BCC Minutes 02/19/2008 S (LDC Amendments)
February 19,2008
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Naples, Florida, February 19,2008
LDC AMENDMENTS
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Board of County
Commissioners, in and for the County of Collier, and also acting as
the Board of Zoning Appeals and as the governing board( s) of such
special district as has been created according to law and having
conducted business herein, met on this date at 5:05 p.m., in SPECIAL
SESSION in Building "F" of the Government Complex, East Naples,
Florida, with the following members present:
CHAIRMAN: Tom Henning
Donna Fiala
Frank Halas
Fred W. Coyle
Jim Coletta
ALSO PRESENT:
Catherine Fabacher, LDC Manager
Joe Schmitt, CDES Administrator
Jeff Klatzkow, Assistant County Attorney
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COLLIER COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
~
LDC AGENDA
February 19, 2008
5:05 p.m.
SPECIAL MEETING
Tom Henning, BCC Chairman Commissioner, District 3
Donna Fiala, BCC Vice-Chairman Commissioner, District 1; CRAB Chairman
Jim Coletta, BCC Commissioner, District 5; CRAB Vice-Chairman
Frank Halas, BCC Commissioner, District 2
Fred W. Coyle, BCC Commissioner, District 4
NOTICE: ALL PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY AGENDA ITEM
MUST REGISTER PRIOR TO SPEAKING. SPEAKERS MUST REGISTER
WITH THE COUNTY MANAGER PRIOR TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE
AGENDA ITEM TO BE ADDRESSED.
COLLIER COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 2003-53, AS AMENDED BY
ORDINANCE 2004-05 AND 2007-24, REQUIRES THAT ALL LOBBYISTS
SHALL, BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY LOBBYING ACTIVITIES
(INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ADDRESSING THE BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS), REGISTER WITH THE CLERK TO THE
BOARD AT THE BOARD MINUTES AND RECORDS DEPARTMENT.
REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON SUBJECTS WHICH ARE NOT ON
THIS AGENDA MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING WITH EXPLANATION
TO THE COUNTY MANAGER AT LEAST 13 DAYS PRIOR TO THE DATE OF
THE MEETING AND WILL BE HEARD UNDER "PUBLIC PETITIONS".
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION OF THIS BOARD
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.
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February 19,2008
ALL REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO FIVE (5)
MINUTES UNLESS THE TIME IS ADJUSTED BY THE CHAIRMAN.
IF YOU ARE A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO NEEDS ANY
ACCOMMODATION IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCEEDING,
YOU ARE ENTITLED, AT NO COST TO YOU, TO THE PROVISION OF
CERT AIN ASSISTANCE. PLEASE CONTACT THE COLLIER COUNTY
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT LOCATED AT 3301 EAST
T AMIAMI TRAIL, NAPLES, FLORIDA, 34112, (239) 252-8380; ASSISTED
LISTENING DEVICES FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED ARE A V AILABLE IN
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' OFFICE.
1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance
2. The Board to consider an ordinance amending Ordinance Number 04-41, as
amended, the Collier County Land Development Code, which includes the
comprehensive regulations for the unincorporated area of Collier County, Florida.
3. Adjourn
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February 19, 2008
February 19,2008
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Call the meeting of the Board of
Commissioners' Land Development Code meeting of cycle 2 of 2007
-- the date is February 19,2008.
Would you all rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.
(The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Catherine, we have two amendments
on there besides the recodification of the --
MS. F ABACHER: Land use tables.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- land use.
MS. F ABACHER: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay.
MS. F ABACHER: I think we have a lot of public speakers if
you want to -- I think they're all here for the marina shoreline
calculation.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Will the other one take that
long? Did staff get together and duke it out and make a settlement?
You want -- will it take that long; that's the question, I guess.
MS. F ABACHER: Depends on the speakers and the questions,
SIr. I have no way -- I understand Nick has a time limitation, so --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Nick has a time limitation?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah, he has a conflict, I guess. Why
don't we go with the printed agenda, which is the --
COMMISSIONER HALAS: I've got to leave at 6:30.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Coletta -- Halas leaves
-- has to leave at 6:30, so --
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Hope we get this thing taken care
of.
Item #2A
ORDINANCE 2008-10: AMENDMENT TO 3.07.02 INTERIM
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February 19,2008
WATERSHED REGULATIONS -ADOPTED W/STIPULATIONS
MS. F ABACHER: Commissioner, we're on page 1 with the
interim water, section 3.07.01, section 3.07.02, and then numerous
other sections where there's a cross-reference. So I can give those to
the court reporter afterwards.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. And the purpose of this
amendment?
MS. F ABACHER: Robert Wiley's here with our stormwater,
floodplain expert.
MR. WILEY: For the record, Commissioners, Robert Wiley
with your engineering and environmental services department.
And we're here today to talk about the interim watershed
management regulations to be incorporated into the Land
Development Code. As we discussed before, these regulations are to
implement what's already contained within the Growth Management
Plan under the Conservation and Coastal Management Element,
policy -- objective 2.1.
We took the language that is in the Growth Management Plan
and basically duplicated it into the Land Development Code, and then
through the process of the various reviews coming up to this point we
have had some tweaking of the language to reflect more specific
issues than would be necessarily addressed within the Growth
Management Plan.
One of the issues that came up when we were before you the last
time dealt with the issue of whether or not it would include, within the
150 percent of water quality treatment volumes, the county roadway
projects.
And so after Nick and I -- we've had quite a few discussions,
we've had discussions among a bunch of us here, what we've done is
we've edited it to include within there -- in the red you'll see before
you -- and if you each want an individual copy, I have them. I will
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February 19,2008
give a copy to our recorder over here.
But it basically would say, under section A of3.07.02, interim
watershed regulations, all new development and redevelopment
projects, and then we added in, except public roadway projects as
defined in the MPO long-range transportation plan, and from there on
it's the same language it was before.
So we did add that one phrase in there. Nick is here to talk to
you about it, if you also want to discuss it. But we tried to come to a
meeting, and that's the way it ended up.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Good. Questions by the board
members? Commissioner Coletta?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah. I'd like to hear from Nick
about that particular exclusion to make sure it's going to fit the needs
for Collier County.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Sure. For the record, Nick
Casalanguida with transportation.
It does, sir. I think there are times when a developer builds
public roads in their private developments, and we wanted to -- if
they're not on the MPO or LR TP and they're not an arterial or
collector, they would not be exempt. So this covered roads that were
already reviewed by the MPO board, found to be as a need in our
LRTP, and we'd be exempt from that regulation.
One note, I've been discussing with Robert further into the future
we may want to consider, even with this amendment, the ability to
say, we are in response of development to build capital projects. We
are not -- we are not built -- we don't build roads so development can
come. We respond to development.
So if there's a way to take a credit from that ability that they
overcompensate their stormwater retention and treatment, that we'd
like to be able to do so. Even brought up and suggested, you want to
increase this even further. But right now as it's written, it meets our
needs.
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February 19,2008
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: One further question, if! may,
Nick. Out in Golden Gate Estates we have a number of limerock
roads that are being retrofitted with asphalt on them to be able to meet
the needs out there. Now, would these roads have to comply with this
because of the fact that they're not being approved by the MPO?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: No, sir. Right now they are already
impervious, considered impervious, and you're just putting, you know,
pavement down on impervious material right now, and they already
have side swale treatment in those roads.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: So those swales would not have
to be increased to take 150 percent?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: No, sir.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Okay. Thank you.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Motion to approve.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Second.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: What are you approving?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Approving this amendment, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING. Okay. You're going to put this in the
court reporter's -- okay -- so we don't have to read all --
MS. FABACHER: Well, a motion to approve with the amended
text on the visualizer, which we'll turn over to the court reporter.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Exactly.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: There's a motion by Commissioner
Halas, second by Commissioner Fiala.
Question, Nick?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: How would private development have
to construct their roads different than what -- how you would have to
construct your roads with this amendment?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Well, the way it's written right now, if
a development, for instance, a gated community, their impervious
would have to meet this increased requirement.
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February 19,2008
CHAIRMAN HENNING: What would that look like?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: It's exactly as written. They would
have to increase to 150 percent.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Hundred fifty percent water capacity?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: And discharge, yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Just in gated communities?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Private communities, yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Private roads?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Private roads.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yes. Okay. Thank you.
Any further discussion on the motion?
MR. KLATZKOW: Commissioner?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yes.
MS. FABACHER: We have a public speaker.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Public speaker on the amendment?
MS. FABACHER: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Please call them up.
MS. F ABACHER: All right. Nicole Ryan.
MS. RYAN: Good evening, Commissioners. For the record,
Nicole Ryan, here on behalf of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
And I hadn't intended to speak to this provision, but when I had
heard that there was going to be the exemption for county
transportation, I do want to point out that roads, because of their very
length, are going to create a lot of stormwater runoff.
And as the county is moving forward with watershed
management planning, incorporation of the 150 percent treatment is
going to be something that is very important. Weare a little bit
concerned that the county's exempting the road networks from this. A
hundred fifty percent treatment is something that the district is moving
towards, that obviously the county is moving towards.
So -- just share that concern. I know these are interim standards.
But having the county be at the same level of provisions as private
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February 19,2008
roads, something that you're going to need to look at in the future.
So I just share that with you as you move forward with this. We
believe that the other standards that have been put in place and
proposed for the interim Watershed Management Plan guidelines are
very good and we're very supportive of those. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Thank you.
Any further discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: All in favor of the motion, signify by
saymg aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Motion carries.
Did you -- the next one in my page is the permitting for outdoor
seating.
MS. FABACHER: Well, Commissioner, that's -- yes, we can--
that's at the end.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Oh, it's at the end?
