CCPC Minutes 02/07/2008 R
February 7,2008
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
Naples, Florida
February 7, 2008
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Collier County Planning
Commission, in and for the County of Collier, having conducted
business herein, met on this date at 8:30 a.m. in REGULAR SESSION
in Building "F" of the Government Complex, East Naples, Florida,
with the following members present:
CHAIRMAN:
Mark Strain
Lindy Adelstein
Donna Reed-Caron
Tor Kolflat
Paul Midney
Bob Murray
Brad Schiffer
Robert Vigliotti
David 1. Wolfley
ALSO PRESENT:
Jeffrey Klatzkow, Chief Asst. County Attorney
Joseph Schmitt, CDES Administrator
Ray Bellows, Zoning & Land Development Review
Thomas Eastman, Director of Real Property, c.c. School District
Page 1
AGENDA
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MEET AT 8:30 A.M., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2008, IN THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING ROOM, ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, COUNTY GOVERNMENT
CENTER, 3301 TAMIAMI TRAIL EAST, NAPLES, FLORIDA:
NOTE: INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO 5 MINUTES ON ANY
ITEM. INDIVIDUALS SELECTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AN ORGANIZATION
OR GROUP ARE ENCOURAGED AND MAY BE ALLOTTED 10 MINUTES TO SPEAK
ON AN ITEM IF SO RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIRMAN. PERSONS WISHING TO
HAVE WRITTEN OR GRAPHIC MATERIALS INCLUDED IN THE CCPC AGENDA
PACKETS MUST SUBMIT SAID MATERIAL A MINIMUM OF 10 DAYS PRIOR TO
THE RESPECTIVE PUBLIC HEARING. IN ANY CASE, WRITTEN MATERIALS
INTENDED TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE CCPC SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE
APPROPRIATE COUNTY STAFF A MINIMUM OF SEVEN DAYS PRIOR TO THE
PUBLIC HEARING. ALL MATERIAL USED IN PRESENTATIONS BEFORE THE CCPC
WILL BECOME A PERMANENT PART OF THE RECORD AND WILL BE AVAILABLE
FOR PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IF
APPLICABLE.
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION OF THE CCPC WILL NEED
A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS PERTAINING THERETO, AND THEREFORE
MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS
MADE, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE UPON
WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.
1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2. ROLL CALL BY SECRETARY
3. ADDENDA TO THE AGENDA
4. PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENCES
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - DECEMBER 12, LDC MEETING; DECEMBER 13, LDC MEETING; DECEMBER 20,
REGULAR MEETING;
6. BCC REPORT- RECAPS - Not Available at this time
7. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
8. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
A. Petition: CU-2007-AR-12384, Enterprise Leasing Company d/b/a Enterprise Rent-a-Car, applicant and
owner, is requesting a Conditional Use pursuant to LDC Section 2.04.03 for a rental car agency within the C-4
zoning district. The subject property is located 13560 Tamiami Trail North, Snite 8, Section IS, Township 48
South, Range 25 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Willie Brown)
9. ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Petition: PUDZ-2006-AR-I 0 171, Eastbourne Bonita, LLC, represented by Laura Spurgeon, of Johnson
Engineering, Inc., and Patrick G. White, Atty. of Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, LLP., requesting a rewne
from the Agricultural (A) and Special Treatment (ST) Overlay Zoning District to the Residential Planned Unit
Development (RPUD) Zoning District for project known as Braudon RPUD, for the development of204 single-
family and multi-family residential units. The subject property, consisting of 51.1 acres, is located on the
southeast corner of the intersection of Livingston Road and Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Section 13,
Township 48 South, Range 25 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Melissa Zone) CONTINUED
FROM 1/17/08
1
B. Petition: CU-2007-AR- 11394, The Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints, represented by Matthew Vasilevski of Wedding, Stephenson, and Ibarguen, Architects, Inc.,
is proposing a Conditional Use of the Commercial Professional and General Office (C-I) Zoning District with a
SR29 Commercial Subdistrict Overlay (C-I-SR29-COSD) and the RSF-3 (Residential Single-Family) Zoning
District for Church/Place of Worship, allowed pursuant to LDC Section 2.04.03, Table 2. The 16.8-acre site is
located at 635 State Road 29, in Section 32, Township 46 South, Range 29 East, lmmokalee, Collier County,
Florida. (Coordinator: John-David Moss)
C. Petition: PUDZ-2007-AR-12248, Sabal Palm Development, LLC, represented by Robert L. Duane, AICP, of
Hole Montes, Inc. and Richard D. Yovanovich ofGoodlette, Coleman, and Johnson, requesting a rezone from the
Agricultural (A) to the Commercial Planned Unit Development (CPUD) Zoning District for project to be known
as Napoli Village. The +/-8.97- acre site is proposed to permit an adult congregate living facility, comprising
two four-story buildings. The subject site is located east of Tamiami Trail North (US 41), west of Sterling
Oaks PUD, and north of the Community Congregational Church, at 15450 Tamiami Trail North, in
Section 9, Township 48 South, Range 25 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: John-David Moss)
10. OLD BUSINESS
] 1. NEW BUSINESS
A. The CCPC requests to have a progress report be given to them concerning the EAR based LDC amendments
pertaining to Policy 6.2.5 of the Conservation and Coastal Management Element.
II. PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM
12. DISCUSSION OF ADDENDA
13. ADJOURN
2/7 /08CCPC AgendaIRB/sp/mm
2
February 7,2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to
the February 7th meeting of the Collier County Planning Commission.
If you'll all rise for pledge of allegiance.
(Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. And just before roll call, I
wish to welcome our new board member, Mr. David Wolfley. David
was here a few years back when I actually started on the board. And
it's very good to see you back again, David, so welcome.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Thank you, sir.
Item #2
ROLL CALL BY SECRETARY
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And with that, would the secretary
please take the roll call.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Present.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Ms. Caron is here.
Mr. Strain?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mr. Vigliotti was here.
And Mr. Wolfley, welcome.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Here.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Bob, say here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Here.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ah, he's here.
MR. KLATZKOW: It's official.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Full quorum.
Item #3
ADDENDA TO THE AGENDA
Okay, the addenda to the agenda. There are two things I want to
discuss. The first one is the Brandon hearing, which is the first one up
today.
Many of us or all of us should have received yesterday sometime
during the day a package from the county that was omitted from our
original package. It was approximately 62 pages of concerns
expressed by the various neighborhood or adjoining property owners,
and some in the Strand and places like that near this project.
It was received late. I was able to read it all last night. Actually,
after Page 30 it's pretty redundant because it's a petition that is carried
through on the balance of the 30 pages.
But I wanted the planning commission to make sure that as a
whole body we didn't have a concern with the timing of it and all of us
had, or at least most of us felt we had enough time with it.
So does anybody have any concerns with the receiving it that
late, other than the fact it shouldn't happen again?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, then we'll move -- we'll leave
Brandon as scheduled.
Next Thursday, the 14th, we're scheduled to have the
continuation of the Cocohatchee Bert Harris discussion.
I have with me the tentative agenda for the 21 st. We only have
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February 7, 2008
one small variance of2.3 feet to discuss on the 21st. That's the only
issue we have. It's our regular meeting day and this room is available
for us that day. Plus the strike-through version of the PUD that we've
been wanting for the Cocohatchee isn't complete yet, which means we
wouldn't get it today as we needed it. And there's been some
discussion on the processing of the SDP.
For all those reasons, I would certainly entertain a motion from
this board to continue the Cocohatchee hearing on the 14th --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So moved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- to the 21 st on our regular agenda.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Moved.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion made by Mr. Murray, seconded
by Commissioner Adelstein.
Discussion?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I do.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, I won't be here. I'm a
member of the ICe. We'll be meeting that day. That is in my district.
I'd kind of like to be here for that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, it's our regular meeting day, Brad.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And I wouldn't be able to attend.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Why don't you tell them you can't attend
there and attend here?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That's a privilege sitting there, as
it is here.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It's a privilege sitting here, too.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But anyway, it's a code meeting,
we write the international building code, and I have to be there. I
wouldn't be able to be here.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Well, the documents won't be
available next week that we really need in the format we need them
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February 7,2008
for Cocohatchee. The 21 st seemed like a natural, because it wasn't an
empty meeting for us, basically.
Jeff, if Brad were to receive the documents as he normally
would, could he submit written comments to you for discussion with
us ifhe objected to any of them?
MR. KLATZKOW: I could bring his objections to the attention
of the board.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. I mean, basically it's a review
meeting of where the project is from our last meeting, a finalization of
all the documents and make sure that the items we indicated were
included in the strike-through version.
I don't know if anything new is going to come up at the meeting,
other than what we had already requested and instructed staff and the
applicant to modify.
MR. KLATZKOW: No, my understanding is that the direction
from the planning commission was clear. It's just been my task to get
that memorialized for your review to make sure that I got it right.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Brad, would you feel --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I mean -- everything's
been scheduled the way it is. I behaved it as scheduled. The fact that
that Thursday that I wouldn't be here doesn't have anything on it even
makes me feel better, so --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But let's --let me get one thing: We're
not going to be able to have the meeting on the 14th. Even if we had
it, we'd have to continue it because the documentation that we were
counting on wasn't able to get completed. So the 14th isn't going to be
a productive day to finish it, regardless.
So now we've got to look at an alternative date. And you're
saying from your perspective the alternative of the 21 st won't work?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Any other issues on that from
anybody else?
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February 7,2008
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I think it's very important
that Mr. Schiffer be here. It is part of his district, and I think he should
be here. It's a very important issue, obviously, or we wouldn't have
had as many meetings on it as we've had. So I think it's vitally
important that he be here on whatever day we pick. So if it can't be the
21 st, perhaps it can be the meeting after that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Ray, do you know what our
agenda is for the month of March in our regular meetings? I mean, I'd
rather not see us schedule another special meeting if we have some
empty days like we apparently have on the 21st of February.
MR. BELLOWS: On March 6th, the planning commission, there
are currently four items on the agenda. Three of them -- or two of
them are PUD rezones, one's a PUD amendment and the fourth one is
a vanance.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. What about further on in March?
MR. BELLOWS: The 20th of March there are seven items on the
agenda.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. BELLOWS: And one of those being the school concurrency
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Let me --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Brad?
MR. BELLOWS: -- update, I guess.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The concern -- I mean, I'm
hearing where it's going to be not a whole lot of new data anyway.
What is the concern about hitting next week?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We don't have the strike-through version
done, and the SDP hasn't been -- and there's been no further
advancement on the SDP submittal.
Mostly the strike through. That's got to get done, and it won't be
done in time for us to receive it and review it by next week.
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: When will it be done? What
does staff say?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I -- we could have it -- I believe
we could have it done by the 21 st.
Jeff, is that --
MR. KLATZKOW: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I mean, that's -- I didn't know that it was
a problem.
Is there any other time frames prior to the 21 st or in the month of
February, Ray, where we can meet a morning in this room that you
know of?
MR. BELLOWS: Let's see. We have the -- we'll have to come
back with dates. I have some calendar dates, but they don't show this
room's availability on these --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, what I'd like to do then is out of
courtesy to our fellow Commissioner, Mr. Schiffer, ask the motion
maker and the second to withdraw their motion and second to the
motion until we can bring it up at a later time in today's agenda at the
end of the meeting and then rediscuss it at that point. Is that in line?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'm thinking about it. I'm
thinking if he were to be sick on the very day that we were scheduled
to meet and he couldn't come, then to that effect we'd still have to go
forward.
As a courtesy I'll withdraw it so that we give ample time for him
to consider it.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I will --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So the second withdrew it, okay. So the
motion's been withdrawn. We'll table this discussion until under old
business at the end of the meeting.
I also would like to suggest that at the end of the last issue today,
which is the Sabal Palm development, the legal representative of that
corporation -- or that entity is Mr. Y ovanovich, who also happens to
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February 7, 2008
represent Cocohatchee.
After Sabal Palm development discussion, I would like to
schedule a new agenda Item D, simply to clarify some direction
regarding what this panel and what the staff and what the applicant
expected in regards to the processing of the SDP for this project.
There seems to be some discrepancy over what we wanted or
expected from the SDP. Not from the settlement agreement, from the
SDP. So just to get that clarified while Mr. Y ovanovich is here this
afternoon.
Does anybody have any objection to adding that to the agenda?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
Item #4
PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENCES
Okay, with that, we'll move into planning commission absences.
On the 14th was our next scheduled meeting. We're now talking about
continuing it. So let's just plan on any discussion on that to go on later
on today.
So the next meeting is the 21 st. Mr. Schiffer, we know you're not
going to be here. Anybody else not going to be here?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, looks like we have a quorum.
Item #5
APPROVAL OF MINUTES - DECEMBER 12, LDC MEETING;
DECEMBER 13, LDC MEETING; DECEMBER 20, REGULAR
MEETING
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February 7, 2008
Item number five on the agenda is the approval of the agenda.
December 12th LDC meeting. Is there a motion to approve?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'll move that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion made by Mr. Murray. Seconded
by?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: (Indicating.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Commissioner Vigliotti.
Any discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
MR. MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
MR. WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries.
December 13th LDC meeting. Is there a motion to recommend
approval -- for approval?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'll move.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray.
Seconded by?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I'll approve.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Adelstein.
All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
MR. MURRAY: Aye.
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February 7,2008
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
MR. WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries.
December 20th regular meeting. Is there a motion to approve
those minutes?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: So moved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Seconded by?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: (Indicating.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray.
Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
MR. MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
MR. WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries.
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February 7, 2008
Item #6
BCC REPORT - RECAPS - JANUARY 29, 2008
Ray, the BCC reports?
MR. BELLOWS: Yes, on January 29th the Board of County
Commissioners heard the Pezzettino PUD rezone. That was approved
on the summary agenda. The Chestnut Place PUD rezone was also
approved on the summary agenda, as was the Naples Dodge rezone
and the Hamilton variance. Those were all approved on the summary
agenda. That included the planning commission recommendations.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
MR. BELLOWS: We have one more. There was -- on the regular
agenda, the PUD rezone for New Hope Ministries that was approved
5-0 on the regular agenda, subject to planning commission
recommendations, plus three other changes. They approved a
stipulation, except for the fence and wall waiver that was being
requested. They also required the church to hire law enforcement
during church events when traffic exceeds the county's level of service
standards. And they also approved the treatment for stormwater in the
preserve stipulation that you provided, but added to the stipulation that
the church will have to restore the preserve areas if they die off.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
Item #7
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
Chairman's report. I basically -- my comments are all under the
addenda to the agenda.
Item #8A
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February 7, 2008
PETITION: CU-2007-AR-12384, ENTERPRISE LEASING
COMPANY
Consent agenda items. We've all received the Enterprise Leasing
Company's corrections. Ifthere's no objections -- Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: I wondered, I was looking at the
report, we're just starting this, but the conditions are listed twice, the
same conditions. And in order to preclude any possibility of
inconsistency between the two statements, could we just have one
statement of conditions, rather than put it in twice?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I was talking to Mr. Schmitt about
the process for our consent agenda item. And one of the problems that
staff has in the time frames for the consent agenda is reproducing a
new executive summary for each consent agenda. And I asked that -- I
suggested that I don't know why we would need an executive
summary twice, simply just give us the document with its corrections
and that would I think cure the problem and then we're off and
runnmg.
So I think what you're saying is accurate and we're in the process
of correcting that.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Yeah, because it seems a waste
of time to have to check the two to be sure that they're consistent.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I agree with you. And I think if staff
doesn't have any objection to not producing an executive summary
with a consent agenda, we can just get the document and not be fed an
executive summary as well.
MR. BELLOWS: I think we can live with that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Anybody have any problems with
that?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. That takes us to -- first of all, let
me -- is there a recommendation for approval of the consent agenda
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February 7,2008
items?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: (Indicating.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is that--
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- approval?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Yes, it is.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: (Indicating.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray seconded.
Any discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
MR. MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
MR. WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, the consent agenda passes.
Item #9 A
PETITION: PUDZ-2006-AR-I017L BRANDON RPUD
Next is our advertised public hearing. The first one is Petition
PUDZ-2006-AR-I0171, Eastbourne Bonita LLC, also known as the
Brandon RPUD.
Will all those wishing to testify on behalf of this issue please rise
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February 7, 2008
to be sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there disclosures on the part of
planning commission?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I had a conversation with the
representative from Johnson Engineering regarding this outlining the
detail of the PUD zoned area. And that was it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there any other disclosures?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I also talked to the Johnson Engineering
folks, as their representatives, and I talked to Mr. White as well. And
our discussions involved the same issues I'll be asking questions about
today.
Hearing no others, then we'll move forward in the presentation by
the applicant.
MR. WHITE: Morning, Mr. Chairman. Patrick White, law firm
of Porter, Write, Morris and Arthur, representing Eastbourne Bonita,
LLC, the petitioner in this matter this morning.
I'd like to start out by introducing the item and specifically
putting onto the record some of the matters pertaining to the actual
application, unless I can impose on Mr. Bellows to do that for me.
Simply to read off the notice, just the agenda item, so we have it on
the record as to the AR and all of the other matters.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I think I read the AR into the
record when I announced the meeting.
MR. WHITE: Okay. Well, if that's adequate.
Then what we have for your consideration today is a PUDZ
rezoning from ago and ST to a residential planned unit development.
Present today I have with me Laura Spurgeon-DeJohn, Johnson
Engineering, as well as the others who are here to answer questions, if
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February 7,2008
we have more detailed inquiries. Chris Hagan, Engineer; Laura
Herrero, Ecologist; and Alan Urfali, for Transportation TIS. As well
as Mr. Frank Chinnici, the Manager of the Eastbourne, LLC drove
down from Sarasota to be with us as well.
As an overview, we will have primarily a presentation by Ms.
DeJohn involving a power point presentation. The scope of that will
include the project location, what the actual request and intended
development pertain to, specifically focusing on TIS water
management utilities, do the site plan kind of conceptual site plan
overview, demonstrating compatibility with the surrounding
neighborhood. We'll talk about all aspects of the staff report.
Also have an overview of our neighborhood information
meetings of which we've had two back in October of '06 and in
September of '07, as well as a brief discussion about the EAC
recommendation and the ultimate staff recommendation today.
I will then wrap up with a summary.
And at this time I would just like to reserve some time at the end
of our presentation to be able to respond to any questions or public
comment.
We're well aware that there are issues pertaining to access and
interconnection. There may be concerns about buffering to some of
our neighbors to the northeast. Those are all matters that I believe that
we've fully considered, worked with the staff on with regards to the
concerns that have been raised, and believe that although we're not in
absolute agreement with what the staff recommendations are across
the board, in particular transportation, and some of our road
interconnections, that we have a presentation for you that is both
consistent with the GMP and compatible with the neighborhood and
the LDC such that we would hope to have your approval.
At this time what I'd like to do, unless you have any preliminary
questions, is to ask Ms. DeJohn to come up and we'll begin with our
power point presentation.
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February 7,2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. WHITE: Thank you.
MS. DeJOHN: Okay, we're on.
And for the record, your application material shows my name is
Laura Spurgeon. I did get married in the year and a half that this
application proceeded through the process, so you'll also see
correspondence with my married name, DeJohn. That's D-E-J-O-H-N.
Okay. For your reference, I'm sure you're all familiar with the
project location. We're about a mile south of the Lee County line, two
miles north ofImmokalee Road along the Livingston Road corridor.
This project is an aggregation of individual parcels, ranging in
size from two and a half acres, some five-acre parcels and a 10-acre
parcel for a total of 51.1 acres.
The project fronts on both Livingston Road to the west and
Veterans Memorial Boulevard to the north.
This image gives you a perspective of the surrounding
neighborhood. We've highlighted the existing community as it's
already been developed with primarily residential development. Some
established communities. Mediterra to the north, Pelican Strand to the
east beyond the FPL transmission line.
Verona Point is a townhouse community adjacent to the south
that's under development. And there's also a recently improved PUD
named Della Rosa that's adjacent to the west.
The future land use designation for the site is urban residential.
The site is in the northwest transportation concurrency management
area. But I think it's important to note that that location happens to be
not in some very usually challenging locations that the county often
imposes such as out in the east, the panther consultation area, we're
not in that area. The site is not within the coastal high hazard area
which is to the west. We're not in the traffic congestion boundary. So
the urban residential designation is set up to allow a neighborhood to
develop here, and there aren't many of those constraints applied.
Page 16
February 7,2008
The site is zoned agricultural at this time. You see from the
zoning map the trend is to have PUD zoning much to the northeast and
south of the site. And Della Rosa's a new development, so that PUD
designation isn't shown.
There's also a commercial corner at the intersection of Livingston
Road and Veterans Memorial in close proximity to the site.
The request is from agricultural and special treatment overlay zoning
designation to residential PUD. The area that's in the special treatment
overlay is very slim at corners. The green on that map that you can
see, there's not much special treatment overlay on the site at all.
It's important to go over the site conditions as they exist. It's an
undeveloped site. It's vegetated, but there's heavy infestation of
exotics. The general regional flow in the area is from the northeast to
the southwest, but that's been severed by the development that you've
seen all around the property.
That leads to some indicators of shortened hydroperiods, plus the
increase in exotic infestation results in so much of the wetlands -- out
of39.7 total wetlands, 38 of those acres are at least 50 percent infested
with exotics.
The county's standards for enforcing preserves on the site is to
look at the native vegetation. Native vegetation, based on county
definitions, does total 47.2 acres. But again, the exotic infestation of
those native areas is at least 50 percent within almost all 43.78 acres of
the native vegetation.
So when the Brandon PUD goes to develop the preserve area of
-- at least 11.8 acres will be cleared of exotics, maintained in
perpetuity to improve the wetland conditions on that site.
The requested density is consistent with the Growth Management Plan
base density of four units per acre. The request is for 3.99 units per
acre for a total of 204 units on the site.
The PUD is set up for both single and multi-family units. A
proportion of how the single and multi-family units will develop has
Page 17
February 7,2008
not been determined yet so the development standards table would
apply.
The single-family zoned height limit is 35 feet. Multi-family
zoned height is 50 feet.
There's a correction I want to note in the staff report, because that
was one error on Page 6. The staff report states that the maximum
zoned building height is 35 feet for all residential dwelling units, and
that just got missed. The multi-family request was always for 50 feet.
The staff report also identifies that the request is consistent with
the Growth Management Plan. You will notice in the narrative of the
Future Land Use Element review on Page 4, the staff had comments
about changes to the master plan in order to be consistent with the
Growth Management Plan, including connections to the properties to
the east, as well as pedestrian connection to properties to the west.
We'd like to discuss those in the relevance of those comments,
because again, the conclusion is that the project is consistent with the
Growth Management Plan and those were not stipulations in the
conclusion of our staff report.
The site is within the water and sewer service area. The TIS finds
adequate road capacity for the development. Water management
system will be consistent with district requirements. And also, the
wetland mitigation will be consistent with the strict requirements.
This is an image that wasn't in your packet. It's the master plan
that proceeded through most of the review process with county staff
until we got closer to setting of hearing dates.
You'll notice the preserve covers a majority of the southern
portion of the site, providing a large contiguous area exceeding
minimum standards with 13.24 acres of preserve.
The plan that you have in your packet is different, and that's on
the screen now. The current plan has been adjusted by transportation
staffs request. You'll see the interconnection arrow has been drawn in
to connect to Verona Point to the south. That did sever that preserve,
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February 7,2008
that large preserve that we were anticipating. The plan would still
meet minimum requirements for preserve. However, it gets delineated
a little differently to accommodate that interconnection point.
This is a blowup of the location where the interconnection would
occur. And there's pretty specific language in the development
commitments of the PUD, due to the fact that this Brandon PUD only
connects to the Verona Point public access easement for a dimension
of20 feet. It's a 40-foot wide access easement. And where the
Brandon PUD property line is adjacent to that access easement is only
a 20-foot dimension.
Therefore, the transportation staff has encouraged a connection
just going southbound for that portion of the easement that we can
control, that southbound exiting lane connecting through Verona
Point, and only allowing an inbound right-in turning movement at our
desired Livingston Road driveway location.
As you can see here, the driveway location was shown to be
spaced as far as possible from that signalized intersection at Verona
Point and Learning Lane. And the goal for transportation staff is to
move all movements of the Brandon PUD south down through Verona
Point at the time in which that entire access easement can be
completed.
And this diagram is shown to give you the information that an
access point on Livingston Road for the Brandon PUD would be
consistent with access spacing up and down that corridor and should
be considered an addition to the interconnection down at Verona
Point.
We did request six deviations. Those are all addressed in your
staff report. I could go over those specifically if you need to.
We did have two neighborhood meetings: One in 2006, one in
2007, both at North Naples Middle School. Those are summarized in
your staff report. And you have correspondence from the neighbors
that we'll be able to go through all the neighborhood issues.n
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February 7, 2008
We had a recommendation at the November 7th, 2007 EAC
meeting of denial based on wetland impacts. I tried to go over the
nature and the quality of those wetlands earlier in the presentation, and
we also have an ecologist here who can elaborate on that, if you have
questions.
Staff does recommend approval with four conditions of approval.
And those are listed here. The applicant is willing to accept those
conditions, and we can go over them as well.
That concludes the items I wanted to cover, and presentation, and
we're ready to answer any questions that you have.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. We'll entertain questions from the
planning commission of the applicant at this time.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I have.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer, then Mr. Murray.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Laura, big concern is we're
really landlocking some property to the east. What is the status of
that? And isn't it true -- I mean, first of all, the special treatment, that
big block to the east is essentially a wetland; is that right?
MS. DeJOHN: That's right, it's a cypress head, according to the
ecologist. I'm going to get to that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Obviously there's the one that's
just to the west of the middle of that is landlocked. The north of the
special treatment will become landlocked unless they can get access
through the FP&L right-of-way.
So, I mean, how can we in good faith do that?
MS. DeJOHN: Patrick, do you want to -- I'll let Patrick handle
that, because that gets into legal issues as well.
MR. WHITE: Thank you. And I just -- if I could have you repeat
the question, Brad.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The concern is the landlocking
of properties --
MR. WHITE: Right.
Page 20
February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- to the east and maybe even the
ones to the south or -- yes, the south and southeast.
I mean, these people bought these properties. In most
communities there's an expectation ofa grid road system. We don't
really do that much in Collier, even though our community character
plan scolded us for not doing that.
But in this case, I mean, can you address that, why --
MR. WHITE: Certainly.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- that's a good idea?
MR. WHITE: I think that there are aspects of this that are wholly
legal in nature, and others that are to some degree part of a proper
planning consideration. It's fair to say that with respect to all of the
property owners, including the block that is the six parcels to the
southeast --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. White?
Just -- Melissa, your discussions are muffling some tone.
MS. ZONE: I'm very sorry, Commissioner.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Would you guys mind taking it a little
way from the microphone? Thank you.
Go ahead, Mr. White.
MR. WHITE: If you look specifically at the six blocks forming
an "L" to our southeast, south of the ST colored blue, all of those are
Center Point Community Church. We have had extensive and lengthy
discussions with them. And in fact I think it's fair to say that there are
some still continuing degree of discussions about a variety of different
options. Some of them including in fact modifying this PUD to
include those lands.
We've not been able to come to a place where both parties agree
that it was in their mutual best interest to do such a thing at this point
in time.
But it is fair to say that where -- that they have access as a unified
block through the Verona Point interconnection, if not directly
Page 21
February 7, 2008
through their own property, the one that's the most westerly.
That leaves us to some degree focused on the six property owners
who are in the ST, five of whom I believe all but the most
northwesterly are represented by Attorney Craig Blume. And we've
had communications with Mr. Blume, both with regard to the potential
purchase of those properties and also with respect to the status of their
potential claim for access over our private road system.
There's a very precise set of statutes that exist in Florida about
claims for either a common law or a statutory way of necessity.
It's fair to say that there are approximately six elements that have
to be met, six conditions that have to be met by someone who claims
that as a dominant tenement holder. It's kind oflike easements, you
have a dominant, the person who's kind of on top, and then a servient
estate owner. In this case the Brandon property would be the servient.
And what the elements in the statute basically require is that all
of those must exist before it can be judicially determined. In other
words, before you can go to court you have to have essentially met all
six of those elements.
We're not at a place, from the petitioner's point of view, that
those conditions have been met. An example would be are we in fact
going to be approved and established through that process what the
practicable nearest route may be? We believe that even if we are
approved there may be other routes. We're aware that there are
easements, for example, on the most westerly notched piece, west of
the ST that has a north-south running easement on it for road
purposes.
We're similarly aware that along the FP&L easement to our east,
at the south there are other holders of significant width of easements
where practicable alternate routes could be achieved.
So that element is certainly one that's in question.
The one that's key to us I think at this point is that we neither
have an offer of or a methodology to determine what the appropriate
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February 7, 2008
cost that the statute requires be paid as compensation for using our
roads. So we're not yet at a place where we can definitively tell you
that there will be a requirement that we have to provide an
interconnect and access, because at this point there's no present use of
the property.
So although the county's rules seem to talk in terms of adjacent
developments, and this was discussed I think in great detail as part of
Della Rosa, it's clear to say that as to that adjacent development,
which is now approved and essentially starting to come out of the
ground, there was from their side of our mutual property boundary no
requirement to interconnect.
As to all other property owners, we are, I believe, in a place
where their concerns either have not been raised or will be addressed
subsequently in the approval processes for site development plans or
plats.
So I think we've taken the issue and the ball as far as we can in an
effort to try to assure this commission and the board and the staff that
we're in a place where we're doing everything the law requires, we
will do everything the law requires, and anything that may be
determined by a court.
