments comes the
potential of 180 more cars traveling up and down our quiet
dead-end street. I know they were talking about 35 cars.
They had to have done that in the middle of June when
nobody's there. That's in addition to the 200 cars on the
new --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: You're garbled, sir. Speak
into the telephone.
MR. CEREMUGA: I'm trying to talk right into it.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Speak into the telephone.
MR. CEREMUGA: I'm on the computer. Can you
hear me?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Now we can, yeah.
MR. CEREMUGA: Okay. The 200 cars from the
new 100 apartments are going up and down the road, and
our tranquil neighborhood will be impacted forever.
Mainsail Drive is very popular for walking, jogging,
and bike-riding on the road. Our sidewalks are not
conducive to this much activity.
So, naturally, we're concerned about our safety, and
we're worried about our market values. This amount of
additional traffic and speeding will have a downward effect
on the value of our homes. This is not what we bargained
for when we bought on our quiet dead-end street.
Collier County has done studies that have proven, and I
quote Collier County, the benefits of median strip
landscaping have been directly related to traffic calming and
increased property values. To be fair, our Marco Shores
community is asking for something in return for the
rezoning of this property to soften the impact of our
residents.
We want the developer to shoulder the initial cost of
landscaping the Mainsail Drive median strip from Hammock
Bay to the airport. We're not asking for much. We liken
our request to a buffer to enhance the area.
Mark Wagner, president of Tropic Schooner, has been
working with Collier County approved landscape businesses
in quoting this project. The estimates for horizontal
drilling, irrigation, and planting some 245 palm trees are in
the 3- to $400,000 range. That's less than two months of
rental income from the proposed 90 apartments. We feel
this is proportionate to the impact of the development.
If we come to an agreement on this project, we
understand a Marco Shores MSTU -- for those of you who
don't know, Maintenance Service Taxing Unit -- would have
to be established for the future maintenance of the median.
(Unintelligible) upwards of 740 if you add in the 100
apartments plus the 90 proposed, this cost would be
minimal, almost unnoticeable.
There are big winners in this rezone petition. Marco
Shores is not one of them. Collier County gets their
increased tax revenue, and the developer gets 90 more units
of rental income. SK Holdings bought this property at a
huge discount knowing --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thirty seconds, sir.
MR. CEREMUGA: They paid about -- that's
okay -- 740,000 for (unintelligible) acres, and they paid
2.1 million for the first one.
I know the Collier County staff report dated
August 23rd recommends approval of this rezone petition.
Well, the Collier County taxpaying citizens of Marco Shores
recommend an addenda to the rezone. That addenda:
Give Mainsail Drive the finished tropical beauty it has long
deserved, and everyone wins.
(Unintelligible), Commissioner Rick, and the Board of
Commissioners, the future of our tranquil neighborhood is in
your hands.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you, sir.
MR. CEREMUGA: Thank you for your support.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you very much.
Next speaker?
MR. SABO: Our next speaker is Ethel Quinn, please.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Ms. Guinn [sic], are you
there -- Quinn? Ms. Quinn?
(No response.)
MR. SABO: All right. We'll try the next one. The
next speaker is Frank Sparicio.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Sparicio, are you there?
MR. SPARICIO: Yes, I'm here.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: You have the floor, sir. Five
minutes.
MR. SPARICIO: I'd like to reiterate what the earlier
speakers have mentioned. And I'm a resident of Hammock
Bay, and I live in 1294 Rialto Way. I've been there for 10
years. Was involved with some of the management of the
property in our condominium.
And I go back to the speakers who talked about the
1,580 units which were revised from the original plan, as I
heard, 1,970, or whatever that number is. And I think the
1,580 was justly done. If you add what is already there,
including the 100 apartments, that is 1,580 if you consider
the two additional towers that would be built in Hammock
Bay.
The owner has already purchased that property and is
just waiting to develop that property. Whether he builds
two towers or the equivalent on a mid-rise, that will be the
1,580 units.
On the traffic situation, I don't -- I don't think the
airport expansion, which was just completed recently, has
anything to do with the problem of guideline paths, because
the guidelines are really very well done. They don't fly
over the property. They go in a different direction. But
the increased amount of traffic during the season for the
airport is considerate. And getting the fire department and
everything else down there if there were suddenly an
accident is at question in the season.
The traffic on Mainsail Drive in the season backs up at
the light on 951, which we're very happy to have, by the
way. But in the season -- along 951 all the way to 41, in
season you can back that traffic up all the way to the
Mainsail light. It takes you 20 minutes to get from the
Mainsail light to 41 during the season.
So the 1,580 was rightly done, and you add another 94
[sic] to that, and the increased amount of people who live in
apartments on a square-foot basis versus a home in Mainsail
and Hammock Bay, adds additional traffic, which I think
some of the earlier speakers already mentioned.
So, basically, I'm not opposed to housing. God forbid,
we need more housing in the county, more good-rate
housing, which will not be here, but I am opposed to
additional units within that tract, which was a utility -- was a
utility operation before, and it just happens that they
suddenly found out, okay, we have four and a half acres,
let's build on it.
Well, planning is not always just about building and
development. Its about preserving and increasing
infrastructure.
The Mainsail Drive improvements on landscaping is a
very valuable consideration, but the main problems are
traffic and the increased amount of traffic as this -- as this
county, in particular this area, the Isles of Capri, the
planning board probably is aware, are contemplating about
three or four more mid-rise buildings which would just add
to the traffic. On Marco Island, every lot is being built on,
if you just happen to know about Marco Island, very few
lots left, or they're tearing down and building bigger ones.
So the traffic that was contemplated with the
improvements to 951 years ago is not nearly enough to take
care of seasonal traffic. We live in paradise, but that is not
paradise from November to May.
I will end with that. I would really recommend a
negative approval to this property. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you very much, sir.
Next speaker.
MR. SABO: Next speaker is Jim Winkelman.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Winkelman, are you
there? Mr. Winkelman?
(No response.)
MR. SABO: We sent a request to unmute. Maybe
we can come back.
The next speaker is Norman Trebilcock.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: As a member of the public?
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: He's representing the
petitioner.
MR. SABO: I just read what's in front of me.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Mr. Trebilcock? Is he calling
in?
MR. TREBILCOCK: Hello.
MR. SABO: There he is.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Go ahead. Mr. Trebilcock, is
that you? Go ahead, sir.
MR. TREBILCOCK: Yes, yes. My only point on
this would be just maybe some clarification on some of the
comments to date on the traffic study. I wanted to verify,
the traffic study we submitted is dated May of this year;
however, just for understanding, we do use the county's
AUIR, the most recent 2022 AUIR, which has the
background traffic that gets collected, you know, in season
as well.
