CCPC Minutes 10/29/2009 GMP
October 29,2009
TRANSCRIPT OF THE CONTINUED AUIR
TRANSPORT AnON ELEMENT and THE CONTINUED GMP
AMENDMENT MEETING
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
Naples, Florida, October 29,2009
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 SPECIAL 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 (Absent)
Bob Murray
Brad Schiffer
Robert Vigliotti
David J. Wolfley
ALSO PRESENT:
Heidi Ashton-Cicko, Assistant County Attorney
Randy Cohen, Director, Comprehensive Planning
David Weeks, Manager, Comprehensive Planning
Page 1
SPECIAL AGENDA
~OLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MEET AT 8:30 A.M., ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 19. 2009
,THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEE;TING ROOM. ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, COUNTY
C.oVERNMENT CENTER, 3301 l' AMIAMI TRAIL EAST, NAPLES, FLORIDA.
~: INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMlTED TO 5 MINUTES ON ANY ITEM.
INDIVIDUALS SELECTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AN ORGANIZATION OR
GROUP ARE ENCOURAGED AND MA Y BE ALLOTTED 10 MINUTES TO SPEAK
ON AN ITEM IF SO RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIRMAN. PERSONS WISHING
TO HAVE WRITTEN OR GRAPHIC MATERIALS INCLUDED IN THE CCPC
AGENDA PACKETS MUST SUBMIT SAID MATERIAL A MINIMUM OF 10 DAYS
PRIOR TO THE RESPECTIVE PUBLIC HEARING. IN ANY CASE, WRITTEN
MATERIALS INTENDED TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE CCPe SHALL BE
SUBMITTED TO THE APPROPRIATE COUNTY STAFFA MINIMUM OF SEVEN
DAYS PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. ALL MATERIAL USED IN
PRESENTATIONS BEFORE THE CCPC WILL BECOME A PERMANENT PART
OF THE RECORD AND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PRESENTATION TO THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IF APPLICABLE.
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION OF THE CCPe WILL
NEED A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS PERTAINING THERETO, AND
THEREFORE MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD OF THE
PROCEEDINGS IS MADE. WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND
EVIDENCE UPON WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.
I. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2. ROLL CALL BY SECRETARY
3. PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENCES
4. ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. CP.2008.1, Petition requesting an amendment to the Golden Gate Area Master Plan and Golden Gate
Area Master Plan Future Land Use MaD and MaD Series. to create the Estates Shopping Center
Subdistrict to allow a maximum of 225,000 square feet of commercial uses of the C-4 zoning district,
with exceptions, and some uses of the C-5 zoning district, with requiremenlto construct a grocery store,
for property located on the north side of Golden Gate Boulevard extending from Wilson Blvd. west to 3'.
Street Northwest, in Section 4. Township 49 South, Range 27 East, consisting of :1:40.62 acres.
[Coordinator: Michele Mosca, AICP, Principal Planner)
B. CP.2008.2. Petition requesting an amendment to the Golden Gale Area Master Plan and Golden Gate
Area Master Plan Future Land Use MaD and MaD Series. to expand and modify the Randall Boulevard
Commercial Subdistrict to allow an additional 390,950 square feet of commercial uses of the C-4 zoning
district, with exceptions, for properly located on the south side of Randall Boulevard. extending from 8th
Street Northeast west to the canal on the west side of the Big Corkscrew Island Fire Station, in Sections
26 and 27, Township 48 South. Range 27 East, consisting of ;;56.5 acres. [Coordinator: Michele
Mosca, AICP, Principal Planner)
C. CP.2008-3. Petition requesting an amendment to the Golden Gate Area Master Plan and Golden Gate
Area Master Plan Future Land Use MaD and MaD Series. to create the Golden Gate Parkway Mixed-Use
Subdistrict to allow 100,000 square feet of commercial uses of the C-I through C-3 zoning districts, and
reSidential multi.family use al 3.55 dwelling units per aCre with allowance for higher density for
provision of affordable housing and for conversion of un-built commercial square feet. for property
located at the southwest corner of Golden Gate Parkway and Santa Barbara Boulevard (the site of Naples
Christian Academy (NCA) and a church), in Section 29, Township 49 South, Range 26 East, consisting of
:1:20.71 acres. [Coordinator: Leslie Persia, Senior Planner]
D. CP-2007-1. Petition requesting an amendment to the Golden Gate Area Master Plan and Golden Gate
Area Master Plan Future Land Use MaD and MaD Series, to create the Wilson Boulevard Commercial
Subdistrict, to allow a maximum of 40,000 square feet of commercial uses of the C-I through C-3 zoning
districts. for property located on the southeast comer of Immokalee Road (CR 846) and Wilson
Boulevard, in Section 27, Township 48 South, Range 27 East, consisting of :1:5.17 acres. [Coordinator:
Corby Schmidt, AICP, Principal Planner]
E. CP-2007-2, Petition requesting an amendment to the Golden Gate Area Master Plan and Golden Gate
Area Master Plan Future Land Use MaD and MaD Series, to create the Immokalee Road/Oil Well Road
Commercial Subdistrict to allow a maximum of 70,000 square feet of commercial uses of the C-I thrDUgh
C-3 zoning districts, for property located at the southwest comer of Immokalee Road (CR 846) and 33'.