To that extent we've had significant and detailed conversations
with the county attorney's office, and we're in fact prepared to offer a
condition essentially agreeing that we would defend, indemnify and
hold harmless the county in the event that one or more of these
adjacent property owners would believe they needed to bring suit.
And include the county as a party. Certainly we ourselves would have
to defend that if we couldn't agree on what those prices should be
beforehand for the compensation that the statute says we're entitled to.
So I hope that isn't too much information, but I wanted to try to
give you both the legal, the practical and, most importantly, the
planning aspects of it for your consideration.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. Patrick, the -- just to help,
Page 23
February 7, 2008
I mean, in the six to the south, we'll call that the church; the special
treatment, we'll call that special treatment. The one to the west, how
big a piece of land is that?
MR. WHITE: I think that's also two and a half acres, roughly.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That's two and a half acres?
MR. WHITE: Right. That's the one I believe has an easement on
its westerly side for a road north-south.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Would that easement go through
your property?
MR. WHITE: I'm sorry, it's on the eastern side.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And would that go through your
property?
MR. WHITE: It would touch the corners of that notch at the
north and south points.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And then where would it go
after that?
MR. WHITE: It would depend upon the ultimate road network
that we're going to build, which is going to be in part determined upon
where our preserves are going to be placed.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. The piece that's to the
north of the special treatment, that's again two and a half acres?
MR. WHITE: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Are these all owned by the same
people?
MR. WHITE: No, there are different ownerships other than the
six that are held by Center Point. And as to the one that's most
northerly, that single parcel just to the south of our northerly portion
of the project, I believe that there is an access easement that already
exists for a drive there.
Plus there is, as I mentioned earlier, the FP&L easement. And
we're not aware that there is a specific objection or authorization from
FP&L. We are aware, however, that in other portions of that
Page 24
February 7,2008
right-of-way other private landowners have been able to secure
easements for the ownership.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
MR. WHITE: That would be in my opinion possible to create, as
the statute requires, an alternative practicable route.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mr. Chair, I assume we're going
to run down one-by-one the deviations, so I have comments but I'll do
it then. Thank you.
MR. WHITE: Are there any--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: As a follow-up to -- yes, as a follow-up
to Brad's comment, that westernmost square that he started talking
about, and that I believe you said has a southern easement?
MR. WHITE: It's a north-south running easement on the east
side, so that it would touch both the corners of the red line where the
red and the green lines kind of overlap.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Now, if you were to take that square and
go further west, you have a one depth square of your property there.
MR. WHITE: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That one depth square has a similar
easement north-south 30 feet on the east side of it as well. At least I
have that document in front of me.
If you were to provide a connection to your internal road south of
your lake number two from either one of those easements or both over
to your road, you're only going a very short distance and you'd
probably be curing an access problem. Is there at reason why you
couldn't do that?
MR. WHITE: I'm not aware of a technical or legal reason we
couldn't. My understanding is that we haven't had any real interest
expressed from that particular property owner about a concern, and we
may yet reach favorable terms for purchase. I don't -- we don't yet
know. I think everybody is waiting to see whether we're actually
approved or not.
Page 25
February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, what I'm trying to get at, if you
had a connection allowed to your internal road and it came from that
property, then that would give the other properties to the east the
ability to connect, if they could come together to make that connection
work for them. And if they couldn't, at least they weren't blocked out
completely of being able to negotiate a connection.
MR. WHITE: That is a distinct possibility. I think that everyone
would have to wait and see whether that in fact turns out to be the
nearest practicable alternative as the statute requires.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And I saw that Laura and the others
shook their head in puzzlement when I gave them the fact that there's
an easement on that property. It's OR Book 2026, Page 0511.
So after the meeting if you'd take a look at that, you might find it.
MR. WHITE: I believe you heard me originally state that I
thought it was on the west side and I thought they were correcting me,
and there may in fact be both.
But my review of the records last evening, I believe your
statement is one that I'm familiar with the facts of and is certainly
correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Those little easements help bring
connection. So I just was wanting -- you answered my question on
that, so that's fine.
Are there any other questions of a nature regarding
interconnections from Mr. White, while he's up here, before we go on
to other questions?
Mr. Murray? I think Mr. Murray had a question.
MR. WHITE: I'm sorry, Mr. Murray, my apologies.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: No, I understand.
How do the landowners to the west, the ones that are in question
here, how do they now visit their property, if they in fact they visit
their property? How did they gain access to their property on the
occasion of purchasing it? What rights do they currently enjoy, if any?
Page 26
February 7,2008
MR. WHITE: I'm not familiar with the title of those properties to
any degree to know whether there are other additional easements that
they may have. I do not know personally how they access those
properties.
I do know that it is heavily vegetated. Much of it in terms of the
access from the west is so thoroughly infested with melaleuca that it's
almost impossible to pass through from that side. So I really don't
know if ever one or more of those property owners have gained access
to it. And if there's someone present who can answer that question
under public comment, I'd certainly encourage them to do so.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Looking at the bottom of the
diagram, there seems to be a road that passes Ravina Way going north
from Livingston. Do you see that road that jogs there, takes an
oblique? I think it's a road anyway. It's part of what would eventually
become an easement as you go north.
MR. WHITE: You're talking about the platted Verona Point
40- foot wide access easement?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I am only if you tell me that's
true, because I can't see it from that document. But I do see two lines
that appear to represent either a road or a space that leads toward the
easement, the FPL easement.
MR. WHITE: Oh, you're further to the east. I'm sorry.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That's the one, right there.
MR. WHITE: That parcel there that Laura has the curser on --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes.
MR. WHITE: -- is in fact I believe a fee simple ownership. And
it is held I believe -- give me a second. It's not WCI. I can tell you who
it is that owns it, but it was what I was specifically thinking of when I
referred earlier to the idea that there are fee simple holdings where
routes of access would be possible as practicable alternatives.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Well, yeah, that was your
conjecture and that's what I was trying to establish, whether or not that
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February 7, 2008
was a potential there or whether it was a legitimate means by which
either the FP&L people continue to run their trucks through, or
whatever.
I guess it all -- and I'm not really clear, I thought that our legal
counsel gave us good guidance in the staff report here. But it's an
interesting question. Good planning suggests that you don't tie up
other people's property. On the other hand, if they didn't have right of
access in the first instance, then that becomes a second question to
reView.
MR. WHITE: The ownership in question is one that is held by
Pulte. And we are aware of it and have some of the referenced
documents, including the deed, if that's something you'd like to know
more about.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Well, from my part I think what
__ the encouragement from our attorney is what I'm going to rely upon.
Thank you.
MR. WHITE: Certainly. But in that regard I'd just say again that
we have agreed to what I'll just for simplicity sake call an indemnity
condition in that regard.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That's what I'm referencing.
MR. WHITE: And I'm sorry, I thought there was another
question, Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Where do you plan on
building your units?
MR. WHITE: When?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Where.
MR. WHITE: Where.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Where are they going to be
built?
MR. WHITE: I'm going to allow Laura to give you a more
precise answer. That's something that certainly she has more
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February 7, 2008
familiarity with.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Fine.
MS. DeJOHN: The question was where will the units be built?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN : Yes.
MS. DeJOHN: Okay. The master plan indicates a symbol "R" for
residential. The units would be placed up and down along the road that
runs through the property.
An "R" has not been placed down near the new Verona Point
interconnection, but it would be the request of the petitioner to allow
residential units adjacent to the preserve and east of that
interconnection drive, if the interconnection drive is enforced.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: So therefore you're talking
about all the "R"'s where all the "R"'s are, that's where they're going to
be built?
MS. DeJOHN: Yes. Where the "R"'s are, there's continuity
between the "R"'s, and there would be units along those roads, yes.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: And how many units are you
going to be putting in there, 204?
MS. DeJOHN: 204.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: And there is any type of
building structures you're planning on making or using?
THE COURT REPORTER: I'm sorry, building--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Building -- you need to keep the mic
closer to you, Mr. Adelstein.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Do you have any idea as to
how this is going to be developed?
MS. DeJOHN: Yeah, the question was about building structure
and how it would be developed.
The PUD allows for both single-family and multi-family units,
and that including town homes and duplex, two-family type units, that
the ultimate unit type has not been determined. It would be determined
closer to construction when the market can be best suited for what
Page 29
February 7,2008
type of development is appropriate.
So there's a flexibility built into the PUD to allow either
single-family or multi-family.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: You don't really then have a
plan for any of those developments.
MS. DeJOHN: The applicant has not determined the unit type
yet, no.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, we're finished up on the
interconnection questions at this time. There will probably be more
later on.
And now regular questions from the planning commission on the
balance of the presentation by the applicant and the documents in front
of us.
Mr. Midney then Mr. Kolflat.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah, my first question is: Have
you given any thought to what you'll be doing to help the affordable
housing crisis in Collier County?
MS. DeJOHN: We've given thought to the status of the
affordable housing situation in Collier County. The availability of
units now in the hundreds and $200,000 range is far greater than it was
a year or two ago. So therefore, there doesn't seem to be an imminent
need for this development to provide those type of units, since they are
on the market under current conditions today.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Are you thinking of making a
contribution to the affordable housing trust fund?
MS. DeJOHN: If that's deemed to be necessary for this
development to be approved, that contribution could be made, yes.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Is that a commitment?
MS. DeJOHN: It's a strong willing list to consider, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: There are no rules or regulations in the
LDC --
Page 30
February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Right, it's not an obligation, I'm
just asking for your interest, I guess.
The second question I have is what were your thought processes
behind deciding to development 75 percent of a property that is 78
percent wetland? And why did you feel that you needed to develop
that much of it?
MS. DeJOHN: The need to develop that much is based on the
inverse of the preserve requirement. We started with a preserve
requirement to determine what remaining area of the property could
be developed. The water management system takes up at least 15
percent of that remaining area. The road system takes up a substantial
portion of that remaining area. And then in order to achieve units on
the site in this specific situation of the boundary that we have, it's the
most appropriate way to get that number of units on the site.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Why did you decide to go for four
units an acre if you had 78 percent of the land that's wetland?
MS. DeJOHN: The request for four units per acre is based on the
project's location in the urban area. It's best to concentrate
development in the urban area. Those are planning principles, smart
growth principles that the project espouses to. And it would be less
efficient to what I would call sprawl a low density development on
this site in the urban area where stores, schools and services are in
close proximity. Given the low, low quality of the wetlands on the
site, the opportunity here is to improve at least 11.8 acres of those
wetlands to the proper functioning quality that they should be. By
doing the development those -- that acreage goes into preserve and
gets cleared of exotics and maintained in perpetuity, while allowing
people to live in an urban setting where they are close to those
servIces.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: You talked about the exotics
infestation as though that were something permanent. Exotics, there
are ways of removing exotics, and in the future there may be
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February 7, 2008
biological controls that will make it easier to keep down melaleuca
and Brazilian pepper.
That's all my comments, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Yes, could you --
MR. WHITE: May I further respond, Mr. Chairman, to Mr.
Midney's first question --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, sir.
MR. WHITE: -- if you'd allow me to, or desire me to. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's his question on affordable
housing?
MR. WHITE: Affordable housing.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead.
MR. WHITE: Yes, we understand that there was, in the height of
the housing market, I guess I'd say a frenzy of activity where prices
were certainly much higher, as Ms. Spurgeon alluded to. At that time
there was a commitment from any number of residential projects to a
dollar amount contribution per residential unit.
We believe that that -- given the drop in market prices, and I
don't know that we've seen the bottom of that yet, that a dollar figure
of 500 per residential unit would be a reasonable suggestion and
contribution at the time of building permit for that type of a trust fund
commitment for this project.
And I hope that that addresses Mr. Midney's concerns and we're
able to at this point at least see if that is something that is helpful.
As to the specific questions earlier about easements, if I could
just take us back a moment, Mr. Chairman, to address your point and
my observation about where there are easements and where there may
not be, I want to make sure I've corrected the record, because I may
have been referring to a different parcel than you are. So if I could just
take us back a moment, with your permission.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Sure.
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February 7,2008
MR. WHITE: Thank you.
To start out, what we have -- if I may use my pen. The property
in question that's the notched piece to the west of the ST, and you can
see if the color is showing well enough through the visualizer, the ST's
are colored green.
The one property owner that I know Mr. Blume does not
represent and that I was specifically referring to, and I'll show you an
aerial in a moment, is the Butler parcel. That is the one that I was
aware of that had a north-south running easement.
The Meruzziac (phonetic) parcel I believe you may have
reference, Mr. Chairman, is that --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No. I may have referenced it, but that's
the one Brad started his discussion on was the Meruzziac parcel. The
Eastbourne parcel immediately to the west of the Meruzziac parcel is
the one that I have a document that shows is a 30-foot easement on the
east side of that parcel.
MR. WHITE: And understood. And by acquisition of all of the
parcels I believe to the north and south there's at least a theory that
under unity of title they may have -- that the easement may have been
absorbed into the fee. I don't have a title opinion that tells me that
there still would be access entitled to Meruzziac across that or not, but
I understand your point.
I just wanted to clarify that the parcel I was talking to, and I'll put
the exhibit now on the visualizer, is again the yellow colored Butler,
and that is the one that I was aware of that had an easement similar to
the one you were describing we have, except ours is on the east and
this is on the west.
And I thank you for allowing me to clarify.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
Okay, Mr. Kolflat, I think you were next.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Yes. Could you put on the
overhead that site plan that you had previously? The master.
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February 7, 2008
Now, it shows three areas there that I think are water retention; is
that correct?
MS. DeJOHN: Correct. Three lakes, yes.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Now, in the traffic impact
statement you show a site plan that has four lakes. What is the
discrepancy or the difference?
MS. DeJOHN: The traffic impact statement predates the latest
negotiations and master plan tweaks that were done in recent months.
Since the TIS was approved early in the process, the specifics of
where lakes are located did not get rectified in that TIS drawing.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: The one on the TIS is incorrect
then?
MS. DeJOHN: Exactly. It --
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Thank you.
MS. DeJOHN: -- predates this.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is that all, Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Bringing your attention down to
where you've drawn in a dotted arrow to a road that is down there
where you see PUD, Verona Point, that would be the interconnection
point?
MS. DeJOHN: Correct.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: There appears to be a bit of a jog
in there or a slice or however we wish to describe it. If we were to take
the parallel lines from what appears to be Verona Point and place it
against your property, it seems to be if you're going to get a road of
sufficient width, it looks like you're going to have to cross another
parcel; is that correct?
MS. DeJOHN: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: And is that parcel within -- do
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February 7,2008
you have an easement for that or do you have an agreement of some
sort associated with that?
MS. DeJOHN: No. And I'll just move to the little more clearer
image of what you're describing.
There's a 20-foot dimension that -- there's a 40-foot public access
easement on the Verona Point property that is directed toward both
Brandon property and Center Point Community Church property.
Twenty feet of that access easement connects to the Brandon property.
A 20-foot wide dimension connects to the Center Point Church
property. We do not have control or do not have an agreement and do
not have an easement over that Center Point Church property at this
time.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: How would you solve the
problem if transportation desires that you should have that type of
access? I assume that county has -- or you have entered into
negotiations with somebody along the line.
MS. DeJOHN: Well, terms have been written into the
commitment language for this connection so that the 20 feet -- the
20- foot width dimension that we have control over would be
immediately built as a southbound only one-lane connection.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: One lane. I heard that earlier.
MS. DeJOHN: And at a future time that the church property ever
develops or comes to an agreement on this issue, that at that time
would the full two-way road system come to fruition.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: To your knowledge, are county
transportation staff satisfied with that as being adequate access for
their purposes?
MS. DeJOHN: They've recommended this.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: They recommended it. So they --
okay, that's good. I wanted to have that as understood, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, are there any other -- Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: So far you're not giving any actual
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February 7, 2008
height. You've given zoned height but no actual height. So a 50-foot
multi-foot zoned potential building with no maximum to that, with no
actual height to that.
MS. DeJOHN: Right. Only the zoned height is given in the PUD
document.
So measuring from finished floor to the flat -- the top of a flat
roof or the midpoint of a pitched roof.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Somewhere I thought I had read
that you were limiting multi-family to three stories.
MS. DeJOHN: That's correct. And that--
COMMISSIONER CARON: I don't see that on your standards
table.
MS. DeJOHN: You're right. That can be included in the
standards table. I mean, a 50-foot height can only allow so many
stories. And as it became more of an issue through neighborhood
discussions that stories needed to be limited as well, a three-story limit
is acceptable to the applicant and can be placed in the PUD document.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anything else, Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Not right now.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of the applicant at
this time?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, I have a few.
During the neighborhood informational meeting you provided
some information. Some of the answers have been already supplied, a
couple have not. One said -- one thing you said during that meeting is
that we'll take steps to protect the cypress head (special treatment area)
east of the project. What steps have you taken to protect that cypress
head?
MS. DeJOHN: The alignment of the preserve on the Brandon
PUD -- and I'd like to go to the master plan there.
The -- we did have a pre-application meeting at the district and
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February 7, 2008
discussed the best location for preserve, based on surrounding
conditions and connection to off-site potential preserve areas. And the
location of that cypress head east of the Brandon PUD allowed for an
alignment of a preserve on the Brandon PUD that connects it in its
natural regional direction of flow from the northeast to the southwest.
So that was the opportunity afforded by Brandon PUD to provide
enhancement to the conditions there at the cypress head.
And I got a nod from the ecologist that that was the -- you know, that's
a planner's take on the ecology.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: During that neighborhood informational
meeting, some of the neighbors expressed a concern about the buffer,
and I believe it was the one on the east, and said the agents for the
applicant stated they will plant the required buffer for county
regulations and nothing more. Staff has assured the residents that this
concern will be addressed in the staff report and would be requested as
a stipulation of approval. Staff is requesting to have an enhanced
buffer along the eastern boundary incorporated into the RPUD.
I didn't see that in the RPUD. Is there an objection still from your
team to supply an enhanced buffer along the eastern property line?
MS. DeJOHN: There's no objection. And the staff condition for a
15-foot type B buffer along the -- it's stated the north and east property
line, that's acceptable to the applicant and can be shown on the master
plan as well.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So the master plan that we're looking at
now on the screen is inaccurate then, right?
MS. DeJOHN: The labeling of that buffer on the north and east
property line would become a 15-foot type B buffer, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I've got deviation questions, but I'll hold
off on those for more or less probably staff.
In your application for the PUD, you listed associations, or you
were requested to list associations for notification. And you didn't do
so. Do you know why?
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February 7, 2008
MS. DeJOHN: Under the associations there are -- the association
asked for associations affiliated with this petition. We were asked by
staff to include associations that are surrounding the property, not
affiliated with the petition. Those surrounding associations are listed
in the application.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do you have those (sic) application in
front of you?
MS. DeJOHN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Could you put it on the overhead then?
Because mine doesn't have any associations listed.
Those are names of projects, they are not associations. If you go on
line, you will find out they are not associations, they are name of
projects.
I think when the application asks for association names, if you go
into the text, the Clerk of Courts site or to the state corporation site,
you will find associations named for all of those.
From now on in an application I think it would be necessary that
if it's asking for associations, that's what we put there and not names
of projects.
Is that something that staff will be correcting in the future, I
hope?
MR. SCHMITT: Yes. For the record, Joe Schmitt.
Yes, we note your concern. We do have that information. It's
easily accessible through the community development staff,
specifically the PUD monitoring staff who keeps records -- attempts to
contact and keep records of all associations and homeowner
associations and the presidents of those associations.
And the reason we need that information is because that's how
the applicant is made aware of who they have to contact in regards to
a neighborhood information meeting.
So we will make sure that's identified when we take projects in
on the intake team.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And I think as you said, it is
readily available. Whether it's provided by the county or the applicant
wanted to look it up themselves, it's -- I found it in two different
sources, so I know they could have found it.
MS. DeJOHN: Is the Collier County Association listing one of
those sources? Because that's the one available. And there were not --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do you have Internet access where you
work?
MS. DeJOHN: Yes. And I'm referring to that. The Collier County
Association's listing, the community information on the Collier
County website.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right.
MS. DeJOHN: That was the source.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, if you needed to provide the
information and you needed a source of it, why don't you just get the
information -- you know that Mediterra's got a homeowners
association, and you know that each one of these do. They all operate
under HOA's. Why won't you just provide it, regardless of what the
source is? I don't --
MS. DeJOHN: Well, I relied on the available sources that I had.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
Tom, did you have a question? And by the way, Tom Eastman is
a member of the planning commission, a non-voting member. He
represents the school board and will obviously help us with any school
related issues. Go ahead. Tom.
MR. EASTMAN: Thank you, Chairman Strain.
I just wanted to make the applicant aware that the school district
is currently constructing a traffic signal at the corner of Veterans
Memorial Boulevard and Livingston Road. And we also have in place
an interlocal agreement with the county that requires reimbursement
from future developers.
We believe that you'd be one of those future developers that
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February 7,2008
would benefit from that traffic light, and this would require a traffic
study in coordination with the county transportation department to
determine your proportionate share impact.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Tom, I sometimes forget, so you may
just have to wave a little bit so I catch you down there. And sorry that
we don't have 10 seats up here, but as long as you don't mind, we'll
keep plugging ahead like we are.
MR. EASTMAN: I don't mind at all. And it's an honor just to be
here. And thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Appreciate it.
And before the meeting Tom left in front of us a document that
was titled Interlocal Agreement by and between Collier County and
the School District of Collier County. It's OR Book 4281, Page 1295.
And he asked that that be submitted as part of the record. A copy was
left with the court reporter. And I don't know, maybe the applicant had
received a copy. Ifhe hadn't, I'm sure Tom can provide you with one.
MR. WHITE: Mr. Chairman, Mr. Eastman was gracious enough
to provide us with a copy and we did have an opportunity before the
proceedings began to discuss in particular paragraph five that talks
about the reimbursement of projects costs.
And my understanding is and our commitment is that we will
work with the county under the proportionate share calculations to
make those payments at the first of SDP or plat, so that we're covered
by the proportionate share umbrella and in fact we're going to make
the appropriate contribution pursuant to this agreement. And I thank
Mr. Eastman for making us aware of it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
And Tom, ifthere's any further clarification needed, just let me
know.
MR. EASTMAN: Thanks, that's good. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Laura, I still wanted to continue with my
questions. Could you put your site plan back up here, please.
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February 7, 2008
MS. DeJOHN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Does the "R" residential district that you
have shown on here include the roads? Are they part of the "R" district
or are they another type of --
MS. DeJOHN: They are right-of-way -- no, the roads are not "R"
residential.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. If you could turn to Exhibit A
under your residential area, Page 2. In the -- under the residential
section on Page 2 you have accessory uses listed. Guardhouses, gate
houses and access control structures. Were you intending for those to
be in the road system?
MS. DeJOHN: They may fit adjacent to the road, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well--
MS. DeJOHN: Guardhouses would be adjacent to the road.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So your access control structures or
anything that operates in the road system, you don't have any
provisions for that. What you have are items that would operate on the
residential portion of the property.
I just want to make sure that -- this was a little odd to see it
placed here. Usually they just have general uses on the property and
they list these in that category, not under the residential tract.
But if you're comfortable with that, I'm sure staff will have an
interesting take on it when it comes through under the process.
Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: Yeah, I think we'll just work with the applicant
to get clarification before it proceeds to the board. I believe you are
correct, that would be under a general type of category and not
accessory to the residential tract, which would be forcing it on the
residential tracts.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And you have listed here common
recreational amenities. Usually those are on recreational tracts,
especially if you have a homeowners association and you establish
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February 7,2008
common areas.
Did you intend not to have a separate recreational tract on this
property but it's going to be part of the "R" residential section?
MS. DeJOHN: The location of the common facilities have not
been determined, so it was listed as a use within the residential area,
yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. On your development standards
table, Exhibit B, would you please -- we need to get an actual height,
what your actual height -- your maximum actual height going to be?
MS. DeJOHN: Not having buildings determined yet for the site,
an actual height would be derived from the actual building. We could
provide an estimate for an actual height that can go in this document
55 feet.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, Laura, let me put it this way: If
you don't provide an actual height, I certainly can't vote for it. So you
either provide an actual height like everybody else in this county has
been asked to do, or as far as I'm concerned you don't have -- that
doesn't meet the qualifications that I see needed for this project.
You're looking at 55 feet?
MS. DeJOHN: In multi-family units, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So your actual height in the multi-family
unit is five feet above your zoned height.
MS. DeJOHN: Because we assumed that as a maximum and we
assume we can fit three stories within an actual height of 55 feet, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, what -- go ahead, Brad.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Laura, be careful, because, you
know, you have elevator overruns and roofs on top of those. You're
going to pinch yourself with --
MS. DeJOHN: Well, you know, I'm familiar with building height
limits of three stories and 42 feet and where that can occur, assuming
that a residential structure can fit within three stories and actual height
of 55 feet.
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah.
MS. DeJOHN: If you recommend we go higher, we will.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I mean, I actually wanted
to talk about the stories concept, too. I mean, but I don't want to
interrupt Mark's --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, go ahead, Brad. I mean, I'mjust
going to move past this once you get done, so let's just stay on it and
I'll go to my next --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Laura, one of the advantages, I
note the height, but you are going to be remote from a lot of
properties. One of the advantages of multiple stories cures Paul's
problem of, you know, taking up too much land.
So the reward for multiple stories is not just height, it's the ability
to use less land to build the units. So I kind of think we should discuss
that before we throw that away real quick. Because this site has a lot
of nice land on it. I would like to see less, you know, building
coverage as one of the things we do here today. And taking the floor
off of the building might do that.
Now, if it's backing up on somebody's residential, that might be
an issue and we could restrict where in that occurs. But anyway,
before we throwaway the fourth floor, I think we should discuss the
benefit of it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron, did you want to comment?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Well, the only thing I would say is
we have again got a PUD in front of us and we have absolutely no
plan for it. We have a laundry list of every conceivable housing type
in the world. So unless you're going to take away some of those other
housing types, you're not going to accomplish what -- giving them
extra height.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Or we restrict where, you know,
they can put four-story buildings and then leave the rest of it. I mean, I
think there are parcels on here that could have it. And again, their
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February 7, 2008
reward would be to solve less disruption to the property.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But see, you've got no guarantee with
your argument that that's going to happen. And I don't think that this
board ought to be encouraging more of something, but less of
something is really the goal rather than more of -- we've got too much
density and height in this county now.
And Brad, I think if she's willing to go with 55 feet, that works.
Three stories works. I don't see a need to change that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Again my point is that extra
floor is not going to disappear. It's just going to go someplace else and
it's going to take up more land. I mean, that's -- if the neighbors had
concerns over viewing these things, I understand that. And if we could
limit where it occurs so that they don't have to, I think it's appropriate
to keep the height, again, just to preserve more groundcover.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Brad, I --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, Ms. Caron.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Brad, I think that that concept is
great if you can then also stipulate -- and if we had a legitimate master
plan in front of us, we could do that. Then you could say take another
story here and add to your preserves. But unless you stipulate
additional benefits to the community, we won't get those benefits,
we'll just get more height.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I agree, we have to stipulate. For
example, one thing Laura said that terrifies me is that if they bring that
road down that she actually wanted to put residences, you know, up
against Livingston Road. So I definitely think we want to --
MS. DeJOHN: The location of the residences I referred to was
east of the connector road. So that would be not --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But even in that area. So in other
words, I think you'll find me wanting to get multi-family out of an
area like that.
And I think we could restrict where different types of housing
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February 7, 2008
occurs.
MS. DeJOHN: And I'll explain that request as well by putting the
residential along that connector road, it's to balance the extra preserve
that will have to be placed in the remainder of the site. It's a tradeoff
of areas that were going to be developed now would have to become
preserve, based on the new alignment of that connector road.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Thanks, Mark, for the
interruption.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No problem. We've got to get it all on
the table.
Laura, to follow up with that discussion, and Brad brought out a
good point along Livingston Road. That strip that is contiguous to
Livingston Road between the preserve and Livingston, would you
have any problem limiting the product in there to single story?
MS. DeJOHN: So you're referring to the -- where the connector
road turns south, between the connector road and the preserve area,
limiting to a single story?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, between the preserve area and
Livingston Road. I don't care what side of the road you put it on.
Between the preserve area and Livingston Road, that entire white area
south of your main road would all be limited to single story.
MS. DeJOHN: Yeah, there's a hesitation to commit to that. I
think the location we're requesting, which would be east of the
connector road, would allow adequate distance from Livingston Road
for views of those buildings. Just like Verona Point, you can see where
the units line up adjacent to Livingston Road, and those are two-story
town homes up to 45 feet.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So you would object to using --limiting
single story in there?
MS. DeJOHN: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: On your development standards table,
Exhibit B, you have minimum side yard for single-family at six feet,
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February 7, 2008
but you have minimum distance between structures at 10 feet. How do
you get there?
MS. DeJOHN: Well, both could be their minimums. If you're
interested in matching those numbers, the 10 feet could be changed to
12.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, I'm not matching them. But if you've
got minimum side yards of six and you're six and six, how do you get
to 10? If you've got one house with -- each house is six feet apart on
each own property line, you've got a minimum of 12 feet, so why
would you ask for a minimum of 10 feet?
MS. DeJOHN: Well, the allowable encroachments in the side
yards, like chimneys, bay windows, things like that, would protrude
into a side yard and therefore there's a conceivable narrower area than
12 feet.
But if you're comfortable with 12 feet, that can be changed to 12
feet.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, under single-family, attached and
townhouse you have 0 or 7.5. So wouldn't it be 0 or 15?
MS. DeJOHN: Well, the -- so 15 -- I see what you're asking. Zero
or 15 at the minimum distance between structures?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. I'm just matching up what you've
said is your minimum setbacks. And if you add two of them together,
which is a side-by-side arrangement, how can you get down to the
number you're at? That's why I'm -- so I'm going to be going across
that entire column in the same manner.