So when somebody sees a traffic study dated in May,
it's not that the traffic was collected in May. It is based on
the most current data that Collier County has, which is the
2022 AUIR. So that's really just the main point of that.
And then the trip generation we use is the Institute of
Transportation Engineers' trip generation.
And then the only other clarification I just wanted to
verify. I did double-check the most recent plans for the
improvements on Mainsail Drive, and it does identify
Mainsail Drive as a public right-of-way, which would be a
Collier County right-of-way. It's not a monitored roadway
by Transportation Planning, but it is a county public
roadway as it provides access to the airport there, so -- and
that's all I have. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Vice Chairman.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I have a question.
Norm, your traffic study, did it -- did you go as far as to
study the impact at the intersection of Collier Boulevard and
Mainsail? And, of course, that's -- on the opposite side of
Mainsail is the egress -- ingress/egress to the Isles of Capri
and, of course, one of the petitioners brought up the recent
rezoning. Have you looked at all of the traffic calculations
in regards to at the intersection of Mainsail and Collier?
And what was mentioned was a 20-minute backup, and
I -- that's a lot. I find it hard to understand that it's 20
minutes. But have you -- did you look at the impact of that
intersection?
MR. TREBILCOCK: No, we didn't do the
intersection analysis; however, we did do the roadway
length there of Collier Boulevard, and it was within
satisfactory levels of service.
During the Site Development Plan analysis, sometimes
we'll look at the operational analysis of, say, that
intersection or something to see if any improvements are
needed due to the project. But as far as the link analysis, it
did show that there was a satisfactory level of service there
at that link on U.S. -- I mean, Collier Boulevard.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: How many more registered
speakers do we have at this time?
MR. SABO: Mr. Chairman, we'll try Mr. Jim
Winkelman one more time, and that would be the last.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Mr. Winkelman, are
you there, sir? Mr. Winkelman?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. We're going to
close the public comment segment of this hearing and ask
Mr. Davies if he has rebuttal.
MR. DAVIES: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't really
have much rebuttal. I stand by my previous comments.
Your staff reviewed the density calculation. They also
reviewed the Transportation Impact Statement. Your staff's
recommending approval, as you know.
I did speak with a gentleman late yesterday afternoon,
which is the first time we heard from anyone after several
weeks, having the neighborhood meeting. My client is
certainly happy to consider any and all reasonable requests.
Client's not going to build a park. Not going to landscape
all of Mainsail Drive. But I did tell that gentleman
yesterday -- excuse me -- late yesterday, which, again, is the
first time we had heard from anyone, that we're happy to sit
down between now and Board to consider any reasonable
requests.
But with that, Mr. Chairman, I don't have anything
further.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. Thank you. No
one is signaling at this point, and I would encourage you
to -- if you make some headway in those discussions, please
present them to the Board of County Commissioners.
MR. DAVIES: Absolutely. Thank you, sir.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Anything else from up here?
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I guess -- yeah, I have
some questions. The third speaker, David Abrams, spoke
extensively about you bought four additional acres and
now --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I think your mic is too
far away.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Oh, thank you.
Thank you.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Better.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah. The speaker
No. 3, David Abrams, spoke about the four acres and how
your -- as I understand what he's saying is you've got a PUD
approved. You went out and bought four more acres, and
you're trying to shove that inside the PUD on the density
issue. I think it kind of goes to Commissioner Shea's
question a little while ago, not to you, but a question he had.
So what's your -- how do you respond to that?
MR. DAVIES: Well, it's already in the PUD.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Okay.
MR. DAVIES: So what we're doing is amending the
PUD, which governs all of Marco Shores, and that's how
you calculate the density. You've got to look at the entirety
of the PUD acreage and the entirety of the units being
proposed. That's how the county's calculated density for
some time. I defer to staff as to -- there's another way that
they look at it, but I know that they reviewed this petition
and are recommending approval on that.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Do you have any
thought -- yeah, I was going to ask Mike next. Any
different thoughts than what Noel just said?
MR. BOSI: Mike Bosi, Planning and Zoning director.
No, that is the way we calculate density within PUDs.
All the property within the PUD is included within that
density calculation.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: That's how you get into
such a high density. You have a golf course.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Klucik.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yeah. I think if we try
to say that the last land developed, you know, can't take
advantage of the rest of the land that's developed, then you
have this tail end always getting shortchanged. And I
understand it's like, yeah, but we're changing the use, but
we're -- we are, and uses change all the time. And, you
know, I've -- it's funny because my own personal experience
was -- you know, I've been in Ave Maria since the very
beginning, and the plans have changed over the years.
And I was talking -- I think I was talking with my
daughter about this, that -- and with a friend who was an
attorney, by chance, and he -- or we were just mentioning
that these things do change over time and you can't -- you
know, whereas, when I was frustrated about something, I
thought, well, that's not fair. You're changing it. And I
realize, okay, the whole thing was put together, whatever,
however many years ago, whatever project you're talking
about, and, you know, decades have passed. I don't know
how old this project is. Rough idea how old this PUD is?
MR. DAVIES: I think the first ordinance was '81 or
'82.
MR. BOSI: Eighty-two.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yeah. Okay. So
that's decades later things change, and it's not reasonable to
think -- you know, to hold people accountable to their initial
ideas when they didn't hold them out as, you know, we
guarantee we're going to do it exactly as this layout looks.
You know, this idea that there's a process for flexibility
based on practical concerns that landowners have, I think we
just have to acknowledge that. And it does produce results
that sometimes are frustrating, but I also think, in fairness to
the landowner, any landowner, you know, we have a method
by which these things are calculated, and we can't change it
because we don't like the particular result.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Sparrazza.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Thank you.
Quick question for Mr. Bosi. I believe it's been
answered. I just want to make sure. When you said the
original PUD included all of the area, at that point did the
town or city of Marco own that site that eventually turned
into the water treatment plant?
MR. DAVIES: Well, I'd have to check the record. I
don't know when the city purchased it. I don't think they
owned it at the time of, like, that '82 approval, but at some
point -- I know they opened it for many years and were
operating the utility plant.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: And just for my
own clarification, that portion, the 4.1 acres, that Marco
owned that your client purchased from, it was included in
everything and could have been developed back then, let's
say, if it was desired by any developer back at that time?
MR. DAVIES: That's correct. It's part of the PUD.
It was always part of the PUD.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: It's always been
part of the PUD?
