CCPC Minutes 04/02/2009 R
April 2, 2009
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
Naples, Florida
April 2, 2009
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Collier County Planning
Commission, in and for the County of Collier, having conducted
business herein, met on this date at 8:30 a.m. in REGULAR SESSION
in Building "F" of the Government Complex, East Naples, Florida,
with the following members present:
CHAIRMAN:
Mark Strain
Donna Reed-Caron
Karen Homiak
Tor Kolflat
Paul Midney
Bob Murray
Brad Schiffer
Robert Vigliotti (Absent)
David 1. Wolfley
ALSO PRESENT:
Jeffrey Klatzkow, County Attorney
Joseph Schmitt, Community Development/Environmental
Ray Bellows, Zoning & Land Development Review
Page I
AGENDA
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MEET AT 8:30 A.M., THURSDAY, APRlL 2, 2009, IN
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING ROOM, ADMINISTRATION BUILDING,
COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER, 3301 TAMlAMI TRAIL EAST, NAPLES, FLORIDA:
NOTE: INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO 5 MINUTES ON ANY ITEM.
INDIVIDUALS SELECTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AN ORGANIZATION OR
GROUP ARE ENCOURAGED AND MAYBE ALLOTTED 10 MINUTES TO SPEAK ON
AN ITEM IF SO RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIRMAN. PERSONS WISHING TO HAVE
WRITTEN OR GRAPHIC MATERIALS INCLUDED IN THE CCPC AGENDA PACKETS
MUST SUBMIT SAID MATERIAL A MINIMUM OF 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE
RESPECTIVE PUBLIC HEARING. IN ANY CASE, WRlTTEN MATERIALS
INTENDED TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE CCPC SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE
APPROPRlATE COUNTY STAFF A MINIMUM OF SEVEN DAYS PRIOR TO THE
PUBLIC HEARING. ALL MATERIAL USED IN PRESENT A TlONS BEFORE THE CCPC
WILL BECOME A PERMANENT PART OF THE RECORD AND WILL BE
A V AILABLE FOR PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
IF APPLICABLE.
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION OF THE CCPC WILL NEED
A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS PERTAINING THERETO, AND THEREFORE
MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS
MADE, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE UPON
WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.
1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2. ROLL CALL BY SECRETARY
3. ADDENDA TO THE AGENDA
4. PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENCES
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - FEBRUARY 26, 2009 RLSA, MARCH 2, 2009 SIGN CODE, MARCH 5, 2009
6. BCC REPORT- RECAPS - MARCH 24, 2009
7. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
8. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
A. Petition: CU-2003-AR-3725, Close Up Creatnres, Inc., in reference to NGALA, represented by Robert
J. Mulhere, AICP of RW A, Inc. and Richard D. Yovanovich, Esquire, of Goodlette, Coleman, Johnson,
Yovanovich & Koester, P.A., is requesting Conditional Uses pursuant to the Land Development Code
Section 2.03.0I.A.1.C. The conditional uses being requested are as follows: Number 5, to allow
aquaculture for non-native or exotic species subject to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
permits; Number 23, to allow a Cultural, Ecological or Recreational Facility; and Number 25, commercial
production, raising or breeding of exotic animals. The subject property which has a Rural Agriculture
zoning district designation and consists of 2 H acrcs, is located on Inez Road S,W., at the northwestern
corner of the intersection of Inez Road and Kearney A venue, approximately';' mile south of Keene
Avenue, in Section 30, Township 49 South, Range 27 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Kay
Deselem, AICP)
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B. Petition: PUDA-2007-AR-1I546, Longshore Lake Foundation, Inc., represented by Robert L. Duane,
AICP of Hole Montes, Inc., requesting a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Amendment to Longshore
Lake PUD Ordinance No. 93-3, Section 3.2.B. to allow an off premise sign for Saturnia Falls (aka
Terafina PUD) in Tract B of the Longshore Lake, Unit 5C Subdivision; or, in the alternative to allow the
oft~site premise sign to become an on-site premise sign for Longshore Lake; to amend Section 3.2.B. to
allow an existing maintenance building to remain as an accessory use; to reinsert omitted Traffic
Requirements into Section V; and to add Exhibit C, Deviations. The subject sign is loeated on a .5ic acre
property located on the southeast corner of the Longshore Lake PUD, at the northwest corner of the
intersection of Immokalee Road (CR 846) and Logan Boulevard in Seetion 20, Township 48 South,
Range 26 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Nancy Gundlach, AICP) CONTINUED FROM
NOVEMBER 20, 2008
C. Petition: PUDZ-A-2007-AR-12046, 1M Collier Joint Venture, represented by Richard D. Y ovanovich,
Esq., of Goodlette, Coleman, Johnson, Y ovanovieh & Koester, P.A., and Wayne Arnold, of Q. Grady
Minor and Associates, is requesting a rezone of the MirasuI PUD from the Planned Unit Development
(PUD) zoning district to the Residential Planned Unit Development zoning district (RPUD) to remedy the
sunsetted status of the project in compliance with LDC Section 10.02.13.D.6. The number of dwelling
units originally approved, 799 dwelling units, is not proposed to change. Ordinance No. 01-20 will be
repealed and a five acre tract will revert to Agricultural zoning. The sobject 1,543 acre tract is located on
the north side of Immokalee Road, bordered on the east by Broken Back Road and future Collier
Boulevard in Sections 10, 15 and 22. Township 48 South, Range 26 East, Collier County, Florida.
(Coordinator: Kay Dese1em, AICP)
9. ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Pettion: V A-2008-AR-13977. Tim Chess of MeDonalds USA, LLC, represented by Jeffrey Satfield of
CPH Engineers, Ine., is requesting a Varianee from the landscape requirements of Land Development
Code Subsection 4.06.02, Buffer Requirements, in the General Commercial (C-4) and Gateway Triangle
Mixed Use Subdistrict (GTMUD-MXD), to allow a modification of the required 7.5-foot wide buffer on
the western side of the property; and to reduced huffer widths on the property's northern side from 15 feet
to ten feet, the eastern side from 7.5 feet to five feet, and the southern side from 10 feet to five feet. The
0.86-acre subject property is located at 2886 Tamiami Trail East, in Section 11, Township 50 South,
Range 25 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: John-David Moss, AICP) (CONTINUED FROM
MARCH 19,2009)
B. Petition: V A-2008-AR-14017, Merit Petroleum Company, represented by Bert Thomas, is requesting
five Variances from the minimum 50-foot front yard setback requirement of Land Development Code
(LDC) Subsection 5.05.05, Automobile Service Stations, for two gasoline pump dispenser islands and a
canopy in the General Commercial (C-4) and Main Street Overlay Subdistrict (MSOSD) to allow a
reduced setback along West main Street to 48 feet and 31 feet for the dispenser islands and 38 feet for the
canopy; and along 7'h Street South to 33 feet for the westemmost dispenser island and 41 feet for the
canopy. The 0.45-acre subject property is located at 617 West Main Street, in Section 4, Township 47
South, Range 29 East, Immokalee, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: John-David Moss, AICP)
C. Petition: RZ-2008-AR-13951, Olde Florida Golf Club, Inc., represented by John Passidomo ofChefty
Passidomo, and Margaret C. Perry, AICP, of WilsonMiller Inc., is requesting a standard rezone from the
Golf Course (GC) zoning district to the Agriculture (A) zoning district. The subject property, consisting of
553.67* acres, is located on the Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension, approximately 2 miles east of the
Vanderbilt Beach Road (CR 862) and Collier Boulevard (CR 951) intersection, in Section 31,
Township 48 South, Range 27 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Kay Deselem, AICP)
2
D. Petition PUDA-2008-AR-13792, Naples Botanical Garden, Inc. and the Florida Gulf Coast University
Foundation, Inc., represented by R. Bruce Anderson of Roetzel and Andress LPA; and Margaret Perry,
AICP, of Wilson Miller, Inc., are requesting an Amendment to Ordinance Number 03-29, The Naples
Botanical Garden Planned Unit Development (PUD), hy amending Section 4.14, Design Guidelines;
Section 6.2, Development Parameters; Section 6.4, Permitted Uses and Structures to allow interim or
temporary structures; Section 6.5 Development Standards so the interim or temporary structures have a
greater setback distance than the prineipal structures; revisions to Section 7.2, Transportation
Commitments of the PUD Document: and adding Section 7.6 to provide Deviations from the Land
Development Code (LDC). The subject property (1 71.2clc acres) is located at 4820 Bayshore Drive at the
sonthwest corner of the intersection of Bayshore Drive and Thomasson Drive, in Section 23,
Township 50 South, Range 25 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Melissa Zone)
E. Petition: PUDZ-2008-AR-13048, Nadesha Ranasinghe represented by Richard Yovanovich of
Goodlette, Coleman & Johnson, PA and Ronald Nino of Vanasse & Daylor. LLP are requesting a PUD
rezone from the Estates (E) Zoning District to the Commercial Planned Unit Development (CPUD) Zoning
District to allow a 45,000 square foot commercial development including retail, service and office uses to
be known as Singer Park CPUD. The subjeet propel1y, consisting of 5.14+/-acres, is located on
Everglades Boulevard south of Immokalee Road (CR 846) in Tract 128 of Golden Gates Estates,
Unit 47, in Section 30, Township 47 South, Range 28 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Nancy
Gundlach, AICP)
10. OLD BUSINESS
11. NEW BUSINESS
A. Comprehensive Planning Department request to schedule public hearing dates for Growlh Management
Plan amendments
12. PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM
13. DISCUSSION OF ADDENDA
14. ADJOURN
4/2/09 cepe Agenda/Ray Bcllows/cr
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to
the April 2nd meeting of the Collier County Planning Commission.
If you'll please rise for pledge of allegiance.
(Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
Item #2
ROLL CALL
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Mr. Vigliotti won't be here
today, so will the assistant vice-chair take roll call, please.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mr. Eastman is absent.
Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'm here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Ms. Caron is here.
Mr. Strain?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Mr. Vigliotti is absent.
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: And who's this person in the
yellow? I'm -- oh, Mr. Wolfley.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: He's a ghost.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Present today.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And Ms. Homiak?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
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April 2, 2009
And Mr. Eastman also had other business, he couldn't make it
today either. So both him and Mr. Vigliotti are absent for that reason.
Item #3
ADDENDA TO THE AGENDA
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Addenda to the agenda. I don't believe
there are any changes.
Ray, do you have any?
MR. BELLOWS: Were you going to move the--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, that's -- thank you, yes.
Is David Weeks in the audience? Oh, he's hiding behind the
podium. Okay, yes, we'll move David up till right after Chairman's
report before the consent agenda items.
Item #4
PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENCES
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Planning Commission absences. Our
next meeting is April 16th. Is anybody not going to be able to make it
on April 16th?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Wolfley, you're going to make it?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I believe I am, yes.
Item #5
APPROVAL OF MINUTES - FEBRUARY 26, 2009, RLSA
MEETING; MARCH 2, 2009, SIGN CODE MEETING; MARCH 5,
2009, REGULAR MEETING
Page 3
April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, approval of minutes. The -- we
had three sets. The first one is February 26th, 2009, for the RLSA. Is
there a recommendation to approve?
COMMISSIONER CARON: So moved.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: I'll make the motion to approve.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. Ms. Caron made the
motion, Ms. Homiak seconded. You get another chance.
All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries.
March 2nd, 2009.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: I'll make a motion to approve.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. Ms. Homiak made the
motion. Seconded by?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I wasn't here.
COMMISSIONER CARON: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron.
All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
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April 2, 2009
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries.
The March 5th minutes have a couple of small problems. And I
credit the clerk's recording office for catching this. On Page 3 of the
minutes under item five, it says approval of minutes, and the first one
reads January 28th, 2009 RLSA. The second one reads January 30th,
2008 RLSA. That should be 2009. And the third one reads February
5th, 2008, and that should read 2009.
So with those corrections, ifthere are none other, is there a
motion to recommend approval?
COMMISSIONER CARON: So moved.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Motion made by Ms. Caron,
seconded by Ms. Homiak.
All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries. Thank you.
Item #6
Page 5
April 2, 2009
BCC REPORT - RECAPS - MARCH 24. 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ray, do we have any BCC report?
MR. BELLOWS: Yes. On March 24th, the Board of County
Commissioners heard on their regular agenda the PUD rezone for the
Heavenly CFPUD. That was approved 5-0, subject to Planning
Commission recommendations. And they made an additional change
or modification and that was to Tract B, to reduce the square footage
from 20,000 square feet to 16,000 square feet.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It would have been nice if they had
done that here. Maybe they could have gotten a better vote, so
hopefully next time that will happen. Thank you.
MR. BELLOWS: And we had one other item on the summary
agenda, that was a sign variance for Spring Hill. That was approved
on the summary.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
Item #7
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The Chairman's report. Just to follow
up on what I started talking about a couple weeks ago, and that's the
issue of Muni. Code, I think it was either last night or the night before,
the county attorney's office sent us all bye-mail the Municode
contract. I have -- with today's agenda. I did not have time to read
that, but I certainly will read it between now and the next meeting.
Mr. Klatzkow, is there anything else you want to add?
MR. KLATZKOW: We expect to have everything cleared up
with Municode within two or three weeks, and we expect not to have
any problems after that.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Oh, good.
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April 2, 2009
Item #llA
NEW BUSINESS: SCHEDULE HEARING DATES FOR GMP
AMENDMENTS
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Boy, that would be relief. Thank you.
Okay, David, let's get into your item of scheduling. The issue is
the GMP amendments.
MR. WEEKS: Good morning.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I notice you've got some down here for
2010. We don't really have to look at 2010 right now, do we? I mean
MR. WEEKS: Ifwe want to lock in the board room, yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Really? Wow.
MR. WEEKS: The longer we wait to schedule these, the less
availability there is in the board room. That's why we've looked out so
far.
For the record, I'm David Weeks, Comprehensive Planning
Department.
In preparing this schedule, there's a few things that we as staff
have to keep in mind. We have limitations on the availability of the
board room, limitations on the availability of the BCC members, we
have spacing requirements we need to maintain between one hearing
and the next. For example, roughly a month between your final
regular hearing and then your consent agenda.
We also, as you know, are asking for hearing dates on two sets
of amendments, the 2007 and 2008 combined cycle, and the
Immokalee Master Plan amendment. And we need a certain
separation between those two from critical points, points where staff is
devoting a tremendous amount of time on one cycle, preparing for
your first hearing. We would not want to have a critical time point on
the Immokalee Master Plan. It would be too much for staff to handle
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April 2, 2009
at one time.
And of course we also have many other major work projects in
our department which we have to take into account as well and to
schedule.
Specifically in the memo sent to you for the 2007 and '08 cycle
for which there are a total of 10 private sector petitions and a
minimum of one county-initiated amendment, we are asking for you to
set two transmittal hearing dates: Tuesday, October 20th and
Thursday, October 29th of this year.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: David, could we take those one at a
time?
MR. WEEKS: Certainly.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You know, when we read this stuff in
these packages, it's sometimes all read collectively. I'm wondering if,
the pleasure of this board, if the 19th and 20th would be better where
we do the 19th and have a carryover on the 20th. Might be simpler to
handle than trying to spread it out over two weeks.
MR. WEEKS: The reason that we've suggested some separation
is, as you know, we hope to avoid this but it seems inevitable that one
or more petitioners may want a continuance or, based upon discussion
-- prior to the meeting, or during deliberations here there may -- it may
be apparent that a petitioner wants a continuance or you yourselves
are identifying issues that you might think it's best to delay an item.
One day doesn't allow an adequate time for either the applicant or staff
or whoever needs to make changes or respond to issues enough time.
Weare hoping that by providing about a week or so in between that
that would accommodate that circumstance.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The only comment I'd like to make is
that if you leave it like it's scheduled, from our experience with staff
so far, when we have continuances, it's awful hard to get them done in
two weeks, you're talking less time than that, including weekends,
probably seven days. So why would you think this would work for
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April 2, 2009
that scenario when you -- I don't know how you guys -- you can't get it
done, do public notice and get our package to us within the time
frames you've got here between the two dates. So if we had a
continuance that close together, what good would it do?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
MR. WEEKS: For any major changes, you're right,
Commissioner.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, if they're minor, we should work
them out here on the floor, to be honest with you.
I mean, I don't know what the rest of you think, but I would just
as soon the two days back-to-back. What do you think, Brad?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, this may be self-serving.
The 29th I couldn't make it. But the two days back-to-back is really
good to start and then wait a week and then finish. I would rather just
hammer something and get it done.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is that the general consensus of the
committee?
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: I don't have an opinion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. David, could we try that?
MR. WEEKS: Certainly.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: 19th and 20th.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir, 19th and 20th of October.
Yes, Brad?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And David, if you want to keep
that open, there may be something that you could pull into the 29th, in
case that ever happens.
MR. WEEKS: We'll do that. We'll keep that in reserve as a
possible carryover.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. Let's, yeah, make the 29th the
alternative. That would be better, so --
MR. WEEKS: And then jumping ahead to the adoption hearing,
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April 2, 2009
which admittedly is far out in time, but we're suggesting Tuesday, July
20th and Friday, July 23rd of2010.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Now, looking again -- we're 15 months
from now. We don't even know if this country's going to be here in 15
months, well enough this planning commission.
But why don't we again do them back-to-back? Because
honestly, on an adoption hearing, we're supposed to have all the issues
resolved except for the cleanup from DCA.
MR. WEEKS: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So those meetings should go quicker. I
would expect we could get it done in one day if you use the alternative
date as the first time we meet and then the 20th as a cleanup, and leave
a second alternative for the 23rd, I think you'd be safe that way.
MR. WEEKS: That's fine by me.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Does that work for the rest of us?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Uh-huh.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Where's the 2012 dates on here? I'm
sure they're somewhere.
(Laughter. )
MR. WEEKS: Okay. Next -- and let me interject something
that I did mention in the memo, and that is that we realize that looking
this far out it's certainly possible that circumstances could change, and
we may have to scrap these dates and start over.
Most particularly, if there has to be continuances, if for some
reason this body is not able to get through all of these petitions on
these dates we've just set forth here, then we may have to push this
schedule out. And if this schedule moves, then the Immokalee Master
Plan schedule in all likelihood would have to move again, because
there's a certain correlation again between those.
The other thing of course is we have to see if the Board of
County Commissioners might change priorities. We hope not, we
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April 2, 2009
don't think so, but it's always possible that when they discuss the
RLSA five-year review later this month, that they could change
priorities of the plan amendments and give that set of RLSA
amendments a higher priority, which would then disrupt these
schedules.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And as far as the Immokalee area
master plan, David, all your dates are in 2010.
MR. WEEKS : Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Does anybody have any objection on
this panel whether any of those dates are to be used? None of them
are close together, they're all scattered.
So David, I don't know -- unless someone knows one of those
dates is bad for them right now -- Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: I don't know if we're still
thinking in terms of the availability of the board room, but I'd like to
see some of those meetings in Immokalee.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's a good point. That's a real good
point. Thank you for reminding us of that. We did that before with
one or two subjects. And if I remember, our enabling ordinance
allows that to occur. Why don't we look at moving those to
Immokalee?
MR. WEEKS: Commissioners, we can take a look.
One of the -- I would say the main reason we didn't even look
over in Immokalee is because of cost. There is an additional cost. I'm
not going to suggest to you that it's significant, but as you're aware,
we've already had a series of staff cuts and we anticipate -- or I'll
speak personally, because I don't know that there's any official word
out there -- but moving beyond our division, knowing the budget
constraints that the county as a whole is under, I would anticipate that
we may have additional staffing cuts.
And that's one perspective, and a rather selfish one, perhaps.
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April 2, 2009
But I'm just thinking that if staff is being cut, if other cutbacks are
being made, yet we're saying let's don't meet here, let's go somewhere
else to meet, that's going to cost additional funds.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's a year, almost two years off.
Why don't we just schedule those dates here like they are, but we can
always ask the commissioner from the district to explore the idea with
his commission. Between now and then I'll certainly bring it up to
him, because he's the same district I am, and Mr. Midney as well.
We can suggest the idea to him and see if he wants to bring it up
to his other board members and see if they wanted to move it like that.
Okay, does that work?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Uh-huh.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you, David. Is that all you
need?
MR. WEEKS: That's it. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: Yeah, we do have one public speaker on this
item.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Really? Okay.
MR. BELLOWS: Tim Hancock.
MR. HANCOCK: I'll waive.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, he's shaking his head no.
I didn't know this was even controversial, so you caught me
off-guard there.
Okay, well, that ends that issue. Now we'll go on to the -- and
by the way, for the record, that was number l1.A, moved up to after 7,
for the convenience of staff.
And any time a staff item like that is on the agenda, if we move
it up to the front, it's a lot better than having staff sit here all day and
wait for it. Right now with as few as there are, the more productivity
can be at their offices than be here, so -
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April 2, 2009
Item #8A
PETITION: CU-2003-AR-3725, CLOSE UP CREATURES, INC.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Consent agenda items. The first one is
Petition CU-2003-AR-3725, Close-Up Creatures, Inc., otherwise
known as N gala.
Does anybody have any changes or corrections or modifications
to that particular item?
Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I don't think I'll be able to vote
on any -- either -- any three of -- let me try that again. I won't be
voting on any.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You're going to abstaining because you
weren't here when they were discussed.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: That is correct. In can spit
that one out.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: One thing I saw in the changes on
Exhibit D, it's on item three, it says visitors shall be transported to the
site using buses, van or limousine. Then the next word, it says, arrival
by private vehicle is prohibited.
I think one of the Planning Commission members, I think it
might have been Mr. Schiffer, suggested we put the word visitor in
front of the word arrival, so that the workers can show up in private
vehicle.
I had a note to that effect, so why don't we make sure that word's
in there. There's no cloudiness as to what they can and cannot do
then.
Is that okay with everybody?
(Nods of heads.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, with that one change in mind,
are there any other corrections?
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April 2, 2009
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: If not, is there a motion to recommend
approval?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So moved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion made by Commissioner
Schiffer. Seconded by?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Commissioner Homiak.
Good. A couple of times we heard you today. That's great.
Any comment, any discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 8-0.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: No, I abstain. I wasn't here.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I'm sorry, two abstentions. Six to zero,
Mr. Midney and Mr. Wolfley abstaining.
I guess you guys, you're going to be the same for all -- except
you were here for Mirasol, were you not?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: (Nodding head affirmatively).
Item #8B
PETITION: PUDA-2007-AR-11546, LONGSHORE LAKE
FOUNDATION. INC.
Page 14
April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Next consent item is Petition
PUDA-2007-AR-11546. It's the Longshore Lake Foundation, Inc. for
the Longshore PUD. And it's a signage issue that was discussed two
weeks ago.
Anybody have any corrections or changes?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Hearing none, is there a motion to
approve?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I do.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer made the motion.
Seconded by?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Homiak.
Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries, except for the two
abstentions, so it will be 6-0, Mr. Midney and Mr. Wolfley abstaining.
Item #8C
PETITION: PUDZ-A-2007-AR-12046, IM COLLIER JOINT
VENTURE
Page 15
April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN; Next petition is
PUDZA-2007-AR-12046. It's the I.M. Collier Joint Venture, Mirasol
PUD.
We were all passed out one correction that was provided to us.
And if you recall, under the maximum zoned height there were two
inserts about stories. The words not to exceed the 50-foot mark were
supposed to be inserted into that. That now has gotten done.
Mr. Schiffer, do you have anything?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, yeah, they've also
removed footnote nine, which I think we were pretty clear on that --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, footnote nine was supposed to
stay in. So the only change to the maximum zoned height was
supposed to have the words "not to exceed" be added. And I think
footnote nine was under the multi-family dwelling one, and that was
supposed to stay in.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: One thing is, is the word in it
they changed. It's 50 feet. So they give us that. Five stories. That's
fine.
I mean, the way it is as it was handed out is fine. The meeting
tent where somebody tried to bury the removal of9, and not a good
move.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So the 9 was under the multi-family
dwelling under maximum zoned height, and that needs to go back in.
Is that the consensus?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right. And they've also
removed it from the actual footnote, so --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, they did?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I think one thing we should do,
Page 16
April 2, 2009
let's -- any time anybody puts an exhibit, especially on the day we're
supposed to review it, they should really in red or something really
explain what they did. Because I guess had I not discovered that, this
thing would have gone through without it, and what is that?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I -- if number nine wasn't there,
the 50-foot, I don't believe -- well, not to exceed 50 feet. I'm not sure
they could override that with the exemption for the parking decks, but
it's better to have it there for clarity.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Because there is a thing in the
LDC that allows parking under a building, and that wouldn't count as a
story. They could essentially have built a seven-story building.
COMMISSIONER CARON: We've been there.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, so number 9 goes back in, and
then --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I think it should stay as it was
handed off to us over the weekend.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, do you?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Because the maximum zoned
height, it says 50 feet. That means something. And it says five
stories, that's okay. And then it has footnote number 9. Why say 50
feet, five stories not to exceed 50 feet? The 50-foot's redundant in
that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The only problem is we at the meeting,
I know I made the notation, I brought it up at the meeting that we
needed to add that language. It was agreed to. It didn't get in the
document. I don't know if we can change it at a consent hearing.
Mr. Klatzkow is shaking his head no.
I don't know if it hurts anything, Brad, to have that clarity in
there.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That's fine. But number 9's got
to go back.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I agree, number 9 was always intended
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April 2, 2009
to be in. So staff will put that back in. W e'llleave the underlined
changes "not to exceed" in there as well.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And can I ask staff a question?
Did they know that number 9 was removed, or is this --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, number 9 -- this all happened last
night, so --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, somebody physically
removed it, so what's happening here?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Kay? How did the number 9 get taken
out; do you know?
(Speaker was duly sworn.)
MS. DESELEM: For the record, Kay Deselem.
In speaking with the petitioner last evening, she said that she
thought that number 9 was what she had put in there and what we had
understood that you wanted for that limitation, and that would suffice.
And she took it out because once the 50 foot got put in
yesterday, she thought that made it clear, so you didn't need that
footnote.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, I'd concur with Mr. Schiffer, he's
exactly right, any little thing that's missed for clarity becomes a real
problem. So I think putting the new language in and adding number 9
sure doesn't hurt, doesn't let it -- removes any question in the future,
and that's what I think this board recommended and voted on last time.
So I think that's the way it's got to stay.
MS. DESELEM: I will make sure that footnote 9 goes back in
and the 50-foot limitation that was added on this Exhibit B remains.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Great.
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: And I think in the future, should
something like that be brought to your attention, it should not come
out until you've come to this commission, and then we can determine
whether or not it should come out. It should not be the petitioner's
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April 2, 2009
representative who thinks something should happen.
MS. DESELEM: I apologize for that. I should have jumped on
that right away yesterday, and stopped that right then --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Been there too.
MS. DESELEM: -- and I do apologize for that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And Kay, would you send us --
when that's corrected, would you send us what is going to go to the
commission?
MS. DESELEM: Certainly. Is e-mail acceptable?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: PDF is perfect. And all it has
to be is Exhibit B.
MS. DESELEM: Yes. And the footnote will probably reflect
today's date. That way you'll know that it's the changed document.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Whatever, but okay. That was
dangerous.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yes, very.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Considering it's happened in the past, it
was a good catch.
Okay, are there any other comments on this one?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ifnot, is there a recommendation -- or
is there a motion to approve the consent item?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I will move.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer made the motion.
Ms. Homiak? Karen? It's your turn.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: But I voted against it last time, I
can make the motion?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, on the consent item, yes. Consent
just means it's consistent with what the vote was --
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: So do we have to vote yes for
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April 2, 2009
this?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, you have to vote yes for this
unless you believe it's inconsistent with what the majority vote was
last time. Is that -- Mr. Klatzkow, is that a fair--
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Okay, I'll second it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. The consent item has been made
and seconded.
Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And how many abstained?
Mr. Wolfley, did you abstain?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Yes, I did.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, so it's 7-0, one abstention.
Item #9 A
PETITION: VA-2008-AR-13977, MCDONALDS USA, LLC
(CONTINUED)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Now we can move into our regular
advertised hearings. We have coming back to us today Petition
V A-2008-AR-13977, Tim Chess of McDonald's USA, LLC. It's for
Page 20
April 2, 2009
the McDonald's on the East Trail, so it was continued from last
meeting.
And J.D. is looking around like uh-oh.
Those wishing to testify on behalf of this petition, please rise to
be sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any disclosures on the part of the
Planning Commission?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The attorney for McDonald's had
e-mailed me and just to apparently let us know they had made the
changes, and I told them at this point I didn't know of any concerns,
we'll just have to see what comes out at the meeting.
And J.D., you can represent both yourself and the applicant
today.
MR. MOSS: Good morning, Commissioners. For the record,
John-David Moss, Department of Zoning and Land Development
Review.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Before you go into this, Mr. Klatzkow,
without an applicant here, can we proceed?
MR. KLATZKOW: It's their application. If they're not here, it
doesn't go forward.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Well, now we know they're not
here.
Have you any communication with them to tell them that today
was their date?
MR. MOSS: Right, they were aware of that, and they told me
yesterday that they would be here this morning. They are coming
from out of town and so I wonder if that has something to do with it.
They were coming down from Tampa.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, with the board's permission, why
don't we delay this till later today.
Page 21
April 2, 2009
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Good.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay? Thank you, J.D.
With that we'll move on to Petition VA --
MR. MOSS: I don't know where they are either.
MR. KLA TZKOW: You can quickly disapprove it.
Item #9B
PETITION: V A-2008-AR-14017, MERIT PETROLEUM CO.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, wait a minute. You mean Metro
Petroleum Company is not here? Oh, yes, they are. Okay. Boy,
times are getting tough out there. People don't even show up for
petitions anymore.
Petition V A-2008-AR-14017, the Merit Petroleum Company,
represented by Bert Thomas. It's on 617 West Main Street in
Immokalee.
All those wishing to testify on behalf of this petition, please rise
to be sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, any disclosures on the part of
Planning Commission?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Hearing none, the applicant may
proceed.
MR. THOMAS: By name is Bert Thomas. I'm an architect
from Tampa, Florida. We made it down.
And we are representing --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: That hurt.
MR. THOMAS: As an architect, I've got to get in every dig I
can at attorneys.
First of all, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to be here,
Page 22
April 2, 2009
and I want to commend you and your staff here in Collier County for
the great job that they've done in assisting us, somebody from out of
town not familiar with your procedures. It has been a pleasure to deal
with the people over at Horseshoe Drive. And I'd like for you guys to
send some people to Hillsboro County and do a quick seminar on how
to assist the public. As you --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, that's the first time we've--
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Joe's head should be pretty
swelled.
MR. SCHMITT: Wow, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's nice to hear, thank you. We
usually hear a lot of different things from local people, so --
MR. THOMAS: Well, they should come up to my neck of the
woods.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
MR. THOMAS: At any rate, as you have seen in your staff
report, this property was developed back in 1960; remained pretty
much the same condition as it has all these years.
This process started because my client wanted to upgrade their
fueling capacities according to code. They have underground fuel
storage tanks and they wanted to upgrade those per code, and the
dispensers as well.
As we began to look at it, it became obvious that we wanted to
upgrade the site, update the site. That would relieve some traffic
issues on-site. There are some places where delivery trucks come in
around the back of the store, as you've seen the site plan. Sometimes
they get trapped in there because of people coming in to fuel their
vehicles, the personal vehicles. And so there's some on-site traffic
issues that we wanted to relieve.
They wanted to get the fueling vehicles, personal vehicles
further away from the driveway. Right now people are practically
sitting in the driveway off of Main Street as they fuel their vehicles.
Page 23
April 2, 2009
And I already mentioned about the loading and delivery vehicles
being trapped.
As our initial plan started to be reviewed by your people on the
planning commission (sic), they wanted us to also bring the on-site
parking up to current parking code, which makes a lot of sense. They
wanted us to upgrade on-site traffic markings, directional arrows, stop
signage, that type of thing.
We also want to upgrade the landscaping, which does not
comply at this time. And also we're going to increase the pervious
area slightly by removing some paving, which will give us more
landscaping areas.
The building itself will be painted during this project, which will
bring it more into line with the CRA of Immokalee. And there will be
a new overhead canopy as the canopy and the dispenser pumps both
move to a much more conducive area, for the reasons I stated earlier.
And we will be upgrading the handicapped accessibility from the
public right-of-way into the building by means of pavement markings
and handicap ramps, that type of thing.
As you will notice on our zoning application, our initial zoning
application, we had asked for two variances. It became obvious
during the review process that we actually needed five, because that's
a corner -- it was determined it's a corner lot. So some of the initial
variances we had requested were reviewed and they need five now.
What I have is an addendum letter that was sent to us late
yesterday by the Immokalee Community Redevelopment Agency and
signed by Mr. Fred Thomas, who is the chair of that advisory board.
And I got this yesterday from Bradley Muckel at Collier County
Government, and it lists that they do support all five variances. I can
provide that to you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We'll need it for the record.
MR. THOMAS: And so who do I give that to?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: This young lady here. And at least --
Page 24
April 2, 2009
how many copies do you have?
MR. THOMAS: I'm sorry, I got it late yesterday as I was
running out of the office. Can I give this one to her?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: J.D., is it short enough to read into the
record?
MR. MOSS: Sure. It is.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, if you or the staff, someone needs
just read it into the record, then give a copy of it to the court reporter.
That way we'd hear it instead of having it passed out to us, that should
work.
MR. THOMAS: Okay, I'll beg your indulgence then.
From the Collier County Building Review and Permitting
Department -- or that's to the Building Review and Permitting
Department, Mrs. Susan Istenes, Director of Zoning and Land
Development, concerning this property at 617 West Main Street in
Immokalee.
Dear Mrs. Istenes. This letter has been drafted as an addendum
to the letter sent to you on September 18th, 2008 for the above
referenced project.
The Immokalee Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory
Board would like to take this opportunity to address the permitting
issues surrounding the above referenced project.
This parcel has been engineered for redesign by the owner, Merit
Petroleum, to ultimately be operated as a Shell gas station. However,
the owner's representative, Mr. Jack Milholland, of Merit Petroleum
and his engineer have had written and verbal correspondence with
your staff regarding six points of concern with the redesign, which
have halted both zoning and building department approvals.
Please let this letter represent the Immokalee CRA Advisory
Board's support ofMr. Milholland in the following variance items:
A 12-foot variance from the 50-foot front yard setback along
West Main Street, State Road 29, to permit a 38-foot setback for the
Page 25
April 2, 2009
dispenser island canopy.
A nine-foot variance from the 50-foot front yard setback along
Seventh Street South to permit a 41- foot setback for the dispenser
island canopy.
A 19-foot variance from the 50-foot front yard setback along
West Main Street to permit a 31- foot setback for the easternmost fuel
pump dispenser island.
A two-foot variance from the 50-foot front yard setback along
West Main Street to permit a 48- foot setback for the westernmost fuel
pump dispenser island.
And a 17- foot variance from the 50-foot front yard setback along
Seventh Street South to permit a 33-foot setback for the westernmost
fuel pump dispenser island.
Acceptance of the proposed color of the planned fuel pump
canopy. The color scheme of this pump canopy has been proposed as
yellow and red, which is the standard color scheme for Shell
Corporation's pump canopies.
Feedback from the Collier County Building Department is that
this does not correspond with the county earth tone regulations.
The CRA Advisory Board supports Mr. Milholland in his efforts
to revitalize downtown Immokalee, and has advised Mr. Milholland to
seek a variance for the items outlined above.
Please feel free to contact me for clarification, should it be
required. Sincerely, Fred N. Thomas, Jr, Chair, CRA Advisory Board.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Great. Thank you very much. And we
need to make sure a copy of that gets to the court reporter, because
you talked pretty fast, but I didn't think it would be a problem, because
she'll have the original document to refer to anyway, so --
MR. THOMAS: Should I give this letter to her now?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, that would be fine, if you don't
mind.
MR. THOMAS: Thank you. Are there any questions that I can
Page 26
April 2, 2009
answer?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, as soon as you give that letter to
her, we'll entertain questions.
And Mr. Wolfley, it looks like you're first up.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: If! can speak this morning.
You had mentioned CRA, and I'm sure you're aware of along
Main Street, 1 st and 7th, they call the bookends, creating the -- you
know, the CRA for the--
MR. THOMAS: Right.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: -- for Immokalee.
Are you going to be consistent with that on 7th, since you're
going to be right across the street from that -- oh, let me just call it a
park or public facility that's going to be there and with landscaping
and -- well, and I was going to get into the colors, but you've already
brought it up. They're going to be quite -- I don't know whether it
would be Mexican or Aztec or that type of design.
Are you pretty much in synch with what's going on there across
the street?
MR. THOMAS: Mr. Wolfley, I'm not prepared to answer that
question. I might ask Mr. Moss for some help on that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You're referring to the CRA's work
going on in Immok -- they're the ones that just wrote the approval
letter.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Well.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Wouldn't they have looked at that, do
you think?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Well, I would have thought.
But, I mean, it just seem -- they've gone through extensive research,
even down to pots, that there are going to be certain pots and
colorations that they're going to be using, and I just think it would be
-- I see Mr. Midney shaking his head. It would be a shame to not have
that be in concert.
Page 27
April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I'm not sure what codes we have
that -- beyond our architectural code that allows us to enforce private
rules that they have in Immokalee for Main Street. But this gentleman
having the cooperation of the CRA in this letter he read to us most
likely has reviewed this with them. Otherwise--
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Okay. Well, it was just a
suggestion.
MR. THOMAS: Yes, sir, they have seen the site plan. We've
had conversation with Mr. Thomas and of course planning staff.
What was our final determination on the --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You have to talk into the mic., sir.
MR. THOMAS: I'm sorry.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, she has to write down everything
you say, so --
MR. MOSS: If! may, for the record, John-David Moss,
Department of Zoning and Land Development Review.
The applicant was just asking me about the colors. Mr. Thomas
in his letter said that the Immokalee community would be supportive
of a pump canopy that is yellow and red. But that does contradict our
architectural review criteria and so that would not be permitted. We
would require earth tones, except for 10 percent of the canopy facade
could be in a primary or secondary color.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, and when you just said -- in the
letter he said that the Immokalee community. I thought he was
speaking as a member of the CRA Advisory Board. So he's not really
talking for the community, he's talking for the advisory board.
MR. MOSS: Absolutely. Thank you for the correction.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else have any questions?
Mr. Midney, then Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah, we're talking about
setbacks for fuel pumps and variances to shorten them. Is there any
kind of a safety issue behind these? By shortening the distance from
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April 2, 2009
the road to the fuel pumps, is that a potential safety issue?
MR. THOMAS: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And I think, Paul, to follow up,
you'll see that they're closing. Right now it's wide open into the street,
which is really a nightmare.
You reference a sheet S-l. Does anybody have a copy of that
here?
MR. THOMAS: S-l would be the existing site plan?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
MR. THOMAS: You should have had it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And then the other question;
did you exhaust the variance remedies of the architectural standards?
Have you applied for a variance through those? No?
MR. THOMAS: No, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: There is a procedure to obtain a
variance, but -- all right, thank you.
Does anybody have an S-l, John, in the file?
MR. THOMAS: If you have a question about what the existing
site plan is, I can explain it to you probably by using this proposed site
plan. Is that what your question is, Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I just really wanted to see the
existing canopy.
MR. THOMAS: Oh, okay. If you look at this site plan, the
existing canopy exists right just due south of where the driveway
shows coming in from Main Street. It sits on an angle pretty much like
the existing building does, and it encompasses that entire corner. I
mean, you're almost sitting on the property line when you're fueling
your vehicles.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Would the aerial map help?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The aerial might help. But it
doesn't have any --
Page 29
April 2, 2009
COMMISSIONER CARON: No dimensions.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah. I mean, it's in a different
location.
MR. THOMAS: Can you see now where the exit -- oh, thank
you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I was going to say, this is Collier
County, we have all the modern conveniences.
MR. THOMAS: That's great.
This is where the existing canopy is. And you see people are
pulling in like this. And if you get two cars stacked up here, they're
almost to the property line. And that's what blocks delivery trucks as
they come in like this. It's right close to the north property line.
And of course this parking doesn't even come close to meeting
code with the distances that are there right now.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: What is the dimension to Main
Street from that existing?
MR. THOMAS: What is the distance to the canopy or to the gas
pumps?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The canopy.
MR. THOMAS: Currently it's 22 feet.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: All right, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, are there any other questions of
the applicant?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, staff report, please.
Thank you, sir.
MR. MOSS: Thank you, Commissioners. For the record,
John-David Moss, Department of Zoning and Land Development
Review.
The use is consistent with the commerce center mixed use
district of the Immokalee Area Master Plan. And as proposed, it is also
consistent with the C-4, and Main Street overlay zoning districts of the
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April 2, 2009
LDC, subject to the conditions provided by staff and the final exhibit
to the resolution.
And I'll be happy to answer any other questions you might have
about the project.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I have a question.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any questions -- Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: With regard to the signage, I
think I heard Shell, I'm not sure of the --
MR. MOSS: Correct.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: We're not trying to prevent
them from using the Shell sign, are we?
MR. MOSS: No, no, this has nothing to do with signage. This
is just the canopy that we were discussing earlier.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Right, which I can understand.
That's good.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of staff?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, hearing none, we'll ask for any
public speakers.
Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: No one has registered.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, any other final questions from
the Planning Commission before we close the public hearing?
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: I just have a comment to make
about the staff report. On Page 2 and 3 of 9, staff goes on to reiterate
a bunch of other variances that have taken place in this district.
First of all, what might have been appropriate for those variances
mayor may not be appropriate for this one. They shouldn't be used in
this manner.
Also, there's a real combination here of residential variances
mixed in with commercial variances, mixed in with conditional use
Page 3 1
April 2, 2009
variances, and I don't see where that's appropriate for the future. That's
just a comment.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. With that, we will close the
public hearing and entertain a motion. Does anybody have a motion?
Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah, I would like to move that
we forward Petition V A-2008-AR-14017 to the BCC with the
recommendation of approval.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Second.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Second.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Subject to staff
recommendations.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Midney made the motion. Mr.
Murray, I believe you were the quickest with the second.
Do both of you accept them as finally stated?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: (Nods head affirmatively.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Mr. Murray too.
With that, is there any discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All those in favor, signify by saying
aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 8-0.