Avenue Northeast, in Section 15, Township 48 South. Range 27 East, consisting of :1:10.28 acres.
[Coordinator: Carolina Valera, Principal Planner]
F. CP-2007-3, Petition requesting an amendment to the Golden Gate Area Master Plan and Golden Gate
Area Master Plan Future Land Use MaD and MaD Series. to create the Mission Subdistrict to allow church
and related uses, and 2,500 square feet of health services, with a maximum of 90.000 square feet of total
development. for property located on the south side of Oil Well Road (CR 858), 1/4 mile west of
Everglades Boulevard. in Section 19, Township 48 South. Range 28 East. consisting of :1:21.72 acres.
[Coordinator: Beth Yang, AIC"'P, Principal Planner]
G. CP.2007-5, Petition requesting an amendment to the Future Land Use Element and Future Land Use Map
and MaD Series. to create the Loganllmmokalee Mixed Use Subdistrict to allow a maximum of 260,000
square feet of commercial uses of the C-I through C-4 zoning districts, maximum of 60 dwelling units,
and agricultural uses, for properly located at the southeast comer of Immokalee Road (CR 846) and
Logan Boulevard, in Section 28, Township 48 South, Range 26 East, consisting of:t 41 acres.
[Coordinator: Corby Schmidt, AICP, Principal Planner]
H. CP.2008.4, Petition requesting an amendment to the Future Land Use Element and Future Land Use MaD
and MaD Series, to re-designate from Rural Fringe Mixed-Use District (RFMUD) Sending Lands to
Neutral Lands property located on the east and south sides of Washburn A venue. east of the Naple~
landfill, in Section 31. Township 49 South, Range 27 East. consisting of :1:28.70 acres.
[Coordinator: Corby Schmidt, AICP, Principal Planner]
I. CPSP-2008.7. Staff Petition requesting an amendment to the Future Land Use Element to add a new
Policy 4.11 pertaining to aligning planning time frames in the GMP.
[Coordinator: David Weeks, AICP, Planning Manager]
J. Cp.2009-1. Petition requesting an amendment 10 the Future Land Use Element and Future Land Use MaD
and MaD Series (FLUElFLUM). to create the Dade-Collier Cypress Recreation Area District within the
Conservation Designation, for properly located along the Miami-Dade/Collier County border, in Sections
13,14,15 & 16, Township 53 South. Range 34 East, consisting of 1,608:1: acres.
[Coordinator, ThOMas Greenwood, AICP, Principal Planner]
13. ADJOURN
CCPC AGENDA iO CONSlDFR 2007.2008 (.\NIl 2009) TRANSMJIT AI. CYCLE GMPA'S Dw/MK
October 29,2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You know what they say about how
many county employees needed to change a light bulb.
MR. COHEN: But when it comes to microphones, it works.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It only takes two.
Okay. Boy, if that's the setting of the tone for this meeting.
Welcome everybody to the Collier County Planning Commission
Special Meeting. It's actually a dual meeting today. We're going to
first talk about the transportation changes to the A UIR, and then we
will go into a discussion on Growth Management Plan Amendment for
Logan and Immokalee Road.
If you'll all please rise for pledge of allegiance.
(Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
Item #2
ROLL CALL
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. And will the secretary
please do the roll call.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'm here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Midney is
absent.
Commissioner Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Chairman Strain?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Vigliotti is here.
Commissioner Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Here.
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October 29,2009
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Homiak?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Here.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
Item #3
PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENCES
Planning Commission absences. Our next meeting will be next
Thursday. Does everybody plan on being here next Thursday?