MR. DAVIES: Correct. I'm not trying to add it to the
PUD. It's in the PUD today.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: So as has come up
in discussion, it's not looking at just those four acres
independently?
MR. DAVIES: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Thank you for the
clarification.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Vernon.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah. The
consistent -- one of the consistent themes with the speakers
has to do with this median, and Jaime gave us some
clarification on the median, the palm trees, all that stuff.
And was there a NIM?
MR. DAVIES: Yes.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: And were the concerns
the same, pretty much, as they are here?
MR. DAVIES: Certain concerns were raised. I know
that's in the packet for today as far as the summary. I mean,
I know there were other -- there were comments about
landscaping on the median. There were comments about
speeding drivers on Mainsail Drive.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Did you guys make
any changes as a result of the NIM?
MR. DAVIES: No.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Okay.
MR. DAVIES: We hadn't heard from anyone since
the NIM until, like I said, late yesterday.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Say that again.
MR. DAVIES: So we had our neighborhood
information meeting a couple weeks ago. I don't know
when the date was, but we had it several weeks ago, and
there were certain comments. A lot of the comments
related to what exactly are you doing? What are you
proposing? There were comments about whether the
project had an affordable housing component, which it does
not. There were comments about speeding cars. There
were comments about landscaping. There were comments
about don't do anything with the property.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: But you made no
adjustments?
MR. DAVIES: Correct.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Okay. So I'm just
trying to channel what they're thinking, and you're a
different developer. Your client's a different developer.
Are you guys willing to do anything on the median? Palm
trees? Anything?
MR. DAVIES: So like I said, Commissioner, we're
happy to sit down after this with what the actual -- I'm not
sure what the actual request is. If the request is for, at my
client's cost, to landscape or add whatever it was, hundreds
of palm trees from all the way down Mainsail Drive, I don't
think that my client's going to agree to that. We haven't
seen an actual proposal as to that.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah. It seemed
like --
MR. DAVIES: We're happy to consider something,
certainly, but I don't know what their proposal is.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah. I think that -- I
don't remember the fourth speaker. I forgot his name. I
think it was the fourth speaker gave a pretty specific thought
process on that, and you may not have talked to him before.
But I'm just -- I guess I'm a little concerned that you stood
up in rebuttal and said, yeah, we're willing to kind of work
with them, but I see no indication that -- and maybe you
don't have to. I'm not saying you have to -- but no
indication you tried to work with them on the median, the
palm trees, or anything like that. I don't see anything of
that from your side.
MR. DAVIES: Sure. So let me go back. There was
not a clear proposal or comments at the NIM: We want you
to do A, B, or C. There were questions about the project.
There were comments, like I said, about speeding cars,
about affordable housing. There was a series of comments
and clarifications that my client's team provided about what
we were proposing.
We had heard nothing from them; provided all the
requisite contact information at the NIM. We are happy to
consider requests. I haven't heard any proposals or requests
until today and, like I said, late yesterday a gentleman called
me and said he's going to come tomorrow and talk about
something to do with landscape on Mainsail Drive.
So I stand by my comments that my client is happy to
commit to work with what the requests are. I need to
understand what the requests are. The client has to consider
it and evaluate it, and we're happy to do that. We have
plenty of time before the Board of County Commissioners'
hearing.
But I still don't understand exactly when the request is,
but we're happy to do it. We're happy to sit down with
them and consider any reasonable request.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Well, I guess I'd say to
the public speakers, I thought, from my perspective, one of
the Zoom speakers had some pretty specific proposals.
Rather than everybody just complaining, that you pick a
leader and go to them and push for something, and they said
they'd work with you. And I don't think it involves
hundreds of palm trees. And I understand that you may not
feel like you're obligated, but I know the previous developer
was encouraged. So I would encourage you to go to them
and for you guys to have a respectful and specific proposal
that's reasonable as to what you might want with respect to
the medians and palm trees.
MR. DAVIES: Absolutely.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
At this point I've got three commissioners signaling,
but we're right up against 12:30, and as we have decided,
we're going to reevaluate whether we're going to have lunch.
Whether we decide to do so or not, we need to take a
10-minute break at this time, and so we will -- let's see. It's
12:28. We'll be back here at 12:38. We're in recess.
(A brief recess was had from 12:28 p.m. to 12:37 p.m.)
MR. BOSI: Chair, you have a live mic.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you. I thought it was
12:38 we're coming back or -- but we're back.
MR. BOSI: I may be premature. I was consulting
with Commissioner Sparrazza, and we were both on a
different wavelength.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: I'm under the bus.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: I don't think any harm has
been done. We're delighted to be back. Thank you.
MR. BOSI: Welcome under.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: And we go first to Vice Chair
Schmitt.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yeah. I just had a
chat -- Mr. Wuellner, is it?
MR. WUELLNER: Wuellner.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Wilner [sic].
He brought up the Deltona settlement. I don't know if
my colleagues are aware of the Deltona settlement, but just
brief education. In 1982, there was a settlement and,
actually, Marco Shores was all of Fiddler's Creek, Isles of
Capri, Hammock Bay, portions of -- even on Marco Island it
was the Mackle brothers. There was a lawsuit to stop all
dredge and fill that ended up ending dredge and fill through
all of Florida, and to compensate for the loss of development
rights in Marco Island, they moved the development to
these -- what I just mentioned. It was all called Marco
Shores at that time.
A long history. That's just a brief -- briefly. But
it -- there is a lot of density that was allowed because of that
transfer of development rights off of Marco Island to what is
now Hammock Bay and then Fiddler's Creek and Isles of
Capri, and then they kind of broke off into separate PUDs,
and, of course, Hammock Bay retained the name called
Marco Shores. Fiddler's Creek named it differently.
So that's just so you guys understand what the whole
Deltona settlement was. But it was -- so when we're talking
density, a lot of the density is now density by right because
of the Deltona settlement. I don't want to get into any more
detail on that because it's pretty -- pretty specific in regards
to what they can and cannot do. And that Deltona
settlement went almost all the way up to Manatee Road, just
south of Manatee Road, which was part of the development
rights. I just wanted to make sure you all knew that.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Sparrazza.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Thank you.
I'd like to piggyback off of what I think all of us
learned from the first petitioner this morning, that given the
opportunity, two entities that may not be in agreement, after
a 20-, 25-minute break actually came to what I think we'll all
agree was a wonderful agreement. I'm wondering if we
could ask a commitment from the petitioner to guarantee
they will at least sit down with representatives before the
BCC meeting and have an open discussion and bring to the
BCC meeting ideas, topics from both sides to -- if it's not
hashed out by then -- hopefully it will be -- to open it up for
discussion at the BCC meeting.