Item #2B
AMENDMENT TO 5.05.02 MMP SHORELINE CALCULATIONS
- MOTION TO DENY - APPROVED; MOTION TO DIRECT
STAFF TO INCLUDE THE SHORELINE CONSERVATION AS
PART OF TH MULTI-SLIP BOAT DOCK CALCULATIONS-
WITHDRAWN; MOTION TO BRING BACK WITH GUIDANCE
FROM STAFF (NO VOTE TAKEN)
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February 19,2008
MS. FABACHER: It's at the end. The next one is on page 27,
which is the Manatee Protection Plan shoreline calculations.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay.
MS. F ABACHER: And Steven Lenberger with engineering and
environmental services, the author's here.
MR. LENBERGER: Good evening. For the record, Steven
Lenberger, engineering environmental services.
Staff, after our last meeting, revised the amendment to take in
some of your concerns, and I have put that amendment on the
visualizer. Also the County Attorney's Office has also taken a look at
it and given you a memo regarding this amendment.
I'm here to answer any questions you may have.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Can you explain what the revised
amendment does?
MR. LENBERGER: What your concerns were is having
government facilities being exempt from the provisions of this
amendment to allow them basically to use shoreline within
conservation easements when calculating wet slip density, so we had
added that. And we restructured it.
Since the amendment got quite large, the paragraph, we broke it
out into three different areas, one dealing with the government-owned
boat facilities, one dealing with private facilities which are open to the
public 100 percent, and one dealing with artificially-created
shorelines.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Commissioner Fiala has a
question.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yeah, I do. Along the Bayshore
area, we've got a few marinas, yacht companies, boat sales, and they
also have or want to build ramps that allow the general public to put
their boats into the water. Well, this is something that we've had as a
top priority here on the county commission trying to give people more
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February 19,2008
access to the water.
I want to know, is this going to prevent people -- these marinas --
say, for instance -- Gulf Shores Marina, for instance, will that prevent
them from building a ramp to allow their boat to go into the water?
MR. LENBERGER: The current amendment to the Manatee
Protection Plan, the code version of it is is just to exclude using
shoreline within a conservation area. Whether the marina can put in a
boat slip is going to depend on the siting criteria of the Manatee
Protection Plan. That is not going to change.
If the site has a preferred rating under the Manatee Protection
Plan, they can put in a boat ramp. If it doesn't, then they can't put in a
new ramp. That's already existing in the current Manatee Protection
Plan.
I don't know what those marina facilities have down on
Bayshore. If they don't have any impact to marine shoreline, then
they're probably, from what I've seen in different applications in that
area, going to have a preferred rating because Haldeman Creek was
just dredged to the appropriate depth.
The projects I saw come in did not have a high manatee use area
within the five-mile sphere, which -- we looked at it, and also
basically those canals which go into Haldeman Creek are all
seawall ed, so there wouldn't be any impact to native marine habitat.
They would, therefore, qualify for a preferred rating, and a preferred
rating would allow for a new boat ramp.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Let me ask a question. On Bayshore
Drive, Traviso Bay, I think -- or not -- is it Traviso, that big
development on the East Trail?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: They came to us and wanted to
change a marina siting for their private docks for the residents. How
will this affect them?
MR. LENBERGER: This won't have any effect. I reviewed
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February 19,2008
Traviso Bay -- that is a marina facility as well -- so I'm familiar with
it, and they have a small area of mangroves which they saved, but they
had no impact to any marine habitat adjacent to them. They received
a preferred rating. It had no effect.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Explain to me marine habitat. You
mean the manatee?
MR. LENBERGER: The Manatee Protection Plan identifies -- a
merge of vegetation such as mangroves and impact to them. It's based
on a percentage to qualify as a preferred -- preferred rating for that
criteria, and it's 5 percent impact is allowed.
You also have submerged vegetation, such as sea grass, the
hard-bottom communities. And they're -- the Manatee Protection Plan
identifies, a high impact is 100 square feet.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, if you make this 100 percent
available to the public in a conservation area, shoreline conservation,
then you're allowed to do that, right? You're allowed to put the docks
in, the multi docks in with this amendment?
MR. LENBERGER: This amendment's only going to -- only
affect people where the shoreline is within a conservation easement
and you won't be able to use that calculation for wet slip densities. It
doesn't affect the placement of the dock. It affects using the amount
of shoreline in the calculation.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: When it's -- whether it's 100 percent
owned -- 100 percent available to the public or not? It's still the same?
MR. LENBERGER: The criteria we have regarding the public --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Hang on.
MR. LENBERGER: -- was at the board's request at their last
meeting, if I'm not mistaken. And there was some concern about
public access and keeping access open to the public. So what we did
on the amendment is craft language to exempt government --
government facilities.
We also took a look at the marina facilities, and if they had a
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February 19,2008
preferred rating, which is where the Manatee Protection Plan would
want a marine facility, we said, well, then you can use all that
shoreline in trying to keep with the board's desire to not restrict public
access.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Commissioner Halas has had a
burning question.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: I believe -- oh, did you -- go ahead.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: That's all right. No, that's all right.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yeah. I believe what we discussed
at the last meeting was that there was some concerns that we wanted
to make sure that it was open to all of the public. And I believe that's
what the direction was that was given to you in regards to this.
I think what we were looking at is conservation easements that
were given up by the development community that set aside
conservation easements. I think that's where -- the direction that we're
at. And I believe that some of the questions that Commissioner
Henning asked and also Commissioner Fiala, basically, I think we
have an understanding that -- of the areas that would not be impacted
by this particular ordinance; am I correct?
MR. LENBERGER: I guess I don't quite follow your question,
what you're asking.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Well, the question is that it's only
in an area that deals with the conservation easements that are
privatized; is that correct?
MR. LENBERGER: Yes, according to this amendment, yes.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay. And that's basically what
we've always had at the county level, is that correct, with conservation
easements?
MR. SCHMITT: For the record, Joe Schmitt.
Commissioner, anytime there's a preserve -- a designated
preserve area up to the shoreline, at least in the last three years, we've
required the dedicated easement to be recorded identifying that as a
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conservation easement.
And these -- this amendment would then prohibit that land from
being used to count as shoreline for the calculation for the number of
slips that they would be allowed to construct.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: This is basically the type of count
that you've always had; is that true?
MR. SCHMITT: Policy as shown here is the policy we've been
applying.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay.
MR. SCHMITT: This is -- came up over a year ago when we
came back to the board on this, and Bill Lorenz did a white paper
explaining the difference between how it would come out in counting
shoreline versus being prohibited, but we've been applying it as
written here for -- Bill -- several years, last -- at least several years
been applying it as written. We came back to the board for
clarification. Your guidance was to continue with -- as -- continue
applying it as we had, and then to prepare this amendment to clarify it.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: And all we're doing is just
codifying everything?
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Fiala, then
Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. So when I asked a question,
Joe was kind enough to send me an answer back. But part of this
answer, which I feel is what we're supposed to be doing here today,
staff still needs the BCC to provide the direction as to what should
constitute shoreline for the purpose of the wet slip calculation for any
future applications for the permitting of dock facilities. I appreciated
you gIvmg me --
MR. SCHMITT: That is correct.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes -- giving me this answer. So I
guess that's part of what we're supposed to be doing here today as
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well.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Coyle?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Two points. First, Commissioner
Fiala asked a question earlier about boat ramps. I'd like to point out
that this language has nothing to do with boat ramps.
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And what you -- I think in order to
answer her question, you really need to get to the section that deals
with boat ramps.
And I think the preferred rating criteria associated with that is the
place to go. But this particular language does not have anything to do
with ramps. It has to do only with boat slips.
Now, my second issue is, if this is a Manatee Protection Plan,
why is it protecting the manatee against private owners but not the
government?
It seems to me that if we're going to have a Manatee Protection
Plan, the government should play by the same rules that everybody
else has to play by. And I don't know many circumstances where
we're building a lot of boat slips. We like to build boat ramps so
people can get their boats into the water, but this is a boat slip change
that we have before us right now.
I don't understand why the government is being allowed to use a
different set of rules under these circumstances than the public.
MR. SCHMITT: I'll answer that, Commissioner. We were
directed by the board to consider government to be exempt. That was
at the last -- well, it was not actually the last meeting, but the last time
we discussed this amendment at the LDC amendment hearing. The
board, through direction from -- to staff was to basically provide
language that would exempt the government from these restrictions.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Are you sure there wasn't
confusion at the time about exemption for the creation of boat ramps,
not boat slips?
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February 19,2008
MR. SCHMITT: Yes, sir. I'm -- the direction was to -- in this
language was to exclude -- basically provide language that would
exempt the government.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, I -- I, quite frankly, can't
support that. I think we need to play by the same rules everybody else
plays by. And now, if you want to talk about boat ramps, we always
have the opportunity to get a preferred rating under those
circumstances, I presume, and we can build boat ramps for public to
get access to the water; is that true?
MR. LENBERGER: If you have a preferred rating, yes.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. Now, if you're building this
facility in the middle of an intense manatee area, you shouldn't be
allowed to violate the law as the government. We ought to do the
same thing everybody else does.
So from my standpoint, I don't remember it that way, Joe, but
you might be correct. I don't recall all the details. But I certainly
couldn't support exempting the government from the manatee
protection measures that we apply to everyone else.
MR. SCHMITT: I believe that was the meeting you were on the
phone and then we lost you, and there were only four commissioners,
and that was --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Oh, I understand.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: That's right, that's right.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yes, yes, yes, I remember. Okay.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Coletta wants to -- got
my attention first, then Commissioner Halas.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yes, thank you. And I have to
be just as adamant in the other direction in the fact that it's into the
government. It's the gosh-darn public out there that we represent.
There's a lack of boating facilities out there to be able to meet the
public needs. And if we can't do something that's proactive to protect
the public's best interest, then we've failed, and I won't support
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February 19,2008
anything that doesn't support the public's best interest.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Halas?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yeah. I believe what -- I thought
the direction we gave was, there was some concerns about the
possibility of a future boat ramp going into Goodland.