Anybody -- oh, wait a minute, no, next Thursday's been canceled.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: They canceled Thursday? Oh,
my gosh.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, because they ran out of stuff for
us to do.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Thursday's not canceled, our
meeting is canceled, though, right?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: There will not be a planning
commission meeting on November 5th.
Boy, you guys are on the ball this morning. I don't know what
I'm going to do.
I'm looking for the next date. I think it's the 19th. Yeah, next
one is November 19th. And it will be a -- first thing up on that date
will be the remaining item for GMP A amendments, and it's the one on
Santa Barbara and Golden Gate Parkway.
And then we'll go into whatever regular agenda we have that day.
Does anybody know if they're not going to be able to make it?
Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I will be out of the state.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Anybody else?
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October 29, 2009
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, good, we will have a quorum.
Before we go into old business, I just want to make sure we --
everybody's aware of what we're discussing today. So if those in the
audience are waiting for a particular issue, we're going to rehear a
small item on the AUIR. Actually, it's a huge item on the AUIR, but
it's small compared to the paperwork we got on the second item.
The second item is CP-2007-5, it's an advertised public hearing
for a GMP amendment on the corner of Logan and Immokalee Road.
So once we finish with the AUIR review, we'll go right into that.
Okay, and with that, Mr. Feder's here and we'll go -- go right
ahead, Norm.
MR. FEDER: Mr. Chairman, thank you. For the record,
Norman Feder, Transportation Administrator.
Appreciate your indulgence in taking this issue on today.
We came to you last meeting after having presented the roads
portion of the Annual Update and Inventory Report, AUIR, and
specifically noted to you that with the information having originally
been started in about April, May for the AUIR, we got information on
our year end relative to impact fee collections.
And the graphic that you now have up here on the prompter
basically shows you what's happened to our revenue streams. In your
AUIR you have a bar chart of at least the last three years, but this goes
a little bit further back.
And that line on the top, the red line, if you will, is basically our
impact fees. And you can see how they've moved over time. They
were moving up. As probably no surprise to anyone that they're
coming down. The only part that was surprising to us is how rapidly
they came down.
And last year at the end of the year, '08, basically our collections
are about 13 million, versus almost 70 million two years before.
With that in mind, we had had in the AUIR that we presented to
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October 29,2009
you already pulled back, we thought sufficiently, but obviously not
enough, for 17 and a half million the first two years and then 20
million for the three years in the outer portion of the AUIR five-year
program.
We have now removed five million a year, bringing us down to
12 and a half for the first couple of years and then down to 15 million
for the last three years to bring it in line.
This graphic right here is a little bit hard to work with, but what it
shows you is over time we've been responsive to this rather rapid
change. And in the various mechanisms that we have, the AUIR -- in
this case an update to the AUIR before it gets presented to the board,
and that's why we wanted to come to you, because we had presented
to you previously -- and the CIE itself where typically you chew it up
and it's a little closer to the real data time,
We've had to make the adjustments, and that shows you the five
years, how it's pulled back since our peak of almost 70 million where
we thought we were conservative then, if you look at that first graph I
gave you, showed you we were over the dollar figure we started using
in that AUIR at that time.
And now for the '09 AUIR, as I said, we pulled back to 12 and a
half and then 15, or five million out of each year or 25 million
reduction.
Page 26.1 in the AUIR. I'll put it up on the screen for others.
26.1 basically walks you through one of the changes from the AUIR
that you saw previously. Obviously the biggest line is the level of
impact fee collections, which is shown as now down to 12 and a half,
as I noted, and 15, rather than 17 and a half and 20,
That $25 million reduction is basically taken, as you see in the
various categories, through some of our contingency, brought out in
some of our programs and bridge programs and in other areas. We did
not impact anything relative to the projects at this point that comprise
our efforts to meet the demands or the needs, which haven't changed
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October 29,2009
under the AUIR that you saw,
So what I'll do is rather than taking too much of your time is open
up for any questions you might have.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Typically we start -- go through
page by page, and I'd like to do that this morning so we can catch
everything.
MR. FEDER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And the first page is the summary form.
MR. FEDER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there any questions from the
Planning Commission on the summary form?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: This is the new one that was just -- that
should have been mailed to everybody. Anybody?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Norm, the carry-forward was 29 million
in the previous version, now it's 23. What happened to the other five
million?