MR. DAVIES: You beat me to it, Commissioner.
That's what I was going to suggest, which is that -- happy to
make any condition of your recommendation today to
include that my client, the team here, the professionals, will
sit down with whoever wants to attend from the neighbor
group and work through what their proposal is. Like I said,
I'm still not sure exactly what the proposal is. My
suggestion to them is that the condition include that they get
together and come up with something that we can present to
the client so that he can -- him and his team can understand
what it is, what's that going to cost so that we can work
through that. And we're happy to do that in good faith and
to commit to that today as a condition of any
recommendation.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Great. I think
that's a great path forward. Thank you for that.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Schumacher.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Ms. Ashton, if I
could ask counsel a question. What, from this 1981
recorded project development document is still valid?
Because there's been a lot of talk about what has been
reduced by number of units, how many -- I mean, the
document states -- it starts out by saying they could develop
500 acres, and then it drops down to 300 and change. Now
we're at X amount of units.
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: Mr. Perry reviewed the
project, so I'm going to have him answer the question. He's
a little more familiar.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Thank you.
MR. PERRY: Commissioner, this was originally
zoned 1981, and since then there's been six amendments to
the zoning. And so the initial document has been amended
five subsequent times.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: So this is really
out of date that's in this packet piece? This is --
MR. PERRY: You would need to look at all six
together.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: All six together
to figure out what's available.
MR. PERRY: And, typically, when there's a
substantial amendment or when we have a lot of changes
over time, we have the developer restate the entire PUD
document. This is not the case with this particular
amendment.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Got it.
My other question is for Mike. So if there's debate on
who owns the roadway, how do we get to an end conclusion
on that as to -- is it -- is it -- basically, is it a county
maintained road, or is it the developer who put it in
responsible for those associations on it?
MR. BOSI: The developer was not required, per the
PUD, to -- they were encouraged to provide for the median
landscaping. I believe it is -- and I think Mike was looking
for confirmation that it was a public road, and I think we're
getting the head nod that it is a public road.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: It is a public
road. So the maintenance of the roadway, just not the
medians, is the county's responsibility, correct?
MR. BOSI: I think the medians would be included --
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: The medians
would be included in that?
MR. BOSI: -- within the maintenance.
MR. SAWYER: Again, for the record, Mike Sawyer,
Transportation Planning.
It is a county-owned road. It is county maintained.
So, therefore, anything that were to occur as far as additional
plantings and that sort of thing would have to go through the
county as far as permitting.
This isn't part of our roadway beautification program,
because those are only for our main roads. It isn't for local
roads. This would be a local road. So we would have to
likely run this through as a right-of-way permit, have it
reviewed, and then have some sort of maintenance
agreement as far as who is going to maintain it in the future.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Got it.
MR. SAWYER: And that would include the
landscaping and the irrigation and everything that would go
along with that.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: What I would
recommend to the petitioner and the residents there
is -- obviously, this road sat for a number of years looking
the way it does, and there was no conversation of how do
those that are here improve it. There's a number of roads in
this county that you have multiple homeowners associations
that back up to, and they're responsible for that, and they
have a shared cost. I would -- I would urge those residents
and the applicant to talk of that shared cost. I'm not saying
all of it should be shouldered by the developer because
they're coming in not having a responsibility for that. But I
think once you come to an agreement -- and if the county's
involved in that as well, that cost to maintain it will have to
be shared either on a per unit or association basis.
But that would be my recommendation is to figure out
a way to come together. And I'm not saying to the fellow
members on the board that it's the developer's responsibility
to landscape the whole thing, because I think that's a cost
that could have been done prior, because it sat like this for
so many years. But now that we know that it is a county
responsibility and there is going to be county interaction,
you can probably find a better headway there to get to your
endgame of what you want, which is a much better
appearance for that street.
That's all I have, Chair.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Vice Chair.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yeah. Mike, since
you're up here, the monument and the landscaping around
Mainsail at the intersection of Mainsail and Collier, does the
county maintain that?
MR. SAWYER: I don't have specifics on that, quite
honestly, Commissioner. What I do know is that Road and
Bridge is indicating to us that the road is considered to be in
good and fair condition.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Okay. Because I
know there's a monument there for the entry, and I believe
that was constructed when they built the three towers.
There were supposed to be five built. Of course, WCI went
bankrupt.
So there is some -- they must have formed something
or somebody must have taken responsibility, whether that's
the homeowners association or whatever.
What I'm going to recommend -- and I'm looking at just
the two parcels that are asked to be developed. And
Mr. Davis, I would recommend -- because I look at three
principal owners here: The county who owns the road; I
look at the airport authority, because that's their main access
to their terminal, and that's a brand-new terminal. Well,
basically year and a half old. I believe the airport authority,
and I believe the county had some obligation to do some
improvements to the median, and I would recommend that
we look at requiring the developer, the county, and the
airport authority somewhere -- come to an agreement. I
don't know what cost share would be involved -- because it
would have to be a beautification requirement under the
county, Mike, as you just stated.
But I think it would be -- part of the approval of this
would be that the developer, if they could reach an
agreement with the county and the airport
authority -- which, of course, is the county -- to provide
improvements to that -- at least that portion of Mainsail
road, that they should be required to do so. And I think
that's what we should be looking at as part of this.
I'm not saying they have to do the entire Mainsail. I
think there's a lot of other players involved for the rest of
Mainsail. But certainly where they're developing these two
lots would certainly add to the -- I think what the -- a portion
of what the residents are looking for. So that's my
recommendation.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Klucik.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yeah, I think what I
wanted to say is obsolete now.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. All right.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: That was a while ago I
pushed that button.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Overcome by events.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Shea.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Just an observation. You
could get my vote with a slam dunk if you took those 90
homes and put them in some sort of affordable housing
package. It's not the greatest location, but if you attack the
essential services personnel and could make something like
that work at the 80 percent -- even 100 percent would be
nice out there. I'm not saying you won't get it either way,
but you could get it with a slam dunk if you did that.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Klucik.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I remembered what it
was.
So, I guess, my understanding is there's no obligation to
agree. There's an obligation to hear out the specific
proposals of the residents, and the petitioner may or may
not, you know, be willing to move. But it sounds like you
wouldn't be bringing it if you thought it was futile; you
wouldn't be agreeing to it.