Thank you very much. Thank you for your expedious (sic) trip
down here from Tampa. We'll have to find out where the McDonald's
folks come from.
J.D., so you can get back to your productive desk, we will
entertain --
MR. MOSS: Well, the McDonald's folks are here.
Item #9A
PETITION: V A-2008-AR-13977, MCDONALD'S USA, LLC
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I saw them. So with that, we will go
right into petition -- back into Petition V A-2008-AR-13977, Tim
Chess of McDonald's, USA, LLC for the McDonald's on the East
Trail.
All those wishing to participate in this petition, please rise to be
sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
Disclosures? I have the one disclosure I had earlier, so I'll leave
it at that.
And with that, we'll move into the applicant's presentation then.
MR. SA TFIELD: Jeffrey Satfield, CPH Engineers.
Miami, but that's no excuse. So I apologize for the --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, it is a longer distance, so--
MR. SATFIELD: But thank you so much for hearing us.
My presentation will be brief. Not a whole lot has changed since
the last couple weeks as far as the variance that we're requesting.
I want to first of all thank staff again for meeting with us so
quickly and for their time and effort in making this project work.
The variance that we're requesting is basically very similar if not
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April 2, 2009
exactly the same, I think, J.D., as before. What we have done is
worked with staff to make a few minor site changes to allow for the
layout that we needed.
And primarily what you'll see up there is the drive-through that
is facing 41, we've added in a five-foot additional landscape buffer
with Type B, like boy, hedges, the five-foot tall hedges and some
palms flanking that area to further buffer the drive-through facility.
And so now as we're proposing -- the 41 buffer actually exceeds
a minimum B buffer in planting material. We've got the tree spacing
of a B buffer along 41, we have the dual hedge of a D, like David,
buffer along 41 with ground cover.
In addition to that, closer to the building to again assist buffering
of the drive-through facility we have a five-foot buffer there with a
Type B, like boy, hedge line flanked by palms to give some vertical
breakup to that building.
Other minor -- there's been some minor shifts in the building to
make this accommodation. Other than that, the plan remains largely
the same.
And I'll leave it at that for questions.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The drawing we're looking at
shows that you're going to put a five-foot buffer along the drive aisle?
MR. SA TFIELD: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: What would the dimension
then be for the backup of those angle parking? It really looks like you
might not have the geometry you need.
MR. SATFIELD: No, we actually have -- what we did to
accomplish this over the plan that you had two weeks ago was there
used to be parking on the south side of the building. There was about
three parking spaces over there.
And basically to accommodate this extra five foot and the
geometry that we need for parking and drive aisles, fire lanes, et
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April 2, 2009
cetera, we had to eliminate those parking spaces, shift the building
further away from 41 and slightly down. And then we were able to
accommodate the additional planting and still maintain the fire lane
and parking geometry that we need.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, now I'm really con -- the
plan that I'm looking at in your thing is exactly the same plan you had
last time, only you've written the word five-foot buffer required in
there.
MR. MOSS: Yeah, if! may, Commissioner, for the record,
John-David Moss, Department of Zoning and Land Development
Review.
Because we had to return this back to you so quickly, what we
did is we went ahead and just depicted the five-foot buffer that's going
to be required, but as noted in the staff report, those three parking
spaces, two of them are handicapped on the southern side of the
building, they're going to be eliminated and the building's going to be
shift downward. So they will be able to accommodate both the
five-foot buffer and the parking adjacent to U.S. 41.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And you're not making up that
parking anyplace else?
MR. MOSS: No. They amended the parking variance at -- or
the parking administrative deviation that was part of this application.
Initially they were only asking that one space be eliminated from the
requirement, and now I think we're up to eight. And staff didn't have a
problem with that because of the sea of parking that surrounds this
site.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. And what is -- what's
going to be in this five-foot buffer? I mean, what is that really going
to achieve putting up alongside the cars?
MR. MOSS: Right, exactly. In order -- according to the
architectural criteria, in order to have a drive-through adjacent to a
roadway, you need to have a IS-foot buffer, and it has to be a Type B.
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April 2, 2009
And because they're only having a 10-foot buffer adjacent to U.S. 41,
we wanted them to make up that five feet somewhere else. And so
they're going to put the five feet adjacent to the drive-through so that it
will further screen cars from the roadway.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: John, if they could put the five feet
where you're showing it, that means they could have also put it up by
the road. If you run a dimension perpendicular to the face of the
building than the road, I mean, why wouldn't they --
MR. MOSS: That's true. Then they would have had to shift the
parking down. But because they're working with this site, they're
redeveloping the site, we just wanted them to put the buffer adjacent
to the drive-through lane rather than adjacent to the roadway.
There's a beautiful buffer of sea grape already existing there, if
you've ever driven by this site, adjacent to u.S. 41, and so we just
wanted them to enhance that buffer.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And you'd be adding five feet
to it. You wouldn't hurt it at all.
MR. MOSS: Well, the -- it's a double hedge row that's required
with a Type B, so they have one single hedge row of sea grape. We're
going to have them add another hedge row adjacent to the parking lot
and then the trees that are required, 30 feet on center for a Type B
buffer.
So that was the design that we came up with. Are you
suggesting that you would rather have them redesign the site to move
the five-foot buffer adjacent to the roadway?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'm just curious, if you could fit
it where you show it, you could fit it on the road and we wouldn't even
be having this conversation. So I'm trying to figure out the advantage
of this.
MR. SATFIELD: The area to the rear of the site -- and I'll walk
and point. But if you see the striping up on the board here where
we've got the five foot adjacent to the drive-through. And then as the
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April 2, 2009
striping tapers, it gets smaller.
It gets -- there's a small conflict there. We cannot get a full five
feet for the entire length of the site because of the building and the
angle that we've got it on here. So we attempted to get it on there.
But basically the striped area is where we can accommodate the
extra space. But then as you get to the rear it becomes less than five
feet, slightly. I think we could get it three foot in the back, but that
was about as small. We couldn't get the five foot all the way because
of the building. We'd have to basically camphor (phonetic) that side
of the building as it angled around for the drive-through.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. And this isn't going to--
so everything on this site -- I mean, it really would be nice to have the
final site plan. I mean --
MR. SATFIELD: That's the board shown up here for your
review here.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I can't see from here, so --
MR. SA TFIELD: And that's basically, though, it's what you're
looking at with the parking adjacent to the building eliminated and the
five-foot planter directly adjacent to the drive-through area.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Do me a favor, slide the
rendering to the side, and then maybe Kady in the camera can get a
good close-up of that.
MR. SA TFIELD: Then what's on the --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Boy, that Kady's good, isn't she?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Right on.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You know, Brad, actually having the
trees closer to the building might actually be more aesthetic than
having them all out by the road and breaking up that asphalt.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Absolutely.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I agree.
MR. SATFIELD: That was our thought as well. The closer that
you're -- you know, the closer you can put a buffer to what you're
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April 2, 2009
trying to buffer, the more effective it is from a visual standpoint.
So we felt as well, if we're trying to buffer the drive-through
itself, putting it closer with that five-foot hedge line would actually
enhance the buffering of the drive-through, if that's what we're trying
to hide.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. Then -- and this kind of
shows it, I'm fine with that.
The only other question is up at the road where the parking is,
there's a way in which you could have the curb follow essentially the
bumper, which would put landscaping under the front of the car.
MR. SATFIELD: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Which would make that area
better. Would you be able to do that? I mean, that would --
MR. SATFIELD: We could, but those areas typically don't
thrive well because of the overhang. They typically end up dying off
and become little dirt areas, if you will.
You know, we can put Bahia down there or something of that
nature, or even -- you know, if we were going to do that, I probably
would want to see maybe a mulch or something of that -- because
eventually because of the overhang, they usually don't thrive very
much, so that's why we don't have it shown here.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, I'm fine. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Mr. Murray, did you still have a
question?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: No, because I think it's now
resolved. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. You know, we're here to review
your site plan. The package that we have is deficient in the fact that a
site plan hasn't been provided.
Before you leave today, could you get this copied and at least
distribute it to us in the format you have here so we have something to
go by? It may not be as official in the dimensioning, but that,d
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April 2, 2009
combined with testimony, I think it completes the record. And we
need to make sure one's provided to the court reporter as well.
MR. SATFIELD: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And it only has to -- it doesn't have to
be that full size but, you know, I don't know how you can shrink it
down any, but before you leave today, we need to have that for the
record.
J.D., would you make sure that happens?
MR. MOSS: Sure.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, anybody else have any
questions?
Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And then just to follow, when
we have the consent agenda, we will have the final site plan?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ray, is that a--
MR. BELLOWS: Excuse me.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I thought you were acknowledging
something about the consent agenda.
MR. BELLOWS: No, no.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. But you'll have to come back in
two weeks for a consent -- you don't have to come back, we will just
make sure the consent agenda reads consistent with the testimony here
today. At that time we could have a final black-and-white site plan
that you've shown here distributed to us --
MR. SA TFIELD: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- so that we understand it to be
consistent with the colored rendering that you're going to provide to
us.
MR. SATFIELD: This layout that J.D. has here is a draft of
what we submitted in before we colored and landscaped it as well. It's
very -- it's conceptual in nature, not dimension, but that's --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, why don't we just use that? If
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April 2, 2009
you can -- you can make black-and-white copies of that in lieu of the
colored one quicker, can't you, J.D.?
MR. MOSS: Sure.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That's perfect.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, why don't we just make copies
of that for distribution today for our packets and one for the court
reporter, so we have a reference to what we talked about. And then
the cleanup of this will happen when it comes back to us --
MR. MOSS: Sure, I'll be happy to do that.
Normally with a variance we just submit a conceptual plan. And
that's what this was. It's just a little unusual in this instance that they
happen to be submitting an SDP at the same time that they were going
through this variance process. So that's why you have something
that's more definitive there.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. While you're up there, you want
to do staff report?
MR. MOSS: I'll be glad to.
I just wanted to add that the project is consistent with the sub-
district in which it's located. And subject to the conditions included by
staff in the resolution, staff is recommending approval.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there any questions of staff?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, hearing none, are there any
public speakers, Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: No speakers.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: With that, we'll close the public hearing
and entertain a motion --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- remember the conditions of approval
for staff.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I would recommend that
Petition V A-2008-AR-13977, known as McDonald's Gulfgate Plaza,
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April 2, 2009
be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners with a
recommendation.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Recommendation of approval?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Seconded by Mr. Wolfley.
Any discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 8-0.
Thank you. All the way over from Miami for 15 minutes. You
did great.
MR. SA TFIELD: Well worth it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, make sure, though, we get that
copy of that black-and-white before we leave today.
MR. SA TFIELD: Absolutely.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We're getting close to 10:30. I'd rather
not start the next one until we come back from our --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Actually, it's 9:30.
COMMISSIONER CARON: It's only 9:30.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That never got changed,
apparently.
Page 41
April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Whoa, I thought I was --
MR. SCHMITT: Time flies when you're having fun, huh?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I thought something was wrong, but
that's okay.
So we don't know what time it is. I understand.
Okay, with that, we'll go into the next one, then. I was
considering Cherie's fingers.
Item #9C
PETITION: RZ-2008-AR-13951, OLDE FLORIDA GOLF CLUB,
INC.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Next one is Petition
RZ-2008-AR-13951, the Olde Florida Golf Club, Inc., represented by
John Passidomo. It's on the Vanderbilt Beach Road extension.
All those wishing to testify on behalf of this item, please rise to
be sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Disclosures on the part of the Planning
Commission?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I had one or two conversations with
John Passidomo regarding the issues today on the agreement from the
past. And we will certainly be discussing all those today.
Anybody else?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Hearing none, we'll move forward.
John, it's all yours.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners. My name is
John Passidomo. My address is 821 Fifth Avenue South, in the City
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April 2, 2009
of Naples.
Our firm represents Olde Florida Golf Club, Inc. in agenda Item
9.C before you for consideration this morning.
Our project team is comprised of Project Planner Margaret
Perry, Transportation Engineering Jeff Perry and Senior Ecologist
Tom Trettis of Wilson-Miller. All are available to respond to any
technical questions in their respective fields of expertise.
Olde Florida Golf Club member, corporate secretary and owner's
representative, Bill Barton, and Olde Florida Golf Club General
Manager Tom Wildenhaus, are also available to address any
operational, historical or practical questions you may have concerning
the property.
The subject property is comprised of approximately 554 acres of
land located on the north side of Vanderbilt Beach Road, two miles
east of Collier Boulevard.
It is designated rural fringe mixed use district neutral land by the
Future Land Use Element of the Growth Management Plan, and
contains an 18-hole golf course, clubhouse, supporting facilities and
open space.
Permitted uses as of right within the rural fringe neutral land
designation include agriculture, single-family homes and golf courses.
Back in 1991, prior to the creation of the rural fringe, at a time
when Collier County's appetite for golf courses and golfers seemed
insatiable, the property was rezoned from agricultural to golf course,
and the existing golf course was thereafter built in what was then
assumed to be the first of two golf courses on the property.
Today of course two golf courses no longer make sense, as
changing conditions render the golf course zoning, which only allows
golf course, clubhouse, maintenance facilities and a caretaker's
residence archaic.
The petition before you therefore proposes to rezone the
property from golf course to rural fringe, neutral land agriculture to
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April 2, 2009
achieve three principal objectives: First, to align the zoning of a land
with permitted uses as of right under the future land use designation
for the property.
Second, to ensure compatibility with adjacent agriculturally
zoned land.
And third, while continuing use of the part of the property for
the existing golf course, to provide flexibility for a broad range of
permitted uses to be able to respond to market conditions as they
emerge for the balance of the property.
No development plans are proposed because at this stage none
are being considered. A standard rezone application that does not
require a master plan is therefore presented to you for consideration
this morning.
We appreciate staffs recommendation of approval and
respectfully request your recommendation to the Board of County
Commissioners of approval.
I'll be happy to try to respond to any questions you may have,
Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, that was short, John. Thank you.
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Good morning, sir.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Good morning, sir.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Would you be kind enough to
illustrate there -- we have that on the computer screen. Would you
show us where the houses would be built, if you know?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: We don't know.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Do you know whether or not
the golf course will be impacted as a result of this building?
MR. PASSIDOMO: We assume not, but we don't know.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So it is possible that the golf
course can be reconfigured, or it could be -- I think there are two golf
courses there, right?
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April 2, 2009
MR. P ASSIDOMO: There is one existing golf course. There
were two originally contemplated.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Oh, I see.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: But there's one existing. And there's no
market for a second golf course.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Right. Well, I was concerned
whether or not you were going to reconfigure the golf course and
move it around in anticipation of putting housing in.
MR. PASSIDOMO: No, Mr. Murray. The likelihood of that is
extraordinarily remote.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay. All right. And let me
see if I had one more question.
Oh, yes. In utilities review, I noted that -- okay, the county may
not be in a position yet to move out there with sewer and water and so
forth. I think they have water, they don't have sewer.
How will the -- what is it, one to five acres? Will they put in a
septic system now or can they facilitate by also introducing sewer,
piping? Is that part of the plan?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: There is no plan. There's nothing on the
radar screen. And they'll abide by the regulations as they're in place at
the time when they're prepared to move forward.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So that would become an
additional expense at a later time.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Probably considerable as well.
Okay, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah, I have a question. It's
probably my own ignorance, but why are you going to agricultural
zoning as opposed to a PUD? It's not that you're contemplating
farming the area. Could you explain that to me, please?
MR. PASSIDOMO: Thank you, Mr. Midney.
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April 2, 2009
Well, we wanted to do three things, as we indicated: Most
importantly to align the uses in the zoning with the uses as
contemplated for neutral lands under the Growth Management Plan.
And those permitted uses as of right include not only agriculture but
also the single-family dwelling units and the golf courses.
The existing zoning land only permits golf courses as a
permitted use. We want to be able at the appropriate time, when the
market can accommodate it, be able to respond to a demand for any of
the uses within the rural lands agricultural zoning designation.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: And I had another question, too.
Under maximum density, it's one dwelling unit per five gross
acres, but for maximum lot sizes only one acre. Could you explain
that discrepancy.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: You may want to ask staff. That's what the
code says.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Oh, okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there any other questions of the
applicant?
Mr. Kolflat, then Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: What is the tax burden on that
property at the moment, and how will that be affected with a change
of zoning?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Mr. Kolflat, I don't know what the tax
burden is. I think I may have the property appraiser's record
somewhere. But unlike the typical kind of situation where you can
eventually expect to see when you down-zone -- when the property's
zoned agriculture, the amount of uses are reduced. Here the amount
of uses would actually be increased. So we have no way of knowing
how the property appraiser will look at this piece of property.
But the appraisal will not -- the appraised value will not go down
because the amount of uses that actually are permitted will go up.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: But the taxes would go down,
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April 2, 2009
would they not, with this change?
MR. PASSIDOMO: No, sir. No, sir. Because right now the
property can be used for only golf course and related facilities. Upon
the standard rezone, the property could be used for golf course but
could also be used for agriculture and for single-family dwelling units.
So there's no reason to believe the taxes would go down.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Access to the site right now is
through an extension of essentially lining up with Vanderbilt Beach
Road; is that right?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: That's right, Mr. Schiffer. There's I think an
Existing Conditions Access Management Plan that Mr. Perry may
have submitted. I'd be happy to display it, if you'd like to see it.
But there's a series of publicly dedicated right-of-ways and
private easements that lead in that two miles from Collier Boulevard.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And does this property have --
in the extension of Vanderbilt, where will this property be located, on
the other side of the canal or on -- in other words, where does the
Vanderbilt extension go in relation to this property?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: There is also a Future Conditions Access
Management Plan that's in this submittal. And I'll be happy to display
that, if you'd like to see it.
You can see that. I think what you see there is the future
condition with the realigned Vanderbilt Beach Road extension, and
then a connector illustrated in the yellow highlight, connecting that to
the existing right-of-way pattern that runs east/west.
And again, that's in the materials I think that were circulated to
you.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And that's in the packet?
Anybody else find it?
You said it's in here somewhere?
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April 2, 2009
COMMISSIONER CARON: It's attached, Commissioner
Schiffer, to a sheet that is labeled excerpt from January 28th, 2009,
letter from the agent responding to county questions.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Thank you.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Thank you, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Did you have anything else, Brad?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So essentially what's going to
happen, the extension is going to hop across the canal, and you'll be
on the other side of it, as opposed to running -- why wouldn't it be --
well, I think that's a -- never mind. Logic long gone.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of the applicant?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: John, can you put that thing that was
back up here up there? Ray, or whoever had the overhead on there,
could you leave the one that was on the overhead on? I don't know
who had it. No, not that one, the original one you started with. Okay.
That piece of property is owned by -- how is that -- I think I read
the disclosure, 275 different people?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: 275 different people are the shareholders in
the corporate entity of Olde Florida Golf Club that's the lot holder.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And are they divided up into
lots so you know what they own, or they just own a piece of that
whole thing?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: The corporation owns --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah, the corporation.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: The shareholders own the corporation.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I know, Mr. Murray, I know the
answer, I wanted it for the record from Mr. Passidomo.
Thank you.
Through their ownership process, when did that corporation --
when was that corporation formed as the owner of this property?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: I frankly don't know. I think the property
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April 2, 2009
was acquired in two different parts, one in 1993 and one in 1997. But
beyond that, I don't know.
Mr. Barton's here and he could give you some historical
perspective, if you'd like him to testify.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do you know when the corporation
was formed?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: No, sir, I don't.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. In the agreement that was
signed by this group for the Ordinance 91-16, it says the -- it's on Page
3 of the recorded instrument. On the top on number four, last item
said -- it said, the applicant should be advised that future land
development activities in the area may be subject to future land use
control, consistent with the above regulations.
I've heard you talk, and you keep referring to this as going back
to ago land. Well, this is a neutral area in the rural fringe. I'm sure you
mean neutral area, is that -- it's going back to neutral lands
designation?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Yes, it is. It is clearly designated neutral
lands right now. I didn't mean to suggest it's going back to the same
agricultural zoning it enjoyed in 1991. It's going back to a newly
created land use zoning category which is neutral land agriculture.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. I have a series of other
questions, but I've certainly got to get transportation up in a minute.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The applicant shall grant a maintenance
easement to South Florida Water Management District/Big Cypress
Basin over that portion of this property which lies within the needed
20- foot maintenance easement along the Cypress Canal, measured
from the top of bank.
Do you know if that's been done?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: No, sir, I don't. I assume it has been done,
but I have no reason to believe it has not been done.
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. There's a paragraph in this
agreement concerning the roadway, and it concerns Vanderbilt Beach
Road. And I notice from one of the aerials provided in the package
that Vanderbilt Beach Road extends from 951 straight over until it hits
your property, and then it has to cross the canal.
And I'm not sure after that where it goes, because my maps don't
go that far. But based on a reduced aerial, I notice that the other
properties to the east have land to the south of them, it looks like
enough to fit the road. Yours seem to be the only problem in that
extension.
And that extension, by going across the canal, has created
additional cost for bridges and taken out people's homes. Yet in your
agreement that was signed -- and this is more of a question for staff, I
don't know how it's going to affect you yet, but I want to make sure I
state it for the record so staff can explain it when I get transportation
up here. The petitioner shall extend the Vanderbilt Beach Road from
its terminus to the project's west property line. Such construction shall
be in accordance with county standards as set forth in Ordinance
82-91, in the subdivision regulation's ordinance 76.6.