MR. FEDER: Basically what you're seeing there is just a truing
up of difference in dates. As we've told you, the AUIR is a snapshot
in time. That's just that some of those funds have been expended in
that time. So that's the difference in fees there.
The other one, obviously the big difference is the 95 went to 70
million on the impact fees.
But yes, the carry-forward, because it's a changing item as of
3:00 a.m., I believe it is each day, this is reflecting when we pulled
this off to give you as true and accurate a picture as we have now.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And the reserve revenue--
MR. FEDER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- if you run -- continue to run with the
reserve revenue, does that mean that you're eventually going to need
to use -- add that to the general fund reimbursed costs, or how is that --
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October 29,2009
MR. FEDER: No, that is a statutory requirement for five percent
to be held in reserve.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But it's shown as a negative.
MR. FEDER: It's always shown as a negative, because it's held
back in reserve. It's required by staff.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, So it's not usable, it's just
holding there. It's not additional reserve you have to spend, it's
reserve out of what you started to spend.
MR. FEDER: And after you spend down, you can get to spend
that. You're holding five percent in reserve. So it reduces. As you
see, I've got 17 here and I had 19 previously.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. And then you're -- in 2007 and
2008 you had loans of $50 million?
MR. FEDER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Where are those loans on this sheet? Or
are they --
MR. FEDER: We never took out that loan. We were offered up
to our max, the 13 percent, the ability to go with a $15 million
commercial paper loan. We looked at that. We didn't need it
immediately. And then as we looked at it over the succeeding two
years, we determined that we, especially with the income stream and
impact fees, which would be the commitment for payback, we're in a
position to borrow that money, so we did not. So that's out of our
program.
And as you see on the graphic, which is basically many ways the
same on Page 22, which should be the second page, we've removed
that from our income stream. We never used it. It was made available
to us.
And if you remember, I think it was three years ago when we
showed you about $180 million shortfall, we've done a number of
adjustments, and one of them was we had brought in that 50 million as
part of our answer. We never used that funds (sic) and are not in a
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October 29,2009
position to pay it back, so we did not obligate those dollars.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But if you put those funds in as a
potential for 2007 and 2008 and the AUIR was supposed to span a
five-year horizon, where did you build in the interest payment and
principal payment payback of that loan into prior AUIRs, and how is
that reflected in this new sheet?
MR. FEDER: Again, we never borrowed the money, we never
used the money, and so what we did is gave up that commitment of
our availability to use the dollars. So it was never used, there was
never an interest payment to be made.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I understand that. I know you
never used it. But you anticipated using it in 2007 and 2008 because
you put it in your summary form.
MR. FEDER: We put it in the summary form. We had some
payback. We took that out, as well as the $50 million proceeds.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. But if you anticipated a loan,
that means you should have anticipated the negative the loan would
have created on the books for both principal and interest payments.
MR. FEDER: Correct. And both of those are out.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, I know that. Where did they
come out of? So if we were to go back and reflect then, your expenses
were decreased for the amount of principal and interest on that
potential $50 million loan?
MR. FEDER: Correct. And that's from the prior AUIR. We no
longer were assuming those revenue streams and worked accordingly,
Some of that was resolved by estimates that are somewhat lower
because of the cost of delivery of products. And you see some of our
estimates of costs down. Some of that was impacted by reductions
and right-of-way and different projects like Vanderbilt Beach Road
extension and the like.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Does the impact fee number you have
here and the ones you projected for the five years -- I think you've got
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October 29,2009
12 million five and then 15 million for the last three years -- does that
include increases or decreases in impact fee value?
MR. FEDER: It includes only the current rate of impact fee
assessment.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: With the value of your road
construction having gone down, it looks -- I think it's 30 percent or 33,
whatever it is, are you anticipating a reduction in impact fee value?
MR. FEDER: That's why we didn't go up as much. We're
assuming some growth in the outer years, but because our impact fees
mayor may not go down, we didn't include as much growth. That's
why you only see it going from 12, five to 15.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are your impact fees tied to your road
costs?
MR. FEDER: Yes, they are.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So in essence that's going to
have to be recalibrated. I know they've got --
MR. FEDER: Constantly.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- fancy new formulas every time we go
to take something back --
MR. FEDER: Every three years we have to do a full
methodology, which we did last year. And then every other year we
do an indexing. And yes, we do expect that there will be some
adjustment. And again, that's a constantly moving item.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Does anybody else have any
questions, Page I?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Page 2 is a chart. Are there any
questions from the chart?