MR. DAVIES: No, I don't think it's futile at all. I
think we're light on details at this point, and so we need to
understand what it is and assess it and get to work before the
Board.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right. Thank you.
At this point no one else is signaling. I think it would
be appropriate for us to deliberate and have a motion.
Anyone care to make a motion?
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: I'll make a
motion to approve.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: That was from Commissioner
Schumacher. Thank you, sir.
Is there a second?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: It's moved and seconded to
approve as submitted. And let's see. Yes, we'll -- first
Commissioner Vernon wants to be heard.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Yeah, I'm going to
support something, but I'm a little confused because I think
Commissioner Sparrazza suggested something, and
Commissioner Schumacher sort of echoed that, and I'm not
sure whether that's a modification because the applicant
agreed to it, and I think it was more than just listening to a
proposal. It was a commitment to go -- you know, go out
and meet them part of the way as to some kind of proposal,
and then Commissioner Schmitt had a little -- I think that
was possibly an amendment. So I'm a little confused. And
I'm going to support it, but I just want to make sure we're
clear on what we're -- what we're voting on.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: My question as well.
I'm trying to figure out, what are we voting -- we voted
approval, but subject to what?
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Can I amend
my --
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Yes, please.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Yeah. Can I
amend my motion to approve that the petitioner and the
residents, as well as the airport authority and the county,
come together with some type of agreement for that median
area.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Meet and confer and, one
hopes, come up with an agreement.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: On Mainsail
Drive.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: And put the onus on
the applicant to make that effort, since they are the
applicant, to bring everybody together?
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Correct.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Is that acceptable to
the seconder?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yes, yes, yes. So the
obligation is to have the meeting -- a meaningful meeting?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: May I add one
extra comment to that?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Go ahead.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: As discussed,
should it possibly include whatever HOAs are associated
with the entire Mainsail? Not that they will need to
participate, but they should be at least included in the
meeting in case they wish to spread funding of this project
out where everybody can benefit. I'd hate to see just the
airport, the petitioner, and the county be included when,
heck, everybody on the entire project said I'll give 5 bucks
every quarter to get trees going or something.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Before I ask the mover and
seconder to agree, would that be acceptable to the applicant?
MR. DAVIES: Yeah, I think that's acceptable. The
gentleman I spoke to yesterday said -- I think he had
authority from those HOAs in the area.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: All right.
MR. DAVIES: So with respect to the concept, no
objection, certainly, that all parties need to be at the instant
meeting and that my client is agreeable to good-faith
discussion about that, and hopefully that leads to an
agreement. I can't commit my client to agree to something
I don't know what it is, right, as a legal matter, but I -- we
need to understand what it is. We'll review that in good
faith and provide whatever update comes from that to the
Board.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Does the movant
agree to including the HOAs?
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: And the seconder?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Any further
discussion? Commissioner Shea.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: I'm guessing my
affordable housing request is dead.
MR. DAVIES: Respectfully rejected.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Although, if I
could just -- from the NIM notes that I saw on the rent that is
being collected now on the first project, they are within that
100 percent to 120 percent without -- as they're market rate
without affordable housing. So I applaud the developer and
the petitioner for being able to do that versus some of these
apartments that we see are charging astronomical rates.
MR. DAVIES: That's right. Thank you,
Commissioner.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Now, I'll call the question. All those --
COMMISSIONER VERNON: I was going to make
a -- I was just going to make a two-cent comment to the
folks who spoke. You know, it's a little bit of a tricky
process, but it's -- and I don't want to take any responsibility
off the developer, but it's hard for them to know what you
want without some type of proposal. On the other hand, it's
hard for them to accept something presented as a demand.
So it's that in between where you get a -- you got it; you're
shaking your head. Okay, good.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
MR. WUELLNER: We just want the meeting to be
here in Collier County.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Yeah, okay. That's assumed.
All those in favor, please say aye.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: It passes unanimously.
Thank you, all.
Now, the next two items -- I just want to set the stage
here and test our scheduling, if we still feel the same way.
In both cases here, these GMPAs that are coming to us, we,
as a Planning Commission, have already voted upon them
unanimously and sent them up for transmittal, and the State
of Florida came back with a few suggestions that staff has
attempted to address.
Ordinarily -- well, I'll tell you, in my case, I almost
always restrict my adoption hearing comments to things that
are new. And I remember vividly the facts here, and I
remember my vote in favor. So I'm going to limit myself to
the few tweaks that are before us.
Having said that, though, you're not, by law, limited.
If you want to reopen something that was voted upon way
back when, you're welcome to, but I just think -- I would -- I
would advise against it, but, you know, you don't have to
take my advice.
***All right. Having said that, the next matter,
PL2021000660, the Collier County Housing Initiatives
GMPA. The matter is purely legislative, so no need for
swearing in and no need for ex parte.
MS. MOSCA: Good afternoon, Commissioners.
Michele Mosca, for the record, with Community Planning
and Resiliency Division.
What I'd like to do is provide a brief presentation,
probably about five slides, just to give you a summary. The
last time you-all heard this -- and I think, Commissioner
Schumacher, you may not have been on the commission
then. It was back in May of 2022, so I can't -- I don't recall.
The second petition that you'll hear, the East Naples, I
believe this entire board was seated at that point.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay.
MS. MOSCA: So what's before you is the remaining
initiatives from the ULI study, the 2017 housing study.
And these affordable initiatives are applicable only to the
urban areas of the county. In yellow, you'll see the coastal
urban area. And I can -- I believe everybody knows where
this is located.
So all of the coastal urban area of the Future Land Use
Element, in addition to that, Golden Gate City, and then also
the Immokalee urban area.
This is a snapshot of all five of the initiatives and, as
you can see, that there's the commercial mixed-use by-right
subdistrict, the conversion of commercial by-right
subdistrict, strategic opportunity site subdistrict,
transit-oriented development subdistrict, and the mixed-use
activity center and interchange activity center subdistricts.
Within the Future Land Use Element, the coastal urban
area, all five of those initiatives are applicable, and
properties are eligible under specific criteria. Within the
Golden Gate City or Golden Gate area master plan, three of
the initiatives are applicable to those areas, and then in the
Immokalee urban area, it's just the transit-oriented
development subdistrict.
So let me just take a brief moment just to summarize
the five different initiatives. You have two by-right
subdistricts, commercial mixed-use as well as the
conversion of commercial, and what that allows is projects
to develop up to 16 dwelling units per acre without a
rezoning.
The next is your strategic opportunity site subdistrict,
and this provides for employment centers with a mix of
qualified target industry business with a residential and
commercial mix, and the allowance here is up to 25
dwelling units per acre.