The roadway shall parallel the southern boundaries of Sections
35 and 36, Township 48 South, Range 26 East and positioned adjacent
to the Cypress Canal to the south.
And it looks like that's what was done.
So transportation will have to explain this, but it's apparent that
the road was intended to go straight through, but for some reason they
didn't go through your property. I think that's convenient for you. I'm
not saying it's wrong or right, but I want to understand staffs
reasoning on that. So that's why I belabored this point a little bit, to
explain to you where I'm going to go next with them.
I see Mike Green back there, he's going to have fun with that.
The staff report says you intend to preserve the 18-hole golf
course and permit the addition of up to 110 single-family homes. Do
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April 2, 2009
you know how that 110 was arrived at? How did you come up with
that number?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: It's a function of the zoning under the
proposed zoning district, one unit per five acres.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: How do you figure that's five acres for
that? Because according to the neutral lands LDC requirements under
density, maximum gross density: The maximum gross density in
neutral lands shall not exceed one dwelling unit per five gross acres
(.2 dwelling units per acres), except that the maximum gross density
for those legal nonconforming lots or parcels in existence as of June
22nd, 1999 shall be one dwelling unit per lot or parcel.
Now, your testimony was that that was one parcel by a
corporation prior to '99. So that means you get one unit. I'mjust
wondering how you get around that.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: No, sir, I don't think we get one unit. The
parcel is 554 acres. One unit per five acres is 110 units.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, well maybe J -- or somebody at
staff can explain that to me. Because if you get more units, I think
you'd have to go into some kind ofTDR process or whatever to
increase the density through the clustering provisions. But if this was
one parcel prior to '99 and that language says that, I don't know how
you'd qualify for 110 units.
And by the way, John, I didn't mention this to you when I talked
to you yesterday, because as I told you when you and I talked, I would
have to look at this language last night, and so that's when I read the
language.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Thank you, Mr. Strain.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So I didn't have a chance to even bring
it up to staff either.
But I certainly, from Kay or staffs perspective, I'd like an
explanation of that sentence and how it applies to this parcel.
And if this isn't considered a parcel that's practical for that
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April 2, 2009
application, then where's the limitation that does say a parcel of such
size doesn't apply to that application? Because I don't see it.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Mr. Chairman, I might respectfully suggest
that that's a question of interpretation of the code. We're very
comfortable with our own interpretation of the code. And the question
before the commission this morning is simply whether the property is
appropriate to be rezoned from the golf course zoning district to the
fringe neutral lands agricultural zoning district.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, but the -- unfortunately the staff
report is replete with references to 110 single-family homes. And I
think you had a TIS or something provided in other documents that
referenced 110.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Yes, sir, we --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So they're in the record. Now I want to
make sure that the record's correct. And if it takes an interpretation
from staff to do that, I certainly want that interpretation before this --
before I can understand what this means, so --
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Understood.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Just a comment I have to make to you
on that one. And when staff gets up here, we can get into that.
Another thing, since you -- one of the items in your agreement
concerning the future land use -- or future land use regulations that
you agreed to abide by, I know you cannot do the Audubon Signature
Program, but is there a commitment that the Audubon's Cooperative
Sanctuary Program will be followed?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: It has in fact been designated.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
And there was an item, I guess this is a staff issue, on density
blending. Because I now find out that you're not qualified for density
blending, so I'll get that clarification from staff. Because that's
inconsistent apparently with the report.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Don't need density blending.
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And the last thing I think during the
NIM, one resident wanted clarification there be no commercial uses. I
didn't find an answer in this write-up that we received. Is there any
commercial uses being planned for this property?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: No uses are being planned for this
property, Mr. Chairman. The -- no commercial uses are permitted in
the zoning district to which we make application, so the simple answer
is that none are contemplated and none will be permitted.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. PASSIDOMO: Mr. Chairman, if I could respond to the
first question about the 1991 agreement --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: -- for part of that rezone?
You may want to make -- what I've done is taken the liberty of
showing you the existing conditions. And this is in your packet, so I
hope you've had an opportunity to peruse this before.
But what you can see is this is the two-mile stretch running east
on Vanderbilt Beach Road extension as it exists today from Collier
Boulevard. And what you can see from this is that there were a series
of publicly dedicated right-of-ways and private easements that led
right up to the Golf Club of the Everglades.
And what happened upon submission of this, the prior
application in 1989 to rezone the property from ago to golf course is
there was not legal access all the way to Olde Florida. And those
proceedings were suspended until Olde Florida was able to actually
acquire that last leg that you see designated there in this kind of
yellow color. You see the reference to easement and the recording
information to that easement.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, I read all the testimony from
November of 1990, I believe, and then the final on February 21st of
'91. And that's consistent with everything that reads there.
But that also strengthens my argument that the intention of
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April 2, 2009
Vanderbilt Beach Road extension was to continue on. How it didn't
go through your property but yet they made every other property prior
to yours provide that extension distance is a little puzzling to me. And
that's another issue we'll get into in a minute or two.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Mr. Chair, you're going to want to pose
that to staff, but let me suggest to you that in 1991 no one thought
Vanderbilt Beach Road was going to go beyond this terminus. And
Mr. Barton was here at that time, he can testify to that effect. It
certainly wasn't in the contemplation of the Board of County
Commissioners in 1991 that they were designating an alignment for a
road that wouldn't come to fruition until 15 years thereafter. It was
not any plans, it wasn't within contemplation by anybody.
The simple references in the agreement to which we refer are an
absolute insurance that access was acquired to the property so it didn't
-- it wouldn't alter the means of access through the residential lots in
Golden Gate Estates.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, ironically there's some parcels to
the east that have a section or portions of their property stopping shy
of that canal, which to me they would have only done that so a road
was coming through. How it was missed on your propert -- and it's
not -- I'm not saying it's through any fault of yours. I just want to find
out from transportation where their mindset was and how that, if
anything, be corrected through any process here today. So thank you.
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah, I just want to truly
understand.
I gather that this was -- this is forward planning now. In other
words, you made a statement that you're not going to do anything with
the property, you just want to rezone.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So any change in taxation
would only occur on the occasion of the first structure being
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April 2, 2009
introduced; in other words, a house. Would that be a correct
statement?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Well, you want to talk to the property
appraiser about that, but I'm not sure that is a correct statement. The
fact is the property appraiser assessed value of land and
improvements, and one of the things they consider when they assess
the value of the land is what you can do with the land.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Right, I understand that part.
In other words, the moment you would get the rezoning, the
value of the land increases, effectively, because the taxation rate
would be applied; wouldn't that be correct?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: I'm not going to acknowledge it's going to
increase or decrease, but somebody could come to that reasonable
conclusion.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay. And I too share the
concern that I hear expressed, and I didn't express mine as strongly as
I would like to have with regard to the changes that were made with
regard that road and how others have been impacted by it.
And I appreciate that the corporation sees a future, but I see a
juxtaposition there that doesn't seem very fair to me. But that's just --
MR. PASSIDOMO: Mr. Murray, with all due respect, the only
issue in front of the Planning Commission today --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I understand.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: -- is the proposed rezone. The Board of
County Commissioners made their determination a couple of years
ago as to the appropriate alignment of that road. Presumably there
was a rational basis for their decision, and we respectfully request it's
not appropriate to retry that now when the only issue before the
Planning Commission is the rezoning request.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I understand that. In my heart,
though, I had to make my comment.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Thank you, sir.
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of the applicant at
this time before we go to staff?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you, John.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Staff report.
MS. DESELEM: Good morning again. For the record, Kay
Deselem, Principal Planner with Zoning.
You do have the staff report, which is revised 3/17 of '09. And
you have the -- on Page 1, the requested action explains the
geographic location.
And on Page 2 is the description of the project that coincides
with what the petitioner has explained as well. It shows you the
surrounding land use at the bottom of that page.
And on Page 3 it goes into the Growth Management Plan
consistency review, and that's already been hit on to some extent
already. It does identify that it's in the neutral lands. Talks about the
maximum density and allowable uses within that, and specifically
addresses the golf course or the driving range within that also. And it
does talk about some of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary programs
that were identified for this parcel. Talks about the native vegetation
and preservation requirements.
And there was a question, it talks about the density blending, and
no density blending is proposed for the subject site.
There was a question posed to staff from Mark Strain, and it has
been explained by David Weeks that this parcel is not applicable to
have these density bonus units. So that even though it says they're not
-- blending is not proposed, they don't qualify for it anyway, so they
would not be doing that.
There is a transportation element discussion on Page 7 wherein
transportation staff finds that the roadway network has sufficient
capacity to accommodate the maximum density that could be allowed
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April 2, 2009
by the compo planning. Explains the Vanderbilt Beach Road impacts
and the County 951 impacts.
Also explains that there are no environmental issues on this
particular project as part of the rezoning. Any issues that would arise
would be addressed later in the development order process.
Staff does provide an analysis beginning on Page 7. And it
touches on the transportation review, environmental review, utilities
review, and goes into more depth as far as zoning and development
reVIew.
You have rezone findings beginning on Page 9 and going
through to the end of the report that support staffs recommendation
that this petition be found consistent with the Growth Management
Plan, and we are recommending approval of the petition.
And as you've already discussed, Michael Green from
transportation is also here to address specific transportation concerns
you may have.
With that, if you have any questions, I'll be happy to try to
address them.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Questions of staff?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Hearing none, Kay, I have one, and it
goes back to the question. I read the report where it said the
maximum density one per five gross acres, but the italicized reference
from the LDC that was put in our report was not the complete
paragraph that's in the LDC when it talks about maximum gross
density. Besides saying it's one to five, it goes on and provides the
exception that I read earlier.
Do you have any -- do you know why that exception wouldn't
apply to this case?
MS. DESELEM: This particular portion of the staff report was
prepared by compo planning. But I'm not saying that I don't know, I'm
just saying that that's where it came from. And I don't know why it
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April 2, 2009
wasn't put in.
But my understanding is that this particular site would be
reviewed as an overall site. I don't know that it would be limited to
one unit for the overall size of the project. In fact, in the staff report it
does say that they would be allowed that maximum density of 110
dwelling units.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But they derive the density from this
simple calculation of the first few words in the -- under the neutral
land designation, which simply said one dwelling unit per five gross
acres, and it didn't tell us if they took into consideration the exception
that's there involving the date.
And I remember when that happened when -- I was in this
county when the Governor put that moratorium in place. And because
they were changing a lot of things, they were concerned about the size
of some of the lots out there. And I think there was another property
to the south called Hobschmits (phonetic) or some -- there was a big
lawsuit to the south around a large piece of property over their
calculation of density. And I don't remember the name of the owner.
It started with an H, Hubsman or something like that.
But if that's -- if this is applicable, then that 110 is in question.
And since that's on the table here in this staff report, I certainly would
like to get an answer for it.
And I know David was here. At the time I didn't have the
question, because I thought it would be answered by you all, so I
should have asked him when he was here this morning, but I failed to
do that. Ifhe's listening and could either e-mail Ray or call in or
something, I'd appreciate it, so --
MS. DESELEM: Well, I can state that this is information and it
talks about a maximum density that could be sought, but in no case
does this rezoning approval grant any density. That would all be
addressed through the development order process. This is just general
guidelines as to what the maximum could be. But in no case are we
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April 2, 2009
approving that density for this rezoning.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Well, then maybe a solution
without a further clarification would simply be that there's no density
provided through this rezone process, it will have to come out of any
application in the future.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Right.
MS. DESELEM: Right, that would be -- this is just general
information as to maximums that could be allowed. Density isn't by
right anyway. You know, you're eligible to seek it, but there are no
givens. You don't know what the configuration of the site might be,
you don't know how they might design it. It might turn out that they
can get, you know, some other number, 52, 47, 75. We don't know.
We're just evaluating what the maximum that could be allowed as a
general information. But the rezoning is not conditioned upon any
density number.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. In your staff report on Page 10,
number five. In the future it's just a reference I'd like to mention to
you. The second sentence of that answer says, the proposed zoning
change is appropriate because its relationship to the FLUE is positive.
Well, I think you mean is consistent in what you -- I don't know
why you would be the judge of it being positive or not being positive
under the material provided here today.
MS. DESELEM: Yeah, the term positive is to mean that it's
consistent rather than inconsistent. With the understanding that
inconsistent would be negative, consistent would be positive.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, consistent also -- I mean positive
also means there's a plus side to approving this. I haven't seen that yet
other than -- I haven't seen it, other than someone's going to make
some money somewhere. I don't know, the tax -- county may increase
taxes if homes are developed. But I just would think consistent is a
better word in the future.
Under number seven, the text of number seven reads differently
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than what your answer I think says. It says, in the first sentence,
whether the change will create, and then the word or, or excessively
increase traffic congestion.
So if you take out the word "or excessively", because it's saying
create or excessively increase, your answer is, the proposed change
will not create or excessively increase traffic congestion.
Well, we know it will create traffic con -- more -- increase traffic
if they put anything on there besides the golf course. And I guess
that's the premise under the 110 or any kind of additional housing that
they could possibly change with their zoning application. Which if we
stipulate they don't get any density, I guess that question goes away,
so I've just answered my own question.
MS. DESELEM: That was easy for me. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I didn't know you were going to
-- I didn't know my first answer was going to be what it was, so that
created no need for the second answer.
Okay, that's all-- unless there's more questions of staff,
transportation needs to address some issues. Thank you.
MR. GREEN: Michael Green, Transportation Planning.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Michael, I mentioned to you yesterday
my question for today concerning the Vanderbilt Beach Road
extension, and you were going to try to do some research.
Why was -- if Vanderbilt Beach Road was such an issue, and I
read the minutes of the meetings back in '90 and '91, they really -- the
board at the time was insistent that this project make sure that road got
to the west side their proj ect.
And I notice some properties to the east of this project have
spacing above the canal on the north side narrow enough to make it
appear as though it's a road alignment spacing or something of that
nature.
Why was this project not considered to have Vanderbilt Beach
Road extension run through it?
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April 2, 2009
MR. GREEN: I couldn't find in the LRTP at the time that the
Vanderbilt Beach Road extension was planned to go beyond. So
much like we're doing today with the LDC 10.02.05(E), we require
that the project extend public access to their site. To their site. Not
like we did with the school or the church on Canon and Molder off of
Immokalee, the same conditions. They're having to improve those
roads down to their site, show us that they have easements and legal
rights. But that doesn't mean that there's an intent to continue those
through their site to the extent of the rest of the network.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So you're saying when this project
came in for approval in 1991, there was no plan that showed the
Vanderbilt Beach Road extension going further east than the western
terminus of this project?
MR. GREEN: I did not see one.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Before you go on.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, go right ahead. I've still got
more but--
,
COMMISSIONER CARON: Just before you go on, though, and
leave that point.
Then why in their agreement is there under a transportation
commitment number one should the developer or other property
owners wish to extend Vanderbilt Beach Road, they have to do it
according to your specs.
So obviously there was some consideration at the time of
extending that road by these people. And at the time they would have
to have been using their own property, unless they were going to go
out and buy, like you all have, and I doubt that seriously.
MR. GREEN: You see the condition under planning in the
section above transportation?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Right.
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April 2, 2009
MR. GREEN: It's strictly a requirement that they extend the
road to their property.
COMMISSIONER CARON: I understand that.
MR. GREEN: The section under transportation is worded if
they choose to.
Like I said, today -- and I don't know that this was necessarily in
our LDC in '91, but what we use today is 10.02.05(E). It's in our
LDC. We request that they show that they have legal access to their
property and that they improve to county standards roads that they use
to access it.
COMMISSIONER CARON: There was intent here, in my
Opl1l10n.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Prior to my discussion with you
yesterday, were you aware of this agreement?
MR. GREEN: I hadn't read it personally. I pulled it after our
discussion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: There's been a lot of study on the
Vanderbilt Beach Road extension, there's been a lot of conflict on that
issue. And some of the people involved in this, I being at time to time
one, I don't remember ever seeing this agreement before until it
happened to come to us today as a result of the change that the
petitioner is requesting.
I think it's interesting that the language in the agreement -- and I
wish that language had been introduced to the BCC at the time they
made the decision to move this road south of the canal and the cost
that's incurring to taxpayers of the hundreds of millions of dollars to
do this route the way it is now when we had language that may have
helped with a different argument back then.
MR. GREEN: May have. But this language doesn't undo the
eight or so well sites that public utilities has along the north side of the
canal that would also -- are an immense cost to relocate, if you were to
put the Vanderbilt Beach Road extension across there.
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: They have well sites all over the
county.
Under the transportation element on Page 7, the reference
write-up, it says it's got a 6.8 percent significant impact on the
roadway. And it says, this segment of Vanderbilt Beach Road is
currently in the right-of-way acquisition process to accommodate a
plan expansion outside the five-year capital improvement plan. The
remaining capacity and level of service are not currently reflected into
the adopted 2008 AUIR.
What are you trying to say by that sentence?
MR. GREEN: Vanderbilt Beach Road east of951 is not a
concurrency segment.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Meaning?
MR. GREEN: There is -- when this project came forward, we
had -- we were approaching 60 percent design plans for the BCC
adopted alignment. And that is what the right-of-way acquisition is
working on this first segment of the new corridor.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So if they have a 6.8 percent significant
impact on the roadway but they're not in the concurrency management
plan, it doesn't mean anything. Is that what it boils down to?
MR. GREEN: Basically. Their 6.8 percent impact is on the
surface volume of only a two-lane road.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: How bad of an impact will the addition
-- would those trips -- well, those are existing trips.
Any new trips, how would they have to justify them, should they
come in with the more uses if they get this rezoned today?
MR. GREEN: There's a commitment that I have in part of the
application from Olde Florida that basically says that any additional
traffic impact statements would be required to analyze any proposed
change in uses, and they'd have to come back in with another TIS with
their plat.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Where is that commitment found?
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April 2, 2009
What page of what paperwork?
MR. GREEN: I'm not sure that it's in your staff report. It was in
the documentation that has been provided during our review process.
If I could put this up on the visualizer.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Please do.
So it's the purple language in the second -- the second set of
purple language you've got highlighted there?
MR. GREEN: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's a commitment, you're saying. Is
it a code requirement?
MR. GREEN: Yes. Any time they come in, they're required to
provide -- any application is required to have a TIS accompanying it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, so if you got a -- if they put a
house up in there, they'd have to have a new TIS for the house?
MR. GREEN: Not for a single-family home.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: How about if they put up 110
single-family homes?
MR. GREEN: If -- when they come in with the plat, once the
plat and TIS that goes with that is approved, then they can build each
of those single-family homes without further transportation
applications.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So the only way you catch them is if
they come in with a plat. Are they required to come in with a plat?
This property's owned by a corporation, the corporation wants to go in
and build 110 homes for their 275 people to use on, say, an interim
basis. Do they need a plat?
MR. GREEN: I don't know if they need one through our process
or not.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: It's an interesting question.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And again, I'm a little puzzled as to
what's going on here with this whole application today. I'm concerned
about what was missed apparently. And it wasn't the applicant that
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Apri12,2009
missed it. I think apparently there's some opportunity here that seems
to have been missed by that agreement that was in place that seems to
be newly discovered.
But I would like any commitments that you need to make sure
you get a TIS and you get the traffic addressed, that they're stipulated
during this rezone process, instead of just relying on platting, if they
chose not to plat.
So I'll ask the applicant before this is over if they have any
objection to platting any future uses that may go in there. And we
could require platting as part of the rezone stipulation.
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, let me just ask: While they
have to provide a TIS, what will happen? You just said that they were
not part of the concurrency system. So if they're not, it doesn't matter
that they prove that they're going to highly impact the road if we can't
do anything with that information.
MR. GREEN: They're not going to have a negative impact.
They have 68 total trips on their -- net new. I'm sorry, they have 68 net
new trips that are utilizing under the existing two-lane version of
Vanderbilt Beach Road.
It's not a concurrency segment. The first concurrency segment is
951. They have a less than one percent impact on 951. So it's safe to
assume that when Vanderbilt Beach Road is extended as a six-lane
road, they will have also less than one percent impact on that road
also.
COMMISSIONER CARON: The intersection improvements
that you're making at 951 are intended to solve any issues there.
They're not just, this is the best fix we can have, correct?
MR. GREEN: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER CARON: They are actual solutions.
The reason I ask that is going back to when we were doing
Growth Management Plan amendments at Orange Blossom and
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April 2, 2009
Airport. Whatever fixes were involved there, commitments were
made to -- but they were not solutions, they were just --
MR. GREEN: Unlike Airport--
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- the best we can do.
MR. GREEN: That's correct.
Unlike Airport and Orange Blossom, which the proposal is an
interim fix and then an ultimate solution, Vanderbilt Beach Road and
951 is an ultimate solution that's designed for the traffic assumed to be
utilized at that intersection in 2030.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: If Vanderbilt Beach Road went through
this project instead of going -- crossing the canal, taking out homes
and I guess assuming then go back up on the north side of the canal, I
don't know where it goes after that, would going through this project
have been a less expensive process for the public?
MR. GREEN: I don't know the answer to that. I know that--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I don't mean by buying out the golf
course or destroying the golf course, I'm just saying had the process
ran straight along that canal and not had this effort to go take out
homes, it seems to me it would be a no-brainer, it would be less
expenSIve.