Do you have any problem if it matches the minimum side yard as
I'm indicating?
MS. DeJOHN: That's fine.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The next one, zero lot line is zero and 12
and you have 10 feet. So your minimum distance would be -- on that
one it would be 12 feet.
Under two-family you have zero and six feet, so that should be
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February 7, 2008
zero or 10 feet -- or 12 feet.
MS. DeJOHN: Twelve.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Twelve feet, I'm sorry. Duplex is six
feet, so that would have to be 12 feet.
MS. DeJOHN: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And the last two are based -- or the last
two are not residential units, so they're not -- the last one is
multi-family, it's based on half the building height, so that's fine.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir, go ahead, Brad.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Laura, would you mind making
that your 20 feet greater than 20 feet?
MS. DeJOHN: That would be fine.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Just to save your fire code --
MS. DeJOHN: We'll just put a greater than symbol.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That's all.
Thank you, Mark.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You bet.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I have one more question on the
chart. Can I?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Four, you want to measure yours
from the first floor. What's wrong with the way we measure it by
default in the county, which is from the flood elevation or something?
In other words, essentially you could maybe lift your building
above parking or something and start measuring from the first floor. I
mean, you might have a story argument somewhere, but -- in other
words, number four, I don't know if that's necessary, because we do
have a definition in the LDe.
MS. DeJOHN: It's in the code. I'm comfortable with going with
the code definition, that's fine.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So you'd strike footnote four to the table.
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February 7, 2008
MS. DeJOHN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is that it, Brad?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yes. Thank you, Mark.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Under footnote five, you talk about
preserve setbacks, and they've become a hot issue lately in the county.
It says, preserve setback of 10 feet for accessory structures also shall
apply to any site alteration, although fill may be approved to be placed
within 10 feet of the upland preserve but may not be approved to be
placed within 10 feet of a wetland preserve.
You're asking for a deviation from the code?
MS. DeJOHN: No, that was code language.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, then we can strike it all; is that
correct? If it's in the code, then why do you need to repeat it in this
table?
MS. DeJOHN: Because as often as the code changes, sometimes
it's a comfort level to know what the standard is being applied for this
PUD.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, in that case, we might want to
repeat the whole code then in this PUD, wouldn't you say?
MS. DeJOHN: Well, hot issues, like you said. And this being a
hot issue, it's allowing some certainty on what the standard will be.
And actually, the environmental staff does encourage us to put
their, you know, kind of development standards in here, because they
must fear they would be forgotten.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, they change them more than
anybody, so I'm not sure there's maybe -- I'm not sure why they do
that.
The concern that drew my attention to this is especially was the
word "may".
And is there a criteria in the code that provides, Ray, the word
"may" to be qualified? Because having it in a PUD seems to make it
even more unqualified. At least in the code we might have a basis for
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February 7,2008
the word "may" being exercised. I'm not sure that there's any basis in
the PUD as to who could argue why the use of the word "may" is
exercised in any manner here.
MR. BELLOWS: Yeah, for the record, Ray Bellows. You're
correct, there's no definitive way to enforce "may".
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I'd just as soon see it removed. If
it's in the code and we've been -- this board has repeatedly tried to
keep things that have been in the code out of PUD's, because they're
consistent with the code. And if the code changes, you'll have to live
with it.
But anybody else have any comments on that?
(No response.)
MS. DeJOHN: Okay, that will be stricken.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, back to deviations. And I know,
Brad, you had started with some concerns over the deviations. Why
don't we start then with you and we'll walk through all the deviations
and get a standing on those. And we're -- deviation number one is
where we'll start then.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. I think maybe what I'm
not sure is I understand deviation number one.
What you're concerned about is if we do require this road to
connect to Verona Point, that you don't want to put a sidewalk on both
sides of it.
MS. DeJOHN: Correct. It's a 40-foot wide right-of-way, so space
is limited. And the intention is to only have a single side of that road
lined with units. So therefore a single sidewalk was considered
adequate.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But the way it's written, it
sounds like you want that deviation for the whole project. You're
saying, you know, oflocal streets. So in other words, if you could
rewrite that and aim it to where your justification is, I think it would
be a good idea. Otherwise, this community should have sidewalks.
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February 7, 2008
MS. DeJOHN: Right. And the intention was only, as described in
the justification, to be applied to that 40- foot wide connector road.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right. But the wording is not.
MS. DeJOHN: Right.
And staff did recommend denial of that, and we were accepting
of that. So depending on the board's -- or the commission's action we
could narrow that down to just the Verona Point connection road.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Or scratch it entirely.
MS. DeJOHN: Or scratch it entirely.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: If you were to scratch it entirely, it
means you'd be putting sidewalks on both sides of the road.
MS. DeJOHN: Right. Or a 10-foot sidewalk on one side, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Brad, you want to go on with your
-- anybody else have any questions on deviation one?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Then let's move to two then.
Brad, did you have anything on that?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Nothing really on two.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I didn't either.
Deviation number three?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I do on deviation number three.
What you're intending to do here is you're talking about the paved
edge of the road, not the lot line, the paved edge of the road you want
to make less than 25 feet. Yet that would be less than, you know, that's
required by fire codes and stuff. So I definitely think you can't do that.
MS. DeJOHN: Okay. We can accept withdrawing that deviation.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else on number three?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: County Attorney Jeff, I've got a question
for you. Most of these deviations referred to the references out of the
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February 7, 2008
Code of Laws and Ordinances. And I know through the change from
the LDC to the UDC we moved a pile of items that were in the LDC
to the Code of Laws and Ordinances.
What jurisdiction does this body have involving the Code of
Laws and Ordinances? That's a different animal than the LDC and the
GMP.
MR. KLATZKOW: Yeah, I scratched my head on that yesterday.
It's not really an ordinance, it's an administrative code. I'm not really
sure what the intent was then or whether or not we actually finished
the job then.
I do think, given what I've read with this, is that you do have the
authority to waive that, if that's what you want to. But I do think this is
something down the road we probably should fix.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, and the reason I'm bringing it up is
if we have the authority to make a recommendation in regards to these
deviations that involve that code, why then wouldn't we be involved in
the amendments and changes to the code of laws, versus only the
LDC?
MR. KLATZKOW: Because this really isn't the code of laws, it
just got put there for purposes of codification.
This is really -- you know, I think Patrick probably could explain
this better. This looks like an administrative code that they needed to
find someplace for and so they put it within the Collier County Code
of Laws and Ordinances, but it's really not that. It's just --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, but it is in the code oflaws right
now.
MR. KLATZKOW: Well, it's an ordinance that creates an
administrative code. And then that administrative code, for purposes
of locating it, is located within section two of the code of laws.
I don't quite understand why it's there is what I'm getting at.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. But of course my question is what
authority does this board have? And I'm sure that the BCC would
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February 7,2008
welcome our recommendations on it, as they have.
MR. KLATZKOW: I think you can discuss this portion of it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, that's another item to clean up in
the future, I would hope.
Since you're responsible for all this, Mr. White.
MR. WHITE: I'd love to take credit for it. I don't know that I'm
responsible for it.
But in any event, what I think we're talking about are provisions
that were intended to continue to be within the jurisdiction certainly of
this body, as are plenty of other sections -- or excuse me, portions of
the Code of Laws and Ordinances.
Your authority in fact is derived from Chapter 250 of the Code of
Laws and Ordinances in part. And so I think it's fair to say that the
breadth of your jurisdiction, as does the Board of County
Commissioners, extends in many places based upon the subject matter
into the code oflaw.
So if I understood your point about some future considerations, it
certainly would seem to me that it was appropriate for this body to
weigh in on those and make specific recommendations, both as to any
section that involved administrative code as well as any other area of
the code where regulations that pertain to some aspect of development
are found.
Specifically looking at these provisions, I think that they were
intended to be adopted under provision that are in the Code of Laws
that authorize administrative codes.
And I agree that there is unfinished work. My understanding is
that staff is in the process of performing those tasks at this time. And
so I think we all look forward to them coming to fruition.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. And since you were here
with the county at the time this process began, we appreciate your
clarification.
Deviation number four, anybody have any comments?
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February 7, 2008
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Number five?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And lastly, number six.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I did.
COMMISSIONER CARON: They've agreed.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: I think they've agreed to abide by
the code.
MS. DeJOHN: That's correct. The staff recommendation was for
denial of the deviation from fence or wall height, and we're accepting
that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Just for a summary of the
deviations then, deviation one you're going to accept that as staff
denial. Basically you're going to put this -- so deviation one doesn't
exist.
Deviation two is acceptable.
MS. DeJOHN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Deviation three was withdrawn.
MS. DeJOHN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Deviation four was acceptable.
MS. DeJOHN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Deviation five was acceptable.
MS. DeJOHN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And deviation six was withdrawn.
MS. DeJOHN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. With that we will take a 15
minute break and be back at 10:15. Thank you.
(Recess. )
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Welcome back from our break. We'll
continue with the Brandon PUD review. Mr. Murray was next up.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay. Hi again.
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February 7, 2008
With regard to the dashed lined and the arrow, that is the proposed
road that you're going to get. Would you tell us why you would cite it
there as opposed to, say, citing it closer to the property line, which
would be right adjacent to the entrance.
Because that angle and that -- that does provoke a problem in
terms of -- perceived problem in terms of what kind of residences you
would put there and what height, et cetera.
Could you tell us why you chose that particular angularity?
MS. DeJOHN: That's a proposed connection line, it's not a road
alignment. The arrow is put in place at the request of transportation
staff and was not a commitment to an actual road right-of-way the
way the road is shown throughout the rest of the project.
Because of the conditional nature of how that road would be built
and the timing of it, it would ultimately be designed with probably a
little more thought into how it's aligned through the property.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I assume then that --
MS. DeJOHN: There's not a commitment there for that
alignment.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I assume then that you really
never intended originally to have a road there and that transportation
suggested it, recommended it, desired, required it, et cetera.
But I have, and I'm sure many of us have, driven through
communities where roads are generally along the right-of-way, you
know, just outside the buffer and the housing is interior. Would that in
any way be feasible?
Because the presentation here with that line strongly suggests
that it's not the most ideal, if you're talking about caring about the
people who ultimately will reside in those places.
So is it possible or feasible that you'll ever have that line moved
way over to the west, or is that pretty much where you're constrained
to remain?
MS. DeJOHN: Well, we're constrained by two things: The
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February 7, 2008
location of the access easement on Vernon Point demands that the
direction be maintained and a connection be made at that corner.
And then there's intersection spacing that we would have to
maintain, provided there is at least a right-in access point along that
driveway at Livingston Road.
So as long as we're meeting those standards, the intention is to
allow that road to be located so that it conveniently provides access
that's safe and allows for units to be located along the eastern side.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So the predicate is safety is what
you're saying to us, that in order for traffic coming from north to
south, that they don't get in a mix with any entry traffic at the location
of the dark arrow? Is that what you're referencing?
MS. DeJOHN: There will be some congestion points down at the
location where Verona Point has an entry, this access easement is
located. And then traffic may be coming from a third-party church
where the easement crosses their property. There's a -- there are tight
constraints there.
But then as we're moving up into the Brandon RPUD property,
the goal would be to again connect to the Brandon access road at a
safe distance from the intersection with Livingston and the Brandon
access road, and allow --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay, just to finish this. One of
the difficulties that was cited by Commissioner Caron is that it's
difficult for this body to really effectively want to grab onto and assist
in trying to help you in your planning if we don't really understand all
of the latitude that you think you enjoy and show us very limited
latitude. So I have a concern.
I could be satisfied, I suppose, with this suggestion here, but I
would be much more pleased to see something that provided
residences interior and not apparently pushed to the outside of
Livingston Road.
Ifthere's any way you can make clarity for that with this body, I
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February 7, 2008
would think you'd be doing yourself a favor.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, are there any other questions of
the applicant before we go to staff?
Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah, just to comment in response
to what you were saying about the affordable housing difficulty.
I think that you can't say that we're not still in an affordable
housing crisis, even though the speculation has not been driving up the
values or the prices of the homes. It doesn't mean that working people
are suddenly snapping up these houses and buying.
The reason that the prices have gone down is because the ability
of people to buy them is less, both because of credit and because there
have been a lot of loss of jobs. A lot of people who are working
families in this county depend on two or three incomes, and a lot of
people have lost their jobs in construction and in agriculture.
So I think that it's more difficult now than it was before for
working people to buy houses, and I think that the prices would be
even lower than they are if it weren't for the fact that some people are
buying up some of these foreclosed houses as an investment in the
hopes that later on the price is going to go back up.
So I don't think that there is any less problem for working people
to afford housing now than there was before.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, any other -- Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Were you at the EAC meeting?
MS. DeJOHN: Yes.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: They voted 7-1 for denial ofa
petition; is that correct?
MS. DeJOHN: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: What would be your comments
in regard to that?
MS. DeJOHN: Well, my comments in regard to that is that the
EAC had a lot of questions about building height and building
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placement that were not -- we were not prepared to answer at the EAC
or prepared with environmental data at the EAe.
So as the hearing went on the conclusion, as you saw by the
motion, was that based on wetland impacts and the development
proposed, that they did not see that as an appropriate zoning approval
when in fact they were hoping for more like SDP level plans. They
had questions about specific construction type issues that were not part
of the zoning package.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Klatzkow, I had a question about the
EAC's recommendation. Since it's brought up now, let me ask it.
Let me read to you a staff report on that. The EAC recommended
denial. Mr. Penniman moved to deny the petition, asserted that 78
percent of existing wetland in intense development of such uncertain
development specifications being put on the site is probably not the
appropriate way to develop this kind of land.
Can you tell me what LDC references or GMP references were
provided by the EAC for a basis of a conclusion like that that doesn't
provide any environmental information to this board?
MR. KLATZKOW: Well, I think staff might disagree with the
EAC's assessment.
Having said that, I mean, the EAC's role is similar to your role
where you review these applications and make recommendations to
the board. EAC felt they needed more information before they would
give a recommendation. You mayor may not feel the same way.
Ultimately it will go to the board, and that legal issue will come
to bear.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I mean, if this were to be challenged and
you have to defend it, it says being put on the side is probably not the
appropriate way to develop this kind of land.
I'm just wondering why we would have let a recommendation
come forward without some refinement, probably not the appropriate
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February 7, 2008
way. I'm not sure that tells us much if anything in regards to the
environmental concerns that may be attributed to this property. So my
comment is I wish that we had gotten some.
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: I would say only, and I'm not
saying I think it's the best motion that was ever made, but I believe
that it clearly references back to the 78 percent of existing wetlands,
so -- and that is their charge is to look at wetland issues, so --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I would have liked to have
understood from a wetland perspective what violations there are in the
LDC that they're basing their conclusions on.
COMMISSIONER CARON: I agree.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Now, with that said, I think we've
exhausted our questions of the applicant and we'll move to the staff
presentation.
MS. ZONE: Good morning, Commissioners. Melissa Zone,
Principal Planner with the Department of Zoning and Land
Development.
We've gone through quite a bit here this morning. Have gotten
through. And staff just wants to confirm on the record that this is in a
rural agricul -- it is rural agricultural zoning, and they are requesting a
residential planned unit development on 51.1 acres.
And request to the deviations, thank you for supporting staffs
recommendations. We appreciate that.
I've been taking notes. One of the things that I want to have
clarified, more so than having to present because everything has been
presented to this board, is in regards to the Exhibit B, the development
standards. And I've been taking notes diligently, and I just want to
make it clear, if you are going in this direction with actual and zoned
height, that we talked about the actual height for multi-family, but the
single family, all the other proposed residential developments, as well
as the accessory structures were not discussed.
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February 7, 2008
So if we are going to be going with actual height, staff would
request that we can be specific with the others. If not, it will just be
another back and forth talking, trying to get the applicants to provide.
I know that Johnson Engineering is very good and they will be
responsive, but I would like that for the record that we go through with
that.
Also, when the commission here was talking about the
interconnection, the preserves, currently they're showing 75 percent of
their preserves, and that was because of the interconnection to Verona
Point. And they had originally had that area set aside as preserves
area. But the LDC, as well as the GMP, requires that preserves be
contiguous. So when we're here working and maybe doing some site
development alterations, we want to make sure if part of your
stipulation would be, or if we could get them to agree to it today
would be great, that the applicants have -- the remaining preserves will
be defined not only at the next development order but that they will
also be contiguous to the current preserves to meet the GMP and LDC
requirements.
And staff recognizes it is going to be difficult because of that
interconnection, but that interconnection is also needed. So it just
needs to be presented here and discussed with the applicant for that
reason.
And then I wanted to mention with the school, their interlocal
agreement, we do have in the PUD document Exhibit F, Item F, which
is the developer's commitments, Exhibit F, Item F talks about paying
fair share. And if the board wanted to -- not only does the county --
are we aware of this agreement, the standards were put in before the
agreement was approved, but we could, if the board agrees, to modify
Exhibit F, Item F and cull out that intersection specifically so that it
not only guarantees that the school board has assurance that that
intersection in itself will be, but it will be in the PUD as well, so there
will be no discussions down the road if that is the intersection. So we'd
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February 7, 2008
like to have that incorporated under that. Transportation service had
offered that up into that area, and they would like to see it there.
If there's any other ques -- oh, I'm sorry, one more. On the master
plan they talk -- they show you here, there's the black arrow for -- by
Livingston Road. And it says the proposed access, but underneath it
says no compensating right-of-way. And that conflicts with the
developer's commitments. And what we would like to do -- right, they
have on your master plan --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Laura, would you let her finish her
presentation? If you guys want to rebut, you can do so.
MS. ZONE: Thank you, Commissioner. What we'd like to do is
just on that, instead of saying no compensation right-of-way or
compensating right-of-way, we would like to just say potential turn
lane and leave it as that.
They're going to be modifying this master plan, I have a feeling,
so we would like it just to have potential turn lane and leave it at that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MS. ZONE: If you have any questions?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah, you said something that
fascinated me. I'm looking at the master plan and I see the preserve,
and you were stressing a point about making sure the preserve were
contiguous.
MS. ZONE: Uh-huh.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Do you have any inkling that
they intend to interrupt the preserve as it is outlined right there?
MS. ZONE: No, not the preserve that's outlined there. That is the
75 percent that's required for them to illustrate to us on this master
plan.
But I want to make sure that the other 25 percent is contiguous to
this and that it is discussed here, and that they do not try to put the
preserves maybe up in the north or into another area. We want to keep
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February 7,2008
it consistent with the LDC and GMP requirements, So that is why
we're requesting that.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Excuse my ignorance, but the
other 25 percent is scattered then, is that --
MS. ZONE: No, it hasn't been determined. And they have agreed
to do it during the time of development order. But we want to ensure
that it is --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Now I understand.
MS. ZONE: -- contiguous.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We need to slow down a little bit.
MS. ZONE: I'm very sorry.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We're starting to move a little too fast, so
let's --
MS. ZONE: I'm very sorry.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: And now I understand you.
MS. ZONE: You want me to repeat that what I just --
THE COURT REPORTER: No, thank you.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark, I --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Ms. Caron, then Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I want to go to the Growth
Management Plan consistency issue. Because in discussions with
people in compo planning yesterday, unless the two commitments that
are made in the body of the second paragraph on Page 4 are adhered
to, then it is their contention that this is not consistent with the Growth
Management Plan.
And both -- in the final paragraph you say that it is as well as in
rezone findings. You say that they think that it's consistent. And
they're telling me it's not consistent unless those changes are made.
MS. ZONE: Right. And I've been in discussions with them, and
it's a matter of wording on paper. Staff -- the GMP Policy 7.3
encourages interconnection. The Growth Management Plan does not
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February 7,2008
direct where the interconnection would be, if it's pedestrian or if it is
for traffic. As well as the LDe.
Working with transportation who reviews for that purpose that
policy, they work with the applicants to do the interconnection to
Verona Point to meet the Growth Management Plan's recom -- policy
for interconnection.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Before you go too far, her question
might have been a little simpler. The GMP you say requires -- or the
staff is saying requires connection. Is that a true or not true statement?
MS. ZONE: No, the GMP encourages, it does not require.
And in terms of consistency, they do meet the Growth Management
Plan and they have done an interconnection to Verona Point.
We have Tom Greenwood, who is with the Comprehensive
Planning Department. If you would like, he's willing to come up here
and talk further, as well as Nick Casalanguida, our Transportation
Planning Director.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, let's talk to Tom.
MR. GREENWOOD: Good morning. For the record, Tom
Greenwood, Comprehensive Planning.
The memo that was distributed September of last year, five
months ago, pointed out that -- in fact, the recommendation in the
memo was that unless the interconnects are provided to east and west,
the plan would be deemed inconsistent with comprehensive planning.
I think the word inconsistent at that point in time was perhaps
overkill.
The reason for the staff report that way was to get a dialogue
going between the developer, Brandon, and the property owners to the
east and west to provide -- what really is a goal is to provide public
access of pedestrian and/or vehicular to the surrounding properties.
The property to the east, as has been discussed earlier, is essentially
landlocked.
But again, I would say the best phraseology would be is
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February 7,2008
encourage. And that's the way policy 3. -- 7.3 reads. I'll just quote it.
All new and existing development shall be encouraged to connect
their local streets and their interconnection points with adjoining
neighborhoods or other developments, regardless of land use type.
And again, I think that's something worthy for this group to
consider and address. And it wouldn't necessarily be specific to this.
It's probably specific to any other similar situation where there are
properties that are being isolated. Is that in the public interest? I think
that's a question that has to be answered.
COMMISSIONER CARON: But to that point, in the public
interest, if you are suddenly going to landlock somebody, it becomes
more than just a public interest. And encouragement is good, but the
whole point of our using the phrase in the Growth Management Plan
of encouraging people to do things was to provide the maximum
amount of flexibility for people. Not that they could avoid doing
certain things, unless there were some overriding reason not to, but to
provide flexibility.
So I would say that your phrase of inconsistent is absolutely
correct.
MR. GREENWOOD: Yes, it is. And again, the word
encouragement is in the growth management --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Right.
MR. GREENWOOD: -- Policy 7.3.
And this is a situation that maybe occurs, I don't know how
frequently it occurs, where there's a property that's being isolated by a
development that's being proposed.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Almost never. It is happening, so --
MR. GREENWOOD: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Klatzkow, can you tell us if the
word encourage in the GMP means shall and is required?
MR. KLATZKOW: It doesn't mean shall and it doesn't mean
required. But I would have no objection ifthe planning commission
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was of the mind to require interconnect as a condition. Now, whether
or not the petitioner would object to that would be up to them. But
that's your prerogative, to require that as a condition of your approval.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. The inconsistency part of the
GMP then, is staff now changing their mind that the staff report we
have in front of us is again wrong and that it is inconsistent, or is it
consistent?
MR. GREENWOOD: I would say the word inconsistent is
inappropriate in the staff report, okay, based upon the phraseology of
Policy 7.3.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. I have more to go on that, but I
see others have questions so I'll defer to them first.
Mr. Kolflat then Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Well, then we could argue that
term about consistency or inconsistency, but still the consequences of
landlocking some landowners to me is a very serious matter.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And that's -- I want to talk to
Melissa.
Melissa, in the review why can't we show an easement into
these? Especially these two, two-and-a-half acre properties. I mean,
we know that if we go with what we do today there's a problem.
The reason I know we know it is recommendation number three
is they have to the pay for any legal challenge.
MS. ZONE: Certainly. And --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And why put those homeowners
into the position that they have to have a legal challenge to get access
to their site? I mean, why don't we just show the easement and be
done with it? They could build at least a single-family home in there.
And maybe based on today they could put a 10-unit, you know,
apartment or something in there.
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February 7, 2008
MS. ZONE: We -- staff would definitely welcome that they put it
in there. There is nothing that specific in the LDe. I know
transportation service division reviews and looks for those easements.
Staff is always in there.
But, you know, it's very difficult to require something that isn't
spelled out. But you also don't want to spell out every minute thing.
And you can encourage --
MR. BELLOWS: Yeah, for the record, Ray Bellows.
When staff is analyzing a project and we have a growth
management policy that says encourage where feasible, staff is to
explore that. And if they feel the conditions warrant, then we can
make that recommendation. And if the applicant disagrees, then that's
something we'll bring to the planning commission and board.
But if our staffs professional opinion it's warranted, we can put it
on there and recommend it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But Ray, one thing is, that
policy, I think the intent of that is to connect developments to avoid
using public streets.
MR. BELLOWS: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, it's not to overcome
landlocking somebody. So that's a totally different legal issue and an
issue that I think we have we need to address here because we know
it's happening.
So my concern is why aren't we showing on this site an easement
into those two properties that are definitely going to be cut off?
MR. BELLOWS: For the record again, Ray Bellows.
It's my understanding that these properties to the east aren't
completely landlocked. There are options that was spelled out by the
petitioner this morning.
But if staff feels and transportation feels there's a reasonable need
for an interconnection, then we should be able to make that
recommendation.
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February 7,2008
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. And then the next topic,
the preserve. In the original design that whole area is preserved.
MS. ZONE: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Essentially what they did is to
make this interconnection they took a big area of it off. Now they're
talking about even developing on it. But they took it off and you still
don't know where it's going to go and that's your concern.
MS. ZONE: Right.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: If they put the road through the
preserve a' la nice country lane, wouldn't that not be considered
contiguous?
MS. ZONE: Well, I mean, there is some language that eludes to
that, but it's not something that staff would like to support. Because
you're separating the preserves, and that isolated preserve might not
have a strong of a chance to survive. Where they could go that
roadway network, there's certainly some property there where they
could go to the east of that connection to Verona Point, as well as
some of area just west of the preserve.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But Melissa, let meet interrupt a
second.
MS. ZONE: Certainly.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: My point is that, you know, the
road could be nice going through the preserve. The preserve also is
alongside Livingston Road, which means all of us in the community,
all of us, get to enjoy the nature of the preserves. So to do a scheme
like we're proposing that would take that away to me is, you know, a
bad answer. So I don't mind getting access through the preserve.
And why wouldn't you then -- you could count both sides of that.
Even count the right-of-way. Just, you know, consider it country lane
and part of a country preserve. You've already testified that the water
flow's been ruined in this area. And we could recreate it anyway with
culverts and things.
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February 7, 2008
MS. ZONE: I would like to ask Susan Mason from
environmental services to come up, because I know she's very strong
in terms of not -- to making it contiguous and not to split it up. And I
think it would be important for her --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron has a comment to make.
MS. ZONE: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: I just -- I don't think that putting
roads -- and this would not be a country lane; I mean, it would be a
road to serve this PUD -- is allowed in preserves.
Susan, maybe you can comment further.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, the question was, are roads
allowed in preserves. And I guess Susan, you're the answer person on
this one.
MS. MASON: Goods morning. For the record, Susan Mason
with Collier County Environmental Services Review.
Roads are not an allowed use through preserves, so it would
effectively -- and all functionality of that area would be disrupted.
There wouldn't be an ability to -- it would restrict the ability of
wildlife to cross. There's potential Big Cypress fox squirrel on here.
That would not meet the definition of trying to increase continuity and
connectivity.
Originally their proposal was with the interconnect going to the
south towards Verona Point, that was going to be included in preserve,
and they actually exceeded their minimum requirement of the 11.8
acres, I believe it is. And when transportation issues came up, that was
removed, and that was why they were going to designate that later.
But that was actually the area that both staff and the applicant
agreed upon as meeting the requirements. And it would have been one
large contiguous preserve. And we try to avoid any interruptions
unless it's unavoidable.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So what you're saying is they were
willing to have a preserve all the way to Livingston Road, but because
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February 7, 2008
transportation would not allow a left and right turn at that location
where they want their main entrance, the preserve now had to be
trashed and an access lane has to go down and tie into Verona Walk
(sic). Does that sum it up?
MS. MASON: I don't know ifI'd use those exact words, but there
was a conflict between the transportation requirements and the
application of the environmental, and compromises are made to fulfill
both as best as possible.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So Nick in his pristine road seems to still
be dominating this whole argument, now that we're getting down to
the bottom of it. I guess we'll have to debate that in a few minutes with
Nick.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And Mark, let me still have the
floor.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead. I'm sorry, Brad.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The concept of what this road is
going to do now, as you're coming out of the development, you would
have only a right-in and right-out without this extra access point; is
that right?
MS. ZONE: Can you clarify which road you are referring to?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The big black arrow is only
going to be -- you can only go in that, obviously making a right to go
in the development, and then coming out of the development you can
only make a right.
MS. ZONE: Right-in, right-out. And it's a temporary access.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: What do you mean?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: What do you mean temporary?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Whoa.
MS. ZONE: It has it in the PUD document that once the
connection to Verona Point is complete, then that will be removed.
That's why we wanted just potential turn lane and nothing else there.
But I also want to put, before Nick gets up and speaks, the
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February 7,2008
applicant has said they will agree to contiguous preserves. So they
have agreed to that. And they will also mention that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, Melissa, let me stay with
you for a second.
So if that's the case, then the only entrance to the south into this
project will come through the Livingston Road entrance at Verona
Point. That will be their essentially main entrance, put their sign on it.
So it can't be 20 feet one way at that point. I mean, obviously
you're building -- you're taking the easement that you now show
coming out of Livingston. Why aren't you just running that along the
southwestern edge of the property then?
MS. ZONE: I think that Nick would probably be able to --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
MS. ZONE: -- answer your question.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: For the record, Nick Casalanguida,
Transportation.
Interconnection is recommended. And where feasible is that idea
that we have in the LDC. And it does take traffic off the roads, it
makes projects function better, it makes the road function better.