(No response.)
MR. FEDER: What I will point out, that shows that our other
revenue streams, gas taxes are going to step down, as has ad valorem.
So as our maintenance costs go up and as our needs continue to some
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October 29,2009
degree, we're getting very strapped financially.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, how about page -- well, it says
Page 3 in blue ink on mine. I'm not sure what number you all have.
But it's called -- first page of attachment B.
MR. FEDER: It should be 23.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: 23? Does anybody have any questions
on Page 23?
Go ahead, Ms. Caron.
COMMISSIONER CARON: I'll just make a comment, that
under the third bullet --
MR. FEDER: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- I think you need to take the
word "while" out and capitalize "the" in order for it to be a complete
sentence.
MR. FEDER: The first word "while"?
COMMISSIONER CARON: (Nods head affirmatively.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else on that page, first page of
attachment B?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Norm -- do you have more?
COMMISSIONER CARON: No, go ahead.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: In the third sentence of the third bullet
you say over 250 additional lane miles of urban, rural, arterial and
local roads have been added to the county system for maintenance
since 2000.
Then you go on, historical funding for O&M has not addressed
industry standards for anticipated life cycles, which are six to eight
years.
Where do you develop your industry standard from?
MR. FEDER: Industry standard, as the name implies, is pretty
much a rule of thumb that is used nationally and definitely in the State
of Florida, and is borne out unfortunately by the conditions we see on
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October 29,2009
portions of what we built at the beginning of2000,
Livingston Road right now has areas that need to be resurfaced.
And as a major arterial, you're in that six to eight-year time frame.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Let me get to my question, because it
might be simpler than what -- where you're going.
MR. FEDER: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Roads are affected differently by the
temperate climate in which they exist, whether you're in Maine or
whether you're in Florida.
MR. FEDER: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Could you send me the reference to the
industry standards you're using --
MR. FEDER: I'll get you something on it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- so I can take a look and match it up to
Florida? I know you've probably done that, but I'd like to have my
own level of comfort on that.
MR. FEDER: I'd be happy to do that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And then the next item, next sentence,
funding for road surfacing is such that required maintenance can only
be performed on an average 50-year cycle.
So even though you're saying the life cycles are six to eight
years, we're doing them every 50 years? Is that what that sentence
means?
MR. FEDER: We're a little bit better than that. We're about 42
years. So we have pavement that has to last quite a while, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, So you're already not hitting the
industry standards?
MR. FEDER: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: By two or three times.
MR. FEDER: By at least twice, yes. Because a lot of our
mileage is in the rural area. So to clarify on that, you're probably
about twice.
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October 29, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Then the second sentence from
the end, you refer to the O&M shortfall. This could reduce capital
projects in the work program, resulting in concurrency problems and
could require an increase in the impact fee rate.
How do you factor --
MR. FEDER: As I move--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- impact fees react to O&M?
MR. FEDER: As I move my gas tax and ad valorem to
maintenance, less of it is a credit against your impact fee. So as your
impact fee is calculated, it's also calculated with a credit based on how
much gas tax, ad valorem, which are my other two sources of fund, go
to the program.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. I'm not sure I follow all that, but
I heard you, and I'll just have to digest it.
Anybody else have any questions on that page?
MR. FEDER: Ifmy credits go down, the fee could go up. Now,
the fee's going to get adjusted by the cost, as you pointed out.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right.
MR. FEDER: But this is just making the observation that ifI
have to pull the other credit sources out of the capacity program, then
I have less of a credit against that cost, whatever it's determined at that
point in time, for the impact fee.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else on that page? Ifnot--
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: No other reason than just to
qualify further on that 50-year cycle. You probably, I'm presuming,
and ifI'm wrong I'd like to know, that while you've stated this way
here, I would think that you'd have a tiered system of averaging. And
could you disclose what, for major roads like Livingston, what your
expected frequency would be?
MR. FEDER: The expected frequency, as noted, is basically a
six to eight on average. You've got some that are in better condition.
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October 29, 2009
We don't resurface unless pavement conditions warrant.
So in some roadways, even on arterials, I'll last longer. Some of
them I'll be in that situation sometimes a little bit closer, depending
upon the amount of truck traffic, other issues that come to bear.
We don't have the snow, the hot and the cold, but we do have the
considerable heat on asphalt, and so therefore our issues are heaving
and other issues that can create hydroplaning more than necessarily
the cracking, but we get cracking and other issues as well.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I can appreciate that before
while we had fewer roads, the maintenance probably in tandem, but
functional.