MR. GREEN: It eliminates some of the conflicts to homes in
this section. There are still conflicts, there are still displacements in
other areas of this corridor.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The process we're asking to approve
today for this project is going to open it up for more uses. And they're
talking about one of the uses in here was 110 potential residential
uses.
No doubt in a club of this nature or a property of this nature that
those uses would be very valuable. So the project stands to make a
potential windfall of millions of dollars through a process of rezoning
when they originally right now are just a golf club. They can't sell
anything else, they can only sell the golf club.
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April 2, 2009
It seems to me that if transportation may have been in a position
to consider some use of that southern tier property, because they're
going to have to do a lot of work on that property anyway, and
realigning a golf club when they're going to build homes, especially
realign it so it's better amenitized (sic) for the homes they might build
may not be a bad thing overall for the project.
Did anybody from transportation attempt to explore that avenue
with the applicant?
MR. GREEN: We did. Actually it was explained to us that the
existing golf course was going to be left untouched and the new homes
were going to be isolated to the areas that were undeveloped that
surround that golf course. So there weren't any new roads internal to
the project for homes planned between the existing golf course and the
canal.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I didn't look at the layout of the course,
but every course is changeable.
MR. GREEN: I'm not sure, it may be hole number two that runs
almost parallel to the canal. There's a tee box in the fairway.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I see that, but I also see that north of
the -- what looks like the tee boxes for hole number two are some
vegetated areas, and it would only be able to swing hole number two
up to the north in order to leave some space to the south in which a
road could go through.
Just a thought. I didn't know how far you guys explored it. But
I'm trying to understand how this is a benefit.
MR. GREEN: Through the -- there was I believe three public
meetings during the corridor and alignment study process for
Vanderbilt Beach Road. And there were conflict matrices that were
put together that identified habitat impact, environmental impacts,
public and private residential impacts, socioeconomic impacts. And
the board I believe chose the alignment that had the less amount of the
-- you know, the fewest amount of impacts to all of that.
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And I believe the board would have
done so based on the information it had at the time. So I'm not sure
that all this information was on the table, but thank you.
Any other questions?
Mr. Schiffer, then Ms. Caron.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And just a quick question. And
I'm sure this dye is cast, but at public hearing, did this landowner ever
express the fact that they weren't going to build the second golf
course?
MR. GREEN: During the public meetings for the corridor
study?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yes.
MR. GREEN: I didn't personally have any contact, and I don't
know that any information was provided from this property owner.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And they never expressed the
intent to come in at this date with an agricultural rezone? All right,
thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Let me just run down -- you did a
rundown of a list of considerations during that study, impacts to
habitat, impacts to individual homeowners. Can you just reiterate that
list?
MR. GREEN: It was including but not limited to environmental
impacts, habitat, public and private properties, businesses, residential
impacts, impacts to utilities, both public and private, and
. .
SOCIOeconomIC.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of transportation
while they're up here?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, I am not sure what time it is, but
I think it might be 10:10. But why don't we take a -- Mr. Murray,
before we take a break then?
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April 2, 2009
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Just help me, what was the
socioeconomic issue that you evaluated?
MR. GREEN: It looks at the land uses and the potential for
change in zoning and businesses and the businesses and residences
that may be along that and what impact it may have, if it would
increase or decrease property values and --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: And what did you conclude?
MR. GREEN: I don't know. I didn't run that study.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, let's take a break till-- well, that
silly clock says it's 11: 11, so that would be 11 :25, but I think it's really
10:11 and it would be 10:25, so let's come back here at 10:25 from a
break. Thank you.
(Recess.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, if you'll all come back to your
seats. At some point the break ended. We don't know yet, because
from 10:11, it is now 10:49. And we were supposed to have only
taken 15 minutes. That's a result of our electronic technician, Kady,
and our architect, Brad Schiffer, and our engineer, Mr. Schmitt, who's
Corps of Army, all trying to fix a digital clock. I'm real worried about
this.
MR. SCHMITT: Electronically challenged.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, boy. Okay, let's move on.
We had just finished up talking with transportation on the issues
concerning this action.
Are there any other issues of staff at this time before we ask for
public speakers?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, do we have any public speakers,
Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: Yes, we have one registered speaker. Peter
Gaddy.
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. GADDY: For the record, Peter Paul Gaddy. Morning, Mr.
Chairman; morning, members of the Planning Commission. I'll be
real brief.
I agree with counsel that the issue before us here or before this
Planning Commission is the rezoning of this property. However, the
implications of the original ordinance is that the county commission in
1991 set the alignment for the Vanderbilt Beach extension.
I think this is one of those situations where more questions have
been raised than answers. If we don't ask some of these questions,
we'll never know the answer.
I want to point out that the original ordinance called for a road
with arterial specifications.
I would recommend that the county archives be searched and
this Planning Commission obtain additional information prior to
acting on the rezoning request. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
Are there any other speakers, Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: Yeah, Tim Moore.
MR. MOORE: I was wondering if we could pull that map back
up here.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You have to get to the speaker, first,
identify yourself for the record, and then we can go forward.
MR. MOORE: My name is Tim Moore. I live at 1821 Richards
Street. Which is -- if you pull up the map, I can show you where I am.
Simplest way is for me to walk over. I'm--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I'm sorry, but -- yeah, you're that road
to the north, we understand. You have to be on speaker with
everything, unfortunately, sir. Sorry.
MR. MOORE: Okay. I'm A at the top of your paper--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. MOORE: -- at the end of Richards Road. Okay?
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April 2, 2009
I'm not objecting to the rezoning. What I've asked, and I sent a
letter to Jim Coletta, which was sent to this lady.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Kay.
MR. MOORE: Kay. And also to transportation, was that while
you're doing this rezoning, why don't we ask for an easement to --
original maps show Richards Road going all the way to Vanderbilt.
So if we had an easement all the way through, then some of that
transportation that you're worried about would be alleviated. Number
one.
Number two, where I am all the way to Krape floods every year.
Do we have something that we can walk with?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN : Yes.
MR. MOORE: I'm going to point -- on an average --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You've got to turn it on. There you go.
One of those buttons.
MR. MOORE: It's on. Can we try another one?
MR. BELLOWS: You want to try a laser thing? Come to this
one.
MR. MOORE: Here, let's do this.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thanks, Ray.
MR. MOORE: Okay, at the end of Krape Road, this land right
here, during the summer months usually holds about two and a half,
three foot of water, okay? Now, if we're going to put 110 houses in
that area, then we're going to have to fill all that in, okay? Then we
create another barrier here, and all this land floods even worse.
My proposal is, and I'm not an engineer, and I don't claim to be,
but if we had road ditches all the way to the canal at Vanderbilt, then
we would eliminate all of this catch basin that you all -- I don't mean
you guys. But what has happened is there was a cypress head that ran
through here and a cypress head that ran through there that took the
drainage out of this area. We don't have that now.
Everglades has got a berm that goes across here and this is all
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April 2, 2009
full, okay? So what are you going to do with the two and a half, three
foot of water here when you put all these houses in? You're going to
have to raise that land up so that it will accommodate, and when you
do that, then we're going to be in a fish bowl.
So I don't have a problem with the rezoning, I have a problem
with not making sure that we get an easement through there with road
ditches all the way through to take it to that canal so that we eliminate
all these folks being under water every summer.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Thank you very much, sir.
Appreciate it.
Are there any other speakers, Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: No other speakers.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. John -- oh, go ahead, Mr.
Schmitt.
MR. SCHMITT: Yes, you asked a question of Dave, and I have
an e-mail and hopefully this may answer your question.
Maximum density in neutral is one dwelling unit per five acres,
both in the FLUE and in the LDC. So it's Future Land Use Element
and Land Development Code.
The exception is for legally nonconforming lots. The exception
provision at the end of the RMFUD and the FLUE wouldn't apply
since there is no prior zoning action or other development order
approved that allows greater density. Maximum density using
clustering is the same, just allows smaller lot sizes within total project.
With or without clustering, this 554-acre site is eligible for 110
dwelling units. Max lot size using clustering is one acre both in the
FLUE and LDC.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, that does answer it. David
probably knows better than anybody, so --
Okay, with that, John, did you have any comments?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Concluding remarks, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Sure.
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April 2, 2009
MR. PASSIDOMO: We'd be happy to stipulate in the question
of traffic impact statement at the time of a plat or a site development
plan to ensure that the county does in fact have a site development
plan in place at the time we know the future development of the
property, so that you're assured you have a new traffic impact
statement to reflect conditions as they may exist at that time.
Appreciate the staffs comments for elaboration purposes, of
course. The provision on density applies as an exception for
non-conforming lots of record. It's not intended as an exception, it's
intended to in no way detract from the underlining zoning on the
property.
The thought that the best thing to address questions of -- from a
historical perspective and especially the questions that Mr. Moore
most recently raised about Richards Street drainage, what may have
happened in 1991 and what may have happened before the Board of
County Commissioners and the testimony in evidence and
professional counsel that was in front of them when they made their
determination as the alignment of the road, we'd ask Bill Barton to
testify before you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Barton was here in 1991 in a professional capacity, he was
here as a member of the Olde Florida Golf Club, and he has been
throughout. He has personal knowledge and he has professional
expertise. And with your indulgence, I'd like to ask him to testify,
because I think there are a lot of good questions that were raised, and
Mr. Barton can respond to them.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's fine.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill?
MR. BARTON: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the
Commission.
The -- let me start with a couple of things. I made some notes
here as discussion was occurring.
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April 2, 2009
On one of the first ones, the Chairman asked whether or not the
easement that was required to be granted to South Florida Water
Management District was indeed granted. And the answer to that is
yes, it was.
In addition to that, although it has nothing -- no bearing on this,
Olde Florida also granted to Collier County I think four different
easements for well sites along that same canal corridor. It was either
three or four, I'm not sure, I don't recall exactly.
The discussion that we've had some elaboration on was the
agreement between Olde Florida and Collier County regarding the
extension of Vanderbilt Beach Road. And I -- although it's some
nearly 20 years ago, I do have some fairly good recollection of that.
And that entire agreement was -- became necessary because at
the time Olde Florida began its process of entitlement for the golf
course areas, it had not yet acquired the legal right to extend
Vanderbilt Beach down to its western property line. And that of
course was a concern of the county, because obviously you don't want
to grant entitlements to a piece of property that cannot be accessed
legally. So that agreement came out of that.
Obviously at that point in time there was no road constructed.
And what we're talking about right now is the property predominantly
that runs along the south side of Golf Club of the Everglades, which is
immediately west of Olde Florida.
We consequently did gain a legal access there through an
easement, and the road had to be built to gain access to our property.
And Collier County in that agreement required that that road be built
to county standards, which we agreed to do.
So that agreement had absolutely nothing to do with the
extension of Vanderbilt Beach eastward of Olde Florida's west
property line.
And I can tell you that I was part of those conversations back in
those days, and here we sit almost 20 years later saying goodness
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April 2, 2009
gracious, why didn't those people anticipate that Vanderbilt Beach
Road will be extended to the east?
That question I can't answer, but I can tell you we didn't. That
issue was never discussed. Everybody that was involved in the
process at that point in time presumed that the eastern terminus of
Vanderbilt Beach Road was going to be at Olde Florida. None of us
contemplated that it would be at some point in time extended eastward
from them.
As I say, looking back now, one would say gosh, that was not
very forward thinking. But how many of us at that point in time
expected Golden Gate Estates to begin to build out like it did? How
many of us at that time expected advents like Ave Maria? So there
were a whole lot of things that occurred afterwards that changed our
perspective.
But I reiterate, in 1991 there was absolutely no discussion about
Vanderbilt Beach Road being extended eastward of our west property
line.
In today's world, Collier County had some very difficult
processes to go through, and now that we know that road must indeed
be extended eastward, what alignment to take. And I assure you, and I
know you know this, that Collier County looked at that very, very
carefully.
Olde Florida actually was not the major part of the problem.
And the reason I say that is that although two holes, and it's actually
not hole number two, it's actually holes number eight and nine that
would be impacted by that roadway, if it were to go along the north
side of the canal.
But Olde Florida, fortunately as we're discussing today, had
other properties. So in the long term, if that decision had been made,
Olde Florida could have cured that problem. It would have been
expensive, but they could have cured the problem.
The real problem was really Golf Club of the Everglades next
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April 2, 2009
door. That property doesn't have any excess property. And
Vanderbilt Beach Road, coming through the southern portion of Golf
Club of the Everglades, would have taken all of their hole number
nine, a significant part of the required parking, and the entire green for
hole number eight. And there was no cure. Because Golf Club of the
Everglades has virtually used all of its land.
So what the county was looking at is the potential of having to
buy the entire golf course, since there was not a cure to repairing the
damage that would be caused. And in today's world, there simply is
no market for a 16-hole golf course. So that's the real expense there
was not Olde Florida, it was Golf Club of the Everglades.
And I will tell you that the county staff determined that keeping
the roadway on the north side of the canal, their estimate was that the
cost to the county taxpayers would have been $45 million greater than
putting it on the south side.
We actually contended that number was probably too low. It
probably would have been closer to a $60 million number. And that's
basically what drove the issue.
I would also add to that that if the roadway had been kept on the
north side of the canal, in all likelihood they would have also had to
take some homes that are existing in the Vanderbilt Country Club.
There's a tier of lots and homes immediately adjacent to what is
currently Vanderbilt Beach Road that likely would have been in
jeopardy. So yes, they would have reduced the number of homes
required to be taken on the south side, but then they probably would
have had to increase the number of homes taken on the north side.
With regard to Mr. Moore's discussion of Richards Road, that
road is aligned immediately north of Olde Florida's west property line.
And although this hasn't been discussed today, the rezone that we're
asking for continues to keep us as a neutral property in the district.
And that will require any development to preserve 60 percent of the
natural vegetation that exists within the property.
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April 2, 2009
We certainly would have no reason not to go on record stating
that any easement requirement along our west property line, we would
be sure to be included in that property to be preserved, so that that
easement would always be available if and when at some point in the
future Richards Road is something that the county contemplates
building.
I will tell you, though, that with regard to using that as -- to
facilitate drainage for those properties to the north -- and I'll preface
this remark by telling you that I am a registered professional engineer
in the State of Florida. And one of my expertises is stormwater
management.
And I will tell you, that won't work. The flood waters in the
canal reach an elevation that currently Olde Florida is directly tied to
the Cypress Canal. We have a direct out fall. When we designed it,
we anticipated that in the event of a 25-year frequency storm event
that Olde Florida would indeed have flooding occur on their golf
course. As it's turned out, we have had three of those 25-year plus
events in the last 15 years. And each time it flooded, as we knew it
would, as did the property to the north of us, those floods have cost
Olde Florida something in excess of $400,000, the collective amount.
The one that occurred two years ago, we actually had to shut the golf
course down for 30 days because the damage was so severe that -- and
we had to resod so much of the property that the golf course was not
playable.
And fact of the matter is, one should be very, very cautious
before making connections to Cypress Canal, for properties to the
north of it, because there are rainfall events that could in fact flood
properties to the north that would have not otherwise be flooded if the
ditches were not in place.
One might say, how can that occur?
The way that occurs is when the primary rainstorm fall, heaviest
rainfall is to the east, which is in the collection basin of the Cypress
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April 2, 2009
Canal. When that then comes down the canal and begins to cause
flood waters in the canal, those elevations will climb to a point in the
canal where they would begin to back up into properties surrounding
that canal. Not unlike precisely what we're seeing in North Dakota
right now. The Red River that's been threatening Fargo is not because
of rainfall that fell on Fargo, it's because of the rainfall that fell
upstream from Fargo and is now causing flood events to occur in
Fargo.
So one needs to be very cautious in starting to make
connections, like roadside swales, to properties to the north, because
they could cause more problems than they might solve.
So those are just some historical events that I wanted to share
with you. And ifthere are any questions, I'd be more than happy to
try to answer them.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody have any questions?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I do.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron, then Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER CARON: If flooding is such an issue out
there right now, Mr. Barton, and you've had at least three events here
that all surpassed the 25-year storm event, does it make sense then to
be rezoning this property so you can put 110 homes with septic
systems out there?
MR. BARTON: Well, let me answer that question in two parts:
First, the issue of how 110 dwelling units might fit on the property or
how they would be designed is a question for another day. And most
certainly that process would have to be reviewed under whatever
criteria and guidelines we have.
What we're asking for here today in the rezone is simply taking a
piece of property that currently has virtually zero value, because golf
course property in today's world, not only can you not sell it, I'm not
sure you could give it away, if the only use for it was golf course.
We're trying to simply take an asset that has no value and cause
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April 2, 2009
it to be an asset that does have some value.
With regard to whether or not septic tanks would be an
appropriate use in that location, I don't know the answer to that.
However, my -- pardon me, Florida allergies -- my anticipation is that
by the time the single-family housing market turns around in Collier
County to the point that this property would become attractive, the
availability of central sanitary sewer is going to be there. It's already
to the corner of951 and Vanderbilt Beach Road. In fact, the new
church that was just built there is on central sewer. So we're not that
far away.
And my expectation is that at that point in time Collier County
would require any developer to make that connection, and highly
doubtful in my mind that any septic tanks would ever be used on this
property.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: On the interchange map, there's
a road called Douglas Road. Is that Richards Road? Do they line up
together?
MR. BARTON: No, sir, I don't think so. I think Richards --
now, Richards does not come down to this property. In fact, there's
another out-parcel, it's either 20 acres or 40 acres, north of Olde
Florida that currently does not have Richards Road on it. In other
words, it comes down and terminates at some parcel north of our
property .
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Would it help, I think the Richards
Road aligns -- see the red line on the west side ofthe Olde Florida
Golf Club on this map? That's where Richards Road will align with.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right. And where is -- then
looking at this map showing the canal on Vanderbilt Road coming
down and then coming back up, they show a road called Douglas
Road.
So the reason I bring it up, wouldn't that be a logical place for
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April 2, 2009
that intersection, such that if they ever did connect that would be a
good north-south corridor between Vanderbilt and Immokalee?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You mean you would take Richards
Road -- how would you get there from the -- the terminus of Richards
from the south over to Douglas in the north, how would you get there?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, the same way we wish --
they were thinking about, you know, back when this originally -- you
know, we had the east-west access that we didn't take. This would just
be at this point in time trying to establish the north-south.
But where is Douglas Road is really the question.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It's right -- look on your left. On the left
side of the screen down towards the bottom.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, then--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: See Richards up on top?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So this map we're showing is
that this thing is going to transfer -- okay, this is going to transfer well
before this property then.
MR. BARTON: Yeah, Douglas Road is actually on the west
property line of Golf Club of the Everglades. So it's a half mile west
ofOlde Florida's property.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So if Douglas Road ever did--
or Richards Road ever did come down, it would come down onto your
access drive?
MR. BARTON: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And would they have the
ability to access that?
MR. BARTON: Yes, they would. The easement there is a
public easement. However, there would not be the ability at that
intersection to access Vanderbilt Beach Road.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: They would have to come
down to this Douglas Road then.
MR. BARTON: That's correct. Then they'd have to turn
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April 2, 2009
westward and go to Douglas Road in order to access Vanderbilt Beach
Road.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: All right, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir, appreciate your time.
MR. BARTON: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, John, I think we have a few
issues that were discussed I'd like to run by with you before we go into
deliberations.
You have no problem with the stipulation concerning the
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, that you'll retain that at all
times for the golf course subject -- and that the property would be
subject to the rules of the neutral lands for golf courses.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: There's no density being provided as a
result of this process today, whatever the outcome is. And you agree
with that?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: There's no density being provided?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. We're not giving you density
today. We're not providing density. This is strictly you're requesting
a rezone to neutral.
MR. PASSIDOMO: Whatever we're entitled to in the proposed
zoning district.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's where I'm going next. This
whole thing has been somewhat of a mystery. You've got a golf course
zoned piece of property, it can function as a golf course. You've got a
clubhouse; you've got all the amenities that the golf course has. You
want to go to neutral lands and still retain the golf course use,
obviously. But at some time in the future you're going to do
something else.
The difference between '91 and now are some of the benefits that
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April 2, 2009
you can derive under neutral lands that maybe you couldn't have done
under the agricultural zoning as it was in 1991. So the golf course has
been kind of like a holding pattern until this change has been
suggested here today.
It leaves a lot of unknowns in regards to what you're going to do
with the property and how the density of that property and how the
impacts on that property will affect others. Where you put your
houses, how many, the road coming in, how you'll connect to
Vanderbilt, all the issues that the county generally is worried about.
You have by rights in the neutral area an extensive amount of
new uses, including single-family residential, mobile home overlays,
dormitories, duplexes, group housing, family care facilities, group care
facilities, staff housing, sporting and recreational camps, golf courses
and driving ranges. It goes on and on for quite a few uses. And that's
-- they're all by right.
So I don't -- by right you wouldn't necessarily have to come
before a public process. And when Mr. Barton spoke he, you know,
said you guys would go by whatever process is in place for -- as you
proceeded. Well, there is no process in place except going through
staff.