The arrow that you see on Livingston Road, we don't want them
to have a driveway on Livingston Road. We compromised. We said if
you're willing to go to an access point that was predefined in a prior
project that has an access easement, because we planned for it, that's
where you come in.
The agricultural piece that's south of their preserve, eventually
we'll want access as well, too.
So we're with (sic) agree with the applicant to say make that a
20-foot wide driveway coming out only. When we work out with the
neighbor that extra little sliver you need, that would turn into full
access for both of you. And then Livingston right-in only would go
away.
And that was a fair compromise that they've agreed to and we've
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February 7, 2008
agreed to and it provides for better circulation in the future.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So Nick, but look at the design
of that down there. Does that have a light on it, or it's just a --
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Signalized.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. So that's a great place for
everybody to go in and out?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: What if you took that
right-of-way -- and right now the way it was laid out with half being
on the church and half being on this property wasn't, you know, good
forethought, I guess -- and ran it -- well, I guess I'd cut the preserve in
half. Never mind, the testimony that you can't cut a preserve in half --
MR. CASALANGUIDA: It's not the preserve, it's that corner
where you see that arrow at the bottom of that. There is a 20-foot
missing strip that you can't get past.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Now, I guarantee you, when that
development comes in they're going to be seeking access. They have
the same problem these folks have. So it's a matter of time.
And I think in the next 90 days transportation will approach that
developer or landowner and say it's in your best interest now to
facilitate that.
Hopefully by the time we go to construction that Livingston
access won't even be there and we'll have worked this whole thing out.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. And then where do you
think -- is the road where it's shown where you think it should be? I
mean, that's a good location because of cars coming in off of
Livingston and people cutting across them to go south.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: And there's a couple --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But once you close that off,
that's not necessarily a good location.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: The one at Verona Point is not a good
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February 7,2008
location?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No, the one coming into our
project. This project.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: The dark arrow?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The light arrow.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Dotted line.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: In other words, when it's first
built, it will only be southbound.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Southbound only --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Therefore you have to pull it
back from Livingston Road so that it's not dangerous.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: When it's first built it would be
southbound only coming out.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: And it would work okay. The dark
arrow would be an in only for their project coming in off Livingston
Road, so you wouldn't have conflicting traffic there at all because of
the width restriction.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. But you would have
traffic that's going to go southbound crossing that lane to get into the
southbound 20 feet.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: It's signalized. And if you're talking
about that throat depth on Verona Point, you have enough there you'd
probably stop control of Verona Point traffic coming out so you
wouldn't have any conflicts there.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No, I'm just -- I'm talking about
the southbound road. Everything is on this site --
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Is that you have to -- as you're
coming south on the stem road in this project, you have to cross the
traffic that's coming in to get to the southbound road.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: No, you're coming southbound on that
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road right now. You take a right and then approach the signal and go
wherever (sic) direction you want it to go.
That would be an internal stop control or just traffic control
internally.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But if we did not have the
temporary thing and we pushed that road over more towards
Livingston again, you know, creating more preserve, I mean, why
don't we just do that now, or is it totally because we don't have a good
interconnection at Verona Point?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: You couldn't physically make that
work, what you're suggesting. In other words, that temporary access,
by eliminating it and sliding it left over the southbound road, you
couldn't do that.
This scenario has probably been worked out with transportation
numerous times to make it the best possible scenario that's there.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: All right. Thank you. I'm done,
Mark.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, anybody else at this point?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Nick, I've got a couple of questions now
that you're up here and being so helpful, trashing the preserves.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: That will be in the paper somewhere.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Transportation trashes preserves, Nick.
In our LDC -- let's forget about the GMP, I know the word
encourage now can mean all different kinds of things. But in our LDC
we have a section -- and I know that in one of the letters that was
provided, and this is what got me looking at this, by the neighboring
properties who were concerned -- they referenced that they were told
Section 4.04.02(B)(3), and they quoted (B)(3) as applicable
requirements for interconnections, but actually that doesn't apply to
this project because that's only for mixed use activity centers. So
wherever they got that information, it's wrong.
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February 7, 2008
But in doing a search on the LDC, I did find Section 4.07.02,
design requirements under PUD's. (J)(4). And I want to read it to you
and tell me how you feel it fits this project or it doesn't.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Sure.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Principal vehicular access points shall be
designed to encourage smooth traffic flow and minimum hazards to
vehicular or pedestrian traffic merging in turn lanes and/or traffic
dividers shall be required where existing or anticipated heavy traffic
flows indicate need. The interconnection of collector and local streets
within the PUD to adjacent lands or developments shall be required
except where determined by the county manager or designee that
interconnection is not feasible or warranted due to existing
development patterns, transportation network needs or the like.
Now, in reading that it seems to be -- it says shall be required.
And that seems to apply to this internal road connecting to adjacent
properties. Is that a reasonable assumption?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Where feasible. And I think if you're
talking about the landlocked parcels --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: -- we've spoken to the gentleman that
represents all those people. You can provide interconnection. What
we've said all along to the developer, he's entitled to be compensated
for that. Compensated in many ways. For the road he's building, for
the loss of the land use. It's in Florida statutes that he can do that.
And I think they're willing to do that. I believe the landowners to
the east are. So providing interconnection. The only thing that comes
into play that the landowner that's developing the property brought to
my attention is what kind of development that I don't control is now
going through my neighborhood? And that's a legitimate concern I
think he has. And I can't address that as part of transportation.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Well, let me read another one.
Under 6.06.00, transportation system standards, 6.06.01(B). The street
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layout of all subdivision or developments shall be coordinated with
the street systems of the surrounding areas. Adjacent properties shall
be provided with local street interconnections, unless topography or
other natural features or other ordinances or regulations do not allow
or require said connections.
Is that applicable to this development?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: We think it is. I think the Florida
Statutes covers that as well, too.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. 6.06.02, sidewalks and bike lane
requirements. (B): All developments required to provide
interconnections to existing and future developments must dedicate
sufficient right-of-way or easement for all required roads, sidewalks
and bike lanes.
I guess that helps understand the size of it. And now where I'm
leading is if an interconnection were to be provided to the lands to the
east, it would seem to me that south of lake two, adjacent to that
northern property line of that parcel they don't own, a 60 -- a 50 or
60- foot wide dedicated easement through there would actually provide
the access to anybody to the east that worked their conveniences out
or their needs out to get there.
And then we're back in the game as far as having the
interconnection provided. It's a very short piece of land, it's not one
that interferes with any residential properties, and it's along a lake
edge that is being unused for view amenity. I don't know, it seems like
a logical way to resolve the issue.
Has anybody suggested that, or do you see any concerns with
that offhand?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: It could work. Again, you get into
property rights that transportation doesn't get involved in.
I guess reading the Florida Statutes, I looked at it when this
project came up. It says you can petition and require access and you
have to compensate the landowner for the access that you're
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petitioning for. It gets into all these legal requirements that are way
past me and what it would mean or how it would applied.
Again, the concern they've expressed to me, which is not my
department, would be you're providing access to a project you don't
control, and depending on what they develop there and how it would
affect their property values. And I don't have an answer for that.
Would make sense, and I think it's required by the statutes and our
codes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Thank you very much.
Any other questions for Nick?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you, Nick.
We're back to Melissa. And she had finished her presentation and
we were questioning on issues involving her report.
Does anybody have any comments further for Melissa?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Melissa, I do.
The rezone findings. By the way, they're written much better.
Huge improvement.
MS. ZONE: I keep trying.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, they're much better than -- they
weren't boilerplate, so that's good, and they were very well thought
out, so I wanted to let you know.
MS. ZONE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The access issue, though, didn't seem to
be addressed in any of the answers to the rezone findings, and I was
wondering why, if staff feels so strongly about it.
MS. ZONE: This was -- this has been through several discussions
with our county attorney's office, transportation, compo planning. They
had multiple questions.
They have met the interconnection intent of the GMP. Where
staff would like it, you know, is a matter of difference. And this is
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what is the basic questions and so it was not culled out in terms, but it
was discussed in the staff report.
And so for just terms of meeting the LDC and GM -- and the
Growth Management Plan and the Land Development Code
requirements, which are in the findings, staff wrote the responses to
meet that. And then the issues we put in the analysis of the staff report.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: For the record, at the time this was
being reviewed as well, too, there were multiple landowners. Now
they're saying today that they're unified in providing a cont -- you
know, requesting an access point.
At the time we looked at it, even comprehensive planning staff
Melissa or myself says we can't address those concerns if you have
seven landowners that aren't speaking to each other and trying to all
seek access.
So what I'm hearing today is they're unified and they're trying to
work with a developer on that. That may be a different story.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
But Melissa, in this 4.07.02(J)(4) section that I read a little bit
earlier, basically it leaves the determination by the county manager or
designee whether an interconnection is feasible or warranted.
You seem to have indicated to us that staff has indicated it's
warranted. Is it not feasible?
MS. ZONE: Well, if you're asking me, I believe it should be
feasible as well as warranted.
But again, we defer to a division that reviews these and has a
much stronger knowledge in this area, and so with transportation, we
relied heavily on their analysis for that interconnection.
I addressed my concerns. We met many times once this petition
was brought to me. But again, we always defer. Unless there is some
compelling reason why we would be different, then that would be
culled out.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So the opportunity for the county
manager or designee to express their concerns in this issue, you
deferred to the transportation department; is that a fair statement?
MS. ZONE: That's a fair statement.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Nick, could you come back up for
just one -- I need you to answer a question for the record.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Could you, as the designee for the
county manager in this regard, provide us with any information
regarding whether or not an interconnection pursuant to Section
4.07.02(1)(4) of the Land Development Code is feasible or warranted
due to the existing development patterns and transportation network
needs.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: It would be feasible only if we could
determine and evaluate where that -- you give me a specific location
now. So that section of the code talks about where feasible, ifthere's
any land impediments, if there's preserves or things like that.
So if you want me to evaluate an interconnection, I would ask
that it be a specific location and so that it would meet all those
requirements. But I would say if you put an interconnection, it could
be considered feasible if it didn't impede or conflict with those
restrictions that were in that section of the code.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do you feel it's warranted?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: It's warranted. It's -- I'm dealing with
private property rights, not one development to another. I'm dealing
with a development and five different landowners. So asking me if it's
warranted is a tough question to answer.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, Nick, I know I'm putting you in a
spot and I know it's not the best thing to do. But I'm in a position here
today, and we all are, that we're relying on the interpretation of the
Land Development Code which relies on the county manager or his
designee to make determinations prior to getting here today --
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February 7, 2008
MR. CASALANGUIDA: I'll answer the question.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- and I need the determination.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: I'll give you the determination.
If it was a unified access request from five landowners tying it
into this roadway, it would be required. We would say that that's a
justification for an intersection.
If it was five different landowners petitioning for all single access
points along that roadway, I would say that that doesn't meet that
requirement, that they'd have to become unified, requesting a unified
access point sharing in that access.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And prior to today you've had no
positive request of you by unified landowners then that you felt was
either feasible or warranted?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark, I --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, Nick, let me ask a
question. We use the word interconnect, and I'm not even sure what
interconnect means on this project anymore.
Essentially what that was is you had two projects side by side
that had access to public roads. Interconnect is what connects those
two projects. So we're not talking about connecting these little
landlocked landowners using interconnect as a cure, are we? I mean,
that doesn't make sense.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: It's not that you're using it as a cure.
You're using it to facilitate the transportation network. To me the idea
behind interconnection is you reduce the amount the driveways on a
roadway, you bring them to locations such as signalized access points
where they can be metered out appropriately so you could have the
main arterial function properly --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But the ability for a project --
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February 7,2008
you know, prior to interconnection that project would also have to
satisfy access to a public road system.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The interconnection is a
secondary means of transportation between those two things, not the
prImary .
MR. CASALANGUIDA: It can be. I mean, it can connect to
another development that has access to a private road system through
an easement.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: It could be the most convenient.
But it's really -- you wouldn't have interconnection unless you had the
first, which is connection to the public right-of-way.
So I think the word interconnect doesn't apply to these, quote,
landlocked parcels.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Well, they're not developments. That's
the problem, you get into single-family lots. That's where you get into
a little bit of a gray area what we're talking about. It's not a unified
project. It's getting into trying to solve access issues for single-family
lots that are abutting.
I know, I dealt with this in Immokalee area where there was a
person that bought a landlocked parcel and couldn't get to Immokalee
Road through the Collier lands. And there are provisions in the statute
that you can petition them and then provide fair compensation back to
that. That's why it becomes an issue when you're dealing with
single- family homes.
When you're dealing with one development to another it's more
clear cut.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But here's what I'm thinking is
that legacy, most communities develop grid road systems. We've since
then have encouraged the use of PUD to, quote, make creative
developments.
And so maybe what we're looking at here is that this is not an
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area where a PUD will work; we should go back to a different road
system, one that would focus it at lights. And, you know, to have a
PUD choke off access to other people may mean this is not a place
where a PUD makes sense.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Well, if you look at some of the
landlocked parcels, they're choked off by their own nature. They're
just landlocked parcels, period. It would be whether this PUD was
here or not that they'd be seeking that same access out to a public
road.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And, you know, paying taxes
and waiting for some day a road system like every other town would
have, a grid system will come by the front of their property.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: There is nothing contemplated on the
short-range plan, the long-range plan to deal with --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: They can wait a while.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: -- access. Yeah.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of Melissa's
presentation at this point?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Melissa, thank you.
MS. ZONE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Ray, do we have any public
speakers?
MR. BELLOWS: Yes, we have two speakers. First speaker is
Craig Blume, to be followed by Ray Martinique, I think.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Mr. Blume, would you come up
to that speaker there. And if you could, try to limit your discussion to
five minutes. But we do have latitude, so --
MR. BLUME: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- go ahead.
MR. BLUME: As stated earlier, my name is Craig Blume, I'm
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with the law firm of Craig D. Blume, P A here in town. And I represent
five of the landlocked owners that are to the east of the proposed
Brandon PUD.
Specifically my office represents the Forszpaniak landowners,
identified under Folio No. 00149040002, that's tax folio number. The
Haleakala Capital Partners, Ltd. under Tax Folio No. 00150720007.
The Govig owners who are identified under Folio No. 00150240008.
The Harazian owners, who are identified under Folio No.
00148440001. And the Rahmans, which are identified under F olio No.
00148360000. Each owning a two-and-a-half acre parcel located to
the east or a combined 12.5 acres with a current ST, special treatment,
overlay designation of their land.
Essentially these property owners are in agreement that -- to
provide amongst the individual property owners private easements to
travel to and from their individual properties.
You'll note that there was a comment earlier by Mr. White that
access may be provided through other potential sources. We've
explored those other sources already. We have contacted a Mr. Mark
Zewig (phonetic), who is in the real estate division for FP&L.
FP&L has an easement running to the east of my property owners
that runs north and south, and although FP&L does not oppose an
east-west right-of-way access across the easement, it does strongly
oppose any north-south traveling of vehicular travel along the
easement. And their stated reason for that and reliance on that is a
recent case that was resolved apparently in district court in Fort Myers
which prohibited -- where the judge found access for a private
landowner to go through a gated community and found it was in the
public's interest not to allow private vehicular traffic to travel north
and south on an FP&L access easement because of the risk of an
accident to a power line that could cause severe damage to the greater
public.
We have had some limited discussions with the developer and its
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legal representation, both concerning purchases of the property as well
as proposed access points. Essentially these property owners are
landlocked and we believe that the Land Development Code sections
4.07.02, as well as 6.601, as referenced by the distinguished Chair, are
on point here, and that the county should consider the choking off of
these landlocked owners.
There's no question that when they purchased this property that
they were landlocked. But as Mr. Board Member Brad Schiffer had
indicated, they are taxpaying citizens and they can wait and would
wait for the future development of the parcels. And there is an
expectation at some point in time that neighboring parcels would be
developed and the interconnectivity or the access points to roads
would be available to these landowners at some point in time.
This proposed PUD, however, chokes off these landowners with
an enhanced buffer on the eastern boundary. And with the preserves
and the lake locations where they are identified here on this proposed
master plan that is doing nothing more than hindering their potential
access. Florida Statute, section 7.04.01.2, the Florida legislature
allows access to these property owners. There's no question, or there
should be no question that these property owners will have access
some day.
So all they're asking this board to consider and address today is
what's the most practicable route for them. Let's not plan to make a
route less practicable than it is today.
With that I'll entertain any questions you may have.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, questions of the gentleman?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Sir, I've got one. You represent five or
six people?
MR. BLUME: Yes. And I can identify these.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, you already -- you mentioned the
folios, that's close enough. I know the general area you're talking
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about.
Do you know if any of them, when they bought that properties
(sic), had mortgages?
MR. BLUME: I'm not aware if any of them did have mortgages
on the property.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do you know if any of them had title
insurance?
MR. BLUME: Some of them do have title policies. I have not
had an opportunity to review to determine whether or not legal access
was insured or not. We are in the process of still gathering. My office
was recently engaged in this matter.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's where my question was going is
what you just answered.
So the title policies then, until you review those -- you didn't
bring anything to submit today that could help us understand whether
or not your landowners were aware of the situation or if they had other
accesses that may be shown on title policies then?
MR. BLUME: I am aware through conversations with one of my
clients that they were aware that their parcel was landlocked at the
time they acquired the property. However, I'm not -- and I'm not in
possession, nor is my office, of any title policies to determine whether
or not that was insured over or missed by a title company. That's
something we will be exploring in the coming weeks.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, sir, thank you very much.
Any other questions?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Appreciate your time, thank you.
Ray, would you call the next public speaker.
MR. BELLOWS: Ray Martinique.
MR. MARTINIQUE: Good morning, Commissioners. My name
is Ray Martinique. I am -- my wife and I are one of the landowners
with her family of the Harazian parcel that are one of the now
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infamous landlocked six.
And after I went to the last meeting, I believe it was in September
of last year, I didn't get a lot of positive response from the petitioner as
far as how we were going to gain access to our parcels, so I took it
upon myself to contact -- actually, I tried contacting -- there's a total of
eight parcel that are back there.
But I was and am in contact with seven of the landowners. Five
of us had decided to hire Craig to represent us in this matter.
I'd just like to make it public record that we are pro development.
You know, all of us have been paying taxes at a certain amount of
value that the land had. And to some of us, I know the developer came
in and offered a sum that, you know, just wasn't acceptable, based on
our tax rate. And so some of us had a hard time accepting, you know,
ways to make a settlement. I think there's been a little change of heart.
We do understand that -- you know, the value of our land in this ST
treatment.
But we're here basically to answer any questions you may have
for the five of us. But with all my conversations in the last four or five
months, we'd like to help these people out as much as we can and at
least if we can't get access, you know, to do something else.
But first and foremost, thank you for considering our dilemma
and recognizing our problem. We certainly appreciate it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Sir, I have a few. When you bought the
land, did you know it was landlocked?
MR. MARTINIQUE: No. This -- my wife's family had owned
the land for about 40 years, 50 years. And I can't remember exactly
what they paid for it, but -- so my father-in-law is now deceased so I
can't answer that question.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So you don't -- did you ever mortgage it?
MR. MARTINIQUE: No.
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February 7,2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So you don't have a title policy on it?
MR. MARTINIQUE: No, no.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: When you got the tax bill, did you
inquire through the tax assessor's office whether or not the value was
based on landlocked land or developable land or ago land? Or what
valuation were you paying taxes on; do you know?
MR. MARTINIQUE: We just assumed, as we seen the property
values escalating in the area -- my wife and I are fairly new to the
area, and we just accepted what the assessors was, you know, basing
their value on and paid the taxes accordingly.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do you know what the value was based
on your -- it would say so on your tax card. Did you study that at all or
tell us -- because you can appeal the value. If it says developable land
or it says it has entitlements, your value for tax bases will go up. If
you don't have those or your land's restricted, you could argue
successfully a lot of times with the tax assessor that the value is
wrong, based on the fact that you don't have the land he thinks you
have. I don't know what your tax assessment says. Is it ag., do you
know or--
,
MR. MARTINIQUE: Yeah, it is ag., but other than the fact on
that 1--
,
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It's just ago
MR. MARTINIQUE: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ag.'s about the lowest I think you can
get anywhere, so -- okay, thank you very much, sir.
MR. MARTINIQUE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark, I have one --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- before we go, and it's on the
school.
It was pointed out that the high school is overburdened right now.
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Is that something we should have a concern about, or -- it says that the
Gulf Coast High School has a capacity of 1,900 and there's 2,100 there
now.
MR. EASTMAN: I believe the appropriate time for that would be
handled once concurrency the state mandates for the concurrency
program were adopted and put in place.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: All right, thanks.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, there was a -- the applicant asked
for a short rebuttal.
And Mr. White, before you get into the rebuttal, why don't we
solve a couple of the remaining questions raised by staff.
One was the contiguous preserves. I understand you already
agreed to that?
MR. WHITE: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. The change of the language in the
north part of the master plan to go from a compensating right-of-way
to a potential turn lane. Is there a problem with that?
MR. WHITE: No. Accepted.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And the other issue on the height.
Correctly so, we had actual height, we only talked about in the PUD
of the multi-family. Staff is suggesting that we put an actual height for
the remaining elements, since they're all 35 feet. Do you have a
standard that you're looking at for all those 35-foot designations to
have an actual height of?
MR. WHITE: For the single family?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, it would be all 35 feet, whatever
you want to do. If you want to do them individually, I don't care. But
we ought to fill the blanks in.
MR. WHITE: That would be actual height max of 40 feet.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So all the 35-foot zoned height
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February 7,2008
would have a 40- foot maximum actual.
MR. WHITE: I understand this commission's desire for that, but
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, you do. Thank you.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark, can I have a question?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: On the single-family residential,
what's the concern with actual height? I mean, they have a roof -- the
zoned height's going to limit the size of the roof. So all's your doing is
-- I mean, do we have somebody, you know, doing excessive cupolas
or something? I mean, why would -- the only thing that's going to be
on a single-family house above a roof is going to be a cupola, maybe a
bumped skylight. I mean, what are we controlling?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I can give you a real life example. I had
a project come through. I do design review for a village HOA, and the
project comes through and it was a 25-foot maximum height, no
actual, they had a steeple on top that was about 50 feet high.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: On a house?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes. It didn't make any sense. It was one
of these ornate large sprawling homes and they had to have this
signature steeple. It didn't make -- well, I don't think they called it a
steeple, but that was my terminology.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: They probably called it a cupola.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So there is --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But it didn't make sense. And I just
thought that staffs right, why don't we just -- it won't hurt to limit it. If
they say they can do 40 feet, what's wrong with putting 40 feet in
there as a maximum?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, ifthere's cupola abuse,
then let's get it. Let's nip it in the bud.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So all the 35's will have an actual
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February 7, 2008
height of 40 feet. Thank you.
Now, Mr. White, did you want to rebuttal?
MR. WHITE: Yes, if! may.
I guess I'll start with the thing that we I think all need the most
help with first, and that is some clarity about the differences between
interconnections and access.
We understand that there are folks who were landlocked before
these parcels were assembled and they will to some extent continue to
be. Some of them may find that they have property that's very difficult
to develop regardless, because of the ST designation.
Our challenge has been to be able to find the right balance
between providing some clarity and direction to this commission and
to the staff, because we don't have that from the adjacent landowners.
Mr. Blume was here representing five of those property owners,
but at no point did I hear a commitment from him that they were going
to act in a unified manner as to attempting to meet with what the staff
has today you they would need some clarity on and some commitment
to in order to assure that, quote, interconnection provisions in the LDC
and to the extent encouraged in the GMP are something that they
could make an adequate determination about.
We are similarly challenged. Not only in that regard by those five
property owners, but by the fact that there are other property owners
who although they've put comment into the record about their
concerns about being landlocked, we cannot solve their problem for
them. Weare looking to this process to assist us to the degree possible
to provide some type of access, but there is no clarity as to where to
put it.
And to litter the master concept plan with multiple arrows of
potential interconnectivity doesn't really in my opinion help. There
may be some belief that we can find a more focused solution, and if
that is ultimately this commission's recommendation, then so be it.
But my point is that all of this turns on what the courts and the
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February 7,2008
general law of the state have called reasonable practicable routing.
There's nothing that yet tells us we are there in terms of using the
Brandon RPUD roads for all the parcel owners that are out there.
There's no development per se of those parcels and, hence, it is
difficult to, quote, interconnect. As was the issue between Brandon
and Della Rosa. But even in that instance it was determined that
interconnection wasn't appropriate.
So I just want to make sure that we're not in a rush to protect
folks who I agree that they should be given every right they have
under the law to not only petition you to assist in some of the problem
solving, but they themselves have to more clearly define the solution
before any of us can help them.
(Electrical power outage.)
MR. WHITE: I'm not going to comment about that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You're a powerful speaker, Mr. White.
MR. WHITE: Electric.
So just in sum, we're not objecting in any way that says we won't.
And in fact, I mean, if you look at what the statute says, that's what
activates it is if we do object.
So at this point we're not objecting except to the idea that we may
not be properly talking about interconnection in the pure sense that I
think some of these provisions would mean. That's something this I
think commission's going to have to deal with more clearly going
forward. Not only in PUD's but perhaps in the LDC itself.
Moving from that to the concerns about the EAC. The Della Rosa
project was very similar in terms of percentage and percentage of
infestation and degree of infestation in its wetlands. The concern there
was one that was I believe adequately addressed by what is understood
to be the subsequent permitting through South Florida Water
Management District.
We know that to the extent we will be creating a contiguous
preserve to the south and east of the project that we are going to
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February 7, 2008
provide the best historical flow for that cypress head that the
landlocked owners own. That is the direction of the sheet flow; that is
the direction through our preserve; those are the things that we're
anticipating through south Florida permitting we're going to do to
protect that wetland.
To the extent that roads may be required based on some
determination that that's the most reasonable and practicable route, it
may harm that water -- that wetland. We don't know.
But I just need to make sure that you understand that there have
been very similar circumstances where the EAC recommended
unanimously in favor.
I think Laura was perhaps a bit more kind than I'm -- to observe
about what the EAC motivations were, not withstanding the actual
motion itself.
It's fair to say, and I think it's still the case today, that
environmental staff believes that this is a project that meets
environmental requirements. Notwithstanding the position taken by
the EAe.
And I would -- if you've looked at the detailed minutes, in fact
the discussion on the record is one where the chair himself is the
dissenting vote, based upon his belief that that body was to some
degree intruding more into this planning commission's area of
concerns and straying perhaps a bit from the pure discussion of
environmental concerns.
So I'm not saying that those discussions were not within the
scope or jurisdiction of that body, I think that they can have a dialogue
about them. But I believe that it's the purview of this body to talk more
about the actual property development regulations, building heights,
building placements, and consider those things as part of your
recommendation.
I think lastly in that respect as to the environmental, we are a
rezoning request for a PUD. We are not seeking site planning today.
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February 7, 2008
This is a project that is just under the GMP density cap. It is consistent
in that regard, with the exception of the discussion about
interconnectivity, as to all other matters of the GMP.
We believe that it is at a type of density and a type of product
that is consistent with and compatible with the developments that are
in the area.
And unless there are any specific questions, I'd just like to start --
or excuse me, end sort of where we started when we were under the
discussion about addenda to the agenda.
In the 62 pages you received, some of you received yesterday,
are letters from many of these individual property owners. And I think
one of the things that from my reading of them that rings out clear is
that they were concerned about their property being purchased. And
so I just want to make sure that we're not somehow going to create
through this process an outcome that the market itself should be
allowed to find the proper value for.
And with that, I would just like to conclude that with respect to
Mr. Midney's concern about our offer to address affordable housing,
I've had a discussion with Mr. Chinnici and we believe that consistent
with other applicants, we feel that $1,000 per unit is something that
we're prepared to offer to address that concern, and would have no
objection to it being included as a condition or stipulation.
If there are any questions, I'd be happy to try to address them.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. White, I have one question before
Mr. Vigliotti.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Vigliotti.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I've got to start pronouncing your name
right. I'm sorry for all the past mispronunciations.
Mr. White, the enhanced buffer that was supposed to go along
the eastern side and those northern edges, we discussed that one was
going to be there, and it was simply said well, it's going to be 15 feet.
MR. WHITE: Type B.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. That's what I was getting at. So
it's Type B, 15 feet.
MR. WHITE: Right. The master plan for that northeasterly
north-south running portion of our property that abuts the FP&L
easement would be a IS-foot, Type B buffer.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
And Mr. Vigliotti, and then Ms. Caron, and then Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Mr. White.
MR. WHITE: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I really wish that you could
have worked this out with the other property owners long before you
got here. It would have this whole process a lot easier. At this point
Mr. Blume was just hired by his clients.
MR. WHITE: If I may --
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Go right ahead.
MR. WHITE: -- provide some additional information.
Mr. Blume and I have been having conversation about these
properties for I would say at least six weeks, closer to perhaps eight.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Do you feel at any point in the
future you'll be able to work something out with Mr. Blume and the
clients, or are you just at an impasse?
MR. WHITE: I believe that it is possible we may. Certainly if
this petition is ultimately approved, it puts the property owner in a
position to be able to I think more effectively negotiate not only
potential acquisitions but arguably to the extent that there may be
some unified posture taken by the individual owners that an access
point could be located.
So I think that there is potential, great potential in that regard.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Just a suggestion. Do you think
more time between you and the other property owners would help or
MR. WHITE: I don't believe so. I think we've adequatelya
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February 7, 2008
discussed the various issues of potential access points of value of the
properties. Although that's not part of what my specific representation
includes. But I'm aware that there have been significant discussions, as
there were with Center Point.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: So you're very confident then.
Okay, thank you.
MR. WHITE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron, then Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Just a quick question. When you
went to the EAC, were they looking at the plan when the preserve was
some 13 plus acres, or did they have this --
MR. WHITE: They saw essentially this plan. We were delayed a
month in getting to that.