But now that you've built all these additional lane miles and
they're high use lane miles, that changes the relationship for
maintenance, doesn't it?
MR. FEDER: To a degree.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Makes the maintenance greater
MR. FEDER: But I think you answered some of it there. We've
added lane miles, but we've also added traffic.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yes.
MR. FEDER: And so we still are having them utilized.
And the key is that when I started in 2000, watched 250 lane
miles we added. While we were in the process of adding those lane
miles over this nine-year period, basically the contract was
maintaining those roadways a good portion of that time, or they were
brand new. So their maintenance needs are now coming up.
And while they were being developed, I wasn't maintaining
another 150 lane miles of the existing lanes that also got addressed and
were being maintained by the contractor a good portion of that time.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That's a good piece of
information. That fills in a blank, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And I keep looking over at the clock
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October 29,2009
and realizing we shouldn't have started yet.
Mike and Randy, since you guys were so good and took two
county employees to fix the speaker, how many will it take to fix that
clock, do you think? It's going to throw us off all day long, I can tell
you.
MR. COHEN: That's in advance of the change in time that's
going to occur this weekend.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is that it? Okay, we're getting prepared.
We're a step ahead. Kind of like Norm's doing.
MR. FEDER: It's an efficiency measure. We're just trying to be
ahead of time.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, next page, second page of
attachment B. Anybody have any questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Norm, on note two you talk about there
is an artificially -- there's a concern that the artificially low
background traffic problem will allow additional development
approval which does not consider the current vacancy rate factor in the
additional trips on the network.
But I do know that you bank trips on the network way in advance
of when they're potentially going to be used for all the developments
out there that have not progressed as they thought they would. So we
do have a lot of excess in the system.
Is there some way that you can recalibrate your system so that
we're not building roads ahead of time based on ghost density that
may not happen now for five, 10, 15 years down the road? I mean, I
know some projects right now that are way off in their projections.
MR. FEDER: Yes. And we already made some adjustment.
This relates to another part of it.
But very quickly, when we started out on the concurrency
management real-time concurrency, what we did is based on about
three different indicators that told us that generally on average
Page 14
October 29,2009
developments build out within about seven years residential,
commercial of course faster, that we would take one-seventh of that
capacity and bring it in each year.
For the last two to three years we've slowed down on that
because we haven't realized that kind of build-out level. And so we've
already made some adjustment that we're not pulling that in as quickly
those vested trips into the network.
But added to that is those trips, when they're coming in, are
assumed to be in the system when we do basically the background
traffic, we do the traffic counts and say what's in there. And then
assume some more that could come in from development. As I said,
we slowed down that bringing in of those vested trips, but we're taking
the background traffic with an assumed level of development.
What we've got right now is development that isn't generating
any trips, called vacancies, And that vacancy rate is very, very high.
So here I've got development that may come on and want to go,
and I've got an assumption in my background trips with a reasonable
level of vested trips that developed, and we've done rooftop studies
and things, so we've slowed it down some, because it wasn't growing
as fast as one-seventh, as you said,
But those rooftops exist. So when I get my background traffic
it's in there already theoretically. But we know it's basically
understated because many of those are vacant. Now, I don't have all
the specifics, but the vacancy rate generalities we've given you here.
The importance of that is as we're considering development those
vacant trips can come on-line very, very fast. And they pay nothing to
come on-line as new trips onto the system. They did previously and
that's where the capacity was there.
But it's also assumed in there and then we look at it with all that
development that's out there, the rooftops that are out there, and we
look at what our traffic counts are, and it's giving us a little bit of an
understatement, is what we're trying to point out, because there are --
Page 15
October 29,2009
there is a rather large vacancy rate.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is there any way to utilize the
suspension of this absorption rate that we used to have in Collier
County and it's kind of on hold for say a year or two --
MR. FEDER: In general--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- to realize it into the road system
build-out?
MR. FEDER: In generalities we are pretty close to that. We've
slowed it down quite a bit, bringing that one-seventh in, because it's
not happening that fast.