Would you have any objection that any changes to your property
in regards to uses come back before this Planning Commission for
review?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: After the zoning is in place, sir?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: If you receive the zoning today to go
from golf course to neutral, any further increases in changes or density
on that property, whether it be through any type of use come back
through the public process through the Planning Commission.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Any changes, Mr. Chairman, that increased
the density or changed the use, other than what is prescribed in the
Land Development Code right now?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, other than what is being done
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today on that property. So if you take advantage of the new uses and
the neutral land that you seemingly want to, and since you're not
providing us with that scenario today, I'm suggesting that you come
back through this process and provide that now -- provide that then at
the time you do it. If you want to come back in and put homes and
parcels and break it up and subdivide it into parcels, you come back in
for the public process in front of this board.
MR. PASSIDOMO: Mr. Chairman, we do have to come back
obviously administratively to address site development plans or
platting. But you're suggesting that rather than have that handled
administratively, it be handled by the Planning Commission?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, the staff would still have to
review it, but the Planning Commission would have to see it, and
you'd have to go through a public process for approval.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Mr. Chairman, would it have anything to
do with the -- if the question, if the scope of that review relates to
platting or site development plan issues, that's one question. If the
scope of that review deals with uses, heights, densities and intensities,
I think that's another question. Because those are prescribed by the
Land Development Code, and they seem to be outside the proper
scope of review for the Planning Commission or for the Board of
County Commissioners after the zoning is in place.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. You just said the magic words,
after the zoning's in place. Is in place. So in order to get it in place --
Mr. Schmitt?
MR. SCHMITT: Yeah. For clarification, if any plat comes in, a
final plat, as you well know, has to be approved by the Board of
County Commissioners. That's on an agenda item and it's approved by
the Board of County Commissioners, so it is a public process.
Normally it's on a consent agenda. However, in this case if it involves
a consent issue or involves an issue that is of interest to the public,
certainly we can be directed or the board can pull that item and put it
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on the regular agenda. Or they can certainly remand that back to the
Planning Commission.
So I just want to clarify the process so the public understands: It
is a public process and it is approved before the Board of County
Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And there are -- they are done routinely
every week; is that right?
MR. SCHMITT: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: How many have ever been pulled,
changed, modified, sent back to this Planning Commission?
MR. SCHMITT: None sent back to the Planning Commission.
Probably in my time frame here, which is almost seven years, I
believe twice we pulled plats onto the regular agenda.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, the problem I have here is I don't
think anybody would go into the process that this applicant's here for
today without having some idea what they might want to do in the
future. We're not being provided with any of that information. We're
basically saying we're going to do whatever our rights are allowed for
us to do.
The rights that come under the standard zoning, if you were to
allow -- and zoning is by the way not -- you can't get a rezone, I don't
believe, by right. You get a rezone by process. And if there's reasons
why this board feels the process isn't appropriate, it may not succeed.
But it would help I think a lot of us to get in if we knew that we
had some additional review opportunity down the road when you
finally wanted to tell us what you intend to do with this property.
And that's my concern with that issue, and that's why I requested
of you, do you have any objection if we were to stipulate that any
changes to the uses on this property -- and whether those changes are
density, intensity, height or whatever, but use changes on this property
beyond the golf course uses come back to this panel for review.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Mr. Chairman, I want to be cooperative. I
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don't want to be elusive, I don't want to be responsive.
If the question is rather than through an administrative process
we go back to the Planning Commission for site development plan or
platting review, that's one question. If that's the question, I'd be happy
to consult with my client concerning that issue. Is that --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, if you did -- any change you
make on this property -- and staffs going to have to help me here. Is
there any way they can make a change without coming in for a plat or
a site -- or a site development plan?
MR. BELLOWS: If you mean can they build a single-family
home in there without --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Can they build 110 single-family
homes in there?
MR. BELLOWS: You have to go through the platting process
to do more than --
MR. SCHMITT: You would have to plat to develop a tract, and
then you'd have to come in and probably subdivide that, ifhe's going
to build individual homes, single-family homes on one home per five
acres or demonstrate that he's in compliance with the code. Ifhe's
going to build some kind of multi - family, of course the tract would
then come in with a subsequent site development plan, again,
demonstrating that he meets the requirements as defined in the rural
fringe mixed use development overlay, RMFU, and he would be
subject to those review criteria that exist in the LDC.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: See, Joe, if they had come in today
with a request to go from golf course to PUD with a site plan laying
out the intensities, densities, setbacks, heights, everything else that
would affect the surrounding properties, it would have been more
complete for us to review.
MR. SCHMITT: And I understand that. Certainly understand.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Basically they want to go into an
opportunity to make a lot of changes that may not have been
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anticipated at the time this was even given its neutral land designation,
well enough its conditional -- its whatever, golf course designation
back in '91.
That all happened years ago. So there's some kind of vesting
issue or grandfathering issue already in place.
I'm suggesting -- well, first of all, how did this become neutral?
Do we even know that? Would it have become a neutral land had they
not had the golf course zoning already in place for this property?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Did you want to talk to him?
MR. SCHMITT: Well, the neutral lands are designated as part
of the study that -- and all the background and the data and analysis as
was performed as part of the rural lands process, in this case the rural
fringe mixed use district. And that was determined based on existing
conditions on the land at that time when it went through the public
hearings.
Any more than that, you probably have to bring that catcher in,
and David and some others to give you some history as to why or how
they designated this neutral. But the -- and understanding also, before
they go through the platting process, they're going to have to go
through the permitting process, meaning through District permitting,
South Florida Water Management District, demonstrate water -- all the
other districts permitting processes associated with that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I just -- I'm trying to make sure that
what happens here in the future we have a better handle on than we
have had in the past. And that's why I've asked the applicant if they
would accept a public process through the Planning Commission for
approval or denial of any uses or changes regarding this property
beyond those involving the golf course or the amenities to the golf
course.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Mr. Chairman, I think it may confuse the
purpose of these proceedings. These proceedings are to establish
zoning on the land.
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CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Klatzkow?
MR. KLATZKOW: You know, when you go through a criteria,
Mr. Chairman, there are certain things you have to look at, including
does the proposed change adversely influence living conditions. You
have no idea what -- the information in front of you to make a
decision.
You've got another one, will the proposed change create a
drainage problem. And we've had some testimony on that, and you
have no idea.
And there are a number of other criteria here that it's very
difficult, given the lack of information you have as to what they intend
to do with this. But you can make an educated recommendation to the
Board of County Commissioners.
This is a very unusual request. I don't think I've ever seen a
zoning request where they're going from existing golf course use to
down-zone, or up-zone, depending on how you look at it, to an
agricultural zoning with 110 acres.
I don't have an issue if you just make this a condition. And if
they don't like it, they can take it with the Board of County
Commissioners when -- that (sic) the board wants to keep that as a
condition.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I don't know whether I should
wait until the discussion, but I might just as well say it now. When I
was reviewing this, I thought the whole thing was brilliant. What a
move. And being on the RLSA committee for a year and a half and
then again reviewing it here, if this should become neutral land, they
do have the right to just automatically build the homes as they want to,
110. And that's the way I read through this whole thing. That's the
way it looked and that's the way it smelled.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Mr. Chairman, with all due respect, I think
Mr. Wolfley's really hit the nail right on the head. This is really a
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process. It's intended to provide some flexibility so we can respond to
market conditions, but it's simply intended to align the zoning of the
land with the permitted uses as of right under the future land use
designation for rural fringe neutral lands. That's all it does.
There's no triggering event here that creates anything that the
change in the designation to this land as rural fringe neutral lands
didn't anticipate.
We know what we're going to do. We'll come back to staff,
we'll come back if you'd like to the Planning Commission and we'll
come back to the Board of County Commissioners. But at that point
in time the only thing we're going to come back with is what we don't
have now and that is a site plan or a plat. But at that point in time --
and we'll have to go through permitting. And you don't customarily
look at that. But you can look at that. And I think that the process will
be well served by the Planning Commission looking at that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I agree with the County
Attorney's recommendation. His counsel is that we can make it a
condition, and so I think that's a good move.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
And the next question I have for you, John, is the easement
along the west property line. Mr. Barton didn't think that would be a
problem, that you would provide through that west property line an
easement. I mean, up to the county to make sure they can get the
easement materialized, assumingly. But that for the -- along the west
property line for the Richards Street extension down to Vanderbilt
Beach -- down to your public access to Vanderbilt Beach Road.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: I think Mr. Barton's going to want to
respond to that.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Because that's not what he
said.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: It's not designated in the future land use
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transportation plan. If the county wants to buy it, they can buy it.
There's a 60 percent native vegetation requirement. We don't want to
do anything to impugn that. But with those introductory remarks, let
me just let Mr. Barton respond to --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Maybe I misheard him then. I thought
that's -- I thought you said something to that effect.
MR. BARTON: Let me touch on two points.
Interestingly, the reason we are here today is that when we
initially zoned this property to golf course, the mixed use development
district did not exist. That came after us. Next door, in Golf Club of
the Everglades, which developed shortly after we did, but after the
District was in place. By seeing the District, they did not rezone their
property to golf course; they left it agricultural and simply got a
conditional use to put a golf course on it.
Had we done this golf course in 1995 instead of 1991, we
wouldn't be here today, because we would not have rezoned the
property to golf course. We would have left it agriculture, asked for a
provisional use, conditional use for golf course, just as Golf Course
(sic) of the Everglades did.
So really all we're trying to do is get ourselves in about the same
position as Golf Club of the Everglades is today. Because they didn't
have to have the advantage of knowing the District was going to be
formed after they went through the rezoning process.
That's one thing I wanted to point out to you.
The other is what I said on the road easement for Richards Road
is that we would simply agree not to build anything within that
corridor, that that would become part of the 60 percent natural
vegetation area. So that in the future, if that road -- it makes little
sense to me to impose an easement in a location that the county has no
plan to build a road, it's not in one single part of the county's plans
right now.
By the same token, I understand the advantage of leaving the
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corridor there. We're willing to do that. We're willing not -- to
stipulate that that would be part of the -- the other concern I have is
that if we grant the easement, all of a sudden there's roughly four acres
of land taken out of our property. Now the 60 percent preservation
requirement even takes more of the land than it would otherwise.
So what I'd like to do is assure you that we won't put anything in
that corridor, and then if at some point in the future an easement is
needed there, it can be dealt with.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you for the clarification.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir, Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And I think we should do that.
I mean, they've discussed how when they were building their property
they had to negotiate with the people to the west and then never
imagined that the owner to the east would ever want to do that with
them. So I don't think that showed the forethought necessary.
So I think if we do that, let's do that in such a way that it is the
width of a good collector road, or whatever maximum road we think,
plus some sizeable setbacks so that we don't find them developing in
that area again.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I agree. And I think something that's
changed between 1991 and if you had done this as a conditional use to
agriculture in 1995, in '95 if you had done it we may have been further
along in some of our master planning of roads in the county, and the
extension of Vanderbilt Beach Road would have been left alone on
this property.
The fact you're coming in today is like a second bite at the apple.
Although the Vanderbilt Beach Road extension may be too far down
the road to bring into this rezoning issue here today, it's still -- I don't
put a lot of argument in the fact that it would have been the same if
you had done it in '95. I think in '95 we were getting out of some
problems we had politically. We might have been a little more
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sophisticated to a point where we realized that road extension was
needed and we might have requested that road alignment or that area
be left alone on the south side of this property and save that alignment
to go straight across.
So I'm not -- I don't still believe we need to make a second
mistake in 2009 by letting this go to a free-for-all from golf course to
just open neutral and anything goes. I can't -- that I can't go to.
So my intention is to make sure that this is -- any uses or
changes to this property, other than those involving strictly the golf
course and its facilities, would have to come back to the public
process to be approved.
Mr. Schmitt?
MR. SCHMITT: Can I ask for clarification? And from a stand
-- we have no process to do that. And I just want to discuss to make
sure we understand how to proceed with that, if in fact the board
concurs with your recommendation. We have no fees for that, and we
would have to -- we could identify what that would cost. It would be
similar to undergo this process.
Do you want to have the required public notice in regards to
advertisement, neighborhood information meeting, those --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, Joe, I would treat it just -- we
can't call it a PUD, but I would treat it like a PUD, because that's
honestly what this property should be coming in here for today is a
PUD.
MR. SCHMITT: I just want to make sure we understand so that
we proceed and we notice, advertise and do all the other required
processes prior to bringing it here so we have clear understanding
what your intent is.
So I understand what you're saying, it would be treated almost
like a rezone again but coming in to review the plat. And I
understand.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, so it would be in the form of a
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PUD process I believe is what's being suggested. And I'm not sure
that's what everybody's suggesting, but that's what --
MR. SCHMITT: Okay, I just want to make sure so we
understand and we can note that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Are you referring to every
home at a time?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No.
COMMISSIONER CARON: No.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I mean, because they could
build these over 10, 15 years by right.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: They'd still have to put in
infrastructure.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You know what? There's a lot to be
said for coming in with a master plan well planned out with densities,
heights, restrictions and setbacks. If they want to come in 110 times
for a PUD process, then let them come in. I think the county would
benefit from it because it gets more staff hired because we have plenty
of funds then.
But anyway, that's kind of what my thought is.
Anybody else have any comments during this discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay--
MR. PASSIDOMO: Mr. Chairman--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- do you have anything, John, you
want to add?
MR. PASSIDOMO: If I can just close.
If I can propose that on three stipulations, and for your
considerations, Mr. Chairman.
The first is, as we indicated earlier, we will come in with a new
traffic impact statement at the time of the SDP or plat, whatever it
may happen to be.
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Following up on Mr. Barton's comments, we'll provide a setback
along that western property so that you know that there's sufficient
land there to accommodate a public right-of-way if the county wants
to have a public right-of-way in that area.
And then finally, our proposal for your consideration,
Commissioners, is that in order to give some direction to the Planning
Commission at a future time, to your staff and ultimately to the Board
of County Commissioners, when we come back in for a site
development plan or a site plan, or before we build the first house on
the property, we have to come back before the Planning Commission
and the Board of County Commissioners to have that site plan and that
-- and/or that plat approved -- recommended for approval and
approved ultimately by the Board of County Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I want to make sure that gets us the
coverage that we're looking for. You said if the plat or the SDP.
Ray, is there anything they can do without a plat or an SDP on
this property?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Yes.
MR. BELLOWS: Other than a single-family home one at a
time. They don't have to come in for a plat. But once you do three or
more units, you have to plat.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Mr. Chairman, I'll stipulate that we won't
come in for one home without coming through the platting or SDP
process. Before we build the first home on the property, we'll come in
with an SDP or a plat, and the Board of County Commissioners and
the Planning Commission will have the ability to see that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Mr. Schmitt, in reference to the
process that would be utilized to make this come through, we would
implement the PUD process in regards to advertising fees for whatever
else was in place for the review process to come before the boards,
and then through the board analysis we could adjust setbacks, heights
or anything else that would seem inappropriate. Is that clear?
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MR. SCHMITT: Yes. And from here it would go to the board,
but it would go to the board. Most likely it will also include the final
approval process, similar to any plat approval, which certainly you're
familiar with.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right.
MR. SCHMITT: It would be part of that final approval plat
process with a report from the Planning Commission noting what we'd
done. So it would be a combination between -- almost like a rezoning
and a final plat approval when it goes to the board.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, and ifit went to the board under
this new process and it had a dissenting vote from the Planning
Commission, it would not be on summary agenda then; would it not?
MR. SCHMITT: Certainly not.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Because all your plats are generally on
summary agenda.
MR. SCHMITT: Right. They would not.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And it would be an exception in this
case.
MR. SCHMITT: Right. We'd put it on the regular agenda,
absolutely.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Well, I think it fairly checks out,
subject to staffs figuring it out when they come back with a consent
agenda.
Does anybody else have any comments, questions?
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I just want to be --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron first, then Mr. Murray.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Oh, I'm sorry.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Was it also your testimony, Mr.
Passidomo, that the golf course would not move?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: There's certainly no contemplation that it
will ever move. Did I make a comment as a stipulation that the golf
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course will never move?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah.
MR. PASSIDOMO: No.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Okay.
MR. P ASSIDOMO: And frankly, I don't even know really what
that could mean or why the public would have an interest in that.
COMMISSIONER CARON: No, it was just a statement that
had been made and so I wanted to make sure it shouldn't be.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: John, just in clarification, I'm
sure you meant this, but when you said we'll provide an easement of
sufficient space to make a road there, Richard Road, Richard Street, or
whatever it is, right, that's what you said?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: No, sir. Thank you for asking for
clarification, Mr. Murray.
What I suggested is that we'll have a setback in that area. The
assurance is given that there won't be any structures there. So if the
county wants to come in at some later time and actually acquire that
property and create a road there, there won't be an impediment to their
ability to do so in the form of a setback.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay. And I appreciate that.
What I thought I heard, though, Mr. Barton saying he was concerned
that he would, by taking what is legitimately I think a standard for a
road, you're going to reduce it 60 percent, et cetera, et cetera. But
that's okay, you're good with that?
MR. P ASSIDOMO: If it's a setback then we're not reducing the
native vegetation requirement. I think that's the sensitivity we have.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else want to comment at this
time?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: John, are you finished?
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April 2, 2009
MR. P ASSIDOMO: Yes, sir, I am. Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. And--
COMMISSIONER CARON: Don't close it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, I'm not doing it yet. That's why I
was asking.
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I just wanted to ask
transportation one last question here.
MR. GREEN: Michael Green, Transportation Planning.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Looking in your crystal ball, do
you see, can you anticipate the need for this north-south Richards
Street to become a corridor, an actual road?
MR. GREEN: You're digging a trap for me.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yes, I am.
MR. GREEN: We always try and get interconnections and
create a grid. Yes, that would be a benefit.
I don't have any tools available to me today in place to provide
me the nexus to ask for this under this proj ect.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But if you had a stipulation that
provided you the ability for that easement and you wanted to use it in
the future, that would be more advantageous than not.
MR. GREEN: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I was going to say, the
best thing we can do is keep them from building a golf hole where we
need it, as the past has given us.
MR. GREEN: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Or a house.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, anybody else?
Anything before I close the public hearing?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, with that, we'll close the public
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hearing and we'll entertain a motion. But let's have discussion first.
There's a lot of things that this project entails, and one of them is
the extension of Vanderbilt Beach Road.
As much as I hate what we've done with that extension, I don't
believe we can find that as a reason to deny this project. However, I
think it's good that we had the discussion today and some more
information got on the table concerning that.
So that set aside, I also, as this whole board has expressed, this
has not been a real clear understanding of what they're trying to do
here. The information we got is limited and doesn't provide a lot of
clarity. So based on that, I suggest that we consider the following
stipulations: one is that the golf course always will retain the
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. And once it's rezoned into
the neutral land categories, it will come under the rules within the
neutral lands for the golf course operations.
Number two: There will be no density awarded as a result of
today's process. Meaning they may go into the neutral land category,
but they don't have any other uses allocated them through today's
process, nor are they entitled to them until they come back through the
third stipulation, which is: That any uses or changes come back to the
Planning Commission and the BCC under this process similar to that
of the PUD process for review and approval for all categories that we
would look at as though it were a PUD.
And number four: That the applicant will not build within the
Richards Road corridor or allow -- and allow the county to acquire an
easement if needed therefore in the future.
And those are the four stipulations I think that we talked out here
today.
Does anybody have anything that they would like to consider
adding to it, elaborate on?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, is staff clear on the stipulations?
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MS. DESELEM: For the record, Kay Deselem.
I need to know how big of an area you don't want them to build
m. The talk was a setback, what --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It says the Richards Road corridor.
Whatever corridor width transportation can provide you with between
now and the time we get consent. Unless they know now.
MS. DESELEM: I heard John Podczerwinsky say the term 60
feet.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That sounds logical, because that's I
think the minimum standard for the county anyway. So let's leave 60
feet as a minimum corridor.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Plus I would like a setback for
a building. So why don't we just say lOO feet and make it easy, that
they can't build within 100 feet of that property line. That would give
them the full right-of-way. It may be set up where they can only have
half the right-of-way.
And at the time of the review of the public hearing we'd be able
to make a smarter decision.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, I have no problem with that.
MS. DESELEM: So you --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: They can't build within 100 feet of the
western property line. And the intent of that stipulation is for the
future provision to Collier County to acquire that as an easement.
MS. DESELEM: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there any other clarifications you
need, Kay?
MS. DESELEM: I think I've got it, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, is there a motion from the
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Planning Commission?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'll make the motion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I would make the motion that
the Planning Commission forward Petition RZ-2008-AR-13951,
known as Olde Florida Golf Club, Incorporated, with a
recommendation of approval, based on the stipulations as offered by
the Chair.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is there a second?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Seconded by Mr. Wolfley.
Any further discussion?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I certainly would not have
even considered voting for this unless the commitment was made that
it come back to us --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Absolutely.
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- a lot closely -- a lot more
closely aligned with a PUD process. This is a huge piece of property
out there and shouldn't be done to standard zoning.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And I would agree with you, I would
not have voted for it without that stipulation being in place.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: And I too.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Neither would 1.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, any other discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Hearing none, all in favor of the vote,
signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
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April 2, 2009
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 8-0.
Thank you very much. Appreciate your time. It's now 11 :30.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have two to go through.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: 11 :20.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, whatever time it is. It's so hard
with that clock.