The next one is your transit-oriented development, and
that allows projects to have a base density of 13 dwelling
units per acre and a maximum of up to 25 dwelling units per
acre with affordable housing. And what this provides for
are these developments along existing or proposed transit
routes.
And, lastly, the mixed-use activity center and the
interchange activity center subdistricts. This allows for
properties to develop up to 25 dwelling units per acre.
What's being excluded are certain activity centers that are
within the Coastal High Hazard Area as well as Golden Gate
Parkway activity center.
The transmittal recommendations you see on your
screen. Again, you heard this back in May of 2022, and the
Board heard this in March of 2023. The CCP [sic]
recommended approval based on staff recommendations
with the sunsetting provision for that by-right subdistrict for
a five-year period, and then the Board of County
Commissioners recommended approval based on the
CCPC's recommendations with the removal of C-4 and C-5
commercial properties with the by-right subdistrict, and this
was to allow for additional development potential on those
C-4 and C-5 properties.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Now, Ms. Mosca --
MS. MOSCA: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: -- before we go further, a
conversation that we had a couple days ago having to do
with what is to be sunsetted and what is to be retained, and
it's my understanding the by-right concept was to be
sunsetted. Would you say some more about that? And I
think some language maybe needs to be tweaked.
MS. MOSCA: Definitely. I do have that. I was
going to wait to the end, but maybe -- Michael, can you put
this on the visualizer.
So as I mentioned earlier, there were two by-right
provisions. That is the commercial mixed-use as well as
the conversion of commercial. So that will happen -- let me
just pull my documents. If you have your ordinances in
front of you, on Pages 1 and 3 of the Future Land Use
Element ordinance, the commercial mixed-use by-right
subdistrict, that subdistrict previously appeared in the Future
Land Use Element.
So if the Board was to decide not to extend that
five-year period, that subdistrict would remain; however, A6
and B of that subdistrict would be deleted. And then in the
conversion of commercial by-right, the entire subdistrict
would be deleted if, in fact, the by-right provision went
away and the five-year period was not extended by the
Board.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. Thank you.
No one is signaling at this point. And, again, there are
just a few little tweaks here that have been added or changed
since we last saw it. But having said that, as the Planning
Commission, we're welcome to open the door to everything
if we want. Anyone want to be heard on this?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: If not, I'd entertain a motion
for approval.
MS. MOSCA: Do you -- okay. Let me just go to the
end.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Do we have -- I'm sorry. Is
there a member of the public? My mistake. Please come
forward. I got ahead of myself. So sorry. Have you
registered?
MS. ESTRADA: Yes, I did.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: And you've been sworn in?
MS. ESTRADA: Yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Oh, wait a minute, we don't.
Never mind.
MS. ESTRADA: Yeah. My name is Ilen Estrada,
and I live at 3541 31st Avenue Southwest.
Whatever changes happen in Golden Gate City directly
affect me, my family. I have two grandchildren. One goes
to Golden [sic] Elementary and the other one goes to St.
Elizabeth Seton. We also own a business right on Golden
Gate Parkway, so we are directly impacted.
Any changes definitely -- it's been a very curious
situation listening to all these beautiful projects that are
going up in Collier County, and none of them have
affordable housing but, yet, it seems that Golden Gate City,
Golden Gate Estates are always the ones that are considered
for affordable housing.
We are in a terrible need of affordable housing, and as
the government affairs director of NAHREP, which is the
National Association of Hispanic Real Estate, we promote
acquisition for affordable housing, but we promote it
through special financing and opportunity for young couples
and families to buy their homes. So this is something close
and dear to us.
I'm also a realtor with Coldwell Banker, and we are
definitely confronting a perfect storm with the way the
economy is, the house of -- pricing for homes, and also
interest rates at 8 percent. So affordable housing is, like,
something that is becoming less and less obtainable in
Collier County. But, by the same token, we want to -- and
we want to promote homeownership.
And I see that these projects -- I would understand and
agree to this on a personal basis if the low or very low, as
specified, income would be for people who are civil servants
already working in our county. Many of our people have to
go out of the county because they can't afford the county.
So if we -- if this is something that has been adopted
already, and we do not have a say on it anymore because
we're late to the table, I would suggest that these affordable
housings be, first and foremost, available to firefighters, to
nurses, to people who currently serve our community.
I believe that is very good, the fact that it's going to be
close to public transit, but most of the people that use public
transit nowadays, and anybody that goes on Collier
Boulevard will see it at 5:00 and 6:00, you will see people
from Immokalee Road who come in in buses to work and
then leave, so they're not really residents of this area that we
are discussing right now.
As a matter of fact, according to the records that I
have -- and they're probably old -- but it says that
80.1 percent of people who live in Golden Gate City own a
car, and they don't use public transportation. So most of the
public transportation that is being used right now are from
people that do not live in the area that come into the area to
work.
But my suggestion is that this is precious what's being
done. It's already been decided, like I said, so there isn't
much that we can do about it to stop it or change it or make
adaptations, I believe, unless you folks can correct me, but I
believe that those homes or those apartments should be
reserved for people who already work for us, serve our
community, and that's just my opinion, and I respectfully
thank you for giving me the time to express myself.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Ms. Mosca or Mr. Bosi want to reply to that or give us
your take?
MR. BOSI: Mike Bosi, Planning and Zoning director.
Now, we have no provisions within these that they are
exclusive for essential service providers. The
majority -- not the majority, but a number of these proposals
do require that 100 percent of the units are made affordable,
but I would say that -- to the speaker's comments, the
Planning Commission and the Board of County
Commissioners regularly requires, when we do have an
affordable housing project in front of us, that an additional
marketing effort is made to the essential services personnel
to be made aware of these opportunities and first offers of
opportunities are provided to those essential service
providers.
So I think we are doing -- currently doing what the
speaker is asking us to do, to make these housing units that
are income restricted available to our essential services
personnel.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Okay. So even if -- let's say
essential services personnel get offered this and they don't
take it up, the restrictions on income remain, but it's no
longer the highest -- the most desirable tenants, if you will,
but it still remains income restricted, and it sounds as though
your concerns are being addressed.
MS. ESTRADA: Right. Well, there was another
concern that I didn't voice because, as you stated, this has
already been decided on, so --
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Well, it really -- it hasn't.
MS. ESTRADA: It hasn't?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: This is part of the process.
This is like a second reading. We're here at adoption.
We're going to make our recommendation. The Board of
County Commissioners can do exactly as they please with it.