COMMISSIONER CARON: That's okay. That's all I needed to
know.
And I am very much inclined to agree with Mr. Vigliotti, that it
seems like more time is needed for you to be discussing this with these
other property owners. And if truly you can't come to an agreement,
then that's an issue for us to decide, but --
MR. WHITE: We had encouraged -- in may respond, Ms.
Caron. We had encouraged them to even offer some methodology by
which we would be able to calculate how we could cost share for use
of the roads, the private road, in what the statute itself asks and tells us
that the judge would have to decide, or a jury.
And so I appreciate your perspective on it and I respect it in
believing that it could get the parties, if you will, to some place where
there's an outcome. But my belief is that that's more likely to occur if
we're in a position where we believe that there's a likelihood that we're
in fact going to be able to create the very roads that they're looking to
use for access.
Until we're at a place where it's a possibility or a probability, let
alone a certainty, it is far more challenging for both sides to try to
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understand what may be an appropriate value, both for the land and
for the actual costs for compensation for the servient landowner. But I
appreciate your perspective.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Patrick, do you own the land --
the dark arrow on the screen, do you own the land that that --
MR. WHITE: That -- yes, we do own the land that goes out
there. There's just a little notch of one of the parcels to the north that
we don't. We have significant frontage. And I may be misspeaking.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, you see that little
triangle? It could be part of the fire station site.
MR. WHITE: That's in fact part of the right-of-way I believe the
county owns.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The second question: You know,
what you just described, and I share the problem with Donna and Bob
is what you're saying is that you want to work out the money and then
you'll come up with the need.
But I think the problem you're going to have with me is I can't
really let it leave here until you show the need; in other words put the
arrow on the drawing. You guys --
MR. WHITE: We're happy to do that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: You guys can figure the money out
later.
MR. WHITE: We're happy to do that, Commissioner. We just --
like the transportation staff, because there is no unified point that
makes it simpler or actually achieves what the goal of the regulation
is, which is to provide essentially a kind of unified access point, we
would literally have to litter that easterly boundary with the interface
between each property owner.
I mean, we have some suggestions that I believe Mr. Strain may
bring forward that, if that's the direction of this body, that we may find
acceptable. In particular, I think the idea of an access point on the
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south side or potentially the east side going north bound, those to us
seem to be potentially viable solutions.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, we could do -- I mean,
you give me that thing with the owners and we could draw some
arrows and it's done.
But the point is, is right now this is open land. If we let this go as
it's shown, we strangle these people by that action. And--
MR. WHITE: But I guess the question is whether you're causing
them harm. We believe that by allowing the rezoning to go forward,
we're actually assisting in providing the solution and removing the
harm that they already face, because we're going to be able to assist.
That's the most practicable route --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: You know, one --
MR. WHITE: -- providing access.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- thing that -- the special
treatment area, that's not developable land, is it?
MR. WHITE: I wouldn't want to comment on its potential
developability. It is ago with an ST. It is, from the lidar maps we've
seen and aerials, cypress head, there will be in my opinion, I think it's
safe to say, significant environmental challenges.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So what if you just put access
into the -- we called it the westerly side. That's an obvious one. You
put it into that northern one, that's an obvious one.
And then what about the three guys hanging out behind the fire
station? Don't they -- your road is right alongside their southern
boundary .
MR. WHITE: We have -- there's only one property. The two to
the north are, if you'll recall, Della Rosa. Those are going to be
preserve. The Armartheo (phonetic) properties.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, so the ones --
MR. WHITE: The more southerly ones, Perchinni (phonetic) and
-- at this point I believe he may very well have a right of access.
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February 7,2008
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: To you or to another?
MR. WHITE: To both.
But we're not objecting, if the conclusion again comes to the
place where somehow that has to be provided for.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And here's why I like that,
Patrick, is first of all, the ST sites are still landlocked, but they can go
through one of these other sites. So we can pass that problem on to the
other sites. I mean, and then you guys can fight over the money, and
then we can in good conscience realize that we haven't locked these
people in.
MR. WHITE: There's two valuations that are of course in
question. One is the acquisition of the properties in fee. And the other
is any offer from them, which we've had none, to assist in some way
of calculating how they pay a portion of the road costs and
maintenance.
It's difficult, because they aren't like a true property openers
association of five homeowner owners where you have one entity to
deal with. So I understand Mr. Blume's challenge.
But we're not opposed to any legally required access being a
condition of or being shown to some degree on our master concept
plan. And I don't want to be seen as somehow objective, because we're
not.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, then let's show it. Move
on. Because here's the thing, Patrick, we don't want to do is we don't
want to landlock them. And that may give you an unfair edge on
negotiating price to them.
MR. WHITE: I don't believe so, because the court is the one
who's ultimately the arbiter of that, if we ourselves can't come to some
better determination.
But my point is if the zoning is either a probability or certainty,
then we're not dealing with an if come (phonetic) to buy something
that we may never be able to use.
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Then let's show them on the
master plan.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I mean, Brad, are you done?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yes, I'm done.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
Patrick, I'm assuming you're done?
MR. WHITE: (Nods head affirmatively.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody got any further questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
MR. WHITE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ray, we've heard everything and
everyone; is that correct?
MR. BELLOWS: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, then we'll close the public
hearing.
And the recommendation of one of our planning commission
members, I'm going to suggest that we have a discussion before we go
to motion as a process to see how that works. If so, it maybe it will
save some unneeded motion or something like that.
So on that basis, let's just open the floor to discussion amongst
the planning commission members on where any of us have any ideas
on where this should go.
And I do have -- just for the record, I've made notes. There are at
least 16 stipulations that I would want to voice in regards to this
project as we go forward.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I have --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So with that in mind, Ms. Caron and
then Mr. Vigliotti. Did I say it right again?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Perfect, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I'm getting there.
Go ahead, Ms. Caron.
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER CARON: Well, this is a very difficult
situation. But I am not sure that we are not here too soon.
I think I agree with Mr. White that for us to arbitrarily put access
points on here may in point of fact harm his client in some way.
Conversely, if we don't put those access areas on there, then we
landlock people and we should not be doing that.
It seems to me that these parties need to get together; that this
PUD has come before us too soon.
I haven't heard a lot of objections from anybody to the basic
concept of the PUD, but there are these overriding issues. And so I'm
not so sure we shouldn't be thinking about sending these two parties
back to, you know, put on their gloves together.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Vigliotti?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I think they had plenty of
chance to do it. I asked Mr. White if he thinks they should go back and
do it. So I'm going to have to vote no against this, that we do not send
it up for approval. That's my opinion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I guess what I'm struggling with
is if this assembled unified parcel, that Brandon parcel, if that were not
to go forward, would those other parcels that are in question, would
they still not be landlocked at this point? If nothing happened, would
they not be landlocked? Would they still not have a problem that
they'd have to deal with somehow, some way? And by pushing it back
in time, this development, whether it's appropriate or not, but simply
by pushing it back in time have we helped to solve a problem or to
perhaps institutionalize a problem for another 10 years or so?
I'm not sure -- I mean, if the purpose of the land is to be utilized
here in a district that allows for this particular density, they're not
exceeding it. I recognize it's an irregularly shaped parcel. Perhaps it is
so because owners of those landlocked parcels were disinclined to sell
it until they could drive a price up. I don't know that. That's a
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possibility.
But it troubles me that if we don't take some action, we haven't
helped to solve a problem either. There'd be no motivation on the part
of those owners to go any further with it. So I will proceed on that
basis.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I want to, before -- I'm going to
take a turn out of sequence, if you all don't mind, because I asked Nick
specifically questions pertaining to the Land Development Code's
requirements of staff. And I did that very carefully to get it on record
because we are here to abide by the Land Development Code. The
Land Development Code does require interconnections at certain --
based on certain actions, standards and opportunities.
Nick, in his representation as designee of the county manager,
had the ability to make those recommendations. He is standing by.
And when I asked specifically the recommendations here on this
project today, which means that as designee of the county manager, he
went through the aspects that I read on the record.
I also am concerned that how can we impose on one landowner
the lack of action and foresight that other landowners didn't have? It's
like saying the same thing could apply anywhere at any PUD in the
county where someone adjacent to it decided they wanted to have an
access exit or (sic) through that PUD. They could have thought of that
years in advance. They could have made those negotiations before this
one owner assembled all those properties. They didn't have the
foresight to do so.
Their tax base, from what I understand, seems to be ag., which is
a low tax base. It's not necessarily a great tax base. So I'm not sure that
there's any reason why this shouldn't go forward at this point, along
with a series of stipulations that have been developed out of today's
discussion. But that's my thoughts on it.
And Mr. Schiffer, I think you were next.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And my concern, Mark, is that
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this is an open area of land. There's no guarantee that a PUD like this
has to work. I mean, we're going in, these guys have a geometry
they're playing with, and that geometry I think hurts other people. It
landlocks other people. So I don't think that's the appropriate
geometry .
I see that they could easily get rid of me by putting three access
points to three sites and I'd be a happy guy. They can locate the access
points later. All's they have to do is just provide access to these
people.
Other than that, I'm going to vote no. And maybe this is a part of
the county that gets developed with a grid road system, not a PUD.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, are there any other comments
before I ask for a motion on this particular project?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, hearing none, I'll ask for a motion
-- Mr. White, this is discussion amongst the planning commission,
you've had your time. So thank you.
MR. WHITE: It's just ifthere's a possibility that we could assist
you in your decision-making, I think that --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do you have something to contribute?
MR. WHITE: -- Mr. Casalanguida may make a recommendation
that we'd be willing to agree to in terms of whether you call them
interconnection or access points --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Well, ifit helps--
MR. WHITE: -- shown on the master concept plan. If that is
possible.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Let's try it then. I'd rather get us moved
forward in a positive direction. I just don't want any more debate on
the issue. I'd rather --
MR. WHITE: No debate, sir. No, we're prepared to make a
commitment. And I think we'd just prefer to have Nick make the
recommendation so that we're meeting what you see as the LDC
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requirement.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Nick?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: What Commissioner Caron said, if
they're willing to compromise and show a bunch of potential future
connection points on their PUD master plan, say subject to the
petitioners coming forward and seeking legal access and paying their
fair share, that's a pretty good compromise. That eliminates my
concern and I think everybody else's concerns.
Putting it off to a later date, I can tell you negotiations don't go
well because everybody's trying to leverage it. Putting those arrows on
the master plan allows them not to have to come back for a PUD
amendment later and then the petitioning landowners on the sides
would just have to compensate him for whatever they would lose. And
so I think that's a pretty good compromise to solve this.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Nick, could you articulate that in a
manner that we could put as a stipulation, should we want to consider
it?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: With a little help, I guess. Ifwe show,
maybe take our master plan and put the arrows on there.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I have a question.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Vigliotti?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: All these negotiations are
happening right now as we speak?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: They haven't happened yet. But now if
these people put potential connection points on the master plan and
say to the people who are seeking access, if you pay us for the road
we're going to build and you pay us for the land we use then, you
know, that process through the legal requirement for interconnection
through the statutes, we'll provide it through our property. That's a
pretty good compromise.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron?
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER CARON: Well, I just have one question on--
in that regard.
So essentially approving this PUD is giving this developer the
right to hold a gun to these people, though, too and say this is what I
want for the access.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: No, the language that you would say
would be, you know, just and fair -- pursuant to what the statute says
is you're entitled to compensation for what you have to expend to
provide that access. If they lose a building lot, they would have to be
compensated for the building lot. If they lose --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Do we need to have some official
legal language before we do this?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I think they're going to propose
some language and we could always weigh in on it after they propose
it. So let's hear it first.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: If you show the -- you'd have to show
the con -- because you're going to have to reference those on the
master plan.
MR. WHITE: If I understand correctly what Mr. Casalanguida
and the prior discussions was referencing, that an interconnection
arrow would be shown on the southerly side of our mid lake.
Similarly, a southward pointing arrow would be shown on the easterly
side of our mid lake.
And along the westerly side of our property boundary, an
interconnect arrow showing to the south to the west of our southerly
lake. I think that those are the ones that we believe would best assist
the most number of property owners.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: And if the language was to read that
the developer would be duly compensated for any loss of land that's
required to provide that interconnection and the people that would use
that interconnection would pay their fair share towards what the
developer has built into the roadway network and agree to pay the fair
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February 7,2008
share towards maintenance, I think that solves your problem.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer, then we'll move over to
Mr. Wolfley and Mr. Vigliotti.
Mr. Adelstein, did you want to say something, too?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: No, let them go through--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, I just didn't know if you did or not.
So you'll be fourth.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Patrick, could you put that back
up a second.
Rather than bring it in where you show it up at the top, I'd rather
see -- see the "A" on that one site? We've called it the northern
property. I'd rather it -- if you draw it in where it went into that "A".
And the reason being is that it keeps it out of that special treatment
area. We would not want access to the "A" site to be via the special
treatment.
It does make it maybe difficult for the special treatment to be
developed, but I think we're doing the ecology benefit if we do even
cause that.
So I'm saying do a -- you know, head east into the "A".
MR. WHITE: If I understand correctly --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right there.
MR. WHITE: -- you would want it to come south.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: You can go any way you want,
but get to "A". You could come from, you know, head east or you can
head south to get to it.
MR. WHITE: As opposed to using this?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And then kill that. And you only
need one of those, you don't need two.
MR. WHITE: Well, I think we may actually prefer to leave both
on there and make an election.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That's fine. That's fine. This
could have been done verbally, but that's fine.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is that it, Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That's it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: In looking at that same map that
you've got up there, that center connection point, maybe I missed it,
but did we discuss the owner of that parcel?
MR. WHITE: I believe that Mr. Strain had indicated that we had
an easement along our easterly side. But our belief is that that would
provide access on the -- provide access to this property owner. Am I
correctly pointing to the --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Yes, that's the one.
MR. WHITE: Right. This would be an access that we would
anticipate would be on the southerly edge of our lake.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Okay.
MR. WHITE: And that's non-ST. So it has some greater potential
to be developed for single-family or whatever might be appropriate
under the existing or changed zoning.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Mr. Vigliotti then Mr. Adelstein.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: What we're doing now by
throwing these arrows, we're going to again put the developer in the
negotiating position with the people that live there and are landlocked.
They couldn't come to a conclusion in all this time and couldn't
resolve it. Now all of a sudden we draw a few lines on a piece of paper
and they're going to go back to resolve it?
MR. WHITE: I think what happens is that it puts us in a posture
where we're talking about what are then on the regulatory side, on the
PUD and land development regulation side, in a place where there's
the potential for a resolution. Up until now we haven't had anything
that focused where the solution may exist on the ground.
With that regulatory side coming into focus we can deal with the
real property issues of valuation more precisely.
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Okay. So you're saying now,
now within the last 10 or 15 minutes?
MR. WHITE: Probably within the last five --
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Over the past -- this is going on
for years, so within the last 10 minutes now is a possibility?
MR. WHITE: Well, I believe so.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Okay.
MR. WHITE: What I need is simply to have Mr. Blume or
someone else tell me that those are acceptable points for them and
then we can get down to the methodology which I think Mr.
Casalanguida has clearly put on the road is the typical way that
homeowners associations and other developments, when they have to
use each other's roads resolve these types of issues.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. White, this is getting very
complicated.
Mr. Blume, could you come to the microphone for a minute.
Can you -- you represent these six people and you can speak on their
behalfs?
MR. BLUME: If we could put that illustration back up, I can
clearly identify who we represent and I could speak on their behalfs,
yes.
I respect the --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You need the mic. Yeah, the mic's not
picking you up very clearly.
MR. BLUME: I represent property owners two, three, four, five
and six.
And as far as an access point, and that's all we're really looking
for these property owners is an access point, I think it makes more
sense to run an access point along the northern boundary of this
proposed preserve area, which would provide access to this parcel
here and this parcel here if we were to within these five property
owners develop private easements.
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: We can't see it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You need to use the pointer on that
overhead projector. It works for you on that one, but nobody else.
MR. BLUME: Okay. We're really addressing--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We're high tech here, by the way.
MR. BLUME: These are the property owners that I respect: Two,
three, four, five and six. This is the proposed area by Brandon for a
preserve.
If there was an access point granted here, it would provide access
to this property owner here, whom I don't represent. But it would also
provide access to these unified group of owners to develop private
easements within their land to access this area here.
An access point here leaves my group of owners one more
private party to negotiate with as far as to developing another private
easement similarly situated with this owner as well.
So I would just suggest that we have an access point along the
northern boundary of the preserve or proposed preserve area.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Klatzkow?
MR. KLATZKOW: And would your clients commit to give
access to the property owner number one and the other property owner
that you don't represent, who I believe is above number two?
MR. BLUME: I believe, if! understood the testimony earlier,
property owner number one has an existing easement, correct?
MR. KLATZKOW: I don't want to come back here again with a
vo1canization. We're giving you potentially an access -- this one
access I want to take care of everybody. And you represent two, three,
four, five, six. And you're saying that one access point will grant it and
you'll have reciprocal easements.
And all I'm asking is will you commit to the planning
commission you'll also give reciprocal easements to property number
one and the one up on top.
MR. BLUME: It's not been discussed amongst my client, so I
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February 7,2008
cannot commit to --
MR. KLATZKOW: So we could be still-- we could still be
landlocking then two people here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: That's enough.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Blume, are you in touch with your
represent -- the people you represent?
MR. BLUME: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, it's close to lunch time. Ifwe took
an hour break for lunch, could you and Mr. White and your people
come back with a better plan, better language, and a way to wrap this
up? Because if you don't, it doesn't look like it's going to survive the
day. So we probably need to get some time for you guys to get
together.
We're going to be here past lunch. Maybe we'll just come back at
1 :00 and talk about it. Does that seem to be an idea that might --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Good move.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- relish some results? And Mr.
Adelstein still wants to ask his question, so --
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Yeah, a little bit different.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, Mr. Adelstein.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: The question I have now is
who is going to decide the amount of money that's going to be put into
this? Are the two of them going to do it together or are we going to
have them tell you what it's going to cost you -- cost them?
MR. BLUME: I think there's an agreement on this issue. If the
two parties can't privately decide on the compensation, there is a
judicial procedure where the court would decide the just compensation
to be awarded for the --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: It's to be determined.
MR. BLUME: -- use of the easement.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Let them have the hour right now to
work this out and come back to us so we don't get any more
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February 7,2008
convoluted than it currently is.
Mr. White, does that seem something you can work with Mr.
Blume on, or at least try?
MR. WHITE: Absolutely.
We just have one concern about where he's suggesting it.
Because we're going to have to put out preserve there in order to have
it all be contiguous. So I'll talk with Mr. Blume off the --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, there's some people from the
county staffhere, maybe they could work with you. Melissa, what did
you want to say?
MS. ZONE: Commissioner, that's exactly -- I wanted to remind
that, they need the 25 percent contiguous preserves, which that --
where Mr. Blume was showing the arrow will affect the preserve, the
additional 25 percent that is not a good access point.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, they could also get more out of
Nick, too. So let's adjourn till 1 :00 and hopefully come back with a
resolution, and we can get back into the rest of our cases.
MR. WHITE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
(Lunch recess.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, everyone, welcome back from
your productive lunch, I hope.
During that time -- just before we left for lunch the planning
commission was discussing the parts of a motion that may yet to be
made. In that discussion we asked that the applicant and the adjoining
property owners who were having some lack of uniformity come
together and see if they could come back with something that would
actually strike a balance.
And Mr. White, I'm hoping you were successful during your
lunchtime with the other gentleman?
MR. WHITE: Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, yes, we were. And
I thank you, both on Mr. Blume's behalf and mine and my clients as
well for affording us the opportunity to do so.
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February 7,2008
I will be brief.
We have agreed to the addition of access points for
interconnection at the points shown conceptually on the master
concept plan being provided for the record, which is on the visualizer
and I will be giving to the court reporter at the conclusion of the
proceedings.
And that the costs for providing such access, as well as
maintaining such access, will be determined by the developer and such
landowners as may be desired to utilize anyone or more access point
or points. Or in the alternative, as provided for by general law.
And I believe that your staff is agreeable to that.
I had spoken with Mr. Casalanguida while we were on the break.
Rather than going through and trying to define some methodology
today, we've agreed amongst ourselves that we pretty much know how
we want to determine that. And if we can't agree, we've agreed that
we'll seek a court determination.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Mr. Chairman?
MR. WHITE: So with that and the points that are shown, if there
are any questions about where they are on the master concept plan, I'm
prepared to put that on the record and ask that Mr. Blume would
agree.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Blume, if you could come to the
microphone and acknowledge that you two had met and came to this
conclusion that would be helpful.
MR. BLUME: Yes, we did meet and I do agree with Mr. White's
summary of the agreement that's been put on the record. And those are
the access points that are directed on the master plan.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: Yeah, the only thing I would like
to happen is that this document be given an identification as an exhibit
so that it can be clearly located in the records as we go forward,
because it is one of many that are flying about.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. White, that document you put on is
the one you're going to give to the court reporter?
MR. WHITE: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is there a motion by the planning
commission to accept that document into evidence?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So moved.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Second.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Moved by Mr. Murray, seconded by Ms.
Caron.
All in favor signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
MR. MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
MR. WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries. Thank you.
MR. WHITE: For the record, I'm identifying it as Exhibit Z, just
because I have no knowledge of what the other exhibits of the
application may be.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Close enough.
MR. WHITE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
Okay, now we're still in discussion before a motion, but let me
suggest the stipulations that I wrote down before we left for lunch, to
make sure if there is a motion of recommendation we could possibly
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February 7, 2008
include these.
The first one being basically what Mr. White said, that the
Exhibit Z showing three potential interconnection arrows conceptually
will be accepted and the cost for those connection points will be
determined by the developer and the landowners who want to use
those, and/or as provided by general law.
The other stipulation -- I'll go into the regular ones now. We're
looking at a three-story maximum for the multi-family, in addition to
the 50-foot maximum.
The north and east property lines will have a 15- foot, Type B
buffer.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Excuse me, Mr. Chairman did
you say 50 or 55?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Fifty. It's as the table shows. You mean
the height?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay. But the 55 is the actual.
We're going by zoned.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I haven't gotten that far. All I was talking
about was the three stories.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That's what I was talking about,
because that's what I remembered, multi-family, 55 actual height.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. That, and then we're talking about
a 15- foot B buffer on the north and east property line.
We're talking about the multi-family actual being a height of 55
feet.
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The minimum principal setbacks will
change, as we discussed on the record.
Strike footnotes four and five of Exhibit B.
The preserves that are to be added to complete the required
minimum will be contiguous.
And the interlocal agreement between -- that the school board has
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February 7, 2008
presented as into evidence will be added as a part of Exhibit F, Item F.
We will accept staff recommendations.
Deviations that we would recommend for approval are deviations
one, three and six.
The turn lane designation on the top of the master plan will be
referenced as a potential turn lane.
We'd be adding actual heights to the development standards
table, as we discussed at the meeting.
There will be a hold hannless provided for any legal challenges
that may come about on the interconnection issue.
A $1,000 contribution to the affordable housing fund will be
accepted --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Per unit.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- as a contribution. Per unit.
And I believe that is all.
Is there anything that anyone knows that I missed?
MR. KLA TZKOW: Would you restate the deviation one, please?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The only deviations that this board is
recommending for approval are one, three and six.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I had the opposite.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, I'm sorry, the only deviations we're
recommending for denial are one, three and six.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Thank you, that makes sense.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. Glad you caught that.
Appreciate it.
MR. SCHMITT: Mr. Chairman, again, for the record, the
affordable housing payment will be made at issuing of building
permit?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Typical to others that we have in the
same category in the same manner, yes.
Any other questions, comments? Mr. Schiffer?
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COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, one thing that's still not
clear to me. During Laura's presentation she mentioned that we would
put an "R" over where the preserve used to be in the plan.
Laura, maybe put up the last -- the one that Patrick just entered,
Exhibit Z.
I'm not a big fan of -- you know, is that a -- there's a white area.
You took away the preserve once you put the road in. And I guess it's
because you can't have a country road like I want it. But is the intent
to build units in that white space?
MS. DeJOHN: Yes, there's a request to put units east of that
connector road. I don't want to draw on Exhibit Z, because that's part
of the record.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And there are wide -- I mean,
I'm really not happy with that at all. And I think the sad thing is that
it's because we need to put this road in that we can't leave it as
preserve and we run the potential of having three-story buildings or
something up against it. So I think it's something that's still
unresolved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I mean, I suggested that we drop
the -- we limit the area between the preserve and Livingston Road to
single story, but I didn't seem to get any support for that. The
applicant didn't want to do that. What does this board want to do?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, and here's really what
they're saying is that the preserve has to be contiguous, but not on
their site. When they mean contiguous do they mean to another
preserve off-site?
MS. DeJOHN: No, no.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Then your only location is there.
MS. DeJOHN: Actually, the potential for expanding the preserve
contiguously would be up -- I'm going to point to it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, point to it.
MS. DeJOHN: Northward. Visualizer. There you go.
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I mean, I would rather see
-- I mean, we have a beautiful -- Livingston Road's a pretty road.
We're going to take down the trees on Livingston Road to satisfy the
interconnection? Why don't we run the interconnection like Mr.
Murray was describing at one time, alongside -- which I think is really
dangerous. Living around Trail Boulevard in North Naples, that is a
dangerous driving situation.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Brad, I think we had testimony from
Nick that this is the viable solution to that interconnection. I think we
also have resolved that we're going to have to put the interconnection
to that Verona Walk (sic), or whatever that place is down to the south
m.
All that's already in place. To come back now and say we want to
the undo all that and make it all preserve to Livingston Road, we're
talking at starting all over again. I don't know if that's something we
can do here today.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I mean, the original
proposal showed they wanted to put preserve in there, and Nick's the
one that made them chop it with the road.
Can't the road, Nick, be further towards Livingston, let them get
their preserve in there? Look what they're going to do: They're going
to put the preserve in the middle of the site, which doesn't benefit the
community .
MR. CASALANGUIDA: How much closer would you want it? I
think we did this with environmental staffs discussion. I think it was
one of those where we honestly, Commissioner Schiffer, we spent a
lot of time going back and forth trying to --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: In the location?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: -- please everybody.
Yes sir, on that plan there.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So environmental came up with
the conclusion that it was better to remove all of the vegetation rather
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than move the road? I mean --
MR. CASALANGUIDA: No, sir. And you had said if we put the
road closer, you'd have to clear for that road anyway.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But here's what they're going to
do, Nick: They're going to see the road, they're going to put housing in
there. In other words, see the white? You put a road in there and you
got rid of the preserve. The gray space went away, it became white.
And now they're going to put residential around that road.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Well, it's conceptual. If you want--
and I'm not doing their site design. If you wanted them to wrap that
connecting road around the --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Around the property line.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Bring it to the property line.
Then they can -- you know, I'm really -- you know, the community
right now has a beautiful part of the road. The road turns into there, it
looks nice. That's going to be gone. It's going to be housing just
because you needed that road interconnect.
So, I mean, their original designs in the packet showed preserve
up to Livingston. And that's -- for the benefit ofthe community, I like
that even better than what you're making them do just to get to the
light.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Well, getting the light's a pretty
valuable -- I mean, the Verona Point PUD, when it was contemplated,
contemplated that interconnection.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'm not saying don't get there.
But I'm saying, you know, because you put that road through the
preserve and we get testimony that you can't have a preserve on both
sides of a road, I don't quite understand that. But I'll bow.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: I don't have a problem if the applicant
can design it adjusting that road as far west as possible to put the
housing on the back side of the road, if they can design it that way.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I want to put the preserve
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back on the back side of the road. I think that -- their original design
had preserve there. Now what they're going to be doing is they're
going to be connect -- actually wiping out really good developable
areas for them just to get more preserve up by that notch in the middle,
so --
MR. CASALANGUIDA: I don't know if it would have to go
back to the EAC, but I can tell you that the environment staff worked
with us on this to get to the design we have now.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, I watched it. I mean,
they were more concerned about the height of the buildings than --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You know, we're talking about a corridor
that's in the urban area, and it's already got a project to the south and
to the north. I understand your concern, Brad, but we could go on like
this all day. Maybe we ought to take a consensus as to how many
planning commission members want to bother seeing this changed and
reworked at this point and we can get past this.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And it all boils down to do we
put the letter "R" in that white space over there or not. So I'm in favor
of not putting the "R" in that white space.
And then Laura's going to push that road as far as she can to get
the preserves she needs.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, but if you can't put the "R" in
there, then they lose --
COMMISSIONER CARON: No, because they have "R" right
here now.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: I think if we did this, in talking to the
applicant, if we asked them to where feasibly put that road as far close
to Livingston as possible so that you're putting development on the
other side of it, is that what you're asking?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No, I want preserve. The
original design for this in the packet shows that all preserve up to
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Livingston Road. You came along and said whoa, whoa, whoa, you've
got to connect down to the other road. And at that time that's when
they lost the preserve. That gray area turned white on this plan.
So what I'm trying to fight for is to get the gray back into that
area as best we can.
I mean, I personally would be happy with their road going
through the preserve, but we've determined that you can't do that, that
wouldn't count. So I think that if we not allow the use of residential in
that white area, then Laura will move that road over as far as she can,
get the preserves as close to Livingston as she can so she doesn't eat
up the good residential sites in the center of the site.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray had a question.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I do. My thought is a little bit
different. I'll wait till you're finished.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Who are you addressing your question
to?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: To the people at the podium. And
I'd like to get that --
MR. CASALANGUIDA: They're okay with what you just said.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Well, let me pose an additional
item, if! may, please.