MR. SCHMITT: Goodland.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: And that was the discussion. I
don't think there was anything about docks. I think it was strictly boat
ramps because we were talking about just putting a dock in whereby
people can launch a boat and I that's where the discussion went, if!
recall.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah, hang on. Let me -- if you don't
mind. Well, the Goodland boat park, there will be slips there.
MR. SCHMITT: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Boat slips. Hopefully there'll be a
boat ramp there, don't know, but that was the intent. There was some
concerns about five-acre Goodland boat park.
And I just need a clarification. Mr. Schmitt, you said you've
been applying this in the last three years?
MR. SCHMITT: Yes. The way it's been applied is to consider
that the conservation easement would negate the calculation of the
shoreline for any slip calculation.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. So--
MR. SCHMITT: And we came to the board with that.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Three years ago.
MR. SCHMITT: For guidance, I'd have to pull the dates, and it
was in your other dates that we had, and I don't have that one.
Bill, Bill? If you could come up and clarify. I mean, we had an
executive summary. We came to the board. What was the date of
this? Because we came to the board, asked for clarification. We
described the problem we were having with this.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: It was a year ago?
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February 19,2008
MR. LORENZ: For the record, Bill Lorenz, engineering
environmental services. It was about a year ago. It was February,
2007.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So you've been applying this policy
for the last three years?
MR. SCHMITT: It's been in the LDC through the Manatee
Protection Plan as the interpretation on how to apply it. When we
found -- we realized that there were potential problems in the -- at
least the interpretation in the application of it, we came to the board
for clarification.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Is there any base science that
manatees live in mangroves? I was -- being a three-decade resident
here on the water, I thought they always hung around the sea grasses.
MR. LORENZ: For the purposes of the Manatee Protection Plan,
as Steve has noted, that we were looking at habitat protection, habitat
consisting of both mangroves and sea grasses, and those were the --
those were the criteria that were generated to calculate that preferred
rating.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Commissioner Coletta?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I just want to make sure. I
remember the discussion very well that took place, and I kind of drove
it in the direction it was going for the very reasons I stated earlier. But
am I interpreting something wrong between now and then? We were
talking boat docks. We weren't talking boat ramps.
MR. SCHMITT: This is about boat slips or boat docks. It's not
about boat ramps.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Right, exactly, but we
understood that at the last meeting.
MR. SCHMITT: Correct.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: And that was the direction we
gave you.
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct.
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February 19,2008
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: All right. Anything else before we go
to the public speakers?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Just one more question.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: One more question from
Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Just so that I understand, along --
along the Bayshore corridor -- and I know that isn't even my district.
I'm just concerned with it, okay? Just along the Bayshore corridor for
those waters along there, how will it affect those -- I think there must
be three, four marinas along there. How will this provision as
proposed affect those people who still have plans to use their
property?
MR. LORENZ: Let's have an example of where a marina,
existing marina, comes in and they want to build additional wet slips.
For the purposes of the calculation of the wet slip, the maximum
amount of wet slips, we will look at the amount of shoreline that they
own in their property, multiply the amount of shoreline times the
rating value in terms of number of wet slips per thousand feet of
shoreline. That would be the calculation.
This amendment as proposed would say, in that calculation the
shoreline that you have in a conservation easement cannot be used in
the calculation. That's the proposal.
So this is -- this is -- if, for instance, you have 50 -- let's say you
have 5,000 feet of shoreline. One thousand feet of it would be in
conservation easement. You will then only be able to use the 4,000
feet in your calculation of maximum wet slip density.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So now -- we're not saying where
the manatee live. We're just talking about where they could live,
where they could hide, where they could feed or anything. Who
determines what that conservation easement shoreline is or where it
is?
Page 17
February 19,2008
MR. LORENZ: The Manatee Protection Plan provides for the
criteria to come up with whether you're a preferred, moderate, or
protected rating, and those criteria depend upon the manatee deaths or
the manatee abundance within that area, the amount of -- the amount
of habitat that would be impacted by that area.
And Steve will have to help me for the third criteria. I think
adequate water depth in terms of getting out from your facility to what
was called a preferred destination was a third criteria.
Those criteria would determine whether you have a preferred,
moderate, or protected rating. And that -- that would tell you, for
instance, a preferred rating, you would have 18 -- 18 boat slips per
thousand foot of shoreline. The protected rating would only have 10
-- I mean one boat slip per thousand foot of shoreline.
You would then take that rating and multiply it by the amount of
shoreline, qualified shoreline, and that's how you come up with a
maximum number of boat slips.
So the question for -- the question that we have for clarification
is, should we be counting all the shoreline or should we be counting
just the shoreline that's outside of conservation easements? That's the
heart of the matter for the clarification.
And what staff has been doing since the development of the
Manatee Protection Plan is applying the shoreline that's outside of the
conservation easements for that calculation.
MR. SCHMITT: And I want to correct the record. It's since the
adoption of the Manatee Protection Plan since May, 1995, staff has
been applying that rule.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Coyle? I've got so
many dates in my mind, I don't know where I'm going.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Let's -- let's pursue that line of
questioning a little bit further, Bill. Is this going to have any impact on
an individual's ability to be able to build a boat dock?
MR. LORENZ: Not a single-family boat dock, no.
Page 18
February 19,2008
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. It includes only a -- it deals
only with a marina?
MR. LORENZ: It deals with multi slip facilities, which could be
a commercial marina or could be a -- simply a condominium, for
instance, that would have multi slip facilities.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And it deals -- does not deal at all
with dry slip storage?
MR. LORENZ: That's correct. The calculation does not.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And that's where most marinas are
going; if they have a larger volume of boats they want to service,
they're going to dry slips, not wet slips. It does not impact their
business substantially. They can still have as many dry slips as they
want or can service. It only deals with wet slips.
MR. LORENZ: Correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Right?
MR. LORENZ: The details for dry slip is, you can have dry slips
in a preferred siting. You can expand it in a moderate siting.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Now, tell me what is -- would you
go back to the slide with the new language.
Would you tell me what is a county-required preserve?
MR. LORENZ: County-required preserve would be the preserve
that's set aside to meet the vegetation retention requirements of the
Growth Management Plan and the Land Development Code.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. What portion of the
Goodland park is a county-required preserve?
MR. LORENZ: I'd have to check with staff to answer that
question.
MR. LENBERGER: The Goodland -- the Goodland park has a --
doesn't have any native vegetation other than the mangrove fringe, so
it would be based on 15 percent of that area of the mangroves. That
would be the county-required preserve pursuant to the Growth
Management Plan.
Page 19
February 19,2008
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Would be 15 percent of the area
that -- where the mangroves are in?
MR. LENBERGER: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. And do you know how
much that is?
MR. LENBERGER: Not off the top of my head, no, but--
COMMISSIONER COYLE: How many wet boat slips would
the Goodland Preserve be allowed under this criteria?
MR. LENBERGER: I don't remember the exact number. I do
remember that they were allowed more than they actually came in for
when they came in for a preapplication meeting. I was at that
meeting, and I also -- they also came in for a second meeting, which
they scaled down a number of boats. They scaled down a number of
boats to have less impact on mangroves so they can keep a preferred
rating in order to construct the boat ramp.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So if you removed this exemption
for the county, it wouldn't impact the number of boat slips at
Goodland park at all?
MR. LENBERGER: I don't believe it's going to have any effect
on the Goodland park.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: That's right. So Commissioner
Coletta --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- this provision does not, in fact,
solve your problem. It doesn't permit more boat slips to be built at
Goodland or probably anyplace else we own.
So I still oppose giving the government the right to do things that
private owners can't do except to build a boat ramp to let people get to
the water. It will not in any way reduce the facility at Goodland park
to remove this provision.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. You want to go to the public
speakers?
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February 19,2008
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah, why not.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah. And last chance to sign up if
you want to speak, or forever hold your -- and we're going to give
three minutes per speaker.
MS. F ABACHER: All right, Commissioner. The first speaker
will be Alex O'Brien followed by Rich Y ovanovich.
MR. O'BRIEN: Could we just switch those speakers?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: No.
MR. O'BRIEN: Okay. I hate to go first.
All right. My name's Alex O'Brien. I live at 21 Bluebill Avenue,
in Commissioner Halas's district. And I'd like to say that I am here to
support the passage of the Land Development Code and, in particular,
I am concerned with the area by Delnor- Wiggins Park which seems to
be a hotbed of interest right now.
I think it's time to have some home rule here in the county and
keep the environmental fate in our own hands. We can see that the
state capital, in my opinion, is not environmental friendly.
This is a good step forward, but I don't think it is enough. And,
again, I'm speaking for the Delnor- Wiggins, not the whole Collier
County, because I'm not familiar with the whole Collier County area.
This is a good step forward but not enough. This dock issue
should be stopped and a firm no-way be given. The area near the
Aqua condos used to be the former Wiggins Pass Marina, with the
county marina being there also, and there's plenty of area for
development of boat slips there, since it was already there.
My concern is, why build them in an environmentally fragile area
since others exist? If it is the intent to offer boat slips, why not bus the
people that want them from the Dunes condos over to that particular
area? They've already set a busing precedent by taking one of their
buildings and busing the people to the Floridian Club to go to the
beach, so it's not an unusual concept for them to do.
The Dunes buildings will not be affected but the people on Baker
Page 21
February 19,2008
Carol Point will be there 24/7 looking at the boats, looking there. I
particularly go fishing in the canal along with my grandchildren and
that. The canal will be narrowed significantly, and the recreational
areas will not be available to them.
I would like to see you vote a 5-0 in favor of this and send a
message to the developers that the coastline is important to both you
and to us.
Thank you.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Could I ask the speaker a question?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Sure.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Sir?
MR. O'BRIEN: Boy, that's funny. I'm getting asked a question,
great.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: You want -- don't want the
developers to be able to build boat docks. Would it be okay if Collier
County government built the boat docks up there?