I'd just as soon, if it's okay with you, we'll keep pushing. We
might be able to finish these two up in short order and not have to take
a break for lunch. Is that -- we'll just have to see how it goes for the
next half hour or so.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay, move to approve.
Item #9D
PETITION: PUDA-2008-AR-13792, NAPLES BOTANICAL
GARDEN, INC.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Next petition is Petition
PUDA-2008-AR-13792, and it's the Naples Botanical Garden, Inc.,
and the Florida Gulf Coast University, represented by Bruce
Anderson.
All those wishing to testify on behalf of this item, please rise to
be sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Disclosures on the part of the Planning
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Commission.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I had a discussion with Bruce Anderson
and I told him that this is like mom and apple pie, I'm not sure what I
can do with it. So we'll go forward.
Bruce, it's all yours.
MR. ANDERSON: Good morning, Mr. Chairman,
Commissioners. My name is Bruce Anderson from the Law Firm of
Roetzel and Andress, and I'm pleased to represent this community
asset today.
I was privileged to represent Naples Botanical Garden when this
PUD was first approved in 2003.
With me today are members of the project team: Brian Holley,
the executive director of Naples Botanical Garden, and from
WilsonMiller we have Margaret Perry, the project planner, Jeffrey
Perry, the transportation planner, and Jared Brown, who is the project
engmeer.
The Botanical Garden PUD was first approved in June, 2003,
and it includes 171 acres.
This application is for an amendment of that PUD and the
following changes are requested: The Garden is requesting the ability
to have interim or temporary structures to house the already approved
permitted principal and accessory uses. These interim structures
would be allowed for an initial period of three years, and if extensions
were needed because of the state of the economy, they could be -- an
extension could be approved administratively, using the site
development plan approval process.
There is one correction that I do need to make on the next text of
the PUD. It's in Section 6.4. And you'll see that I have struck the
phrase described above in one through six.
My reason for doing that is that paragraph refers to these interim
and temporary structures being provided for both principal and
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accessory uses. However, one through six above are only the principal
uses. So it's merely clerical cleanup.
The amendment language that we're asking you to approve today
provides that these interim structures and the maintenance building do
not require architectural and design standard review. The Garden has
agreed to provide foundation plantings around these structures.
There have also -- we're also requesting revisions to the
transportation conditions. These changes have been agreed to by the
applicant and the staff. These revisions will help assure that the
Botanical Garden does not pay any more than its fair share for
improvements at the intersection of Bayshore Drive and Thomasson
Drive.
The transportation amendments also address with specificity the
obligations of the Garden for construction of sidewalks and payment
in lieu for other sidewalks.
Yesterday the transportation department staff reworded
paragraph I of the transportation conditions to now read, quote, the
developer, his successors or assigns shall provide a fair share
contribution toward the capital cost of traffic signal and turn lanes (or
alternative intersection roundabout design) at the intersection of
Bayshore Drive and Thomasson Drive at such time that the
improvements are constructed. Pavement shall be provided to the
applicable public agencies responsible for designing and constructing
the improvements, end of quote.
My client has agreed to this change.
And lastly, the amendment authorizes deviations from the Land
Development Code as previously discussed for the interim structures,
and deviations are also requested for the fencing in order to provide
security to the Garden.
The Garden is on a tight time line to get this PUD amendment
approved in order to open up more of the Garden to the public by fall
of this year, and we respectfully request your recommendation of
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approval for these changes.
I and the other members of the team will be pleased to answer
any questions that you might have.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any questions from the Planning
Commission?
Ms. Caron, then Mr. Schiffer.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I made my notes and stuff
on the copy of the ordinance, if you just want to follow along.
Under 4.41.B (sic).
MR. ANDERSON: B?
COMMISSIONER CARON: B, as in boy.
You are striking the words overflow parking and adding
potential future expansion.
I don't mind that you use the words potential future expansion,
but I think you need to also include overflow parking. I don't want
anybody to be misled about what potentially might be going on that
little piece -- that piece of property.
The -- you know, these euphemisms, those potential future
development, just sort of leave it broad and open-ended. And I
understand why you want that in it but I think parking, while to you it
might seem logical that if you do any expansion there'd have to be
parking involved in it, I just want the neighbors to understand. So I
think you can use --
MR. ANDERSON: Okay, I don't think the intention is to limit it
to just overflow parking.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Right, that's what I said. So you
can --
MR. ANDERSON: Overflow--
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- state it overflow parking and/or
potential development.
MR. ANDERSON: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Thank you.
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Then on the next page, on two, in that paragraph that you have
right up there --
MR. ANDERSON: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- you just struck. I'm a little
concerned about the open-endedness of these reviews that can be done
by staff. I think everybody understands the fact that things may not
move as quickly as we'd all like to see them move in this day and age.
However, there's got to be some end to these three-year reviews that
can just be done by staff and no other consideration has to be given to
either the rest of the neighborhood or any commissioners.
Can we come up with something reasonable, Mr. Anderson, to --
as opposed to leaving it just open-ended that you can come back for
the rest of -- you know, the next 25 years every three years you can
come back and get staff to --
MR. ANDERSON: We had originally proposed that extensions
would need to come to the Board of County Commissioners through
the public petition process. And staff was not comfortable with that
approach, and they were the ones that changed it and wanted to put it
through the site development plan approval process. We would be
happy either way.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Then I'll leave that question then
to staff. Thanks for that explanation.
I think maybe the rest of mine may be staff questions. Anyway
-- other than to note to you, Mr. Anderson, that on Page 4 under M, it
will be that same change of overflow parking and/or potential future
expanSIOns.
MR. ANDERSON: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I just wanted to make sure I
didn't have anything more for Bruce.
No, I think the rest of them are staff.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
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COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Bruce, mine are in that same
area. It's kind of word-smithing. But if you go to Section 1, 4.14.A.
The first thing in there is you have this last sentence that says, the
applicant shall comply with section such and such. Foundation
plantings for the interim and temporary structures as well as
maintenance structures. Then you add this, which to me doesn't make
sense: To compensate for deviating from the architecture and design.
I mean, they would have to comply with foundation plantings anyway,
correct? So what's this compensation concept? I would just think after
maintenance structure you could --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Looks like that may be a staff change.
Yeah, it's a staff change. We'll wait till staff comes up here then on
that one. I just noticed --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: All of these things will be
staff?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, that one is, the one that you
referred to.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. All right.
Second thing is number two is kind of a good thing. That was a
major part of the first hearing, that they really wanted to do some
innovative structures. So my thought is up in the middle of the
paragraph that you're adding, it gives the proper sections for the
architectural standards of the LDC as amended. And I think it would
be smart to insert back in there part of number two, at least the
sentence that says to allow for innovative design of structures of the
Naples Garden. That section doesn't guarantee that. So I think let's
carry forth the intent that they would have innovative structures.
MR. ANDERSON: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And then the other thing is on
6.2, as it carries over to Page 2. This concept of discussing, you
know, the different codes and stuff. First of all, you've left some out.
Secondly, there's no way you could ever not do that. And thirdly, the
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impression might be is that these are going to be considered temporary
structures within those codes, which they will not, they will be
permanent buildings.
So why do we have that in there really?
MR. ANDERSON: I'm sorry, I'm not understanding.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, you have here, a
temporary use permit is not required, and the interim and temporary --
or temporary structures shall be approved through the site
development plan process -- that's good. Interim or temporary
structures will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act --
they essentially comply with the Florida Statute now -- and the Collier
County Building Code. But there's also fire codes.
In other words, so why are we saying that last sentence? I mean,
first of all --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: They have to.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- there's nothing you could say
that you wouldn't. I mean, these things have to comply with that.
And they would not be considered temporary structures because of the
length of time.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Did you do that, Bruce, or did staff?
MR. ANDERSON: No, I will let staff answer that question.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. I think that's it.
Oh, one other question for Bruce, though. Bruce, there's a
roundabout in the Bayshore plan. Does this property give the
right-of-way so they could build that?
MR. ANDERSON: I'm not sure about that.
No.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Do you think that's a good
idea?
MR. ANDERSON: No.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Try again.
Anyway, we'll discuss it later, I guess.
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COMMISSIONER CARON: I did have one more--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, Ms. Caron.
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- that would actually be Mr.
Anderson, and that's on the very final page under deviation. The chain
link fence.
MR. ANDERSON : Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Saying that it shall be permitted at
five feet in height. But didn't staff also say it has to be black? And
should that be in there at that point?
MR. ANDERSON: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: And it's just not in there. So we
can just make that correction, okay, that it's not somewhere in there.
MR. ANDERSON: Yeah, we'll put -- we'll begin the sentence,
black chain link fence shall be permitted --
COMMISSIONER CARON: There you go.
MR. ANDERSON: -- at a height of five feet.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of the applicant at
this time?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, staff report.
MR. ANDERSON: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, Bruce.
MS. ZONE: Good morning, Commissioners. Melissa Zone,
Principal Planner with the Department of Zoning and Land
Development. It's been a few months so I'm happy to be back here in
front of you again.
I just want to read into the record on the Naples Botanical
Garden and the location, that the planned unit development is in -- the
subject property is in the urban designated mixed use district. And it's
also part of the urban coastal fringe sub-district, as well as the
Bayshore/Gateway triangle redevelopment overlay. And the overlay
allows for unique projects similar to this.
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And I just wanted that to be read into the record. Most of it has
to do with of course amendments to this PUD document, which I'd
like to address for our commissioners.
Might as well start with Section 4.14, design guidelines of the
proposed amendment.
Part of the -- what they're requesting with these interim
structures is very -- interim or temporary structures is a unique
structure that there is no allowance for it in the LDC. And they could
essentially just bring in a trailer, if we just say interim structure, and it
could be strapped down. But you want to make sure that the
structures -- because what they're being used for are uses that are
listed such as restrooms, a gift shop, possibly a restaurant.
So what you're wanting to do, though, because these structures
are not really listed in the -- well, they aren't -- there isn't any
provisions in the LDC to make sure that they would be for the safety
of those who are coming to the Gardens, and not to say that the --
those who are managing the gardens would put up a structure that isn't
safe. We want a guarantee that there is something there that not only
are they going through the site design process or the site development
process, and the fact that they have agreed to do and staff has agreed
that the architectural review standards are going -- they don't have to
follow them. We wanted to ensure that these structures still meet the
wind code, they still have to be strapped down if there's restrooms.
You know, you have to provide running water.
And the site development process you would go through would
make sure where the structures are located. But you still want to make
sure the building code, that these are built to those standards, as well
as the AD -- American Disabilities Act for the residents, as well as
those who will be the patrons.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are you trying to address a particular
concern we had?
MS. ZONE: Yes.
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CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, why don't we focus on that. I
think you were trying to address the section two, 6.2, the last sentence
that Brad brought up about why we have that last sentence in there.
MS. ZONE: Well, you're right, I'm sorry, Commissioner. But A
brings in the temporary structures. And so I was kind of giving an
overview of why we're doing everything.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I think we understand why you all do it.
We can get more to the point, if you'd like.
MS. ZONE: Very sorry.
The foundation plantings are not really also part of alternative
designs, and they don't really -- would not, because the structures
aren't provided for in the LDC, Commissioner Schiffer. That we
wanted to let them know that at least to mask these walls along there.
And the applicants had -- actually were the ones who when we said if
you're going to include these, could you provide something. And the
foundation plantings -- though it wasn't us who said they had to be,
that was what they brought forward as compensating for. And so we
said well, then let's put it into the PUD document.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, and why don't -- and Brad, since
some of these are your questions, why don't you just interact directly
with Melissa.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. Melissa, first of all, they
would have to do the foundation plantings anyway, they're a building,
correct? I mean, remember, this is the Botanical Gardens. These guys
aren't going to try to get away with gravel here.
MS. ZONE: Correct. And we understand that. But again, that
you could have -- their structures are going to be -- there's no question
that they're going to be building the structures.
But these are not really permanent structures for that. It could,
as I stated before, could become a trailer on blocks. And so how do
you mask that? We could eliminate it in good faith, but then if they
don't and someone says oh, this awful structure, well, now we have
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nothing other than that staff did record it on the record and it was then
removed.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, but what if they're
behind a fence and it's a maintenance -- and it actually is a trailer on
blocks. You really want them to -- where the public doesn't see it,
nobody sees it?
MS. ZONE: If the Planning Commission would like this
removed, I will be happy to present it to the Board of County
Commissioners. We're just ensuring because this is not provided for
in the LDC.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I think what you should do is
just remove after the word maintenance building to compensate. I
mean, there's no need to prove why you're doing it.
MS. ZONE: That's fine.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: To kill that I think makes
sense.
Do you have a problem moving what was stricken in B up to
where it mentions the architectural standards using the alternate
compliance method and making sure we note what was there in the
original PUD is to allow for innovative design? I think that's
important.
MS. ZONE: So what you're saying is to include the second part
of number two under A and include it in 2-B, is that -- do I understand
that correctly?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No, what I'm saying is take the
words from 2 --
MS. ZONE: Right.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- where it starts to allow for
innovative design within the Botanical Gardens, and include that after
the words up in the middle of the sentence, section -- the architectural
standards of the LDC as amended. And right there say, to encourage.
Because one of the major -- we don't -- you know, the ultimate
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compliance doesn't -- necessarily isn't there to allow for innovative
design, it's to allow for ultimate compliance.
MS. ZONE: And so you're wanting that to be included so that
you know what their intent is.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Those were important words in
the original PUD. Let's keep them.
MS. ZONE: No problem.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, the second thing is up on
the top of 2, that last sentence, these are not going to be temporary
structures in the building code. There's nothing anybody can build that
would -- you know, in other words, you don't have to put that in there.
I'm sure if the building official discussed it with you and the fire code
official. Fire code 30 days, that's all you're going to get, building
code's going to reference the fire code. So what's going to happen is
that there's no such thing as a temporary structure, at least in the
length of times you're describing. A circus tent is, but --
MS. ZONE: And we've had long discussions. We said what
you're proposing are permanent structures. And they said well, they
would like to remove them at some point. So if they are calling these
interim structures and the LDC does not, as I stated before, provide for
interim structures, we wanted to make sure there was something for
them to comply with.
You're calling them permanent. I understand. And staff agreed
with you there. But if they're wanting to have these in the PUD
document to be included as interim or temporary structures, then we
want to make sure, because the LDC does not have regulations for
those types of structures, they have to comply.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But the LDC isn't what governs
whether a building complies with building code.
MS. ZONE: The building code does. But during site
development plan it starts the process. And it is -- it's a conflict, and
staff isn't disagreeing with you. Again, it's assurance.
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COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. The concern -- then let's
pretend that needs to be in there. And I don't believe that yet. The
way you're describing it doesn't make any sense. First of all, how
would you build a building -- it's a civil rights law, the ADA. How
would you build a building to violate that? You know, you can't.
MS. ZONE: Well, I will say that that's something that you
might want to go back and then address to the applicants --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Why don't we just strike that last
sentence.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, let's strike it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Let's just -- you know, we can drag this
on for an hour here --
MS. ZONE: Right, and I've already struck through it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, fine, then let's go on to the next
one. Brad, what --
MR. SCHMITT: ADA compatibility is a check through the
Florida Building Code, so it's redundant.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: When you guys --
MR. BELLOWS: For the record--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- proof this stuff -- this shouldn't even
be in here to begin with.
MR. BELLOWS: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Why don't we just stop being redundant
with laws and rules that we have to reference that are already part of
laws and rules we have to abide by.
MR. SCHMITT: Yeah.
MR. BELLOWS: I agree. And I'd just like to also point out for
the record that while we're dealing with permanent structures, whether
-- the purpose of providing some additional clarification is the amount
of deviations that would be applied to these so-called interim
structures from an architectural standpoint. And we just want to make
sure architecturally that we're not approving something below
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standards without some deadline for them to be removed.
MR. SCHMITT: It's no difference than a sales trailer. You
come in for a sales trailer --
MR. BELLOWS: But I agree--
MR. SCHMITT: -- those type of things.
MR. BELLOWS: -- with what you're saying, they're permanent
structures for the purposes of the building department.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But it does sound different, Joe,
than the trailer. Because the trailer's governed by a different set of
laws than a building would be.
So the point -- the only thing I want to make sure is you don't in
any way consider these temporary in the building codes. They're not,
and --
MR. SCHMITT: They're not.
MR. BELLOWS: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- you can't do it with the LDC
anyway.
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct. There's no argument there.
They have to come in, they have to go through the permitting process,
through the building code process, fire review process. They're not
temporary. It's --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: The sentence is killed.
MS. ZONE: It's also to remind the applicant that they are not
really a trailer.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Brad, you want to go on to your next
issue?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'm done. That's it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, anybody else have any
questions?
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Then I'll continue on to the
paragraph that's up there now and let's discuss why the open-ended
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review, staff reviews.
MS. ZONE: Actually, we had put in there that it was originally
the Board of County Commissioners. This was a last minute change.
And it was based on Commissioner Coyle's comments at the last BCC
hearing where they feel that bringing -- asking for a continuance for a
use or some type of structure to go through the public petition process,
because they believe that is not a forum for it and they would rather
have it either go through staff administratively or through a public
petition process.
So to not have them to come back in to amend the PUD
document, we put it through administratively. They would come in,
request through the zoning department if they --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Got it.
MS. ZONE: -- could extend--
COMMISSIONER CARON: Got it.
MS. ZONE: -- the three years.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Got it, Melissa.
MS. ZONE: Okay.
COMMISSIONER CARON: All right. So this is what I want
you to do. I think it's fine that they get their three years, and then they
can ask you for a three-year and you can grant that administratively. I
have no problem with that.
But when does it end? When do they finally have to do
something else besides go back to you? Meaning staff. Because right
now they can make this a 25-year plan and they can come back to you
every three years.
MS. ZONE: Right. Well, if you continue, the last sentence says
that when they come in through the site development plan amendment
process to include temporary restrooms --
COMMISSIONER CARON: I'm going to make a suggestion
here.
MS. ZONE: Sure.
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COMMISSIONER CARON: That you get two three-year
extensions administratively. After that, Mr. Anderson, your clients
would have to come back in. So you'd have nine years to get the
project completed and --
MR. SCHMITT: Fine.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anything else of staff?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: There's just one thing, Mark --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- that seems odd, is they're
going to be building these buildings per the codes as if they're
permanent buildings.
So all of a sudden -- I mean, what is this really giving these
people, other than the ability to build a essentially permanent structure
for six years without architectural review, right? You want innovative
buildings in there anyway. What are we gaining here?
MR. SCHMITT: The intent was to try and -- and you'd have to
ask the applicant, but the intent -- this is going to be a -- it's a non-
profit. It's a long process. It's raising revenue to build the permanent
facilities. But they want to begin to open portions of it to the public,
but they need the public facilities there to support the opening to the
public. Restrooms --
MR. BELLOWS: Food.
MR. SCHMITT: -- restaurant or food service, those types of
things. And so it is a long process. It's not like a PUD or a
development.
So that's kind of what this was written as saying, yeah, you can
have these interim facilities as you evolve and raise revenue and
whatever to build your permanent facilities. That's sort of what they
wanted.
MS. ZONE: It is. And they -- to prevent them from keeping
those structures there once the permanent structures are built, it would
then be tied to the certificate of occupancy and that those structures
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would have to be removed.
So when they come in for the SDP amendment for public
restrooms when the structure for the public restroom is built, then the
interim one is then removed.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But you're not going to be
allowed like six years of Porta-Lets. I mean, there's no such thing as a
six-year Porta-Let. I mean, anyway, if they want to do it, let them do
it. I just haven't got it.
MS. ZONE: It was their request and we're trying to find an
avenue to permit it.
MR. SCHMITT: Wait a minute, you can. If they have
purchased a trailer, that's a comfort station --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, they can have it there as long as
they want.
MR. SCHMITT: -- and it's fully equipped and it meets all the
tie-down code for the building code, it could sit there --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Forever.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah, forever.
MR. SCHMITT: -- forever.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Like the Seminoles have
midway on 75.
COMMISSIONER CARON: That's right.
MR. SCHMITT: So this was trying to --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But those all meet codes.
MR. SCHMITT: What Ms. Caron did is added a limit to it,
which I think is great. Because it says wait a minute, we're not going
to let this happen for 10 years. And so -- but it does allow a process
for them to at least have facilities in a temporary basis as they raise
revenue to build the permanent facilities.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, are there any other questions of
staff?
(No response.)
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CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ray, do we have any public speakers?
MR. BELLOWS: No public speakers.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron, can I close the public
hearing?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yes, you may.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Let's close the public hearing and --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'd like to -- well, Mark, before
we do, I'd like to just ask Bruce one thing.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, we are here, we are
discussing this PUD. Why can't we discuss the turnaround, what the
county needs to create that?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We can discuss it. I'm not saying we
can't discuss it. I asked if there was any more questions, nobody said
anything. So go ahead. What do you want to know about the turn --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Bruce, why can't we start
setting that up? What's the reason we can't start putting the radius in
the property line right now?
MR. ANDERSON: Oh, the roundabout, you mean?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yes.
MR. ANDERSON: I'll let transportation address that. But it's
my understanding that the CRA has pretty much decided they can't
accommodate a roundabout there because the boat trailers can't get
around it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, that's a good reason.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: John Podczerwinsky, Transportation
Planning.