Where the heavy arrow is, okay, that's where I'm starting my
point. I would like to see a road as close to that and going along the
property line. If a road is needed to go out, fine. I'm not as much
interested in having it preserve. I think Brad's idea is very nice and
good, but if that's not plausible, and I don't think we want to change
everything right now, what occurs to me is that at the black arrow,
that's a temporary entrance, and at some point you're going to close
that up. So it would be even more logical to have that road to the
westernmost portion of the property line. And if a preserve is to be
preserved, that would make logical sense.
And I don't recall then the recalculation would be up to the
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northerly section of the preserve, but I'm not even necessarily wanting
to go there.
But if it makes sense to do that at the minimum, put the housing
then -- if we're not going to make it preserve again, put the housing on
the other side of the road, the eastern side of the road. I offer that for
whatever --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, well, let me -- go ahead, Nick.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: They've agreed to that. They've agreed
to --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But let's -- we've just had two different
things said, though. They've agreed to whatever's been said, but there's
been two different things said. Brad says move the road as far west --
the connection road as far west as possible, and whatever land you end
up with, put your additional 25 percent preserve there.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray says the same thing about
the road, but whatever land you end up with, he doesn't care if it's
residential or preserve.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Right.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So let's go from the planning
commission perspective. I think obviously Brad's idea of preserve is
probably the best. Is that a --
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Sure.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, moving the road to the west, the
applicant agrees to -- you agree to these issues?
MS. DeJOHN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Then we're there.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Good.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So another stipulation would be to move
the access road as far west as possible and the lands between the
preserve and Livingston would go preserve to the extent possible
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February 7,2008
except for that road.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That's fine.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Did you talk about minimum
distance between structures?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: You had changed that?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Okay, I didn't get that in my list
here.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, I said change minimum principal
setbacks.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Okay, good, perfect.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, are there any other stipulations
that were missed? Because if there aren't, I need staff to repeat them to
me.
Mr. White?
MR. WHITE: Under your number 13 for the hold harmless.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes.
MR. WHITE: We had agreed with Mr. Klatzkow on a condition
that if put into the PUD we believe would then allow you to
implement bringing -- us bringing forward a hold harmless, if that's
okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I just said -- well, didn't I say that?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: No.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: No.
MR. WHITE: We just had some specific text we agreed to on as
a condition that we would use as the means by which to bring forward
the hold harmless agreement.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Is that in our packet?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Klatzkow, could you help me?
MR. WHITE: I mean, if you don't want it, that's fine.
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February 7, 2008
MR. KLATZKOW: We have a hold harmless clause we've
agreed to for a stipulation.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. And what I said is that we would
-- that the applicant would provide a hold harmless for any legal
challenge.
MR. KLATZKOW: Right. Put it on the viewer, Patrick.
MR. WHITE: The actual text?
MR. KLATZKOW: Yeah.
MR. WHITE: That will take me a moment here to locate it. I'm
not sure I have it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: By the way, for staff, there's no doubt
this will be on the consent agenda.
MS. ZONE: We've already pushed their BCC hearing date back
two weeks to ensure that this being on the consent --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Good idea.
MS. ZONE: It was already anticipated.
COMMISSIONER CARON: That's your staff report with the
stipulations. Is that what he wants?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That's what he's trying to find.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You guys, we have to be careful now,
we're on the record. So she's trying to write everything we're saying.
Mr. White, did you find what you were looking for?
MR. WHITE: Mr. Chairman, I have.
The condition that I suggest and that I believe the county
attorney's office has agreed to is that the property owner will agree to
defend, indemnify, and hold harn11ess the county in the event of the
county being named in any suit brought by adjacent or nearby
landowners of undeveloped property to establish lawful access,
including defending the county's interest at hearing or trial; except that
the property owner will not be responsible for any expenses for
outside counsel that the county may otherwise seek to retain in such
matter.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is that acceptable, Mr. Klatzkow?
MR. KLATZKOW: Yes, it is.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Then unless there's not any
objection from the board, then that's the language that would be
stipulated.
Okay, I think we're finished with stipulations. And now I know
Melissa, we need you to read them back.
MS. ZONE: No, that's not what.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: What do you have, another one?
MS. ZONE: During discussion, Commissioner Schiffer had
requested that the minimum front yard with the 20 feet to have no
greater than, and the symbol which Johnson Engineering had had in
the table, staff had asked to have it removed because the symbol itself
could mean -- be construed one way or the other. So that ended up not
being part of the stipulations.
But I know that Commissioner Schiffer had wanted the greater
than symbol in the 20 feet.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: How was that -- you guys don't like the
use of the greater than 20 feet?
MS. ZONE: You know, even I caught it and looked at it
differently. And maybe have an asterisk that just says what it means is
a little bit easier than putting the greater than or less than symbols. If
that is a problem, we'll keep it as a greater than, less than.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: You're having trouble with the
Boolean logic symbol, I mean, which way it goes?
MS. ZONE: You know, even I've been confused on it. But, you
know, is it not safer to just have it as a footnote and there is no
question?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Why don't we just use the
English language.
MS. ZONE: Or that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, so we're looking at the distance
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February 7,2008
between principal -- are we on principal structures?
MS. ZONE: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So it would be not greater than.
MS. ZONE: Well, instead of the symbol greater than--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No less than, I'm sorry.
MS. ZONE: -- not less than 20 feet. Or just have --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No, no.
MS. ZONE: -- an asterisk at the 20 feet and then to state what
Commissioner Schiffer had said.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But don't say not less than.
That's different. Greater than.
MS. ZONE: Greater than.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Or go to Wikipedia, type in
Boolean logic and it will all become clear.
MS. ZONE: Again, but to be consistent with how staff reviews,
the asterisk would -- in the footnote, if the commission does not wish
to have that --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: This is--
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: You'll figure that out.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- in yada land here. Let's -- you guys
just come back, because this is -- come on now, that symbol is used --
my son is 13, he's doing mathematics and he uses that symbol.
Everybody knows that symbol.
MS. ZONE: Okay, that's fine.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Come back with something for us and
we'll tell you then if we disagree with it.
As far as the stipulations go, before you read them all back, let's
make sure there's a motion that they be -- that approval is
recommended subject to those.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I make that motion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Mr. Murray made the motion to
recommend approval, subject to the stipulations that were read.
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Is there a second?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Seconded by Mr. Wolfley.
Any discussion among the planning commission before we have
Melissa read the stipulations back?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Melissa, could you read them
back to us.
MS. ZONE: Very good.
I have the stipulations as: Number one, that the document which
would be labeled Exhibit Z, which was given to the court reporter, that
shows the three potential access points. That will be for the first
motion.
Number two --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, before you go further--
MS. ZONE: Certainly.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- the cost will be determined by the
developer and the landowner -- landowners who use that connection
provided -- or as provided for in general law.
MS. ZONE: Got it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Now we can go on to number two.
MS. ZONE: Thank you.
Number two would be that the -- for the multi-family, that the
maximum height will not exceed three stories.
Number three would be that the 15-foot, Type B buffer will go along
the eastern and northern boundary of the property.
Number four will be that the actual building height for the
multi-family will be 55 feet and -- for the principal structures.
And we have number five: The setbacks for the principal
structures, it will reflect the side yard setbacks, which were the 12, the
-- under two-family was zero and 12, 12 for duplex and--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: As we discussed --
February 7,2008
MS. ZONE: As discussed.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- you're going to put that into a table
correction that we'll review.
MS. ZONE: Correct. So the table will be revised.
Number six: That Exhibit B will have -- of the PUD document,
the tables, that footnotes four and five will be removed.
Number seven is that the remaining 25 percent, the 2.95 acres,
will be contiguous and will be shown at SDP or plans and plat
submittal.
And we will have -- number eight is that the Item F in the
developer's commitment will reference the interlocal agreement with
the school board.
Number nine is staffs recomn1endations.
Number 10 is deviations one, three and six will be removed from
the PUD document.
Number 11 will have on the master plan the potential turn lane
that shows over on Livingston.
Number 12 will be that the actual height for all the other
principal structures will be 40 feet.
Number 13 will be the hold harmless agreement and the language
that Patrick read into -- and the board approved, as well as county
attorneys.
Fourteen will be the affordable housing agreement. And we will
use the $1,000 per unit, which is the standard language that we've
been using for all affordable housing trust funds.
Then we have number 15, which is to revise the master plan for
the residential portion to be shown, and that the guardhouse and those
accessory uses to be culled out onto the master plan.
Number 16 will show that the access to Verona Point will be to
the far west, and that the master plan is conceptual. And --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Before you go further on that one,
besides showing that access point to the far west, the stipulation would
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February 7, 2008
also include that the remaining lands other than that road and access
area that is contiguous to the preserve, the preserve would continue
that direction instead of moving into the center of the site, as the
applicant had suggested, to the extent needed for the 25 percent.
MS. ZONE: Correct. Preserves will-- very good.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That's fine.
MS. ZONE: Very good.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is that comfortable with everybody?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'm good.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: It's good.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, there's been a motion made and
seconded for the stipulations as read.
Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah, just one comment before
the vote.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Sure.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: I'm going to be voting against the
motion because I feel that the GMP discourages intense development
of wetlands, even if they aren't in the best condition.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, any other comments?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Hearing none, we'll call for the vote.
All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
MR. MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
MR. WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 8-1.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Two. I was opposed.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, you opposed, too. Okay, 8-2.
MS. ZONE: 7-2.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I'm sorry, 7-2.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Greater than.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I'm going to eliminate your vote one
way or another here, Bob.
Okay, with that, we end that case. Thank you very much for your
cooperation today.
Mr. White, Mr. Blume, thank you, appreciate your participation.
I know it's been enlightening and fun.
Mr. White, the court reporter needs Exhibit Z.
MR. WHITE: I will provide that. Thank you, Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Who has Exhibit Z?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, everyone, let's get things together
here. Exhibit Z needs to go to the court reporter, whoever has that.
Item #9B
PETITION: CU-2007-AR-11394, THE CORPORATION OF THE
PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF
LATTER DAY SAINTS
So the next item on today's agenda is Petition
CU-2007-AR-I1394, the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It's for a conditional use.
State Road 29.
All those wishing to testify on behalf of this project, please rise
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February 7,2008
and be sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is there any disclosures on the part of
planning commission?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Not a --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: -- disclosure, but I would call to
your attention that in my packet at least there was no member CU
document, conditional use document.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, I--
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Mine, too.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Just in case somebody was
looking for it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Disclosures on my part. During
the break Mr. Royal spoke to me. We really didn't talk about the
project, we just said hello and that was it.
Okay, applicant's presentation.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of
the commission.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You need to get the mic a little closer to
you. That bends so you just move it up. I know you're taller than most,
so -- thank you.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of
the commission.
For the record, Matthew Vasilevski of Wedding and Stephenson,
Architects, agent for Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and
its representative Mr. James Bible.
This petition is for a conditional use on a 16.75-acre parcel on
State Road 29 in Immokalee. The parcel actually had a small -- it's
zoned C-l in RSF-3. And it previously had a conditional use for a
house of worship, which has since expired on the RSF-3 portion of the
land.
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February 7, 2008
There was a typo in the Land Development Code where we had
thought the house of worship was permitted in a C-l zone land, so
now we are trying to get a conditional use for the entire property.
The church itself is going to be about 11,000 square feet with 107
parking spots. And --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I thought it was 108. I could have
sworn it was 108. 106.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We actually have that document in our
package, so if it makes it easier, we can talk over what we have. There
we go.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Like I said, the development's going to be
confined to mostly the C-l portion of the property. The only thing
outside of that that's going to be constructed is the retention area.
That's why we were asking for the conditional use on the entire parcel.
The wetlands have been identified and we have a 1.03 area of
permanent preserve in this corner here, as identified by the
environmental staff as the optimum location for the preserve.
That's pretty much it. If YOll guys have any specific things that I
would like to -- that you would like to address, we could do that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, are there questions on the part of
the planning commission?
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Just for my edification, the
retention area or detention area, that's dry detention?
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: And so that's sloped? That's what
that's indicating, sloped?
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Sloped in the center. So in other
words we have a slope sloping down and then we have another slope
toward the what, a culvert or what?
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Yes, sir.
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February 7,2008
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: Okay, is that what that is? I just
want to be clear in my mind. Okay, that was -- that was also the actual
height of the structure. I see 35 feet. It says maximum building height.
That again is what -- pardon me. Is that zoned height? Because later
on it does talk about actual height.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: The zoned height is 35 feet. The actual
height of the building is going to be -- the midpoint of the sloped roof
is going to be just over 18 feet. But the actual building height with the
steeple is going to be --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: 67.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: -- 67. And that steeple qualifies for the
exemption.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I just wanted to be clear on that.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions?
Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: In this area, what is the
permitted sign size?
MR. V ASILEVSKI: I'm not sure the exact permitted sign size.
Basically the only signage on the building is going to be a stone sign
about three feet by five feet, which is inset into the masonry of the
building.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: But you don't know what the
permitted size is?
MR. V ASILEVSKI: I don't know, no.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: What I don't understand is why
wouldn't you take the permitted size, if you're allowed a larger size,
rather than take a small sign like you've taken.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: It's a standard church design on their site.
They don't have any larger signs that they'd like to put on their
building.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Well, that doesn't mean you have
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February 7, 2008
to use it. I thought you might want that as a backup. If sometime in the
future you would want a larger sign, it's already permitted.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Sure. If you want me to permit a larger sign,
then --
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: It's up to you. I just had a
question as to why.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Kolflat, wouldn't it be easier then, or
staff, Ray, on this sign issue, rather than him asking for a sign that's
less than code, if we just el iminated the request for a sign and he just
abided by code, wouldn't that cover it?
MR. SCHMITT: Correct.
MR. BELLOWS: Correct.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: That seems cleaner to me.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, I have no problem with that. Does
anybody else?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Does the applicant?
MR. V ASILEVSKI: No, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So the restriction on the sign, the
request for the sign will be eliminated. Number five.
Anything else from the planning commission?
Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I just had one quick question
regarding adjacent parcel holder, the property owners. You said that
there was a -- this was a church designation prior to or a place of
worship prior to and expired.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Have you had any discussions
with property owners within a distance of your piece of property
regarding any future uses for their property? Are they giving up
anything? In other words, are they not being able to do certain
establishments or anything that they may have planned for and this
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February 7, 2008
will be stopping them from --
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Yes, sir, it has been brought to my attention
that not an adjacent landowner but a landowner within 500 feet of the
property line --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Five hundred, yes.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: -- would no longer be automatically
permitted to have an alcohol serving establishment.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Has that been resolved or are
they smiling, or --
MR. V ASILEVSKI: I'm not sure at this point. I know that the
church is willing to sign some sort of document or agreement saying
that they would have no objection to it.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Well, Collier County does.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Another thing that may be taken -- I know
that the statute says that if it's a shopping center, in which I understand
that it would be, the 500 feet only applies to the exterior wall of the
building, not to the property line to the property line. And unless that
shopping center's built right on the property line, it wouldn't be a
problem.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of the applicant
before we go to staff?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you. You're spared for a
few moments.
Okay, we'll have the staff presentation.
MR. MOSS: Thank you, Commissioners. John-David Moss,
Department of Zoning and Land Development Review.
I don't have anything to add to Mr. Vasilevski's presentation.
He did say that the church was going to be about 11,000 square feet. I
just wanted to make sure that you all were aware, they're also seeking
permission for a 2,800 square foot addition.
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February 7, 2008
This project is consistent with the GMP and compatible with
LDC requirements.
I wanted to also bring your attention to condition number four.
County attorney's office wanted to change that condition after the staff
report was published to strike offer to services in the first sentence
there, just limit it to saying, the facilities shall have services between
8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. They didn't want to specify a certain number.
Also, as mentioned earlier, we're going to eliminate stipulation
number five.
And staff is recommending approval of this conditional use,
subject to the remaining stipulations.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any questions?
Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah, why don't you want to
allow them to have services after 6:00 in the evening?
MR. MOSS: Well, for the neighbors. We just didn't want it to
become a problem to the residential neighbors in the area. So that was
the primary reason.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: And what about the five clerical
and five non-clerical staff, why do you care how many people are
working there?
MR. MOSS: Because we didn't want it to be operating like a
business. They were seeking a conditional use for a church. But the
Mormon Church does offer genealogy services, and so they said that
they would have a library there with people coming in to trace their
genealogy, and so we just wanted to make sure it didn't become a
problem.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: To me that seems too restrictive.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: This is a question that maybe can
be answered either by the attorney or perhaps Mr. Schmitt or you, Mr.
Moss. Good afternoon.
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February 7, 2008
In the old conditional use there is a set of stipulations, number
six, and I thought it was really interesting that we no longer do this,
and maybe there's good reason that I'm aware of. But I'll read it, if!
may.
Number six: Prior to approval of the site development plan, the
petitioner shall submit the following: Stormwater calculations signed
and sealed by a Florida professional engineer; legal proof that the
adjacent property owner to the west will allow stormwater discharge
from the proposed project onto his or her property; evidence that the
maximum allowable discharge rates shall be per Ordinance 90-10, as
amended; and a copy of the South Florida Water Management District
permit.
Now, I presume these things as components do fall into the
package. But I wondered why we -- you know, we've been looking to
tighten the documents up and make them a little bit more effective and
making things clearer for folks. And I just wondered if that wasn't a
good thing to have in there and why we stopped doing that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is the conditional use area of the first
application the same as the condition --
MR. MOSS: No, it's different.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So the property to the west that Mr.
Murray's eluding to that had the concerns is now owned by the church.
MR. MOSS: Exactly. It's now part of this petition. And all the
other requirements there are just all LDC requirements. They're going
to be handled at the development order.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Well, I understand that that's the
case, and you made that point and I appreciate that point and I knew
that. But I was talking about more so the phrasing of this, the more
clear phrasing of it.
But if it's not impacting on anybody else as it hit me, that's fine.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Midney, you had brought up an
issue that you felt was -- I forgot your terminology, but did you have a
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February 7,2008
suggestion to fix the concern that you had?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Well, if it was up to me, I would
just strike stipulation four.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, me too.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is stipulation four in there as a result of
some kind of request by the public, or how did that originate?
MR. MOSS: No, no, it wasn't any request by the public. So it's
something that could be stricken. We just wanted to make sure we had
all our bases covered.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: That would make me happy --
MR. MOSS: But if that's something that the board would like to
strike. It wasn't a resident that asked that it be included.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You guys -- I mean, staff just included
it?
MR. MOSS: I did, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Did you have a basis for the code?
MR. MOSS: Well, like I said, Ijust -- a lot of times there are
problems associated with churches and neighborhoods because of the
tendency to have and services on days other than Sundays, and it just
becomes a problem. So rather than encounter that in the future I just
thought I would nip it in the bud and include that there. They were
amenable to it and so it just seemed like it became a non-issue.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I think the issue that he's probably
referring to is some inadvertent generated activities and noise that
have been occurring a lot in the urban area for unexpected uses that
operated outside their building and -- like Stevie Tomatoes.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah, but in Immokalee we like
church services. We probably will come in and start dancing and
singing along with it. We're not going to be mad about it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I know, 1--
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: The other thing that I don't like is
you can only have 170 persons in the service? What if more people
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February 7, 2008
show up? I mean, why are we putting that in there?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Probably parking, wouldn't it be, and
facilities?
MR. MOSS: Right, the parking was based on that.
And also, the church itself said that that was the maximum
number of members that they would have, and if it became larger than
that they would seek another site.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So is the consensus from this panel that
number four is not needed as well?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah, I --
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Four is out.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: If they don't want it, why should
we want it?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So basically four and five would
not be needed.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Right.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: The only thing, I would like to
ask --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: -- Mr. Midney a question.
Do the people of Immokalee concern themselves with it
becoming a meeting hall, should that be a problem?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: I don't see why it would.
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: Okay. Then that's fine. Good for
me.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Is there any -- do we they
intentions of putting a school there at any time, or is there going to be?
MR. MOSS: No, it's not included in this application.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Okay. I was wondering if!
missed something, because --
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February 7,2008
MR. MOSS: No.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, any others of the staff?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I have one.
Six. Now, this is an existing conditional use, it's always been
approved in the past, and it's expired. Now it comes back in and we're
asking them to spend the money on soil sampling for something that
they could have built a few years ago. And I would just like to know,
is that a requirement or could that be struck as well?
MR. MOSS: It was a request that was made by the environmental
services department, so maybe if someone is here from that
department that could --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, I doubt if know as much about soil
testing as needed for that answer anyway.
MR. MOSS: I included that under the direction.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I think that's a needless expense for this
location. I would just as soon it be struck as well. Does anybody have
a problem with that?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: No.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And in the future, if the staff decides to
add this situation, could they provide this panel with the type of
testing they want, which elements they're testing for, the thresholds
that they're looking for and the state guidance that requires them to
look at each threshold. And if they can't provide that, they need not
put such stipulations in documents anymore.
MR. SCHMITT: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir.
MR. SCHMITT: For new business, can I suggest that planning
commission provide direction to staff to look at that section of the
code and come back with a recommendation to amend that portion of
the code in the next LDC cycle. If! get direction from the planning
commission, if that's your direction, we'll do so.
Page 13 6
February 7,2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I just think that you need to tighten it up,
and I think that would be a great one to look at, Joe, so that you're not
asking someone to test for 40,000 compounds out there that are going
to cost them a fortune. Be very specific and everything would be
much better.
MR. SCHMITT: No argument from me.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Does the planning commission like that
idea, to recommend to staff to suggest after LDC review?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, I think you have a consensus on
that, Joe.
MR. SCHMITT: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Any other questions of staff at this
time?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ray, do we have public speakers?
MR. BELLOWS: Yeah, we have one speaker. Scott Royal.
MR. ROYAL: For the record, my name is Scott Royal. My
family has the 27 acres, and it's located right there.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Turn it around.
MR. ROYAL: Immokalee and 29.
We've been in Immokalee since 1952, with continuous
businesses in the Immokalee area there.
Immokalee has so little commercial zoned property that is
available. Our commercial corridor is very small for the geographic
area that we have down there.
We bought and developed and paid taxes on these parcels to be
able to do what is allowed in the C-3 and C-4 zoning district. By
approving this conditional use, it devalues our parcel, takes away one
of our highest and best uses we have, and puts a use that is not
compatible with our commercial corridor, which we have so little of.
Page 13 7
February 7, 2008
This is also our main gateway into the community from State
Road 29 from the north.
Most importantly, according to you all's Section 100800D-3, the
Collier County conditional use requirements, conditional use must be
compatible to the surrounding properties. And there is no economic
compatibility here by approving a church in our main commercial
corridor.
Why take some of Collier County's most valuable potential tax
base off the tax roll and let a non-taxable entity be placed there? We
need productive commercial properties in Immokalee that create jobs
and tax base for our community.
A lot has changed since they had their conditional use in '02.
There's been a lot of commercial building done down there in the last
five, six years along that corridor. Their use has expired.
I guess I'm kind of old-fashioned. I have a problem when I have a
vested zoning right today and the right which I have been taxed on,
C-3, could be removed by this conditional use.
Look, churches can go into most zoning areas in Collier County,
but commercial can't. I appeal to you to make the fair and best
decision for our community. Thanks.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Could you point out again--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: -- now that it's right side up,
where your property is?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Sorry.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead.
MR. ROYAL: We have this piece and these two pieces. It's a
total of 27 acres.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: How much of that is within 500 feet of
the church?
MR. ROYAL: This parcel here is within 350 feet of where
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February 7,2008
they're located.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So your southern two parcels
would not be within 500 feet of the church?
MR. ROYAL: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So you've only got one parcel that would
be affected by the alcohol restriction.
MR. ROYAL: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The main intersection, though, could still
benefit from a grocery store or the like that could sell alcohol; is that --
MR. ROYAL: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, I need to explore that a little
further with staff and the county attorney.
Anybody have any questions of this gentleman?
Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: What is this culled out for in the
new master plan work they're doing out there?
MR. ROYAL: It's in an over -- I'm not that familiar. It's in an
overlay district, but I'm not sure which one. It keeps changing.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I can attest to that. It's been eight
renditions so far, I think.
MR. ROYAL: It is the main intersection in Immokalee, and yeah,
we have commercial on both sides. I know we were concerned back
years ago because there was an Episcopal church across and
catty-corner down the street. It's been there since there was cows
around it. It's been there all my life.
But, you know, I'm not against churches, I'm just against it being
in certain areas. And this is our biggest commercial corridor there.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: IfI'm mistaken (sic), I believe that
the petitioner said that they would be willing to sign an agreement that
alcohol was not an issue for them. Now, obviously this goes against
what our code is, though, so how is it --
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February 7, 2008
MR. BELLOWS: For the record, Ray Bellows.
I'm looking at the LDC right now in Section 5.05.01.7 has some
exception. And it says, any restaurant deriving at least 51 percent of
its gross revenue from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages
shall be exempt from the distance requirements.
So a restaurant would not be affected by a church if they have 51
percent of food sales.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do you have a plan for that property?
Do you know what you'd be putting on that one parcel that's going to
be affected by this?
MR. ROYAL: We're in the process -- we're under contract on a
piece which would not -- on there that would not affect it. But the
other piece, it's slated for a restaurant/ --
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: So you're right in.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, the other piece you're referring to,
the southern two pieces?
MR. ROYAL: It's one parcel, but we're in the process of
replatting it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh. Now, from staffs perspective, if this
is replatted as one large 27-acre parcel, does the zoning restriction for
alcohol prevent the whole parcel, or is it just the building the alcohol's
sold out of?
MR. BELLOWS: If! understand the -- could you repeat the
question?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You have a 500 distance (sic) separation
between the church and the sale of alcohol. Is it to the property line of
the property, the building in which the alcohol is sold, or the building
that the alcohol is sold in or the unit of the building that the alcohol is
sold in?
MR. BELLOWS: I believe it's building to building, but I'm
double checking that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Because if it's --
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: From my experience --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- Mark, I've done liquor
surveys, it is building from building.
MR. BELLOWS: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Essentially as a drunk would
walk, I mean, is the way they --
MR. KLATZKOW: That would be 1,000 feet.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, in some cases it's door to
door, but I think in our case it's building to building.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So if this was approved, it would go
from this church building 500 feet south. Ifhe did a C-3 use and the
C-3 use was a restaurant, it wouldn't be affected by it, as long as it
wasn't a bar. But mostly restaurant, if you sold 51 percent food, which
most of your restaurants qualify for. And your two southern parcels
wouldn't be affected.
And then if they were to plat it as one parcel, the only portion of
the parcel that would be affected is that area within 500 feet of the
church. Is that a fair statement from -- anybody from staff know?
MR. BELLOWS: I'm looking.
MR. MOSS: I just wanted to add, it's my recollection that it's
from the property line of the church to the building, not building to
building. But I could be mistaken. Hopefully the county attorney's
office can verify that with the LDC.
The other thing too I wanted to say is there is a provision in the
LDC that says the shopping center could apply for a waiver, and as
long as there is some sort of buffer separating the two uses, it could be
requested -- or it could be granted, rather.
And there is a shopping center or some commercial use between
these two uses, so there would be a manmade buffer.
And then there's also a natural buffer separating the church itself
from that property.
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February 7,2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, but how is it fair that a property
owner who's been there for all these years, has had a zoning for all
these years is now going to be not compensated and harmed by a
zoning request that's going in away from him by 300 feet.
MR. MOSS: I understand. I'm not saying it's fair, I just wanted to
bring that to your attention.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, the reason -- where I'm getting at is
why should he have to be forced to go through a process that --
MR. MOSS: Right, I see your point.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- his property had entitlements for all
along?
Mr. Klatzkow, can you shed any legal light on this, or is there
none?
MR. KLATZKOW: Well, you know, I had the same question. I
didn't think it was fair, but that's what the ordinance does say. It's lot
to lot, by the way, not building to building.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh. So that means this entire lot would
be restricted from the sale of --
MR. KLATZKOW: It's lot to lot.
MR. MOSS: What about for shopping centers, though, Jeff?
MR. KLATZKOW: Well, there's a procedure where by
resolution the BZA can waive it, depending upon a certain criteria. I
know the church has agreed that they would join in on such a
resolution request.
But it's a problem as --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, it is.
MR. KLATZKOW: But I will note that this was a conditional use
before it expired, and that 500 feet would have been there then. This
isn't a new problem.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, or it may not be, but it may be one
that was just realized too for that matter. So are there any --
MR. MOSS: Mr. Strain, may I --
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead.
MR. MOSS: Yeah, it's in 5.05.01, number two, it does say, the
final sentence, except that establishments located in shopping centers
will then be measured from the outer wall of the establishment. So that
would be lot line to building, the outer wall of the building.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, but does that mean the entire
building then is restricted, or just that outer wall?
MR. MOSS: Jeff?
MR. KLATZKOW: You know, at the end of the day it's going to
be the staffs determination. I mean, I read this as lot line to lot line.
Though I don't know why, building to building would make more
sense, but that's --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Look at, this is a substantial issue. We
may be better off if the church continued this until in they came back
and the staff came back with a conclusion on what this affects with an
arc starting from the outermost point of the property southward to
show whose properties are going to be affected by it, so we can see if
there's a resolution of Mr. Royal's concerns.
That -- because right now I'm not inclined myself to think this is
a good thing to do unilaterally against another property owner. It just
isn't -- I don't see how it's fair.
Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Jeff, is there a way we can
waive that requirement on a case-by-case?
MR. KLATZKOW: No, you can't. The BZA is the one that has
the power to waive the requirement, not you.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: You know --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I mean, can we
recommend that they waive it?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: After Mr. Schiffer finishes.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, could we recommend
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February 7, 2008
that they waive it then?