MR. O'BRIEN: Let's put the -- I mentioned the developer
because that's what I'm concerned with and that's what they want to
do, okay. I would assume that the Collier County government, you
folks up here, would be looking at the facts and seeing that it is an
environmentally fragile area and you wouldn't even put them there.
That's my concern.
I'm assuming that you, if you wanted to do it, you would look
and see that is not a proper area. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it
seems that developers have the money, and money talks, and they've
been doing an awful lot of talking with some of the things they wanted
COMMISSIONER COYLE: You understand that if this is
approved the way it is written --
MR. O'BRIEN: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- we could go in there and build
boat docks for the public?
Page 22
February 19,2008
MR. O'BRIEN: And if you did build the boat docks right along
that shoreline, I'll be standing right here bringing my objections again
for the same reason.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
MR. O'BRIEN: The boat docks should not be put in a fragile
environmental area, period, but I don't care by who. It just happens to
be the developers that are doing it.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. I have a question.
MR. O'BRIEN: Oh.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I don't know that area, Baker Carol
Point.
MR. O'BRIEN: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: What's on Baker Carol Point?
MR. O'BRIEN: Eleven condos. Eleven condos? Eleven condos.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Eleven condos.
MR. O'BRIEN: Ten, sorry. Ten.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Do they have boat docks?
MR. O'BRIEN: They have an inset, I guess, cul-de-sac would be
a way to describe it. Where--
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So they don't have any boat docks
there?
MR. O'BRIEN: Pardon me?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: They don't have boat docks there at
Baker Carol Point?
MR. O'BRIEN: Yeah. And there's a cul-de-sac in there with
boat docks in it, not out in the canal and not built -- see, I don't know
exactly when they were built because that was like before my time,
but --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Wow.
MR. O'BRIEN: Yeah. Well, no, not before my time. I'm 63. I
don't mean before 6 -- you know, 63 years ago, but before I came
Page 23
February 19,2008
there to find out all the specific facts. I'm sure some of these people
here from Vanderbilt would know better exactly when.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: You answered my question. Thank
you.
MR. O'BRIEN: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Apologize.
MS. F ABACHER: Mr. Y ovanovich. And after him will be Tim
Hall.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Good evening. Rich Y ovanovich on
behalf of Signature Communities.
First of all, what the previous speaker just said, the boat docks
that will be constructed will not be destroying the mangroves. They
will not be taking the mangroves out.
What Signature Communities did is they bought waterfront
property, and as every other owner of waterfront property, they have
riparian rights and included in those riparian rights is the right to
utilize the water, including the construction of boat docks, like many
other waterfront property owners in Collier County.
Signature Communities made no secret about that and what I
went through, and I did their PUD for both the Dunes and
Cocohatchee Bay. They knew they'd have to go through the county's
permitting process, but at the time they negotiated their PUDs with the
county, contrary to what your staff is saying, there was not an
application of, if you had a conservation easement over mangroves,
you didn't get to count that as shoreline.
You still owned that property . You still pay taxes on that
property. So it is still your shoreline for purposes of calculating boat
docks.
What -- and I know for a fact that recently -- and I know B.J. was
there, I think, supporting it when the Regatta went through. The
Regatta has a conservation easement along its shoreline. It was there
at the time the project was permitted and that shoreline was, in fact,
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February 19,2008
included in the calculation of the number of docks at the Regatta.
So I know from firsthand knowledge, at least since 1995, that that
policy was not applied to that particular project. And, in fact, the
language of the LDC doesn't say that. It says that you don't count -- it
basically says, your shoreline, you calculate it. You still own it if
there's an easement on it, and that's how it's been applied in the past.
And that's -- and this came up a year ago, as you all remember, as
a discussion item for the Cocohatchee Bay settlement agreement. We
said, pull it out of the settlement agreement. Let's come back and
discuss how this has been applied, and your staff at that point said that
this has been the policy for 10 years.
I know Tim Hall has asked for examples over that 10-year period
when this has been applied, and I don't think they've responded to him
to give him any examples.
So what we're requesting is that the county apply the literal
writing of the LDC as it currently exists. If you own the shoreline,
you get to calculate it. We're not asking for permission to destroy any
mangroves in constructing those docks.
Those docks will be located outside of the mangroves. They'll be
in the appropriate location, and, in fact, your Comprehensive Plan
encourages water access. It encourages boat docks. It encourages
recreational use of the water.
What you're saying to these two projects, and every other project,
whether the county builds them or not, if you have waterfront, you
cannot, if you have any easement on it, you cannot include that in
your calculation.
What the county ignores is that when you go to the state for the
state permits, they require you to put an easement on that land. We
have to go through the state process first before we can come to the
county process.
So what you're effectively saying is, everybody, you have to get
a state permit to build a dock. You're not going to be allowed to build
Page 25
February 19,2008
docks in Collier County because the state-required conservation
easement will prohibit you from counting that shoreline in Collier
County .
Commissioner Coyle brought up an interesting point, and I've
always thought this was the law, and I think that Steve clarified that.
When you asked, what is the county's required easement, on the park
example you gave, they said, you only have to count 15 percent of
those mangroves.
So if! apply that rationale to the projects that Signature
Communities owns, they only have to -- they only have to put 25
percent of those mangroves because they have a 25 percent
requirement in the conservation easement, and the remainder of those
mangroves can be excluded from the county-required conservation
easement.
They can elect to have a larger conservation easement, and in
that conservation easement, I guess, put in there the right to have boat
docks. They say, we'll give you a conservation easement, but we're
reserving the right to put boat docks in that conservation easement.
I just would like clarification, because I think that's exactly what
Commissioner Coyle asked staff. And if that's, in fact, what the law
says, is that we only have to put 25 percent of the mangroves in a
county-required conservation easement, then I would submit to you,
you know, then we'll have to go forward with that and we'll do that
and we'll deal with it appropriately. So I don't know who to ask that
question. I hope we can get that clarification through this process.
These are rights that Signature Communities had. The taking
away ofthose rights, you know, obviously, is an impact to property
value and should not be foisted on Signature Communities. They--
MS. F ABACHER: Commissioner, excuse me. The three
minutes is up.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Oh, it is?
MS. FABACHER: Yeah, sorry.
Page 26
February 19,2008
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Oh, can you wrap it up, please.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Anyway, they should not be -- those
rights shouldn't be taken away from them when you're not taking those
rights away from anybody else who owns waterfront property. Thank
you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Thank you.
Commissioner Halas has a question, right?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yes. To -- for our attorney. How
does the discussion of conservation easements, how does this affect
waters that are considered outstanding Florida waters? How does that
all play into mangroves and habitat?
MR. KLATZKOW: For purpose of your LDC in calculating wet
slips, it doesn't. We're silent on that issue as I read your amendments
in your LDC.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay. So there's no state or county
LDC amendments in regards to protecting those waters, if there is
outstanding Florida waters in any particular area that has a
conservation easement on it?
MR. KLATZKOW: No. There may well be state restrictions on
this, but we're dealing here with the county restrictions, and your
LDC, in calculating wet slips, it just doesn't have that as a factor.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay. Well, the calculations that
we presently have, all we're doing is -- there's not that -- that much of
a change. All we're doing is codifying what we presently have been
doing in the past; is that true?
MR. KLATZKOW: Your staff is saying that they've been doing
this since 1995. Mr. Yovanovich is saying that's not so?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: And who?
MR. KLA TZKOW: Mr. Y ovanovich has just said that that's not
so.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay. So staff, are we -- what's the
real side of the story here?
Page 27
February 19,2008
MR. SCHMITT: That's the information we brought forward a
year ago when we discussed this. We also identified to the staff -- to
the board the difference of opinion, I'll call it, between the application
of this section of the code. That's why we raised it to the board.
The board's direction at that time was to continue to proceed and
then come back in and try and clarify this through an LDC
amendment.
We had two recommendations, and they basically covered -- we
were then asked to do research to verify where the conservation
easement was and define -- or based on what was defined on the
conservation easement, that's how we would apply it. And each
particular case, when we looked at the conservation easement, looking
at the legal language in the conservation easement, and then applying
it based on those -- well, on the calculations for the docks.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Coyle?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah, just very briefly. It appears
that this is an item that will have to be resolved between the two
parties at some point, and the best way to do that is to present the
examples of those circumstances where this language has been used in
the past. That should not be a difficult thing for the staff to do.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, I've asked for a public records
of all the docks, multi slips (sic) docks since 1995.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And you haven't got it yet?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, I've asked for the information
earlier. I never got it, but I did a public records request with the
county manager today.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: And we're going to get that answer.
MR. SCHMITT: Barbara has a list of, I think, five --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We've done the same thing. We asked
and we've not been provided -- we thought it was readily available.
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February 19,2008
MR. SCHMITT: It isn't -- there are not many. Barbara, do you
want to -- Barbara has a list that we compiled today.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I want all the information, right? You
want to go?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I would hope so, Commissioner
Henning. Do you think we should proceed with this item without that
information?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, I want -- the reason I wanted--
I'm hearing two different things. And we've been grappling with this
thing for a long time. And I -- you know, I don't know if! want to
keep on talking about the same issue. But eventually I'll get the truth,
and through my public records, is what has been applied. If it's -- like
it was said, if it hasn't been applied to the --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: The Regatta.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- the Regatta but it's been applied to
others, then we have a problem.
Commissioner Coletta?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah. The issue's of fairness.
In this case here, if it hasn't been applied uniformly -- well, I guess the
big question would be, who authorized it to begin with? It would have
to come -- the authorization would have to come from the
commission. Ifit hasn't been applied uniformly, then there should be
something in the way of a grandfather clause to be able to protect
those people that are in the process now.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, Commissioner, you know, the
Manatee Protection Plan was written a number of years ago. It was
the first one in Collier County. We had two gentlemen come to us -- I
think Lee Lyons (phonetic). This is a similar issue -- Lee Lyons and
Duke Turner, who was the -- one of the original authors of the
Manatee Protection Plan.