MS. ESTRADA: Then if there's still time to do
something about it, as a property owner, I am not in
agreement with a lot of these things that are being built
because it directly affects me as a resident and as a -- the
property value of my home and our homes and, also, it
affects traffic drastically. Every day we risk our lives just
crossing the canal from Collier Boulevard up to 31st.
There's no light there or anything. So there -- there is an
increase of density that is being proposed.
I have an acre and a quarter. I cannot build, on an acre
and a quarter, a guesthouse for my mom who's 85 years old
but, yet, we have 25 dwellings proposed in one acre right
across the canal. So, you know, it's kind of hard for us to
be in accordance with something like that that is going to
increase the density, the traffic, which is terrible right now.
And I -- you know, I don't know if the infrastructure has
been looked at, and how is it going to affect our
infrastructure?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Klucik.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: I guess I'm confused,
because I thought I heard you say you thought that
affordable housing was something you were urging us to do
and not --
MS. ESTRADA: I do. Affordable housing --
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Excuse me, excuse me,
excuse me. I heard you say that affordable housing was
something that you were advocating for, and now I hear you
saying "except if it's near me," and that's all.
MS. ESTRADA: Affordable home purchase. I
believe and I promote affordable housing in the sense for a
person to be able to afford to buy their home. We're talking
two different subjects. This is affordable units. This is
affordable units. This is not going to be for sale. I'm
assuming these are not condos that are being proposed. Am
I wrong?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Well, this is a proposal
for restrictions or requirements. It's not -- it doesn't say the
form, whether it would be rental units or purchase units. It
could be either.
MS. ESTRADA: It could be either?
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Yeah.
MS. ESTRADA: Okay. That's fine.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: But typically the rental
units are the priority, because most people don't have the
down payment for the home. So even if you could make
the homes less, they still can't buy into it. So the focus
tends to be on rentals right now to solve a lot of that
problem.
MS. ESTRADA: Right. Well, I believe that that
area, if I'm not mistaken -- maybe you could correct me.
But through USDA, they could purchase and also FHA, and
there's also down payment assistance. So those are
available to purchase homes, if those programs are still
available, of course.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Commissioner Schumacher.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Mike, back on
that. Like, could you file for a conditional use if you had an
acre and you wanted to put on a guesthouse? That would
come through here, correct, or maybe a HEX and --
MR. BOSI: Through the HEX, but the -- the
income -- or the restriction for a guesthouse is one acre.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Is one acre.
MR. BOSI: Is one acre. Now, there may be a
nonconforming lot issue that she runs -- that she would run
into that would -- that maybe creates some complications,
but the code states that you need an acre to have a
guesthouse within the county.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: The other
question I had, because you're in real estate, you probably
know this better than I would. How has the turnover been
in Golden Gate City in the last two years in sales? Have
you seen houses come on and sell immediately?
MS. ESTRADA: Actually, yes. The market was very
hot, just like anywhere else. Property values have risen. I
mean, homes in Golden Gate City, there are houses that are
$700,000.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: So those rents
that originally were under that owner before they sold would
have been affordable. Then they sell the property. The
new owner comes in and says, hey, now I've got a bigger
mortgage, and that rent then goes down to the tenant that's
there, correct?
MS. ESTRADA: Definitely, definitely. My mom is
85. She pays $1,100 a month for a one-bedroom apartment.
So, I mean, it's very difficult, and I totally understand that,
and that's why I'm glad that what I said is already being
considered, the fact that the people that serve our
community are the first ones that should have first choice in
getting into these units.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Yeah, and I
agree, and I think this commission has done, and the
planning department as well, of putting a number of
affordable units on the table in the last six months. I mean,
it's been -- that's six months that I've been here that I've
seen. Before that, I've seen what's been coming online and
what's been approved. So I think that is in the Board of
County Commissioners' sight, and it's in front of this
commission as well as the planning department to make sure
that those units are being scheduled online.
The other question I had is -- and maybe Ms. Cook or
maybe Cormac can answer this. There's a number of
programs within this county through HUD. If you were
going to rent out a unit and you wanted to make it
affordable, you could go through a HUD program to pay for
the improvements to that, like, and then there's -- I know
there's some outlines to it as the -- it's income restricted for
you to qualify, so on and so forth. Do you have any
information on that?
MR. GIBLIN: Sure, I can help you with that.
Cormac Giblin, director of Housing Policy and Economic
Development.
The county does run several programs through our
community and human services division, most particularly
the SHIP program. There are some other home programs
and CDBG programs that assist folks with down payment
assistance or repairs to buy a house and turn it to -- make it
livable. You can buy a fixer-upper, if you would. You
could buy a duplex and live in one side and rent out the
other. So there are -- there's funding available. It's very
limited funding, and there are strings attached, as it would
be with any state or federal funding. But there are
programs available through the county.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Is it being
utilized?
MR. GIBLIN: It's being utilized to the full extent, yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Full extent.
Thank you. That was going to be my question.
MS. ESTRADA: We've been using that program for
the last, what, 20, 30 years, the SHIP program. It's an
excellent program, and also USDA. So we are aware of
those programs, and we have used it with our community
that we serve, and our goal is to have homeownership, to
increase homeownership. That's just better for the -- for the
community in general, especially our children, you know,
who have now stability because their parents are in their
home. They're not going to be moving every year from
apartment to apartment. So to promote homeownership,
affordable homeownership is our goal, for sure.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: I agree with
you 100 percent. My only thought on this is it's hard to
restrict a free market. And Golden Gate City, with its
proximity to everything around it, makes it very desirable,
which then causes, just as I had said, somebody resells a
unit, now the rents go up, and it's those types of things.
I think what the staff has presented before us allows for
some of those commercial areas, especially if you look
down on, like, Salt Alley. Like, some of those commercial
districts down there where many of those are closed out and
gone, this allows for commercial and residential mixed-use.
So I understand where you're coming from with it
should be from that low and very-low population that does
service this community should have the first right for this,
which, I think if that were to come before this commission,
if somebody was going to renovate one of those rundown
buildings and put some apartments in there in addition to the
commercial, I think that would be on -- it would be the first
thing on my mind, I know that, because I live in District 3,
and know what you're talking about. But I know the
commission also feels the same on that.
MS. ESTRADA: Right, exactly. I think my point,
what I was trying to say, is that these apartments should
service the people that already live here and not have an
in-stream of people from other counties that do not serve
this community already. And I think that's what I was
trying to say.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: I gotcha.
MS. ESTRADA: That, you know, our people, the
ones that serve us every day, our Sheriff's Department,
nurses, you know, everybody, civil servants, should have,
you know, the first rights to these units.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you, ma'am.