MR. KLATZKOW: We don't have an application for the waiver
in front of us.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Nor advertised.
MR. KLATZKOW: Exactly.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray next, then Mr. Adelstein.
Go ahead, Mr. Murray.
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: Another thought. May seem
cruel, but the gentleman who represents the church indicated that if we
had more than 170 people we'd find another site. So maybe we're
really working a hard line right off the bat. Because if you're
successful, you should probably find 170 people out there pretty
quickly. I don't mean to be prophetic about how well you'll do, but if
that's the case and you're willing to move to another site right away, it
takes away opportunities the other person has had to pay for all these
years.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: What actually happens with the church is
not that they find another site.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: You said that, that's the only
reason.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: I didn't --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes, you did.
MR. MOSS: No, I did.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Let him finish a little bit, Bob.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: But anyways, first they expand and then
they split. What happens is the wards are a certain size and those can
only hold so many wards --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay, different story.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Adelstein, you had a question?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Yes, I do.
Could it be possible that the church itself could say no, we don't
want to do that?
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February 7,2008
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Do what?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: On this particular issue we do
not want to do that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do what?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Because these people have --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Adelstein, do what, not build the
building?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: No, no, that they would allow
the -- they would allow the alcoholic product in that space because the
church is authorizing them they can do it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Adelstein, this is an ordinance. They
can't waive an ordinance. We have --
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: We're talking about--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Adelstein, you've got to use your
microphone.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: We're talking about the fact
that they cannot -- the church has nothing to say to that at all?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, it's an ordinance of Collier County.
They can't waive a county ordinance. The applicant who is concerned
would have to file for a waiver to be heard before the Board of County
Commissioners. That's the only way it seems it can be done at this
point.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, any suggestions from the board?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I could go for a continuance that
makes sense, if they're open to that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: For the church's benefit, what you have
is a -- we don't have a lot of clarity on how far of an impact this
500-foot radius might take and then where it begins and stops. You
might be better served if you came back to us with a little more detail
after researching, and staff did, as to the impacts ofthis on the
adjoining properties and maybe meeting with Mr. Royal to see if it has
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February 7, 2008
any -- on his plan that he has, maybe there's a way that it could be
worked so it doesn't affect his plan after staff tells you what it does
impact.
Based on that then you may want to come back. And if you do
think that's viable, you should ask for a continuance now and that
could be granted. If you don't, you're more than likely going to go
forward and you may receive a negative recommendation to go next to
the next step at the Board of County Commissioners. That's up to you.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir, Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, here's the -- but he's going
to come back and he's going to be in the same condition with the
southern boundary. So alls we're going to maybe discover is the
people up north have the same problem.
Is there a way we could go ahead with this as it is, yet ifhe does
want to put an establishment that this would violate -- that the church
obliges to go in with them on that application, essentially be party to
it, to allow him relief in that case. Similar to what we kind of did with
-- I don't think they -- maybe they shouldn't pay the fees, but in other
words, I think that if in a future commission they were looking at the
church and the applicant discussing the 500 feet, that would be a
powerful team to probably guarantee success.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But I think what you're asking is then we
should tell the applicant of an entitled piece of -- tell the person who
owns an entitled piece of property for a number of years that he's now
forced into a process because of a zoning allowance of a conditional
use on a property 500 feet away.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Or we're telling a property
owner who, because their thing expired, now finds himself in the
position to allow liquor that he couldn't have done prior to that
expiration.
In other words, I think the two of them have got to become
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February 7, 2008
neighbors on it. The church has got to promise that if he really wants
to do something where you're in the way, you'll help them out of that
problem. Then I think that's better than what we had before.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else have any comments?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, Mr. Wolfley.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Ijust had one. Who owns the
property directly attached to your -- between is it Mr. Royal -- Royal's
property and yours?
MR. V ASILEVSKI: I'm not sure the same the property owner.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Is it zoned commercial also, or
residential?
MR. ROYAL: Yeah, I talked to them, they just couldn't be here.
It's Bill and April Oquin (phonetic). They're farmers down there. And
they've got it in a trust I think for their kids. But it's -- they didn't have
enough information on it to be here, and they were out of town. But
they didn't seem too enthused about it either.
The church has a large piece there. I don't know if there's some
compromise here. Could the church building be pushed back towards
the back of the piece, keep the commercial out front and have an
access road out there? You know, I see you all are able to do a lot of
compromise here, from sitting here this morning, so --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I know that if they were to move
from that commercial piece, could they get -- is the conditional use for
a church? Yeah, I think a church is allowed in residential zoning
districts as well.
They could move to the north side of the RSF-3 and possibly be
further away from any properties. That's another option. But that's
something they'd have to come back and reapply for.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: Then you would be getting into the wetland
area that --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, get closer to your mic.
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February 7, 2008
MR. V ASILEVSKI: I said at that point you'd be moving into the
wetland area and causing a whole 'nother bunch of issues.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, Mark, let me --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Could it be as simple as a
condition that the church would join any landholder in getting a
waiver of the 500-foot requirement? Could that be in there, Jeff?
MR. KLATZKOW: Well, that was my recommendation. But the
issue is you still need -- Mr. Royal will still need to have to go to the
BZA and ask for a relief.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: At the time that he needs it. I
mean, he's discussing construction that wouldn't require it. In other
words, he hasn't come here and said -- he just wants to keep that door
open. But quite frankly, that door was closed up until their expiration
anyway.
MR. KLATZKOW: That's true.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So he wants to keep that door
open. I think if the church came with him with an application, they
would definitely carry a lot of weight and probably guarantee
approval.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: I think the church is agreeable to that, as is
the property owner's attorney.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Oh, boy. You might just --
MR. V ASILEVSKI: I got a nod from him, so --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: He's everybody's attorney.
So I think adding a condition that can move forward.
But Mr. Royal also brings up a good argument, do you want a
church on that street. Mr. Royal's vision of the future is that that street
is businesses, not churches.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well--
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But maybe they're compatible.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- they've applied for a church. It's our
job to either grant it or not. We've beat it pretty much to death.
David?
MR. MOSS: Oh, I just wanted to make one suggestion, is if this
is possible, Jeff, you can weigh in on this, but that they apply for the
waiver now and that these two run concurrently before the board so
they can hear them at the same time.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, they'd have to continue then and
come back with a waiver in conjunction with this or put the waiver
through after that. I'm puzzled.
MR. MOSS: Just do them concurrently, yes. We'd probably have
to continue the board date in order to do this. Jeffs shaking his head
no so--
,
MR. KLATZKOW: This criteria that the board has defined, and
we don't even know where the business is going to be.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, it doesn't look like it can happen
simultaneously. Thanks for trying though, appreciate it.
Any other discussion, comments?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ray, is there any other speakers?
MR. BELLOWS: No other speakers.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, we'll close the public hearing and have
discussion first and then we can entertain a motion.
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Did you actually give the petitioner
the opportunity to continue this?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I offered it.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Did you ever get an answer on that,
yes or no?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: They didn't say anything. I offered it -- I
mentioned it twice.
MR. V ASILEVSKI: We wouId prefer not to continue this. We've
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February 7, 2008
been dealing with this for over a year. And like I indicated earlier, in
the LDC a church is listed as a pennitted use in the C-l district.
So it's been over a year that we've been dealing with this. And we
also had a conditionaI use, so we wouId definitely prefer not to
continue this at this point.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Any other discussion before we
ask for a motion? Anybody have anything they want to say?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is there a motion on this matter?
Anybody have a motion?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'll make a motion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I make a motion to approve with
the conditions and the added condition that the church be -- I guess
how wouId I word this, friendly --
MR. KLATZKOW: Co-applicant.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: A co-applicant on any need by
Mr. Royal -- I don't see any reason to go north -- but by Mr. Royal in
the waiver of the 500- foot requirement from a church for an alcoholic
-- and the only thing we're talking about is bars, aren't we, Ray, from
what you read? In other words, anything that had an SRS license
wouldn't be required, it's only the four COP guys that are going to --
MR. BELLOWS: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, is there a second to the motion?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion seconded by Commissioner
Adelstein.
Is there a discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I'm going to be voting no on the motion.
I think to take an entitlement away from a property owner that he has
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February 7, 2008
is not fair. I think something could be worked out, given more time,
but that's -- they want to go forward, so at this point I can't see the
basis for approval from my own perspective.
Any other comments?
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'm going to vote the same way.
Can't support it because I do agree that the church did move, things
have changed, the gentleman's been paying taxes. I think enough said.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer, then Mr. Midney.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And to you two guys. I mean,
our legacy board, Ken Abernathy was stilI on it, I don't know exactly
what the date was, I was going to look it up, they felt that it was okay.
I mean, this man didn't have these rights up until the expiration, so --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I was on that board too at the time.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: How did you vote?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I don't remember but I don't -- I honestly
don't recall. I don't remember this issue coming up, to be honest with
you.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: I think it was unanimous in favor.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It may have been.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right. So the point is that when
that vote occurred, those rights disappeared. Now that they're here due
to expiration, I mean -- I mean, I want -- you know, obviously we did
that condition to protect him and able to do whatever he wanted to do.
So we're not taking his right away. In other words, we didn't diminish
his rights at all, Mark.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: I'm going to vote with Brad,
because it seems like the onIy right that's being taken away is the right
to put a bar, which is not a very common use. And, you know, I don't
see how it's going to be a really big imposition that he wants to have a
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bar right there.
But, you know, I guess he should have the right to do whatever
he wants, but I'm going to be voting with the motion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And Mr. Midney, if it was that simple, I
certainly wouldn't have any probIem. I just don't know that it is,
because we haven't got a definition of where and when this setback
starts and ends, what's involved, if it's the building that's got to be
within 500 feet and all that.
And untiI I got clarification, which I had asked for and it isn't
readily available, I just don't feel comfortable going forward.
Mr. Schi ffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But Mark, if it ever is a problem,
the church is going to join him in the solution. So it's not a fatal
problem for him. If he has to bring the church -- it would be fun to
watch a church and a bar come in here and have that meeting.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: There's a gentleman sitting in the
audience right now who's a land use attorney in the county. If you
were to ask him that public hearings aren't a problem, I think he would
probably disagree. Any time you go before a public hearing it
becomes a probIem.
Any other discussion? Go ahead, Mr. Adelstein.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I'm going to withdraw my
second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You're going to withdraw your second?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN : Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, the second's been withdrawn. The
motion was for approval.
Is there another second for the motion?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: (Indicating.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So now the motion for (sic)
recommend approval has been seconded by Mr. Midney.
Mr. Schiffer had made some stipulations in his motions. I'm
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February 7, 2008
assuming that you're seconding those as well.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: (Nods head affirmatively.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, any further discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All those in favor of the motion of
approval, signify by saying aye and raising your hand.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: One, two, three approved.
All those opposed, same sign.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: One, two, three, four, five. So motion--
I mean six. Motion faiIs 6-3.
So it will go forward with a recomn1endation of denial. Is that a
fair statement, Mr. Klatzkow?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And we still have to fill out our
conditional use?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, we do.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Mine says I'm chairman.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's good. Lucky you. They all say
that. Cross out the word chairman and just leave it, if you want it.
Doesn't matter.
Item #9C
PETITION: PUDZ-2007-AR-12248, SABAL PALM
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February 7, 2008
DEVELOPMENT, LLC
Okay, with that, the next -- we're going to take a break at 2:30.
The next case for today is PUDZ-2007-AR-12248, the Napoli Village
commercial pIanned unit development. Represented by Mr.
Y ovanovich.
All those wishing to testify on behalf of this particular project,
please rise to be sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
Disclosures on the part of the planning commission?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Oh, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: I spoke with Mr. Y ovanovich. I'm
sorry, I was --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I did, too, very briefly. And I think our
discussion mostly centered around the easement that the church had
referenced in the neighborhood informational meeting.
Mr. Vigliotti?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I aIso spoke to Mr. Y ovanovich
about questions I had.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, anybody else? Thank you.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I talked to Mr. Y ovanovich.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. AdeIstein as well.
Go ahead, Richard.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Thank you. Good afternoon. For the
record, Rich Y ovanovich, on behaIf of the petitioner.
With me today, an owner's representative, Dave Mulla; Bob
Duane, the Professional Planner on the project; Mario Lamendola, the
Architect for the project, and Jerry Neal for the project; and Rob Price,
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February 7, 2008
if you have any transportation questions.
The project is a nine-acre parcel located on the east side of U.S.
41, almost to the north Collier County property line. It's the old Szabo
Nursery. You can see it on the aerial that's up on the -- over by the
bulletin board. We have I guess a church to both the north and the
south, as well as to the east is Stirling Oaks.
The current compo plan designation on the property is urban
residentiaI and the current zoning is agricultural. The request is to
rezone the property to CPUD for an adult community for individuals
over 55.
The permitted uses would be independent living units, as well as
assisted living units. The Future Land Use EIement basically provides
that these types of uses are allowed to be requested anywhere within
the urban area.
The number of units that we're requesting is 225 units. However,
of those 225 units a maximum of 175 of those units can be
independent living units.
The maximum zoned height is 50 feet. The actual height is 67
feet.
We have required a minimum buiIding separation from Stirling
Oaks of 150 feet.
We've requested one deviation and that's the deviation for the
floor area ratio. The Land DeveIopment Code currently provides for
these types of communities for a floor area ratio of .45.
Recently I was involved in a comprehensive plan amendment for
an approximately eight-acre parcel on Vanderbilt Beach Road, and
that comprehensive plan designation allowed for a floor area ratio of
.6. When we went through that hearing process we explained that back
when the .45 floor area ratio was established the leveI of amenities and
the unit sizes commonly found in these types of facilities were much
smaller. Over time people have expected a greater level of amenities.
They want wellness centers, they want swimming pools, they want
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February 7, 2008
entertainment areas, they want bigger units, because it's hard for them
to accept that they shouId no Ionger be living in their condominium
but they want to -- they do want to move into these areas and they
want, you know, units that feel more like home and not a small
apartment.
So that was the rationale for that comprehensive plan
amendment. It's the rationale for this project as well, and the basis for
the requested deviation.
And I will have a few other petitions that will be coming through
the process that we'll aIso be asking for a deviation for the floor area
ratio, based upon that rationalization.
Our request is consistent with the previous action of the Board of
County Commissioners on that compo plan amendment, as I said.
We've met with our neighbors at a neighborhood information
meeting. The only real issue that came up was with the church to the
south. They already had an existing access easement across our
property. They wanted to make sure that however our site was
designed that their access would remain as good as it was that exists
today.
The master plan has been -- to my understanding has been
reviewed by the church and they're comfortable with our PUD master
plan and they're comfortable with our access that we're providing to
them. And that's to -- in this area right here, this is the access area to
the church to the south. And we met with church representatives
regarding that access. And in the summary of the neighborhood
information meeting you'll see that the church was concerned about
that access. But we've accommodated that on the master plan.
Staffs recommending approvaI and we're requesting that the
pIanning commission forward our rezone request to the Board of
County Commissioners with a recommendation of approval.
If you have any questions regarding the project, I or anybody eIse on
our team will be happy to answer those questions.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: I have questions.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray, go right ahead.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I was looking at Page 5 of 9 of
the staff report reIative to emergency management and the
commentary that was made there. And the thought came into my head
that it'd probably cost a whole lot more, but I wonder if that building
was going to be hardened. Because I was thinking about the
evacuation of all those people who might be in the assisted living
portion of it there.
I presume that it would not be -- you're not intending to harden
the building against hurricane or treat it as a shelter in some form?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I don't think we would treat it as a shelter.
I think a Category 3 I believe is what the staff report says, for a
Category 3 storm we --
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: Get out.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: -- would have to evacuate.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah, that's pretty --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: That's a rare -- a fairly rare occurrence.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay. And I appreciate that. Just
a thought that came through my head. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of the applicant at
this time?
Mr. Adelstein then Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Yeah, as a matter of fact, it's
going the other direction.
When I looked through this and read it and discussed the
situation, the idea of them having a beauty shop, dining room areas to
go with and have an illness (sic) also there will give them a lot better
time and a lot better feeling when they're there. And I think it was a
very extreme -- a good idea.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Mr. Schiffer then Ms. Caron.
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, just to kind of follow up
what Bob said is I know working on the mitigation team that it costs
about $500 per special needs person. Could you guys heIp emergency
management with funding the shelter that these people would
obviously have to go to?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I guess the question is -- Mr. Schiffer,
what do you mean by special needs?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I mean, these people -- a
Iot of these people will have special needs, won't they? I mean,
essentially four percent of every apartment building has people with
special needs. This would probably have a higher ratio.
Anyway, my thought is we don't want to work it out here, but
could you meet with emergency management and help them make
sure that the shelters that this facility would have to go to have the
equipment for the special needs?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I mean, we'll obviously meet with
emergency staff. They did not ask us for any form of mitigation based
upon this proposal.
And the initial proposal and a -- is for basically independent
units.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right. So it wouldn't be 100
percent.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Right, so it would not be -- it would not
be an assisted living facility, 100 percent assisted living facility, I
guess IS --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But I guess I'm bringing it up,
because one of the things I'm becoming aware of is that there is not
money to do all the speciaI needs that we really do need. We really
shouId be seeking in any kind of condo project some help for them.
And maybe the reason they're not asking is they're shy. But I think it
would be because you're bringing a concentration of people that might
be -- that might have special needs that you really should work with
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February 7, 2008
them and make sure that they are covered in an evacuation.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: One thing the county, in my experience
is, is they've never been shy.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I was being polite.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We could talk to them. But I don't want to
commit to a dollar figure right now, because I don't know what --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And I'm not asking --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: -- if any dollar figure they want.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But I'm just saying, just make a
commitment that you will work with them to make sure that the
people here are covered when they go to the shelter.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Thanks.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron, then Mr. Adelstein.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, we spoke on the phone the
other day about the water management issue and you were just going
to follow up on that.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Right. The water management -- and I
forgot to, to be honest with you. The water management plan says it's
for 168 units, but the impervious area is not changing. So whether we
have 168 units or we have 175 or up to 225, the impervious area will
remain the same, so the water management system will be abIe to
accommodate what we're proposing. And any changes will be
accommodated through the site development plan process.
COMMISSIONER CARON: And, you know, I certainly accept
that. However, as we talked about on the phone, there is no way for
me to know that your --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I understand.
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- impervious area is no greater or
is the same, no matter what.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Right.
COMMISSIONER CARON: And for the future, once again, wei
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February 7, 2008
need to make these changes so that everybody is aware. So if you're
going to talk about 168 units and -- you need to make sure that it's
clear for everybody on this board exactly what it is that we're --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Sure.
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- talking about.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I understand.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: One thing that is absolutely
clear, there is a monthly fee for everyone that is in that operational
hospital. So it's a one -- it's not at go in and get a surgery, it actually
gets done by a monthly fee.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Right. There's no medical treatment
occurring here. This is basically independent. It's apartments,
essentially, for older people.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of the applicant at
this time?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, then let me start.
The easement that you're providing to the church, have you
written that up?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: It's there on the -- it's on the master plan.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, you're showing an interconnection,
but do they have the right to go onto your property in the format of an
easement, and is one needed to make sure that they have that in
perpetuity.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: They already -- Mr. Strain, they already
have an access easement across the property. We will have to modify
it, with their permission, obviously, to make that little jog. So we
cannot interfere with their access because they already have it. So we
will have to modify it to make that little curve.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, and you're telling us contrary to
the neighborhood informational meeting this is now -- this is in
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February 7, 2008
agreement with them?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yes, that's what I've been told.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Klatzkow, is there any
documentation or something that we would need at this stage, or is it
okay based on on the verbal comments made? I haven't seen the
easement, I mean, so I don't --
MR. KLATZKOW: Well, I think Mr. Yovanovich is committing
or representing to you that there is this easement access. And if there
isn't, I think there will be repercussions.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Can you have any problem getting the
easement formatted and done before the Board of County
Commissioners' meeting?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Well, my understanding is that if we
cannot modify the easement, we may have to shift a little bit of our --
I'm just saying -- the answer is I don't know. When you're dealing with
a church board, I can't commit that I'm definitely going to get it
modified before the Board of County Commissioners.
But what I'm saying is the worst case scenario for the church is if
it doesn't occur, we'll do a minor shift of the location of the
interconnection to where it currently exists. So there's no downside in
letting us go forward to the Board of County Commissioners, because
the church already has its access across our property.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, they have an access across your
property --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: And it's already constructed.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. But it's not in the same location
shown on that plan; is that correct?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Correct. So if we want to move it, we
have to get their permission. If they don't end up giving us our
permission, we'll end up making a minor modification to our site plan
to accommodate their current access.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron?
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER CARON: It was my understanding in our
conversation that you had already had that discussion and they were in
agreement with you moving that --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: That's what we have been told, they are in
agreement.
But the question I was asked is do I -- will I have the revised
easement before I go to the Board of County Commissioners. And I
can't say emphatically yes, I will. But I was trying to assure the
planning commission that the downside is if I don't obtain it is it's
going to stay exactly where it is today. So there's no downside to the
church and there's no downside to the county if you allow us to go
forward without having that document in our hands.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Y ovanovich, what easement where
are you going to give them as a substitute? The one that's in our packet
or the one that's on the wall? Which master plan are you going to use?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: This is the master plan right here.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, that's not the one in our packet.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I know. And John-David will talk to you
about that, but --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So are we going to get a master plan that
we're approving today?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: This is the one that my understanding is --
this is the one we submitted to the county and this is the one we're
requesting approval of.
You have the large copy in your backup is what I understand.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, the one I've got doesn't show the
connection as you're showing there.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: The larger one, not the --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I don't -- the larger ones go into the trash
can. They should match the one that's in the packet. If they don't -- the
one in the packet gets recorded. I don't need the larger ones. And if
staff never wants to send them to me, that's fine.
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February 7, 2008
But as far as the one that's recorded, that's the one I focus on. I'm
focusing on the PUD that you submitted for recordation. And I don't
find that plan in it.
So is that plan -- what material differences are between that plan
and the one we have in our package as far as the PUD document?
MR. MOSS: I'm sorry about that. We don't know how this
happened, but the application, the only thing different is that access.
It's a curved access instead of a squared off one like in your packet.
That's the only difference. And this is the one that's going with the
resolution that's to be recorded.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The one that's on the wall.
MR. MOSS: That's right.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's a better master plan, so that's fine.
MR. MOSS: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So we're going to -- our stipulations will
be you're going to use the master plan that's on the wall.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Somebody taking a picture of the wall?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I guess then if it's okay, I'll continue with
mme.
Exhibit A, Richard, Roman numeral I and then B, accessory uses
and amenities. The following uses shall comprise a minimum of 20
percent of the total amount of the gross floor area.
And then under C, accessory uses and amenities. The following
uses shall not be counted towards the minimum 20 percent of the total
amount of gross floor area.
And it mentioned signs, water management areas, essential
services, covered parking, van transportation areas, nature trails. When
have we ever counted those as gross floor area, and how does that
factor into gross floor area?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: The question wasn't the gross floor area.
This was a clarification that staff wanted to make sure that we couldn't
argue that any of those things we could say met our 20 percent gross
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February 7,2008
floor area requirement for amenities.
The intent was to clarify that they -- not that we ever could in the
first place, but it was extra language in there to clarify that that could
not happen.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. I'm glad you clarified -- I hope
you're around as the years go on to clarify that for anybody that asks.
Under your preserve tracts, Roman numeral II, you have 1.36
acres. And you have, under environmental requirements, the very last
page of Exhibit F, you have 1.35 acres. That's a minimum there, so I
guess it works. Both of them say minimum, though. Which is it?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Well, we have a minimum of 1.35, but we
agree to 1.36. So we have given an extra one-hundredth of an acre.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I just want the documents consistent,
because you'd be the first attorney to stand up and cry foul.
So 2-A will be 1.36; is that right?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Principal uses, structures. You
have passive recreation areas and recreational shelters.
Do you have any development standards for your recreational
shelters?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: This is too much fun.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Bob? What page are you reading from?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Your preserve tract, Exhibit A, second
page. Mine doesn't have page numbers on it. I think you were afraid to
give them to me.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Exhibit A.
COMMISSIONER CARON: No, the Exhibit A.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: A what? I don't have.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That's for people like me who
say eh?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I think you make a good point. We don't
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February 7, 2008
clearly say, but we should say that they have to meet the accessory use
development standards.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. What's -- you're going to love this
one. What are the passive recreational areas? What are they? What's
uses are --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: What are the uses?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- you thinking? Yeah, what's the uses?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Well, it says under A-4 such as pervious
nature trails or boardwalks are allowed within the preserve areas.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. So that's about it then, that's all
you want?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We don't have some of the other -- would
you like to give us some more? I mean, we -- I'm kidding.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, didn't we work this out on
Cocohatchee?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: The property wasn't big enough for us to
have that expansive use of passive recreational uses.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But don't you think that you could pull
some of the uses from that list that would fit on this property, if that's
what you want? Otherwise, let's just go with something definitive
instead of we worked it out there. Passive recreational uses are pretty
broad. Do you know what you want there?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: No. I mean, honestly, the nature trails and
the boardwalks is probably all we will ever want to put in those
preserve areas.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else have a problem with that?
And I'll let it go if you all want to go.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And the last one you've already
answered, which is the 1.36, that will be the minimum. Thank you.
Any other questions of Richard?
(No response.)
Page 165
February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
Staff presentation.
MR. MOSS: Thank you, Commissioner. John-David Moss,
Department of Zoning and Land Development Review.
I just wanted to say for the record that this proj ect is consistent
with the Growth Management Plan and the LDC.
I also wanted to explain the justification for that 20 percent.
Since the applicant was saying that he was going to require a larger
FAR, because he was going to provide all of these amenities, I just
wanted to make sure that he was going to provide all these additional
amenities.
And we had all of those accessories uses listed together. And so I
didn't want him coming in and saying that, you know, a stormwater
management pond was going to count towards 20 percent of his
amenities, and so that's why I had him separate them. So I'm sorry if I
made it confusing, but --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, that's okay. The explanation works,
it just -- I needed the explanation, so no, I appreciate it.
MR. MOSS: Very good.
COMMISSIONER CARON: And thank you, Mr. Moss.
MR. MOSS: Sure.
So that's all I have, unless you have any questions.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: One question.
Cherie', we might wrap this one up before we go on to the next
one in about five or 10 minutes. Is that long enough for your
switchover? You didn't know she was behind you, did you?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Surprise.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. I want to mention something to
you, and I'm not going to labor the point because I have in the past and
staffs well probably aware of it.
These rezone findings and PUD findings were not written very
well, because it was boilerplate stuff. But just to be clear, I disagree
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February 7, 2008
not with the intent of the rezone findings but the way the following
ones were written. One, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15,
16 and 17. And the PUD findings one, two, three, four, five, six, seven
and eight.
And my basis for that is what I've expressed in other elements
when we've discussed rezone findings. And that's all I need to say on
the matter because I know staffs cleaning it up, but I wanted my
position --
MR. MOSS: And this one was--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- clear on the record.
MR. MOSS: -- already done by the time all these changes --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right, fully understand that.
MR. MOSS: -- were -- okay, so I just wanted to make you aware,
it won't happen again.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: As long as we do a better job, it all helps
everybody.
And then the other thing I want to mention, and it probably
wasn't you that took this in, and I think Mr. Schmitt clarified it this
morning. When they did the intake they didn't check the master
homeowners associations. I did. They're not viable associations as
they're listed in the application, but there are the viable ones, you can
find them on-line. So that being said, I don't need to belabor that point.
Any questions of staff?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No? Thank you, sir.
Are there any public speakers, Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: No one has registered.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. With that, we will -- of course
there's probably not a rebuttal. Mr. Y ovanovich doesn't want to take
another chance at coming up here.
Is there any further questions on behalf of the planning
commission? If not, we'll close the public hearing.
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February 7,2008
Any discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Other than the fact this looks like a
pretty good project.
So anybody have a motion?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I'd like to make a motion for
approval, pending your stipulations that I'm sure you have duly noted.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is there a second?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: I'll second it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, motion's been made by
Commissioner Vig --
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Vigliotti.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Vigliotti. I'm going to get that right after
all these years.
And seconded by Commissioner Adelstein.
The stipulations would be that they would obtain an access
easement with a church by the time it gets to the Board of County
Commissioners' hearing; that the master plan that's going to be used is
the one that was shown to us on the wall here today that apparently
was in the larger blowup in our package but not in the smaller blowup;
and that the preserve area minimum will be 1.36; and that the
recreational standards will be the same as those of the accessory
standards.
Now, anybody else have anything?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I wish there was some way we
could make sure they mitigate the evacuation of this building. It is in a
Zone 3, there will be people that are going to need sheltering. Is there
any way we can do that? I mean, we ask for money for, you know,
affordable housing. Can we ask for money to --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, Brad, I mean, I know we've had
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February 7, 2008
things come through and we've asked for contributions that have been
site related. I don't know how we can do things outside of the impact
fee ordinance and the other things that allow us to take site-related
impacts like a road system.
And I really think if we need such contributions, they ought to be
labeled out in a format that is above -- I mean, in the front, not
extracted. I think we -- I think if you want to suggest we look at a fee
for this on a standard basis that's put into an ordinance, I think that's a
great idea. But it would be vetted through the public process and be
more I think fair. So that's my position.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And my concern, though, this is
a large amount of people. This could be burdening the sheltering
system and that's, you know, something we should plan for. We're
planning for everything else.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Maybe the suggestion will be taken up
by emergency services and they'll come back with an impact fee
resolution or something. That should be the way I think to do it,
though.