In my opinion, we need to reach out to the history of, what was
this Manatee Protection Plan all about and what applied to it, you
Page 29
February 19,2008
know what I mean? In other words, coastal conservation, shoreline
conservation, did it apply to that? You with me?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: No.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. The whole issue of the Land
Development Code here is to amend what we're being told staff has
been making policy all along, since 1995. I question that. But I -- my
point is, ask the people who wrote the Manatee Protection Plan of
what -- did it -- was the intent to include shoreline protection as a
prohibition for docks? That's what we're doing here.
Basically ask them, is this what you meant? Is this what we're
doing here today? Is this what you had intended to do in your
Manatee Protection Plan? Because we're having staff clarify it, and
I'm not sure if we're hitting the target. That's all.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Okay.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Sorry to take up so much time.
MS. FABACHER: All right. Next speaker?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Next speaker?
MS. F ABACHER: Tim Hall is the next speaker, and after that,
Bruce Burkhard.
MR. HALL: Good evening, Commissioners. For the record,
Tim Hall with Turrell, Hall & Associates.
I wasn't sure I was going to be here so I sent all of you an email
yesterday with my comments. I hope you got that. I'm not going to
go over those points again.
But in regards to some things that were said here today, I think I
would have to respectfully disagree with staff on a couple of issues.
One is that I agree, this amendment does not apply to boat ramps or
dry storage; however, when you normally design a boat ramp or a dry
storage, you have to have slips there to support the boats that are
going in and out of the water so people have something to tie up to,
after they unload it from the trailer, go park the trailer and so forth,
Page 30
February 19,2008
and then come back to the boat. There needs to be slips there to
support that use, whether it be dry storage or boat ramps.
And under this amendment, those slips would be affected. So
you could have the ramp and then you just have to have your boat
floating out there while you went and did your -- parked your car or
whatever.
And then I believe the other item that came up where you had
asked specifically about the Goodland boat park, granted that there's
only 15 percent of the park that's under a county easement; however,
the entire shoreline is under a state easement.
And according to the way this is read, a state or federal easement
that does not specifically allow boat docks would also be excluded,
and that easement was put on there for mangrove protection. It does
not specifically allow boat docks. It does not specifically prohibit
boat docks.
The boat docks were permitted as part of the entire project, so
that was taken into account when that easement was put in place;
however, because the easement does not specifically allow boat docks,
my interpretation of the way this rule is written is that then that
shoreline would not count, so you would be left there with none of
your shoreline counting towards your wet slip -- your wet slip
calculations.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Can I ask a question?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yes.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: You just heard staff say that that's
not true for Goodland. This would have no impact at all on the ability
to build boat slips at Goodland.
MR. HALL: And that's why I'm saying I disagree. If they are
saying that it doesn't -- that it doesn't apply, the way I read this, there
is a state easement along the shoreline. It does not specifically allow
boat docks. So by the letter of the law, the way this is written, that
shoreline would not count.
Page 31
February 19, 2008
COMMISSIONER COYLE: What kind of state easement is it?
MR. HALL: It's a DEP conservation easement along the
shoreline to protect the mangroves, that was put in place to protect the
mangroves.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And it extends even in those areas
where there are no mangroves?
MR. HALL: I believe it goes along the entire shoreline.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Even though there are not
mangroves --
MR. HALL: Correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- along the entire shoreline?
MR. HALL: There's still that wetland interface, and they wanted
to protect the entire thing.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, I'd be interested in hearing
staffs response to that too, but --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I think you need to look on page 29G,
the second sentence, shorelines within county-required preserves or
within state or federal conservation easements which do not
specifically permit boat docks shall not be used in the calculation. Is
that what you're talk about, Tim, that --
MR. HALL: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- specific -- Mr. Hall?
MR. HALL: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So if it requires a -- preserves or
within state and federal conservation easement, state or federal
conservation, that's key?
MR. HALL: Right. And if the easements are not specific to
where they actually in that easement say that this easement does not
preclude the shoreline from being counted, then it would not count.
And until last year, none of the easements that my office has worked
on, which is probably in the hundreds, has include any language like
that.
Page 32
February 19,2008
COMMISSIONER COYLE: But in the language that is before
us, it doesn't mention any state or federal easements. It says, any --
having shoreline within county-required preserves shall be exempt
from this provision.
MR. HALL: No. I'm talking about -- not in the -- maybe I'm
looking at the wrong -- at a wrong --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah.
MR. HALL: -- version then because--
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, no. It says in G or within--
MR. HALL: The version -- I'm saying in the very top, in G, it
says, shoreline within county-required preserves or within state and
federal conservation easements.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: But then G2 says, the County will
be exempt from this provision, and that's the thing I'm objecting to
because it is -- it is not only contradictory to the primary paragraph of
G, it is, in fact, unfair.
MR. HALL: Well, and I put that in my letter to you that I agree
with your opinion there. I just was putting forth that I disagree with --
that regardless of whether they're exempt or not, I think that this
amendment would affect the Goodland boat park even if that
exemption criteria is not out there.
And then the only other thing is, I can offer, is that I know of five
projects that have had conservation easements on shorelines that have
counted that shoreline in their slip calculations when they got permits
through the county. As they said, I requested back in March of last
year for examples of projects that this had been applied to. And to
date, I haven't received any. If Barbara does have some, I'd be happy
to take a look at those.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Next speaker?
MS. F ABACHER: Bruce Burkhard. And then after that, we'll
hear from Carson Sawyer, Jr.
MR. BURKHARD: I'd like to cede my time to Susan Snyder
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February 19,2008
and Nicole Ryan in the interest of saving time.
MS. FABACHER: Well, they have a slip later on. Did you--
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah. Mr. Burkhard, explain what
you want to do. You want to yield your time to who?
MR. BURKHARD: To Susan Snyder and Nicole Ryan, and
basically --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: How much --
MR. BURKHARD: -- in favor of --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: How much time are you yielding to
each person?
MR. BURKHARD: My full time, three minutes, I guess.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So you're going to split it up or what?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Two and a half minutes each (sic).
CHAIRMAN HENNING: A minute and a half each or --
MR. BURKHARD: I'll just give it all to --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: You all want to flip a coin or--
MR. BURKHARD: Funny. Maybe just to Susan Snyder. Thank
you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Six minutes to Susan Snyder.
MS. F ABACHER: Anyhow, I think we had Mr. Sawyer next.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yes, Mr. Sawyer.
MS. F ABACHER: And then Mr. Osborne.
MR. SAWYER: My name's Carson Sawyer, Jr., nickname Kit.
Been here all my life, my family; all commercial fishing and
everything. I've built a place down on Bayshore, Sawyer's Outboard
Service. And I kind -- I listen to all this, and I'm really scared to death.
If you ask me anything about outboards, I'll tell you, I can help
you. But it -- when I've asked a whole bunch of different people
things, it's interpretation is what -- the word interpretation scares me to
death.
I put a deposit on my property July 11 th of '97. Took me two
and a half years to purchase, I bought it. I had plans for different
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February 19, 2008
buildings, and then September 11 th hit and I had to stop, and then I
started again, and then Hurricane Andrew laws came in effect, so I
had to redo all my plans.
And meanwhile, I was under the interpretation that I could not go
for dock and ramp permits because of the manatee plan, which was
written in '95, and we have people that are still alive in this town that I
wish you guys would talk to to let them interpret what they said, not
anybody else.
But interpretation -- and I wish somebody could tell me. I think
it was in '01, '02, they interpreted the word four-foot access into the
marina as all the way out to the pass or whatever. So that allowed me
not to build my boat docks and ramp.
So meanwhile, checking everything out, I moved my building 15
feet away from my wetlands. And at the time I had zero lot line, so I
could have had 15 more feet out in front of my building, which would
have really helped me.
But I -- I didn't want to wait two years. I can't afford to wait two
years. I got to get it built and move in there and start running my
business. So I moved it 15 feet away, built my building, and now I
finally have submitted my plans. And I've been in my building five
years.
What really scares me right now, I'm in the middle of building
my ramp and dock, which I wanted to go the whole distance of my
property, but I really can't afford that. Fire department wants me to
put fire and everything on it. I can't afford that right now.
So in a couple years I would like to be able to come back and put
docks all the way across there. Well, if this is interpreted that I can't
do that, or whatever's interpreting it in a couple of years, is this going
to affect my chances for having docks?
And I don't really know what else to say except for, I guess if we
listened to my grandfather below the bridges, nobody would be here
probably. So I kind of feel like, when you tell people they can't do
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February 19, 2008
something with the property they own, that's really wrong.
Thank you.
MS. BURGESON: I have a -- excuse me. Barbara Burgeson
with environmental services. I have an email response regarding the
specific issue I'd like to read into the record.
From Mac Hatcher, who -- I'll just read this. It was sent Friday,
February 15th at 4:14 p.m. This is sent to Bill.
Commissioner Fiala relayed that Mr. Sawyer had concerns about
the proposed LDC amendments on marina docks. I spoke with Kit
Sawyer because Steve was busy.
Turrell & Associates is assisting Mr. Sawyer extend his dock
currently. He has been in for a preapp. and is working on his state
permits now. Although he doesn't have any preserve or conservation
easements, Turrell advised him to inquire that he had been affected by
-- that he may be affected by the changes. He does have mangroves
growing in the riprap seawall and that will be reviewed during the
review process but no conservation easements. So if there's county
conservation easements, we will not disclude -- discount any of his
shoreline.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So if we remove the language that is
presented, shorelines within the county-required preserve or within
state or federal conservation easements, if we remove state and federal
conservation easements, how many people will that affect then? Will
that hit the target where certain people want to go with this?