Bruce is correct. I've got communication from David Jackson
over at the CRA stating that basically the radius for the roundabout
design wouldn't accommodate some of the boat trailers that they
would anticipate going down to Bayview Park. So it would require
additional right-of-way.
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Three of the four corners right now -- actually, all four corners
are occupied. But one of those is about to undergo redeveloped.
Three of the four corners, southwest quadrant, would be -- Naples
Botanical Gardens would require additional right-of-way to
accommodate that roundabout design. And the larger the radius, the
more right-of-way you need.
The current design alternative that they were discussing were
turn lanes, would accommodate what they need and a possible future
signalization at the intersection.
So that's sort of the direction that the CRA is leaning in
communications towards -- you know, back and forth to
transportation.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, let me say, Bruce, what
you said then is with the existing, the given right-of-ways, they can't
build a roundabout large enough. I'm talking about maybe we should
be starting to carve out the roundabout they need then.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: That would also require
right-of-way on the other three quadrants, which would cost over and
above what I think the Bayshore CRA and MSTU are willing to
accommodate. And it still creates a problem with the turning radius
for boat trailers.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, so nobody knows what
right-of-way would be required for a proper turnaround at that
location?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: I believe it's been evaluated, but I
don't have the exact numbers with me.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: John, when you said the turnaround
wouldn't accommodate boat trailers, you said because the CRA said it
wouldn't.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is the CRA an engineering firm?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: No, they are not.
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Did you have an engineering
firm confirm that statement?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Myself, no, I have not.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So we don't know if it will
accommodate a boat or trailer or not. We just heard that somebody
said it wouldn't, so therefore we believe that.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, good.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: That's not the only statement. I can
-- but if you want my --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Don't ever say that.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: All right, this is a conceptual plan
that they've included in their study. This is the conceptual design.
And as you can see, you can notice on the northeast quadrant of
Thomasson and Bayshore Drive, there'd be an impact there, which I
believe is affordable housing at this point. The southeast corner,
which is Del's Party Store, there would be problems there. There'd
also be access management problems there.
And you can also see on the Naples Botanical Gardens where
there would be issues pretty much with their signage and their parking
lot.
So the larger the radius would go to accommodate boat trailers --
and I'd have to ask probably our PE --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But John, my point was I don't care if
this runabout (sic) is there or whatever you want to do there, it doesn't
matter to me. But your reasons for saying no, we can't have a
runabout is because someone just told you it wouldn't work for boat
trailers and you don't have an engineering credential to tell me that's
true or not -- not you but whoever told you that. I don't know why
you guys would dismiss the idea for that reason. That was my only
point.
If you're dismissing it for other reasons, it's not practical, fine,s
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April 2, 2009
then just say that. But to dismiss it because someone didn't think it
would work for boat trailers, well, that doesn't fly. A professional's
got to say that, meaning an engineer or someone who's a
transportation authority or someone of that nature.
Anyway, anybody else have any questions on the runabout?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I don't know, that was a
roundabout discussion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Sure was.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Many times.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, here's the thing, is
you've got four corners you've got to get. Here's a chance to bite at
this one. I mean, if you want to walk away from it, walk away, but--
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: At this point, sir, we're trying to stay
in line with the Bayshore CRA, this recommendation from the study
that they've done that I'm showing you here. And their
recommendation was for the roundabout, but for the alternative design
was for a signalization at the intersection.
And like I said, we've received communication from the CRA
from Mr. Jackson that indicates that the CRA and the MSTU are not
supportive at this point of the roundabout design.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So the CRA has abandoned the
roundabout.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, enough said.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer, can I close the public--
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: You sure can.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, we'll close the public hearing
deliberations --
MR. ANDERSON: Mr. Chairman, excuse me.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, we're opened up again.
Bruce?
MR. ANDERSON: I have one clarification question.
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April 2, 2009
Ms. Caron, after the second three-year extension, what
procedure can we avail ourselves of, if necessary? Can we go the
public petition route?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, the process like, you know,
like would be normal.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Bruce, can I close the public hearing
now?
MR. ANDERSON: Yes. Thank you, I just needed to know
what to add there. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, I already added that. I figured
that's what she meant so that's what I put down.
Okay, with that we'll close the public hearing and entertain a--
well, before we go to a motion, I'll read the notes I made, and if we
want to elaborate on them, go from there.
Number one: Change 6.4, number seven, to strike out the
reference to the -- as we show on the screen, one through six.
Number two: Accept the new transportation language as read to
us on the record.
Number three: Accept staff recommendations.
Number four: Change 4.14.B, and 7.5.M to address the -- to
include the overflow park parking in the and/or language.
Number five: Add the innovative structures language back into
4.14.A.
Number six: Under 7.63 put the word black in front of chain
link.
Number seven: Under 4.l4, remove the last sentence words --
the words where they start to compensate, remove the rest of that
sentence after those words and the rest of the sentence.
Number eight: 6.2, remove reference to the ADA and the codes,
that entire sentence.
And the last one, 6.4.7, allow only two three-year administrative
approvals for extension and then require public process after that.
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April 2, 2009
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'd make a motion, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I would motion that
PUDA-2008-AR-13792, known Naples Botanical Gardens planned
unit development, as presented here today and incorporating all of the
Chair's recommended changes, and according to staff
recommendations, be forwarded to the BCC with a recommendation
of approval.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion made by Mr. Murray, seconded
by Commissioner Caron.
Any comment?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All those in favor, signify by saying
aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 8-0.
By the real clock, or by the close clock, it's a few minutes before
noon. We have two choices. We can take a 15-minute break or we
can take an hour lunch and come back. I think the next one's rather
simple.
So what's the preference of the board?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Break.
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April 2, 2009
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Short one.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, we'll take a 15-minute break,
we'll come back at 12:15, which who knows what time it will be by
the clock on the wall.
(Recess.)
Item #9E
PETITION: PUDZ-2008-AR-13048, NADESHA RANASINGHE
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Welcome back from break.
We have one petition left. It's Petition PUDZ-2008-AR-13048.
It's Nadesha Ranasinghe -- I can't say the last name, but the people are
represented by Richard Y ovanovich, and it's for a Singer Park CPUD.
And with that, is there any disclosures?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yes. I spoke to Mr. Y ovanovich.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I spoke with Mr. Y ovanovich.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Homiak?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: I spoke with Mr. Y ovanovich.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Besides me, I did speak with Richard.
We had a brief conversation, and I have one issue that I'll be bringing
up today.
Other than that -- oh, yeah, swearing in. Thank you. The
attorney had to remind me to swear people in. Now there's a different
twist.
Anybody wishing to participate in this hearing, please rise to be
sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. And I see the big guns
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April 2, 2009
from compo planning are here, so something's up.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Oh, no. I hope not.
I think it's good afternoon. For the record, Rich Y ovanovich on
behalf of the applicant.
With me today also is Ron Nino with Vanasse and Daylor to
answer any questions that I can't answer regarding the petition.
The petition involves a 5 .15-acre parcel at the northwest
quadrant of Everglades Boulevard and Immokalee Road. And if you
look up on the -- whatever that's called, the bulletin board, you'll see
the property outlined and you'll see Immokalee Road in the east-west
direction, and then Everglades Boulevard in the north-south direction.
And that's the property.
The property is within what's identified in the Golden Gate
Estates Master Plan as neighborhood center. And as a neighborhood
center, that is where the master plan currently allocates commercial
development.
The request is for up to 45,000 square feet ofC-l through C-3
residential uses, which is currently what's allowed under the Golden
Gate Estates Master Plan.
We've identified in the PUD a few uses that are within the C-l
through C-3 category. We've also included the prohibited uses as
prohibited uses that are also specifically prohibited under the
comprehensive plan.
We've basically taken what's in the comprehensive plan and put
it into the PUD document to make it clear what we can and can't do on
the property.
Your staff has reviewed the petition and has found it consistent
with the comprehensive plan and is recommending approval of the
petition.
We had a neighborhood information meeting. There were no
objections to the petition that I noted -- that we noted at the
neighborhood information meeting. And I don't think there are any
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April 2, 2009
objections that have been submitted since or prior to the neighborhood
information meeting.
The petition is very straightforward. Your staff report goes into
great detail, and I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have
regarding the petition --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: -- if you have any.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I have only one here.
But I noted for 35 feet zoned and 40 feet actual height. And I'm
just wondering, that's -- for one story that's quite a lot. What do you
intend to have, storage over one --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: What we simply did was take what's in
the Land Development -- yeah, the comprehensive plan and put it in
the -- we don't know what the architecture of the buildings are going
to look like, so we just mirrored what is currently authorized.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay. Because it would seem
40 feet is a lot of building.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: It is.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: But you don't have to build to
40 feet, though.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Theoretically we could get to an actual
height of 40 feet. Theoretically.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of the applicant?
Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Rich, there's a GMP
requirement for buildings to be essentially 5,000 feet. There is an
exception that if they're submitted in the form of a PUD. Now, that to
me means that because in a PUD you'd get to see the size of the
buildings. So this has no restriction whatsoever on the square footage
of the buildings themselves, correct?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: That's correct. But it does currently
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April 2, 2009
keep the square footage limitations on the uses that are in the PUD --
that are in the Land Development Code in the compo plan.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But is there any way we could
discuss how big these buildings are going to be? I mean, there's
nothing to prevent you from building a 45,000 square foot building in
one big lump.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: That's true. But the master plan does
depict for you the building envelope, if you will, of where that
building could be located. We've got the preserves outlined on the
master plan, and to our north is a fire station. And as you know, we'll
have the 75-foot bound -- let me put it up on the visualizer, if you
need me to.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I think you've done everything
in the compo plan that you should do to that site. That's not the
question. The question is this is also in the compo plan, and -- I guess
I can wait and ask comprehensive planning at staff time what the
intent of that is.
I have a question for transportation later, that's all.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, are there any other questions of
the applicant?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Rich, I've got on your development
standards table, Exhibit B, under minimum yards you have from
Everglades Boulevard right-of-way and then you have from other
CPUD boundaries you have 25 feet, and accessory same as principal
structure. But yet on your site plan you've got to have 75 feet for the
buffer requirements.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Don't you really have 75 feet then?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Well, you do on two of the boundaries.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yes, and they would trump the 25 feet,
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April 2, 2009
III my OpInIOn.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I understand. But for
clarification, I think it ought to be added to this table.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yeah, if we want to put it 75 feet from
the south and west --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: -- that's fine.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And then maximum height you
have listed as 35 feet, 40 feet and 20 feet and one story.
Back to like we did last time, I'd suggest we add the words 35
feet -- or one story not to exceed 35 feet.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: That's fine.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And then we do that in each case, the
not to exceed be added in there.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: That's fine.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. That's all I had.
Anybody else?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, with that--
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Just one question on that height
situation.
There is a direct quote from the neighborhood information
meeting that says here, however, the buildings will be one story not to
exceed 35 feet in height when built. That's what was stated at the
neighborhood information meeting.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I was at the neighborhood information
meeting. We talked about zoned height at the neighborhood
information meeting. The 35 feet was in the context of zoned height.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Okay. All right, I'm reading what
IS III --
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April 2, 2009
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I understand what's in the staff report,
but --
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- quotes here.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: -- I mean, we talked about zoned height
at the neighborhood information meeting.
COMMISSIONER CARON: All right. And so we should have
some reference from staff on that issue so that we can get that
confirmed.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yeah. And just so you know, at the
neighborhood information meeting we actually did hand out the PUD
document with all the uses in it identified. So we went through that
with a few people that did take the time to attend.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, then we'll ask for staff report
then.
Thank you, Rich.
MS. GUNDLACH: Good afternoon, Commissioners. I'm
Nancy Gundlach, Principal Planner with Zoning and Land
Development Review.
And as the -- staff is representing approval of this CPUD. As the
applicant previously stated, it is consistent with the neighborhood sub-
district of the Golden Gate Area Master Plan.
And at this time, if you'd like to go right into questions, I'm
happy to answer any questions.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any questions of staff?
Brad?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I do, yeah.
Nancy, the 5,000 square foot building footprint, what do you
think that means in this case?
MS. GUNDLACH: Ifwe turn to table -- it's actually on Exhibit
A. The 5,000 square feet is a limit for retail uses located within
principal structures within this PUD.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. Yet the GMP calls it a
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April 2, 2009
building footprint?
MS. GUNDLACH: The GMP calls it a building footprint?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, look on Page 7.
MS. GUNDLACH: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Third dot -- third bullet up
from the bottom.
And I guess if you want, we can wait for comprehensive
planning, since that's theirs. Maybe let them describe it.
MS. GUNDLACH: Okay. I think they're on their way.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right behind you.
MR. WEEKS: David Weeks of the Comprehensive Planning
Department.
The specific language in the Golden Gate Master Plan we're
speaking of provides that if -- that the building permit -- building
footprint cannot exceed 5,000 square feet unless the project is
submitted in the form of a PUD.
If this were not a PUD, this were conventional C-l 2 or 3
zoning, those zoning districts would cap the square footage at the
5,000 square feet for some uses, and even smaller for others.
To exceed that would require a conditional use. So they would
have to -- if they were just coming in for conventional rezoning and
they wanted a building to be larger, they would have to come in for
conditional use and have that specific review considered. This allows
through the PUD approval process for the size of the structures to be
part of this consideration.
Does that answer it?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, that's what -- I think Rich
thinks it does too.
But here's the concern, is that a PUD is essentially a way to do
creative zoning, you know creative design, stuff like that. We have no
design, we have no zoning, we just have a flat piece of land with stuff
outlined where we're not going to build parking and buildings.
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April 2, 2009
MR. WEEKS: Right.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So do you think that when they
wrote that in there, unless it's submitted in the form of a PUD, they
really meant at the time you'd be reviewing the PUD you'd understand
how they're going to build this thing? Why would you have that
requirement any other reason? I mean, the intent is not to -- in other
words, I understand what you're saying, a conventional. But are we
falling short on what a PUD would normally show us to give us the
ability to, you know, approve or accept that layout?
MR. WEEKS: I cannot factually answer that. I can say that I
think it's reasonable to assume and perhaps even to ask an applicant to
either restrict the building sizes or to provide some type of renderings
of what the buildings might look at as part of the consideration to
allow a building to be greater than 5,000 square feet.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
MR. WEEKS: But I cannot say for certain.
Going back in history, to the best of my knowledge there has
never been a time when through the PUD zoning process it was an
outright requirement to submit building footprints on a master plan.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Because, you know, it seems
odd that this is essentially a discussion of the scale of buildings why it
would matter in the legal format in which it's presented. You would
think that there has to be a reason why the PUD -- and I think because
this doesn't have -- we have no knowledge of the building,
everybody's accepting the fact you could build one large building, that
I think we may be missing the intent of that, the wording there.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Is it appropriate in comment?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: If it's fine with the Chair.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Of course. Go ahead, Richard.
Just so you know, I was chairman of the group that wrote the
intent of this language.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: So I'll defer to you.
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Your interpretation of it is the same one
that I believe we intended. Our concern was that if we had massive
buildings we wanted them to be reviewed under the PUD format so
we could look at heights, densities and setbacks, buffers and things
like that, which are all addressed in the development standards table.
If they were going to come in with 5,000 square foot buildings
or smaller, in like a business park format, that didn't bother us too
much. But it's when they'd come in with buildings that were larger
than that that we had the issue with, so --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And that's what's allowed here.
The reason --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. But that's why they're in the
PUD, too.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But the PUD is not describing
the footprint of the scale. They could build a 45,000 square foot
building.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right, but it would be 35 feet high and
have the buffers involved in it that are --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: And listening to your earlier discussion
about another petition, you all seemed to be uncomfortable with
straight rezone. And I think what you were trying to get to was you
can only have a 5,000 square foot building, unless you're willing to go
through the PUD review process, have your development standards
table in one document, a master plan that depicts your building
envelope, if you will, to give certainty to the neighbors.
And you can evaluate, based upon this, if you were to do one
building, is it okay based upon the development standards table and
everything being on the master plan. I don't think it was to get to the
specifics of the buildings themselves on the master plan, because there
is no master plan with a straight rezone, as we talked about a little
earlier. Now you have the master plan and you'll know where the
envelope is.
Page 13 1
April 2, 2009
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, I don't particularly
agree. I mean, there's discussions in the GMP about courtyards, about
a whole bunch of things that we have no idea whether you're going to
do that or not.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: We have to do that through -- the SDP
process will review all of that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And it will capture it, okay.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark, since you were there and
know the intent, I'll back off.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I think we're covered by what we've got
in regards to what we intended, so --
Anybody else have any questions?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I have a question for--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: One more of staff. And it's
transportation.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: John, I think it's a transportation
question, sir. You're in charge of this one.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: John Podczerwinsky, Transportation
Planning.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: John, the way they have this
designed, they have three lanes of traffic, a pretty wide paved area
coming out. Would that be better if they had an island between the
incoming and outcoming (sic) traffic? Do you see -- from
transportation is that safe or less safe?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Actually, it's something that we
would review at site development plan. We do have a Right-of-Way
Handbook requirement of a maximum width of 24 feet for a two-way
driveway.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So this doesn't meet it. If you
turn around and you could see --
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April 2, 2009
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Actually in the PUD process we
don't measure that. That's something that's looked at specifically at
SDP. If there's an additional lane that's required for outbound left-turn
or outbound right-turn traffic, it would be something that we would
evaluate basically on an operational basis. It's not something
specifically we look at during PUD, though.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. But this would
obviously be greater than 24 feet. So there would be probably an
island somewhere in this design, so don't worry about it, right?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else have any questions of
staff? Any questions of the applicant?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do we have any public speakers, Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: No speakers.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, anybody, do we have any reason
not to close the public hearing?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Hearing none, we'll --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Let's think of one.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Let's think of one.
Okay, Richard, Bruce isn't here, so I'm covered. We'll close the
public hearing.
I think there are only two comments, and that is number one, the
height limitations, we'll have the words not to exceed added to them.
And that the reference to the setbacks of the perimeter of the
PUD will relate that the south and west side will have a 75-foot
setback.
By the way, that's just for the required native vegetation. Any
other setbacks required by code, they're obligated to, but that's to be
added.
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April 2, 2009
Okay, anybody else have anything?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ifnot, is there a motion?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Motion to approve.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Made by Commissioner Caron. Subject
to the stipulations?
COMMISSIONER CARON: To the stipulations you just read--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And staff recommen --
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- and staff recommendations.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Seconded by Commissioner Homiak.
Any discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 8-0.
Thank you all.
Richard, that was probably the shortest one you've had in a
while.
Number 10, old business, do we have any old business?
(No response.)
Item #11
Page 134
April 2, 2009
NEW BUSINESS
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Do we have any new business?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I was -- I just want to bring
this up again, because I was really disturbed that staff was once again
taking a petitioner's agent's word for the intent of the CCPC. And I
really -- we have got to watch that. We have gotten in trouble in this
county on numerous other occasions over this, and it's really very,
very disturbing.
So I just wanted to reiterate that we need to watch that like a
hawk, because it's a serious issue.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: I don't quite follow that, Karen
( sic), could you explain it a little bit?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Well, what happened earlier was
in PUD -- what was the --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It was the Mirasol one concerning the
asterisk number nine.
COMMISSIONER CARON: The petitioner's agent took out
something from the consent without interpreting what she thought the
intent of this commission was.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Was this on his document or
was it on our document?
COMMISSIONER CARON: On what was presented to us
today. And that's why we had to have it put back in. Brad brought the
issue up and got them to put it back in.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: I understand.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Brad?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Just one thing. Maybe if that
ever happens again, it should be done, strike-through, underlined in
red. I mean, something that really says we took this out. Because if
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April 2, 2009
we hadn't have caught it, we wouldn't have caught it. So, you know,
there's nothing in there to give us a hint that somebody -- not even
staff decided something should be a better way.
MR. BELLOWS: For the record, I just want to point out, I did
talk to the planner assigned to that project to find out a little more of
what happened.
The condition footnote number nine was something that she
added and has been shoWfl on the copy sent to you as an underlined.
That was her interpretation of the CCPC's motion made at the last
meeting.
In discussing that with the applicant, Kay was in agreement that
she thought that that was redundant, that condition number nine that
she had proposed, and therefore was taking it out in favor of this other
language that was placed in the footnote. And since it was coming to
this board for approval for consent where you would review that, she
thought that her bases were covered.
But I understand the perception in this case was that you got a
document that showed a change and then there was a last second
change. I don't think it was presented to you clearly as to the facts of
what happened. But it wasn't like it was existing language in the PUD
that was removed.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. I think in the future, though,
Brad's got a good comment, so has Donna, if you highlight those
changes --
MR. BELLOWS: Definitely will.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- it will make it a little easier for us to
understand.
MR. BELLOWS: And we'll make it explain why you got a
document different than what was being handed out or explained.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Absolutely.
Is there anything else under old business, new business?
(No response.)
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April 2, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Bosi, are you here for public
comment? Okay, then there is none. There is no public left.
So let's motion to adjourn.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: So moved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Commissioner Wolfley.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Seconded by Commissioner Caron.
All in favor?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 8-0.
*****
There being no further business for the good of the County,
the meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 12:48 p.m.
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April 2, 2009
COLLIER COUNTY
PLANNING COMMISSION
MARK STRAIN, Chairman
These minutes approved by the board on
presented or as corrected
as
Page 138