MS. ESTRADA: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Other registered speakers on
this?
MR. SABO: (Shakes head.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: We do not, all right.
There's another lady in the room. Anyone -- any
member of the public who's not registered wish to be heard
on this, now would be the time.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: And we see no hands, so we'll
close the public comment portion of this hearing, and we
will take the matter under consideration.
According to my notes, there are basically three
changes that staff made resulting from what was sent from
the state excluding the -- from coastal high hazard, No. 1;
No. 2, maximum of 130 acres for the entire urban mixed
district; No. 3, maximum FAR of 0.5. And I think in every
other respect this was the same that we saw last time it came
before us.
MS. MOSCA: Commissioner Fryer, if I may, just for
clarification, that 130 acres was just specific to the SOS,
strategic opportunity site subdistrict, not the entire urban
area, so just specific to that subdistrict, yes.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Oh, thank you. Thank you
for that clarification.
All right. No one it signaling at this point. I'd
entertain a motion.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: I make a motion to
approve as presented by Ms. Mosca. I don't think there was
any other stipulations or changes. So I make a motion to
approve.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you. Is there a
second?
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Further discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: If not, all those in favor of
approval as submitted, please say aye.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: It passes unanimously.
Thank you, Ms. Mosca. Thank you, Mr. Bosi.
All right. Moving right along. Similarly, the next
matter has been before us before, and there were some
comments from the state which were addressed by staff. I
mean, everything is back before us, but I personally would
only look at the changes because I've already voted on the
thing, and my opinion hasn't changed.
***So this is PL20230000930, the U.S. 41 East
Overlay and South U.S. 41 TCEA expansion Growth
Management Plan amendment. Purely legislative, so we'll
go right to -- go ahead, ma'am.
MS. MOSCA: Yep. Again, for the record, Michele
Mosca with the community planning staff.
I'll just, again, do a very brief summary. As a
reminder, this is the Growth Management Plan amendment
that implements, in part, the East Naples Community
Development Plan that was accepted by the Board back in
2020.
If you all are familiar with the boundary, again, just
very quickly, the boundary of the U.S. 41 overlay begins
about Palm Drive. That's east of the government center, the
Walmart area, and extends along U.S. 41 just east of
Greenway Road, which is the dividing line of the urban
boundary and the ag rural lands. It's approximately
9.4 acres.
This overlay is, again, the FLUE overlay. Specifically
establishes three regional centers that you can see here
identified on the map in purple, which are also synonymous
with our Activity Centers 16, 17, and 18. They're located,
again, at the edge of the government center, and this would
be the most westerly portion here; and then Rattlesnake
Hammock and Thomasson, here; and then, finally, Collier
Boulevard and U.S. 41.
There are also four community centers that are
established by this overlay, and those are identified in green.
Beginning further west at the town center, moving down
along U.S. 41 at St. Andrew's Square, and then moving
further east, Whistler's Cove, and then finally the Greenway
Road area. And then, finally, these blue areas that you see
along the corridor, those are the corridor segments
that -- those are the areas between and have minimal
regulations in the FLUE overlay.
Again, just quickly, through various incentives and
development standards, the overlay will allow increased
density, height, and economic development uses in the
regional centers as well as the community centers, and as
you can see, the density in the regional centers would be
allowed up to 20 dwelling units per acre with specific
criteria, economic development uses, and in the community
centers, the smaller centers would allow up to 16 dwelling
units per acre, economic development uses, and both of
those would allow height increases as well as the corridor
segment. Within the corridor segment, we're adding
economic development uses. Those are uses that aren't
currently allowed in the area.
Additionally, the amendment expands the existing
transportation concurrency exception area. That's on the
left side of the screen. From its southern terminus from
Rattlesnake Hammock to the east side of U.S. 41, you'll see
the second portion. This is to accommodate the proposed
density increase as well as the uses.
Again, you saw this at transmittal back in March of
2023, and the Board, in April, and both bodies
recommended transmittal to the state for review.
As the Chairman stated, we received two comments.
These comments form the basis of a noncompliance finding
if staff doesn't adequately address the state's comments.
The two comments we received, they were concerned about
increase in density in the Coastal High Hazard Area, and
any of those impacts on evacuation, et cetera. FDOT,
Florida Department of Transportation, they were concerned
with increased trips on the roadways potentially adversely
impacting those facilities.
Staff addressed all the comments. We feel like we
adequately addressed those. We established a maximum
number of 900 dwelling units from -- it was roughly 3,500
that could participate in the program, so that's down
significantly. Additionally, we also require applicants who
come through this process to have their petitions reviewed
by the Bureau of Emergency Services for any hazard
mitigation.
Staff is recommending that the CCPC forward the
Board a recommendation to adopt to the Florida Department
of Commerce with staff's suggested additions to the overlay.
And with that, if you have any questions...
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Commissioner Shea.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Just a quick question.
Both of these -- I assume there's nothing in Live Local that
we're contradicting. This is compliant with that new law,
right?
MR. BOSI: This is --
MS. MOSCA: Correct.
MR. BOSI: Mike Bosi, Planning and Zoning director.
This is completely separate from Live Local. Live
Local imposes the allowance for development of residential
development -- of affordable housing in areas not zoned
for -- not zoned for residential development. This is -- this
is completely separate from that.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: So there's no conflict?
MR. BOSI: No conflict.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: No one else is signaling at this
time. Anyone else wish to be heard?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: If not, we can discuss or we
can move.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: I'll make a
motion to approve, Chair.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you.
Is there a second?
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Vernon seconds.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Thank you. It's been moved
and seconded to approve for recommendation of adoption of
the material before us. All those in favor, please say aye.
COMMISSIONER VERNON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SHEA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHMITT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KLUCIK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SPARRAZZA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN FRYER: Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN FRYER: It passes unanimously.
Thank you, Ms. Mosca. Thank you, staff.
Okay. With that, we go to old business, which there, I
believe, is none.
New business, likewise, none.
Public comment. I think all the members of the public
have successfully escaped, so we'll assume there's none of
that.
Therefore, without objection, we're adjourned.
*******
There being no further business for the good of the County,
the meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 1:24 p.m.
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
_____________________________________
EDWIN FRYER, CHAIRMAN
These minutes approved by the Board on ____________, as
presented ______________ or as corrected _____________.
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF FORT MYERS
COURT REPORTING BY TERRI L. LEWIS, RPR, FPR-C,
COURT REPORTER AND NOTARY PUBLIC.