MS. BURGESON: I think the main concern is that when the
county reviews a brand new project where there's no conservation
easement, for instance, when the Dunes came in brand new, fresh in
the -- either late '90s or 2000, they had no conservation easements
proposed or -- no conservation easement existing at that time.
At that time when they were going through the PUD amendment
or the brand new PUD, should they have been proposing docks at that
time, that would have been evaluated and reviewed, there would have
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February 19,2008
been a discussion as to where and what shoreline needed to have
conservation easements placed over it, the calculations would have
moved that number of docks to wherever staff and the Board of
County Commissioners agreed they belonged, and the conservation
easement would have been placed over the remainder.
However, at that public meeting, Commissioner -- actually
Commissioner Tim Hancock specifically stated on the record that he
understood there would be no docks with that PUD, and that's how
that original PUD was approved with the conservation easement put in
place with a promise of no docks.
And so that's the issue where, when there's an existing
conservation easement, that staff has not -- existing county
conservation easement, staff has not calculated that shoreline for boat
docks.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So if we remove -- please answer my
question. If we remove state and federal conservation easements, Mr.
Sawyer would be okay, right, in the future? Because he has to get a
state conservation easement.
MR. SCHMITT: No. No, sir. There's no requirement for a state
conservation easement. You're going for a state permit to allow you to
build docks.
MS. BURGESON: Just boat docks.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: But then you have put a conservation
easement over it when that happens.
MR. SAWYER: I have to get that.
MS. BURGESON: No. Well, I can't tell you it for certain. I do
know that it's under review, and I do not know of any way that this
amendment, with that language in or out, will have a negative effect
on Mr. Sawyer.
MR. SAWYER: Didn't our government vote the manatee in in
'95? Don't we have enough rules and regulations for Collier County?
I mean, didn't the state do the right thing? What worries me is have --
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February 19,2008
and maybe you can tell me what this is. The word maybe here.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah.
MR. SA WYER: This scares me to death. That's interpretation.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: That's a government phrase, maybe.
MR. SAWYER: Yeah, maybe.
My customers don't accept maybe.
MS. BURGESON: The other issue at hand is -- to answer one of
the commissioner's questions earlier, is that scientific data supports the
need to provide additional protection to the shoreline by further
limiting the amounts of boats utilizing the area.
Sea grasses likely suffer damage from sedimentation and sluffing
that occurs during dock construction. If the sea grasses survive vessel
egress and ingress, it may impact the entire area of sea grass beyond
recovery.
There is also evidence that boat wakes and shallow water
contribute to the damage of sea grass beds by increasing trepidity,
which can attenuate sunlight required by sea grasses in the report
written by Kenworthy and others in 1989, resulting in sea grass loss.
So that's the concern that staff has and has been using to protect
the fringe along the shoreline of the mangroves.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Coletta?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yes. So the whole purpose of
what we're doing here is to limit the number of boats that are using
these waterways?
MS. BURGESON: I wouldn't say limit the number of boats.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Well, that's just what you said.
MS. BURGESON: I would say to put the boats in the
appropriate areas to protect the mangrove shorelines that are sensitive
and critical.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Help me with where the
appropriate areas are.
MS. BURGESON: Where there are not already existing Collier
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February 19,2008
County conservation easements.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: And could you identify what
those areas would be? I mean, just give me some examples. It would
help an awful lot in my deliberation.
MS. BURGESON: Any undeveloped property that has shoreline
would not have an already required conservation easement for Collier
County.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: So if it's undeveloped. But once
it's developed, then there would be an easement on it.
MS. BURGESON: But through the development process--
when we do that review, it does not already have the easement on it,
so we count the entire shoreline.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner, I -- I apologize. I
really apologize. But Commissioner Halas has to leave in 15 minutes.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yes. No, I got to -- I'm going to
leave in two minutes because I got to drive up to Pelican Bay.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: That's okay. I think I'm getting
my point across. I accept your apology.
MR. SAWYER: Thank you all.
MS. F ABACHER: We have Philip Osborne, then Nicole Ryan
and Susan Snyder left to speak.
MR. OSBORNE: For the record -- for the record, I'm Phil
Osborne, speaking on behalf of the Marine Industries of Collier
County.
Prior to the beginning of this dialogue, one of the authors of the
original Manatee Protection Plan that Chairman Henning referred to
was not here to sign up for the sheets, but he is here now, and so I just
wanted to put that out there. And I think it would be to everybody's
benefit ifhe were given an opportunity to speak.
Having said that, the Marine Industries Association's position on
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February 19,2008
the change to the LDC, in 1990, Collier County Natural Resources
wrote the first draft of the Manatee Protection Plan -- program. This
draft was rejected, as it had no marina siting criteria.
(Commissioner Halas left the hearing room.)
MR. OSBORNE: The Marine Industries Association of Collier
County volunteered to spearhead a committee to reach a consensus
with interested groups within the county, including the City of
Everglades, the City of Naples, Collier County government, the
Audubon Society, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Wildlife
Federation, the Save the Manatee Club, and included boaters of
Collier County.
After numerous meetings and trips to Tallahassee and convincing
officials to visit our county to inspect our waterways and our
shorelines, an agreement was reached that included the marina siting
criteria within the plan. This plan has been in effect since 1995 and
has been used by both state and county planners to determine the issue
of dock permits, which have included shorelines within conservation
easements.
In many cases the state and/or the county provides benefits to its
citizens through conservation easements created during the permit
process.
Safeguards for permit oversight are already in place within the
current LDC, and they have been working. The Marine Industries
Association of Collier County believes that this LDC change is an
attempt to unnecessarily inhibit legal boating access, boaters' rights,
property owners' rights, and has the potential to negatively affect all
waterfront development and severely restrict redevelopment,
especially after a severe weather event, such as hurricanes. That
whole issue is still in question as to how that would be handled going
forward.
The Marine Industries Association is requesting that this
amendment be rejected or postponed until the real consequences can
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February 19,2008
be assessed.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Thank you.
MS. F ABACHER: Nicole Ryan, then Susan Snyder. And
Commissioners, Mr. Donohue, I believe, one of the authors, has
signed up to speak, of the original plan.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, let's go ahead and get through
the speakers we have, and I'll ask the other commissioners.
MS. RYAN: Good evening. Again, for the record, Nicole Ryan,
here on behalf of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
Since the last LDC hearing, you've been receiving a lot of
comments and concerns about this proposed LDC amendment change
and how this new change is going to impact property rights and the
like.
So it bears repeating -- and this was something that I stated at the
last hearing. The staffhas been excluding the length of shoreline
within the county preserves when they calculate the maximum number
of wet slips when applying the Manatee Protection Plan. It's already
been applied.
When the issue was brought to your attention last year in
February, it was to get clarification that you, as the BCC, did support
that interpretation, and you did. You asked staff to go back, draft an
amendment, and bring that forward so that you could codify what is
currently being applied.
Now, since the amendment has been drafted and redrafted, some
changes have gone through, and I want to speak to some of those.
First of all, the first portion of that amendment in G, the Conservancy
supports the definition of shoreline as that interface between land and
water and at the mean high water line.
Second, we support the language stating that shorelines within
county-required preserves or within state and federal conservation
easements, which do not specifically permit boat docks, should not be
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February 19,2008
used in the maximum wet slip calculation.
If a project is going to be putting boat docks in, they're able to
negotiate that through their state and federal conservation easement.
This doesn't exclude all of them; just the ones that don't speak to the
boat docks.
So, again, not a new provision. It's something that has been
requested by you to make sure that there's a clear and concise
provision, transparent government, within the LDC, and we support
and ask you to adopt that language.
The exemption of the government-owned properties, that is
something of an equity issue, sort of like the Watershed Management
Plan exemption for transportation to the 150 percent. Yes, ideally, we
would prefer that there be no exemptions, but if that does move
forward, we ask that the language be tightened down so that it cannot
be misused or abused.
And the final thing that I wanted to mention -- and this hasn't
been brought up, but in case it is in the future in your discussion, the
County Attorney's Office had put forward some recommended
language, and we're very concerned in that language, point number
three, which recommends including the statement of any existing or
vested right with respect to wet slips shall be exempted from this
ordinance.
Again, that states that rights are being taken away, and we don't
believe that they are. I'm concerned about how that specifically would
be applied if you have a water management district permit. Is that
considered an existing or vested right? We believe that that language
should not be allowed in there, so I just bring that up in case the
County Attorney's Office language is discussed in the future. Thank
you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Now, is it Susan Stackle (sic)?
MS. SNYDER: Snyder.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Susan Snyder. She has the extra three
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February 19,2008
minutes, right?
MS. SNYDER: And I'm not going to need it, I don't think.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, you take your time.
MS. SNYDER: Good evening. For the record, I am Susan
Snyder, and I represent the Vanderbilt Beach Residents Association.
In 1990 there were 152,000 people living in our county.
Between 1990 and 2000 the population rose 65 percent, while in the
state of -- the State of Florida, only a 24 percent -- which is still high
-- increase, and that of the United States was 12 percent.
By 2012, the projection is the population of the county will be
nearly 390,000 people. That's two and a halftimes what it was in
1990, and that doesn't count the visitors to our county.
In 2005, Collier County had over 1.4 million visitors who spent
over $713 million while in the county and provided a total direct and
indirect economic impact of over $106 billion to the county's
economy.
What are the attractions to this county? We all know, it's the
sunny, warm climate, the beaches, water sports, and wildlife. We
attract those who want a break from northern winters and want a
relaxing place to spend some time.
Our county is unique. We're the western Everglades. We're
home to some plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.
Our beaches and backwaters are beautiful. We aren't as crowded as
the Florida's east coast.
Now, the dilemma is, how do we keep increased population
pressure from ruining those very features of our environment that
attracted us all to Collier County?
The county has preserve areas, and there are state and federal
conservation easements within the county. We must preserve these
areas for the future.
Construction and use of wet slips in these waters would have an
extremely negative impact on water quality, marine life cycles, and
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February 19,2008
public use.