Any other questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, would staff --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Mr. Strain, my only issue, if it's okay, in
may, is the timing of the easement. I don't know that I can get that
done prior to the board date. I hope I explained there's no downside to
either entity if I don't get it done by that date.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You did. And the only reason I put it in
there is because I'll let you argue that with the board then. If you can
convince the board that it's not needed, then that's fine. But at least
this board did the best they could to get it to them in a timely manner.
So it doesn't matter to me that you go to the board and express to
them your concerns. And if they feel that your concerns are justified,
then I'm sure that they'll work with you on it.
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February 7, 2008
My position is I don't see why you couldn't have gotten it by now
and you could still get it by then. So I don't -- and again, I don't -- it
wouldn't matter if the board said fine, they'll go along with your
process. But from my perspective, I thought it would be a good thing
to highlight to the board. And if they wanted to waive it, they certainly
don't have to accept all of our recommendations.
Anybody else?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah, I do.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, Mr. Murray.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: If I understood it, and I want to
be clear in my mind. In understood it correctly, there were two
options here. One is that there is an easement in fact. The other is that
there is intending to be a modified easement, if possible. Failing that,
the other easement remains in place.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: It does. They have --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So our stipulation, which I don't
recall your phrasing of it, but the stipulation, the way I'd put it --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: What the church said to us is we want the
easement we have today, unless you can show us it's a better
easement. We think we've shown them it's a better easement. But if
their position changes and I can't get a document signed by the church,
they'll have the access they have today and --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: And you said you would change
your master plan.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We'll make the modifications to our
master plan --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That's what I --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: -- to accommodate their current easement.
I don't -- I think it's a better access, but if they decide for whatever
reason they want to leave it like it is, I hope that's not going to be the
reason this project fails.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah, I would hope not.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray, you made a good point, and
so I would suggest we revise the stipulation to read that, provide a
revised access easement for the church or to revise the master plan to
be consistent with the current easement.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Thank you. That's what we're --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Either way. Then you're covered either
way it goes.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: That's better.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay?
I thank you, Mr. Murray that was a good point.
Anybody else have any questions or concerns?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Call for the motion. All in favor signify
by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
MR. MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
MR. WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 9-0.
And with that we'll take a IS-minute break and be back here at 2:50.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Welcome back from our
IS-minute break. And we wore out Cherie'; we now have Terri, so
we're going to -- but for the next little bit of time, I don't think we're
going to wear her out.
Steve, before you're up, we're going to talk about Cocohatchee,
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February 7, 2008
so --
MR. LENBERGER: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Y ovanovich wants to get out of
here, and he's dying to get out of here now that he had his win.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Hard fought.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: First thing on the Cocohatchee is the
date. We had it scheduled for this February 14th. We were thinking of
going to the 21st, but that wouldn't work for Mr. Schiffer, and to be
honest with you, since it is the district that Mr. Schiffer and Ms. Caron
are in, I think it vital that both of them be at the meeting. And if we
can accommodate, we should.
The dates -- I've gotten one date from staff, is February 25th, and
that would obviously be the best date because it's as close to this
month -- it's still in this month, and it would be -- we have the room
for the whole day if we have it on the 25th of February. How does that
work for everybody else?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I'm fine.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah. I mean, what I said, Mark,
is I'm coming in on a flight scheduled to be at nine o'clock on the 24th,
so I would prefer it in the afternoon on the 25th, but -- uh-oh.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, the only thing there, Brad, is if we
get into some convoluted discussion, it would be nice to know we had
the whole day to resolve it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: You're right.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I didn't think we'd be here today till this
time, so --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, what other dates do we
have then?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, we're back into March, and I don't
really -- I don't see the need for this -- I really wish this board wouldn't
have to push it into March.
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February 7,2008
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. I mean, whatever we have
to do. I mean, if everything got in fine, yeah, I'd be back to my house
about 10:30, 11:00. Ifnot, I've got a problem, you know.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, let's start at 10 o'clock then.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Ten o'clock would be -- would
help me a lot.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Richard?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: The only thing I ask is, I've got people
I've got to ask about their schedule. So I mean, I can't commit to you
right now that I can have my engineers here and I can have my client
here on the 25th. I can -- my client's out of town today. I'll do my best
to get in contact with them to get back to you on the 25th, about the
availability on the 25th. What I'm asking is, if there's an issue on our
side --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, Richard, do your best. And if you
can't on the 21st (sic), we may have to reschedule again.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Okay. I just wanted to let you know that I
hope that would be accommodated if we can't rearrange our things.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Well, we'll do that. So on the 21st
(sic), but please try to make it work.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I understand. And I had -- in could say, I
have a meeting that day at two o'clock. Ifwe can -- do you think
there's any chance that we can -- I'd hate to reschedule that, but I will
if you're telling me there's a substantial likelihood we're not going to
be done by two.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, if you can stick around for a few
minutes and hear the rest of the conversation, you may find that out.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: You said it's 25 or 21?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Twenty-fifth.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Twenty-fifth.
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Twenty-fifth at 10 o'clock. Mr. Schmitt,
would that -- that's what the -- that's on the schedule you gave; it's
acceptable; is that --
MR. SCHMITT: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. We're locked in unless on the 21st
(sic) it changes.
MR. SCHMITT: For the record then the meeting that was
continued to February 14th is now continued to --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: February 25th.
MR. SCHMITT: -- February 25th at --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Ten a.m.
MR. SCHMITT: -- ten o'clock.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. And Mr. Klatzkow, do we have a
-- do we need a motion to that effect, or can we just -- can you just
acknowledge -- can I acknowledge as the chair that it's continued to
February 25th at 1O?
MR. KLATZKOW: No. We're continued to February 25th, 10
a.m.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Next item I want to discuss is
involving the same situation, is I've been trying to coordinate the
paperwork for today on anticipating the 14th being the date for
Cocohatchee, and in asking different entities for different paperwork, I
was getting different conclusions as to what paperwork was to be
provided.
And the issue that is at question is the SDPs. The settlement
agreement is contingent upon three acceptable SDPs. Staff has
reviewed the SDPs numerous times, rejected them, got responses.
Most, if not all, of the remaining responses or lack of information
on the SDPs are issues that I believe are due to the settlement
agreement. Now, ifI'm wrong, I hope someone from staff can correct
me.
But that was where I thought we left it. And I understood -- the
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February 7, 2008
applicant believes that we weren't -- we had instructed last time that
our review of the settlement agreement and the SDPs gave you what
we needed for that review, that we would complete the corrections to
the settlement agreement through a final reading and through a
strikethrough version of the PUD, and all the other information we
asked for at our next meeting, which is now the 25th, but that the
SDPs would later on follow subject to all the terms of the settlement
agreement which staff would then be able to apply to the SDPs and
move it to the BCC, and we wouldn't need another version of the SDP
issued to us because it would have to come after the settlement
agreement was finalized.
Is that what this board saw as the direction that was to be -- that
was provided at the time?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That's what I thought it was.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Two. And Ms. Caron and Brad, it's your
district. Are you in agreement with that or --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Donna? You can go -- I mean,
my impression was, is that we were going to get a -- I mean, we struck
off a lot of stuff in the settlement agreement and we were just going to
get that back. I don't know -- we can't -- what's happening that's
holding it up from even being available next week.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Part of the settlement agreement was to
be an attached strikethrough version of the PUD. Remember we all
talked about that?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's the document that isn't completed
yet.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's why it's still taking up some time.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So -- but what we're going to
have is two documents, the strikethrough of the PUD and the
settlement agreement?
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February 7, 2008
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You'll have a settlement agreement in
which the PUD is an exhibit --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- to the settlement agreement, and then
that would be a complete package, and everything would be
incorporated through exhibits, and then we're done.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Unless -- and the confusion was, some
staff members thought they were getting a new SDP package for us to
review, and I didn't think we were going to go there again because we
had already done that, and the items that we looked at wouldn't
necessarily be any different than what we'd seen before because we
hashed those out at the settlement discussion.
I just want to make sure this board's in conformity with that
thought so we make -- we have everything we need to finish this on
the 25th. Anybody in disagreement? Anybody not clear?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah. Let me just say, one of the
issues though was we got removed from the settlement agreement any
modification to how the distance between buildings are going to be
measured. And then --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes. I saw the strikethrough version so
far, and it does remove that -- those two sentences, or whatever
number there were there.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And then it's up to staffs
professional judgment as to what that means.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's correct. Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: When will we receive the
copies before the 25th?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, a week before is what the object
has always been. That's why it had to be delayed.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is there any -- any other clarification on
the part of this board as to what they're going to receive for the 25th
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February 7,2008
meeting?
Okay, good.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Who do I communicate with ifthere's a
problem, with staff or do I --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I would suggest -- who's the point
person for Cocohatchee, Ray? Is that your department or legal
department?
MR. BELLOWS: The settlement agreement is through the
County Attorney's Office, but coordination of Site Development Plan
information would be Ross Gochenaur.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I'm talking about the hearing date.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The hearing date.
MR. SCHMITT: Let me know. I'll coordinate between me and
Jeff.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah. We'll just email them. The only
thing that this panel needs to know, that on the 21 st (sic) we have to
have another session for rescheduling.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And Mark, one --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Since I'll be out of town that
week, who would I give my address so they can forward a package to
me out of town?
MR. BELLOWS: You can provide it to me and we'll make sure
that whatever packets or information goes out --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And that does work, because they've
done that a couple times with me, and it's worked fine.
Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Did we take off the table any
kind of discussion or exploration of the distance between the
buildings?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We didn't -- the only things that we were
asked to discuss were those issues involving the settlement agreement.
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February 7, 2008
The distance between the buildings, I believe, is part of the -- it's listed
in the settlement agreement, so we can still talk about it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, we took out--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, we took out the -- I'm not sure. We
took out a section, but is there anything left, Richard, in the settlement
agreement?
COMMISSIONER CARON: I thought we voted on to be taken --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: What you took out is, we had asked for
clarification on how the PUD would be implemented. The PUD talks
about reducing separation of buildings.
We had put some language in the settlement agreement that
would clarify how that would be applied, and you recommended that
it be struck from the settlement agreement. And the version that I've
seen so far struck any references to building separation. So it will be
what's currently in the PUD document.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: And that no longer is in the
document?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It's no longer in the settlement
agreement. It's in the PUD.
COMMISSIONER CARON: You can discuss it --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, now wait a minute.
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- as far as the PUD is concerned.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No. We're not -- this isn't an amended
PUD. We need to clarify this because if we're going to have an
opening up of all the issues in the PUD, that's fine, but I want to know
it now because we certainly are going to have a lot longer meeting on
the 25th than anybody may expect, so we need to get all this on the
table if this board is not in agreement on what we're actually
reviewing. It.ain't up to me. It's up to all of you. We saw the tape of
what Commissioner Coyle and the BCC sent to us. I thought I
understood it. I certainly could be wrong.
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February 7, 2008
So Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Well, as far as I know, attached to
that settlement agreement are the three SDPs and the PUD and the
Bald Eagle Management Plan and everything else. They are all part of
the settlement agreement.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. But the terms of the settlement
agreement do not change all parts of the PUD. So we're only looking
at a strikethrough version of the parts of the PUD that are amended by
the settlement agreement.
If you believe that our goal or our task was to amend and review
every section of that PUD, then we need to -- we need to address that
because that's a really different change, and it requires a whole
different approach to the meeting on the 25th.
I'm not saying you're right or wrong. I just want to make sure
we're all coming back here on the 25th with the same intention in
mind.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: IfI'm not mistaken, the
direction we got from the board was not to change the whole PUD but
see how the PUD is -- if it's consistent with the LDC, or am I --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You mean the settlement agreement?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Settlement agreement. I'm
sorry .
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: I mean, I don't disagree with that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
COMMISSIONER CARON: But I think that you may be trying
to exclude discussion of things that the petitioner has laid out there,
and by us just wiping them away, I'm not sure that that--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, no. First of all, I want to back up. I
am absolutely, without doubt, not trying to wipe away anything. In
fact, I'm going to an extreme in the opposite direction.
If this board has any concern about what we should be reviewing,
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February 7, 2008
put it on the table now so that we can, on the 25th, know what to
expect. But it's got to be something this board feels was part of our
duty to do.
If any of you are unclear on that, review the tape, review the
minutes, talk to the county attorney, talk to staff. But let's get it
resolved. I don't want -- the last thing this board needs to do for its
credibility and its task is to have the meeting and afterwards say, oh, I
thought we should have been discussing this. We didn't. We didn't do
what we were supposed to do.
Don't go there. Let's do it right the first time, get done the 25th if
we can, but we've got to go into that meeting knowing what we're
going to do.
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mark, so far you're the only one I
know, beyond staff, who has seen what this strikethrough and
underline has in it. So I don't know --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We were given one for the last meeting.
That's the only one I'm going on. It's in my -- it's the last one we got at
the last meeting where they -- we had just drafted it.
COMMISSIONER CARON: The last meeting is open for
discussion? Whatever's in the strikethrough and underline in the last
meeting is open for discussion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The settlement agreement that Jeff sent
us a draft of after our first meeting in which he struck out a bunch of
things, and at that meeting we provided him with a whole pile of
consensus from this board as to additional things to change in that
document. Those things all got changed and I haven't seen the final
version yet. I'm still --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Right, that's what I'm saying; I
haven't seen it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. But my assumption is, if our
directions were followed, are we -- are we going in a different
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February 7, 2008
direction on the 25th?
COMMISSIONER CARON: No.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. I just want to make sure.
Mr. Adelstein?
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: When will we obtain it, a
week ahead, did you say?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah.
Mr. Klatzkow, do you have any comments? I mean--
MR. KLATZKOW: No.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Well, then on the 25th --let's just
hope we can get done on the 25th.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Ten a.m.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Hope we can restrict our discussions to
what the board intended. And if any of you talk to the board members
and they express a different intention or a clarification, please let us
know. Mr. Schmitt.
MR. SCHMITT: For clarification, on the 25th, we will review
the settlement agreement, we will review the strikethrough and
underline of the PUD, and you would want staff to have completed its
review of the SDP resubmittal?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, to the extent--
MR. SCHMITT: If we get the SDP --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah. To the extent that it's not -- only
the issue -- the only issues on the SDP you can't review are those that
are contingent on the settlement agreement.
MR. SCHMITT: Well, We'll review them based on the
settlement agreement language, but they will not be approved until the
settlement agreement is approved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Richard, is your client going to be
resubmitting SDPs between now and the 25th for further review?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I don't -- I don't believe so.
Just so I make sure what I'm telling my client we're doing, and I think
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February 7, 2008
I do, is what the strikethrough and underline version we're all referring
to about the PUD is, as you will recall, the settlement agreement had
included in it certain development standards, list of passive
recreational uses.
Instead of putting all of that into the settlement agreement, we
wanted it in one document which was the PUD document. So all we're
reviewing is the PUD document to make sure that everything that we
-- was formerly in the settlement agreement --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Settlement agreement.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: -- found its way into the PUD document.
We're not renegotiating anything else. We're just making sure that it
was properly transferred from the settlement agreement to the PUD
document, and that's what I believe we're prepared to discuss.
And I don't believe we're going to be making any more SDP
submittals until we get through this board as far as what their
recommendation is as far as the development standards are going to
be, then we'll submit.
And we understand that Mr. Schmitt's staff will be reviewing it
for consistency with the settlement agreement/PUD document that's
going to the board, and hopefully the board will approve the
settlement agreement, which would mean the SDPs would also be
approved at some time in the future.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any comments? Any disagreement with
what Richard just laid out?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Not so much Richard. It was
what Joe said. We are not going to have graphic SDPs in here that we
are going to have to accept as compliant?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I didn't think we were, but that's why I
brought it up today is because I've heard different staff people think
that another SDP submittal was going to be coming before we heard
this again.
MR. SCHMITT: I need -- because that's why I'm clarifying. It
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February 7, 2008
was my understanding you wanted staff to at least look at the
documents to assure that the documents reflected what the settlement
agreement was proposing, or what the final settlement agreement will
propose to the board.
And I thought you wanted assurance that both the SDPs were in
compliance with the settlement agreement and the settlement
agreement and the PUD document were -- were both -- were, frankly,
in agreement. And then --then and only then would it be sent to the
board.
So I'm kind of misdirected here. So there is no requirement for an
SDP, or actually it's three SDPs, for staff to have reviewed those SDPs
to assure compliance with the settlement agreement.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, prior to the board meeting, yes, but
prior to our meeting, I didn't think the need was there because we've
already gone over all those SDPs, and the only things remaining was
for staff to take the interpretations of the settlement agreement and
make sure they're interpreted properly in the SDPs.
I don't know what the board members on this panel are feeling. If
you all want to sit here and review 24 by 36 pages of SDPs, then say
so.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Actually, the opposite, Mark. In
other words -- and let's just go to the issue that concerns most of
District 2, and that's the distance between the buildings.
In the -- some form of the settlement agreement there was
verbiage in there that Richard says makes clear -- I say change -- the
way the distance between buildings are measured. We've got that
taken out of the settlement agreement, so we don't have to discuss that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Ifwe have to accept the
interpretation of staff in the SDP, we're going to have a problem. So I
would -- you know, staff has looked at that, staff is the professionals,
staff has made their judgment. The PUD says it's up to staffs
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February 7,2008
judgment.
It would not be the same judgment, I think, as mine. But the point
is that they did that. So we don't have to do that. In other words, we --
I think at the last meeting, we got that out ofthe way.
So, Joe, if you bring an SDP, you're bringing that issue back up
to the surface.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I don't think the instruction was to
bring in the SDPs again, and I thought it was clear that we wanted the
settlement agreement completed with the exhibits, including the
strikethrough version of the PUD reflective of the settlement
agreement discussion, which would mean it wouldn't be opened up for
complete rewrite or amendment. It's strictly those issues involving the
settlement agreement.
And, again, I'm just telling you all my interpretation of what I
heard, what I thought the BCC direction was. And if you disagree,
that's quite all right. That's what we're here for.
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I don't agree. In fact, I agree with
everything that Mr. Y ovanovich indicated. That was my recollection
as well. I thought we had whittled it down to the point where it was
the issue between the settlement agreement and the PUD, and that --
those functions that didn't belong there got over here and that when it
went to the board, the SDP will have been reviewed by those people
who understand how to do that.
I know that the issue of angularity of buildings and
measurements was talked about, but we came to the point where we
were not able -- in my recollection we were not able to either have a
consensus or even grasp it adequately to be able to determine that. The
only thing I thought we talked about at length was the question of
whether it was inhabitable, second story -- or second structure -- story,
yeah. And I don't -- I really think that we whittled it down to where
what you have said, Mr. Chairn1an, is what we were intending to do
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February 7, 2008
what you have said, Mr. Chairman, is what we were intending to do
and as said by Mr. Yovanovich. So that's my recollection.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Does anybody on this panel then
have any different recollection or any need to review the SDPs again
on the assumption that the settlement agreement does have the
strike-out version -- language that we talked about in -- regarding the
separation of buildings?
Because other than that, then we're all -- we're good for go on the
25th, no SDPs, just the settlement agreement and the strikethrough
version of the PUD with the exhibits or whatever that we asked.
MR. SCHMITT: Well, it's my understanding you already have
the latest settlement agreement; is that correct?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We've gotten -- I don't know if it's the
latest. We were given a draft a while back that we all received, but I
can't -- I think there's been more modifications to it.
MR. SCHMITT: We will-- so the only thing that will be sent
will be the -- the final settlement agreement, because I think there's
still some language tweaking between the attorneys, and the PUD
document showing the strikethrough and underline that reflects those
items out of the settlement agreement into the PUD.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: With any revised exhibits that are
applicable.
MR. SCHMITT: And the revised exhibits that we discussed that
were on the record.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: I have no comment.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, I thought you had your hand up
there for a minute.
Okay. Nothing else? Then we'll leave that one lie where it is.
Thank you for staying, Mr. Y ovanovich.
Item #11A
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February 7, 2008
NEW BUSINESS
And next item up is the CCPC request to have a progress report
to be given them concerning the EAR-based LDC amendments
pertaining to policy 625 of the conservation and coastal management
element. This was a request by Mr. Midney several meetings ago.
MR. LENBERGER: Good afternoon. For the record, Stephen
Lenberger, Environmental Specialist with Engineering and
Environmental Services Department.
I received several correspondences with some of the questions,
and there are a variety of questions I received in relation to policy 624
and 625, and I just wanted to go through them as best as I understood
them.
What I wanted to start with is policy 624. I just wanted to read
subparagraph 4, which should explain some of it.
Within the Immokalee urban designated area there may exist
high-quality wetland systems connected to the Lake Trafford/Camp
Keais Strand system. These wetlands require greater protection
measures than wetlands located in other portions of the urban
designated area and, therefore, the wetland protection standards set
forth in policy 625 shall apply to this area.
This area is generally identified as the area designated as
wetlands connected to Lake Trafford/Camp Keais Strand system on
the Immokalee Future Land Use Map and is located in the southwest
Immokalee urban designated area connected to the Lake
Trafford/Camp Keais system.
Within one year of the effective date of these amendments, the
county shall adopt land development regulations to determine the
process and specific circumstances when the provisions of policy 625
will apply.
We -- I had a meeting with the Environmental Advisory Council,
EAC, LDC subcommittee, which was set up to review all the Compo
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Plan related amendments due to Compo Plan changes which occurred
in May of last year, and one of those requirements is this one here.
What we did is we went to the Future Land Use Map, and I have
it on the visualizer, and it shows -- it identifies the area where the
system is.
You had questions at one of your meetings in relation to a
petition, which I believe was located in this area outside of that
boundary. This is the boundary that was adopted on the master plan
for Immokalee. I do have some other exhibits. I just want to explain
some of the differences which might have caused some of the
confusion.
If I can just back up here one minute. Just as -- point as a
reference, this would be Immokalee Road, and this would be -- this
line here, I believe, is Sanitation Road. And we -- can you see that
okay?
This is an exhibit produced by our technical staff, Mac Hatcher.
We wanted to get an idea of where the wetlands occur in the area, the
connected wetlands. And what he did is he did this diagram for me
showing, outlined in blue, green -- I don't know how it's showing up
on your screen -- the connected wetlands within the system.
And you can see there's a little bit of discrepancy there in relation
to the adopted line on the map. And, again, as a reference, there's
Sanitation Road right there and this is Immokalee Road. And the other
boundary ended right about here, and I'll put that up again.
See that? See it right here. So you can see there's a little bit of a
difference, so that might have been some of the confusion.
In addressing this amendment, staff is going to use the adopted
line as you see on the future -- the Immokalee Future Land Use Map.
If we were to adopt another line, it would have to be changed on the
Compo Plan and on the master plan here for Immokalee.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Paul, do you have that diagram that you
used during the meeting in which you questioned this to begin with?
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah. Now that diagram wasn't an
official map either. I've seen this map numerous times, but in
discussing this more than once, we've said that this map is not an exact
map of the wetland and that it would need to be ground-truthed.
And the first map that you showed, which showed the actual
wetland, is a more accurate picture of what the wetlands that are
associated with this area is.
And in the EAR-based amendment, when David Weeks was
presenting this, he said that what we were talking about was the areas
that were hydrologically related.
So I think that when we go through this and the Immokalee
master plan is considered, we need to look at the actual areas that are
hydrologically related to the slough. And the diagram that you showed
is really a very arbitrary cutoff, but it doesn't really make much sense
hydrologically.
And I think that on more than one occasion, when asked about
the dimensions of those maps, I was told that it's to hydrological
reality, and that also is what the EAR-based amendment was based on.
It doesn't reference any particular lines on the master plan, but they're
talking about the areas that are hydrologically connected to Lake
Trafford.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. The last project that came
through, the concern was its relationship to this particular area. It
doesn't appear now as that project -- although it has got some wetlands
for sure on it -- is a wetland area. It doesn't appear though -- is it
connected to this slough at all?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: No, it's not.
MR. LENBERGER: It is adjacent to the diagram you have on
your screen now, but not within the boundary identified on the Future
Land Use Map for Immokalee.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Is it adjacent or touching the
green line that's on the map now?
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February 7,2008
MR. LENBERGER: I don't -- I just briefly talked with Susan
Mason earlier when I came in here, and she pointed about where it
was. From what she told me, it was right next to this boundary, but I
don't know for sure the exact lines.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: I think it's -- I think it's within this
area on this map, not the other map.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Have all the questions you asked
about the slough been resolved?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Well, I think it's a work in
progress, and that's what, I think, you've come to report to us, that
you're going to be doing some research and refining the boundaries so
that they don't just refer to some arbitrary lines, but that they refer to
reality on the ground; is that not true?
MR. LENBERGER: I had spoken with David Weeks actually
yesterday about this topic, and right now we would be using the line
as shown on the Future Land Use Map for Immokalee.
If this board wanted to make or direct -- make a recommendation
to the Board of County Commissioners to have staff reevaluate that
line and address it through the Compo Plan amendment, which is
underway right now, then that would be up to you.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: How was that line -- who drew
that line? How was that line arrived at?
MR. LENBERGER: I spoke with Mac Hatcher about this topic,
and that was an older line that he didn't actually do, and I think he
didn't have the historic data on it, but after he came onboard he drew
those later lines. But that was an older version.
I do have a Lidar map that kind of shows it.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: That's prettier.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray, did you have something
you wanted to say?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah. I wanted to get
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February 7, 2008
unconfused.
The flow that you showed us, the excerpt from the FLUM, is
what you're going to go by but it ends just, I think, before Immokalee
Road.
MR. LENBERGER: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: But we have an apparent -- what
is that, a slough?
MR. LENBERGER: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: We have an apparent slough that
goes beyond that. Why did we end it? I may have missed that in the
course of your explanation, but I'm confused.
MR. LENBERGER: It was an older line established on the
Immokalee Future Land Use Map, and it hasn't changed. And I talked
to David. If anyone at the committee level when they met with the
community regarding this have any -- anybody wanted to change
those lines, and he said not that he could recall or was aware of.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay. So further then, the
Immokalee Area Master Plan is intending to use the map that's in the
FLUM, or intending to modify it with anything like this?
MR. LENBERGER: There's no intent now to change that line.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: But that's a misrepresentation of
a natural flowway, isn't it, if we don't -- if we don't include it?
MR. LENBERGER: It appears that it doesn't encompass the
whole flowway, that's correct.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So, perhaps, from a planning
basis, perhaps this body might have an interest in bringing awareness
to it. I recognize there's some budgetary constraints, et cetera, but it
seems to me we should have a representation of a flowway that's real.
And if it -- if the boundaries, as indicated, are not even as real as Paul
says they need to be truth proven, then so be it. I mean, I recognize it's
a limitation in terms of staff time and all the rest of it, but that sure
says a lot about the flow of water.
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CHAIRMAN STRAIN: If -- with the time Mac Hatcher came on
-- he's been here quite a while, hasn't he?
MR. LENBERGER: Yes, he has.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. If that diagram or that outline was
done before his time, it certainly was done with not as modern
technology as we have today. And what we're looking at right now is
pretty modern technology.
I think it would -- we would be remiss in not recommending that
the BCC consider updating the flowway master plan while they're
doing the Immokalee Area Master Plan as well, based on the fact we
have new and better technology and it's needed.
Is there anybody that would disagree with that? Why don't we
move that forward as a recommendation to the BCC? Is that
something you guys can do with the consensus you hear today, or do
you need another avenue to do it? Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: I believe that's a request the Planning
Commission has in its purview, and we'll --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I think it's important to note that the
Immokalee Area Master Plan is under consideration right now, it's not
been finalized. In fact, they seem to be making a career out of it. So
while they're at it, why don't we just throw this in, then they can make
their careers even longer.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Justify it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah. Now they can have justification
for the length of time they've been taking.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Making friends all over the place.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So why don't we just -- why don't we ask
this to be incorporated, then before they come out with a plan, this be
part of it?
MR. BELLOWS: I'll forward that to the comprehensive planning
department and make sure that --
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: I would think we should make it
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February 7, 2008
a recommendation to the board, not just simply to the comprehensive
planning organization.
MR. BELLOWS: Well, they're working on the Immokalee Area
Master Plan. It would be forwarding to the board any plan, but --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, here's what I don't want to see
happen is that this board makes a recommendation, you give it to
compo planning, and they say, well, that's just a CCPC. We're not
going to pay any attention to that because it didn't come from the
BCC.
So I think Mr. Murray's correct. Why don't we take that
recommendation you have from us, request the BCC to allow compo
planning to implement that as part of the Immokalee Area Master Plan
review? And then it's done officially and no one can question the
authority for it being done. We're simply recommending.
Is that an acceptable way to go? Okay. Anybody on the board
disagree? Then you have it by consensus so that should take care of it.
Thank you, Steve. Appreciate your time. Mr. Midney that was a
good catch. I think this needs to be updated and I think it's a good
thing we do it.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: IfI could just make one final
comment. Right now the land is not developed, and Immokalee will be
a much better place, especially as Serenoa town comes in. If this
slough, which separates the two areas is developed -- is not developed,
or is kept in its natural state, it will make both Serenoa and Immokalee
better places to live when they finally are built out.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Based on what we've seen here, I would
highly agree with you. That's a good move.
Thank you, sir, for especially your patience today. It was a very
short meeting, but we're glad you stayed for the whole thing.
There's no public comment, so I guess I'll look for a motion to
adjourn.
COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN: So moved.
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February 7, 2008
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Made by Commissioner Adelstein,
seconded by Commissioner Murray. Weare adjourned.
*****
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 3:24 p.m.
COLLIER COUNTY
PLANNING COMMISSION
Mark Strain, Chairman
These minutes approved by the Board on
or as corrected.
, as presented
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF GREGORY
COURT REPORTING SERVICE, INC., BY CHERIE'
NOTTINGHAM and TERRI L. LEWIS, NOTARY PUBLIC.
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