I support the creation of an LDC amendment that will protect
Collier County's aquatic preserves and state and federal conservation
easements and prevent the lease of submerged land for construction of
wet slips. I support, and I represent my community here, the
amendment option proposed by county staff that will best protect our
aquatic preserves for the benefit of manatees, other aquatic organisms,
and people.
And I'd like the people in the audience who are in support of this
amendment as discussed to please stand. And we represent more than
Baker Carol Point. We represent the whole community where this
issue of the Dunes docks has been in reference, including residents of
the Dunes themselves.
And thank you, Commissioners, for letting me speak.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Thank you. That was the last
speaker?
MS. F ABACHER: Yes, sir, except for Mr. Donohue.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah. What's the pleasure of the
board? You want to get a little history on the --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Sure.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- Manatee Protection Plan? Okay.
The answer is yes.
MS. FABACHER: Okay, thank you. Mr. Donohue?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: He looks too young to know anything
about the Manatee Protection Plan.
MR. DONOHUE: Yeah.
MR. OSBORNE: Don't let that physique fool you.
MR. DONOHUE: Good evening, Commissioners. Thank you
for allowing me to speak. For the record, my name is Frank Donohue.
I'm vice-president of Marine Industries Association for the State of
Florida, and a resident of Naples since 1972.
My first job here was, matter of fact, running Wiggins Pass
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February 19,2008
Marina up in North Naples.
I'm familiar with the area and some of the issues that are being
discussed here tonight. I did communicate with some of the -- with all
the board my feelings about this as a 36-year resident and boater and
working in the recreation boating industry all my life here.
The proposed amendment change would have an adverse effect
on future waterfront development and future public water access. And
I'm also a member of the parks and recreation board for you. One of
our mandates is getting people to the water any way, shape, or form,
whether it's a fishing pier, a boat ramp, an internal pier in a bay, we're
trying to get water access, because that's the big draw for people here,
and there's a lot of population, and we're trying to get people to the
water.
Eliminating the use of the conservation easements, which to start
with, is privately owned property, takes away a substantial amount of
property credit as to how they can measure to get the shoreline to
build their marina. It cuts down on the economics, it only allows them
to build lesser slips, so the slip cost goes up. It's to the detriment of
getting people on the water. In the end it means less boat sales, it
means less fuel sales, it means less income, less jobs, and we're
already in an economic downturn for this.
As one of the original members of the Marine Industries
Association of Collier County, I was actively involved in all the
original Manatee Protection Plan planning, working the siting. I
worked with Duke Turner and Lee Lyon on all these issues, worked
with the county staff, come up with marina siting plans and so forth, to
get this passed. I worked in Tallahassee, anywhere we had to go, the
Marine Industries stepped up to the plate and got the job done.
And our plan was the model for the state. It was the first plan
independently approved in the state other than Crystal River where the
state mandated it. Afterwards, all the other communities that put in
the Manatee Protection Plan used us for a model. It was a great effort
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February 19,2008
between county government and the private enterprise to get a job
done.
I was also a member of the Manatee Protection Plan Revision
Committee, which was suspended some two years ago. Never found
out why. Working with Bill Lorenz over at county environmental,
and all of a sudden they said one day, no more meetings. Don't know
whatever happened to that.
I don't feel that some of the statements that were made that the
Manatee Protection Plan is in effect -- I'm done, okay.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: You can wrap it up.
MR. DONOHUE: One statement that I did want to feel that was
there, in this day and age, a person wishing to pursue development of
any marina or waterfront facility must go through all the county
agencies for approval, including all its building, zoning,
environmental, Manatee Protection Plan, the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission,
the Corps of Army Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Is this not enough oversight to properly build an environmentally
protected marina? Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Thank you. That was the last
speaker.
MS. FABACHER: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Entertain a motion on this
amendment, LDC 5.05.027 I'll make a motion that we deny this
amendment.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'll second it.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Commissioner Coyle?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I guess my preference would be to
table the motion until we get answers to our questions. There are a lot
of questions that haven't been answered. We still have the question
about whether or not we've really been placing -- we really have
placed this procedure in practice over the past 13 years.
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February 19,2008
We still don't have a clear understanding of whether it will have
an impact on the Goodland boat dock. There's a dispute about that.
So I find that there's -- there's too much conflict here to approve
it, but at the same time, there are elements of this plan that are very,
very good and I think we should adopt, so --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, Commissioner Coyle, I asked
twice, if we remove the language about state and federal conservation
easements, if that would -- who would that affect then? I never got an
answer.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yep, I understand.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So do you think -- do you honestly
believe that you will get answers? I don't.
You know, this is a driven issue. I don't know what's driving it. I
don't like it that I don't get answers. I don't like it when you don't get
answers, or Commissioner Fiala.
You know, it's a staff-driven decision. If they have been
applying this, they're -- just want our blessing for them making policy
for at least three years. We don't know. But I tell you what, I'm going
to find out. We've been going through this amendment for months and
months, and I think it's time to vote on it personally.
Commissioner Coletta?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yes. And the reason I seconded
your motion, because I see this as an effort to limit boat access. I
heard it over and over again. And of course, we tried to turn it around
and say it wasn't it. Truth of the matter is, that if we keep going the
way we're going now, it will only be the very wealthy that live along
the waterways that will have access to it.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah. Commissioner Fiala?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yeah. And I'll tell you, one of the
other things, I worry about how this amendment will hurt the little
guys who are trying to stay in business and who are -- who are the
people, the backbone of our community, and I worry terribly about
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February 19,2008
what's going to happen to them. I would have to support your motion.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any other discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: All in favor of the motion, signify by
saymg aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Motion carries, 4-0.
MS. F ABACHER: Motion to deny, Commissioner?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Motion to deny.
MR. SCHMITT: Commissioner, can I get staff clarification on
this then? As far as applying the rule, I mean, we're here based on
your direction, and that was the result -- so I just need clarification.
So based on that, we no longer --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right.
MR. SCHMITT: -- count -- we will now allow for counting the
shoreline?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right.
MR. SCHMITT: Okay. That was what we asked for a year ago
was clarifications on that. We were asked to put this together and
proceed as staff had been applying in the past, and now we got
clarification. We'll apply it based on your new direction.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, I appreciate -- appreciate the
question.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Could I --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Oh.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Just a quick clarification. I didn't
hear that part in the motion. But what I heard is that you have been
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February 19,2008
using this procedure to make decisions in the past and that you have
LDC -- an LDC basis for applying that provision. I didn't hear that the
board directed you to ignore the existing LDC with respect to this.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah. Well, I think that's very
interpreted. We heard from the authors of the Manatee Protection
Plan. It never was counted that way. Can we have a simple vote on
this as far as direction?
MR. KLATZKOW: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Well, I'm going to make a
motion that we direct staff to include the shoreline conservation as
part of the boat slip calculations.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'll second.
MR. KLATZKOW: And that would be unless the conservation
easement specifically provides otherwise.
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yes.
MR. SCHMITT: If there's language that expressly prohibits that
as recorded in the conservation easement, then it wouldn't count. But
if it's not expressly prohibited, then we would count it, count the
shoreline.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Before I -- we need to clarify that.
Who would -- who would make them put a conservation easement so
it doesn't count wet slips? Would that be county government, or
would that be state government?
MR. SCHMITT: Normally these type of docks are usually
through the boat dock extension public hearing process. That may
come about as part of the boat dock extension application or part of
the public hearing.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Well, we need to be fair and
honest with everybody, so I mean, 1--
MR. SCHMITT: Clarify that that is before the Planning
Commission. You do not see those? Boat docks extension public
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February 19,2008
hearings are before the Planning Commission.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: And they would cite criteria under the
Manatee Protection Plan to prohibit those?
MR. SCHMITT: I'm going to turn to my experts on that.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Never mind, never mind.
MR. SCHMITT: I need to ask Bill or one of my experts.
MR. LORENZ: Excuse me, Commissioner. Can you repeat the
question, please.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well--
MR. SCHMITT: It's to prohibit -- go ahead.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah. It's to prohibit any docks on
conser -- on conservation easements.
MR. SCHMITT: A language that would expressly -- who would
put language in a conservation easement that would expressly prohibit
the counting of the shoreline for docks? That was your question.
MR. LORENZ: My understanding is sometimes the state--
some conservation easements that the state has provided, sometimes
will provide that language, not --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, we can't --
MR. LORENZ: -- not always.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: And we can't usurp state law.
MR. SCHMITT: No.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So that -- that's not a part of my
motion. Simple.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Repeat your motion again.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, the motion is to -- is to allow
conservation shoreline to be counted as far as a multi slip boat dock.
And they ask unless it -- a conservation easement prohibited it. Well,
if it's only the state that does it, then we can't trump the state. So it's a
moot point; is that correct?
MR. KLATZKOW: It could be county easements that also,
though, restrict this as well.
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February 19,2008
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well--
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'd like to second it. I just --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: You did second it.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I did, but I need a little more
clarification. Would you help with this motion, could you, Jeff?
MR. SCHMITT: Could we bring this back again as a scheduled
item for discussion during a board meeting if we provide some
background, would that help?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Sure.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Sure.
MR. SCHMITT: We'll have the executive summary brought
back and we'll clarify the guidance, we'll provide some -- the history
as to where it was applied, and we'll provide that for guidance.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: And you're going to bring back just
the issue about where a requirement for a conservation easement --
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- would be prohibiting boat dock --
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- extensions.
MR. SCHMITT: All we're going to bring back is the issue of
how that language gets in a conservation easement, who puts it in
there and how we would -- would at least enforce or comply with that
language.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I'm going to remove my motion.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Take dir -- give staff direction.
Yeah, okay, fine.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. We're done except for --
MS. FABACHER: Commissioner, we have, if you look on a
blue page.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Except for a break.
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February 19,2008
MS. FABACHER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Ten-minute break, and then we'll be
back and do the final thing.
(A brief recess was had.)
MR. SCHMITT: Commissioner, you have a live mike.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Motion to approve.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Board is back in session. And is there
any questions on the recodification packet that the board heard at the
last LDC amendment?
Commissioner Coletta, you have any questions?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: No.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Fiala?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Uh-uh.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: And -- I'm sorry. What did you say?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I said motion to approve.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I'll second.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Second.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Motion by --
MS. FABACHER: Commissioners, I'm sorry. We do need
direction to bring it back. It has to have a second public hearing, so
we need to bring it back as a regular agenda item. We were looking at
March 25th, if that's okay for the final approval.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Well, then we don't need a
motion.
MS. FABACHER: Right.
Item #2C
ORDINANCE 2008-11 ; ACCEPTANCE OF CLERICAL CHANGES
THAT DO NOT AFFECT THE LDC ORDINANCE - ADOPTED
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I thought this was the same document
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February 19,2008
that we viewed at the last Land Development Code meeting. Is this a
new document?
MS. F ABACHER: It has -- I think I included the -- it's like 33
typographical errors, but this is about as best as we humanly can get it.
This is based after the county attorney's thorough review.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. So--
MS. FABACHER: Nothing substantive.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: We have to have a second hearing on
typographical errors?
MS. F ABACHER: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I mean, that's something that the
county attorney needs to answer.
MS. FABACHER: Okay.
MR. KLATZKOW: I had thought we had looked at this one time
before.
MR. SCHMITT: We did.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: We did.
MR. SCHMITT: I was going to make that correction. We
looked at this before.
MR. KLATZKOW: We're ready to go for this, but we can hear it
a third time if you'd like.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Why meet if we don't have to? Ifall
there was is gramical (sic) errors, there is no substantive change, there
is no SIC code, 5313, Stevie Tomatoes bar where it's not supposed to
be.
MR. KLA TZKOW: Technically this isn't even an amendment.
We're just simply taking existing codes and we're putting it back into
-- going from table form to the written form.
MR. SCHMITT: And this was at the request of many of the
users. They prefer -- and -- it be written rather than tabular form.
Tabular form became very confusing. The intent was to put this in
more definitive written form, as you have it. And this has been
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February 19,2008
thoroughly reviewed, Planning Commission, cover to cover, you've
seen it, and this is your second time.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah.
MR. SCHMITT: Catherine, I believe the issue with the 27th
was, how do you want it to come back -- how do you want to it to
come back and are you ready for it to come back, the ordinance
dealing with the outdoor seating, but that's the next topic after this.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right. And I want to get to that for
you.
MS. F ABACHER: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So we can vote on this?
MR. KLATZKOW: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'm resurrecting my motion.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yes. The motion to approve by
Commissioner Coyle, seconded by Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: None. All in favor, signify by saying
aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: That carries.
Mr. Schmitt?
Item #2D
DIRECTION REGARDING OUTDOOR SEATING AND
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February 19,2008
PERMITTING - PLANNING COMMISSION TO REVIEW
ORDINANCE AND BRING BACK ON MARCH 25, 2008
MR. SCHMITT: Yes. The other issue was, at the last LDC
hearing you asked to have separated the issues involving outdoor
seating, the issues involving the Land Development Code, and
separate from that the permitting for the outdoor seating. That's been
done in an ordinance, and we would like to get direction from you.
What we would like to do is bring that back at an advertised public
hearing on the 25th.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, my preference, since the
Planning Commission heard this, is have them look at the ordinance
and give us recommendations.
MR. SCHMITT: That would work.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: My preference.
MR. SCHMITT: We can certainly do that. And there's a
meeting Thursday, I believe -- I'd have to look at my calendar, but
we'll try and get it to the Planning Commission for them to review.
We will get it to them.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right.
MR. SCHMITT: And based on that, we'll schedule it for --
during a regular Board of County Commissioner hearing, we'll
schedule it as an advertised public hearing because I know there's still
some concern that had been expressed. Steve Hart from the chamber,
I forwarded Steve a copy of this. I don't know if we'll hear from the
chamber again, but they were certainly interested in the impact that
this would have on the community, the ordinance itself.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. So if the Planning -- if this is
not enough time for the Planning Commission to get them the
document for them to review, comprehend this amendment, we can
still put it on the next Planning Commission --
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct. I'll schedule it for a Planning
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February 19,2008
Commission meeting. If there isn't sufficient time, it will be in your
April Board of County Commission meeting rather than the 25th of
March.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. All right.
MS. F ABACHER: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Anything else?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I have one thing, County Manager. I
would like to have all the records of the Planning Commission
restricting docks, multi purpose docks, since the Planning Commission
is the one that is the final decision on docks.
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct. The Planning Commission is
the -- your decision authority for boat dock extensions. That is --
that's for commercial facilities, which are either commercial marinas
or multifamily residential, 10 or more slips.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah. So that's since 1995 they've
been doing this?
MR. SCHMITT: I can't tell you how long it's been they've dealt
with boat dock extensions, but they are your -- the authority that rules
on the approval and the permitting of boat dock extensions.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right.
MR. SCHMITT: They do not come to the Board of County
Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Well, I would like that public
record to see if there's -- what was the reason why, if there was any
restrictions on it --
MR. SCHMITT: In six years I can't think of one that was denied.
In fact, at one time we -- the board -- the Planning Commission was
even looking at trying to make that somewhat of an administrative
review rather than the public hearing, and the Planning Commission
debated and said, I think it's best to continue to have a public hearing.
That is expensive though for the homeowner, who comes in for a boat
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February 19,2008
dock extension. If they have to exceed the distance they can protrude
from the shoreline, then they have to come in for a boat extension.
But we'll get you the history of every application for how many years?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Ever since the Planning Commission
dealt with it. It's not that I want all of them. But the issue that we
were discussing is the county may restrict through a conservation
easement or some kind of restriction through the county, so I want to
see that. And if there wasn't a restriction, then why should we do it
now? That's my point.
MR. SCHMITT: I understand.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Mr. Klatzkow, you
understand?
MR. KLATZKOW: I understand the direction. I thought the
Planning Commission was just looking at single-family boat dock
extensions, but we'll get you the information.
MR. SCHMITT: They do all boat dock extensions, yeah.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: For permitting for boat slips, period?
MR. SCHMITT: Yes. It's a public hearing.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, when you say boat dock
extension, I'm thinking of one is, you take and stretch it, kind of to
extend it. But if you don't have boat docks and you want to put boat
docks, do they hear those, too?
MR. SCHMITT: Let me correct. If it's commercial, they do not.
If it's residential, they do. I need to make that correction. I just --
because the LaPlaya would be one where it's commercial. As long as
it meets the criteria, it's a commercial and the defined space that it's
allotted, it's -- it meets the requirements of the Land Development
Code, there's no public hearing. If it's residential, then it -- then it is a
public hearing for a boat dock extension, and that would be a
single-family or a multifamily.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Commissioner Coletta?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yes. I've been listening to the
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February 19,2008
discussion going back and forth. You know, possibly we should give
reconsideration to how that's done. Should this be a political issue or
something that's done administratively?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah, I don't know. It sounds like
they have to go through a big process to try to get a permit.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Whoever can have the best
lawyer and yell the loudest gets the most attention, where if you have
it administratively where it's particularly designed to do a certain
function, I think you'd get there just as quick and cause a lot less pain
along the way and make it even fairer.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I need to -- personally need to know
what the process is to go through it.
MR. SCHMITT: Do you have it in the LDC there, Jeff?
MR. KLATZKOW: Yeah. It's a public process. The ones I'm
familiar with have always been single-family boat extensions.
They've been granted nine out of 10 times. The only time they weren't
granted is if a neighbor complained about view or some other thing.
They've been very perfunctory. But we can get -- I'll get you the
procedure, Commissioner.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, you know, I'm hearing that they
have to go to the cabinet. Some cases they need to go the governor
and cabinet.
MR. KLATZKOW: Well, that's for the submerged land leases,
yeah.
MR. SCHMITT: And for some multifamily, or for the multi slip,
10 or more, may require a state permit, u.s. Army Corps of Engineers
permit or some other -- well, the state and federal permitting process.
It depends on where the dock is and what it's impacting.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, Commissioner Coletta is -- his
point is, do we need to regulate it since others are regulated, and
should it be just an administrative permit; that's the question. And I
don't know the answer to that.
Page 58
February 19,2008
MR. SCHMITT: I think it's -- it is a costly process for the
homeowner applying for a single dock if they have to have a boat
dock extension in some areas of the county where they have to go out
so many feet in order to have the deep water access that they may
need for their boat, and that's an expensive process. It's a public
hearing process. It's the advertising.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, were those -- they don't have to
go through -- they don't have to go to the governor and the state?
MR. SCHMITT: No, sir. They do not go to the state. Normally
they will not go unless they're impacting U.S. waters that are deemed
navigable waters or some other -- again, it depends, the answer, as to
what permitting is required based on the dock that is being built.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay.
MR. SCHMITT: I think what we need to do is come back and
explain the whole process to you both for commercial docks and for
residential docks.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yes. I would like to know that.
Okay. Anything else? You?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Nothing from me.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: We're adjourned. No, this is a
meeting, so I need a motion.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Motion to adjourn.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Second.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: We're adjourned.
*****
Page 59
February 19,2008
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 7:00 p.m.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS/EX
OFFICIO GOVERNING BOARD(S) OF
SPE~S CTS.UNDER ITS CONTROL
TOM HENNING, Chairman
ATTEST:
DWIGHT E. BROCK, CLERK
~U~~^t:,lJ ~'(-'
........ .1"
These minutes ap~roved by the Board on Q)1td'l lb, tnJg , as
presented v or as corrected
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF GREGORY COURT
REPORTING SERVICES, INC., BY TERRI LEWIS.
Page 60