But this is just a recognition that even if I suspended it, I've got a
lot of vacant units, When I do the ground-truthing, traffic counts,
even if I don't pull any more vested trips in, I'm getting an idea of
what my capacity is. And what we're saying is it's a little bit
understated as to -- it's overstated what my available capacity is,
because there's a lot of vacancies out there not generating the trips that
one would have expected.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, if we go on to the next sentence
in there --
MR. FEDER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- you have a couple of words that I
need to understand, It says, observation and sampling continue to
indicate that there's a 20 percent vacancy rate east of Collier
Boulevard and 20 to 50 percent in the urban area.
Whose observations?
MR. FEDER: We went out and, as we said -- first of all, we did
the rooftops. We also did some work with utility bills and whether or
not they've been turned off to available units.
And so that's why I said we're calling it observation, because it's
not scientific data or anything we could do extensively, but it was just
to try to get a feel for this issue.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It says and sampling. What kind of
Page 16
October 29, 2009
sampling?
MR. FEDER: Just going out and going certain areas and looking
at what level of vacancy you have in some different developments.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Can you send me copies of your
observations and --
MR. FEDER: Yes, we will.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- sampling that you have in writing?
MR. FEDER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
Anybody else have any questions on that page?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The next page is attachment C. It's our
peak hour directional volume map. Anybody have any questions on
that?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The next page is the attachment D, and
that's the one previously put on the board with the yellow highlighting
on it. Involves the specific project names.
Does anybody have any questions on that page?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I guess I hate to keep taking all the time,
but I still have a lot of questions.
So Norm, on that particular page where it says Oil Well Road --
MR. FEDER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- you don't have anything on Oil Well
Road for the forthcoming five years, but I know that a lot of work is
planned for out there. Why don't we have anything in the forthcoming
five years?
MR. FEDER: As we discussed with you when we did the AUIR,
that was scheduled to be in last year's fiscal year. It is now out on the
streets. We expect the bids in very shortly. But we had a number of
issues we had to address, not the least of which were the finalization
Page 17
October 29,2009
of the permitting items. We had some right-of-way to acquire. And
this coming Tuesday one of the last issues that we have on it, which is
the right-of-way from Collier Enterprises, is -- was approved last
Tuesday.
So we're in a situation right now where we're ready to open bids
and move on it. But the monies were in fiscal year '09 and they rolled,
assuming there (sic) was going to be let in '09, and it wasn't because of
those issues.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And your anticipated cost for Oil Well
Road is?
MR. FEDER: I believe it was $34 million.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Forty-seven.
MR. FEDER: $47 million, excuse me.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms, Caron, by the way, did you have
another question on that issue?
COMMISSIONER CARON: No, I was just going to say, all
those figures for those dollars that we don't see that we all know are
out there on attachment J, and that's where the 47,821,000 for the two
Oil Well projects.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And it's reading attachment J, which
spurred my question from the attachment D. Because previously I had
heard indications that the Oil Well Road cost was going to be 60
million or above, yet your attachment G only shows 47 million,
And if that's the case and it was to be allocated in 2009, then it
would need then to have 13 million further spread out from FY '10 to
FY'14. And if your costs have gone down to that point where it's no
longer 60 million, I understand that now, so --
MR. FEDER: It was never 60 -- well, it's not 60 million. What
we have committed with the 47 million, which you show in
attachment J, which is what you had asked for when we came to you
with the AUIR previously, is the amount of impact fees that has been
collected within the two impact fee districts. Which is what our
Page 18
October 29,2009
commitment back was to the construction on Oil Well Road.
We're out to bid right now and we'll find out whether or not that
gets us the two segments that we're looking for, the western and
eastern segments.
We just had our meeting with the contractors. We had an
exceptionally high volume of people interested in bidding on this
project, so we're optimistic, although we'll wait and see what we get
for bids.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Did you have a question, Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah. Since that was originally
part of '09 but did not get let until right now, it has to come through on
your carry-forward, right?
MR. FEDER: That's correct. And that's what J is providing for.
You had asked what --
COMMISSIONER CARON: So there's 135 million in projects
on attachment J.
MR. FEDER: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: And there's only 23 million in
carry-forward, including your bonds, on the first summary page.
MR. FEDER: Yeah, first of all, you've got two different issues in
carry-forward. One is encumbered projects and how they roll. So this
is really in J is what would be termed as roll forward money attached
to projects.
When I let a project for 25 million and it's over three years
payout and I payout five million the first year, 20 million will roll so
that I continue to be able to pay the bills as the project continues the
next two years. That's roll forward.
Carry-forward is more an item of the budgeting, and that's one
that we get a little better handle on. It changes daily, as you saw by
the first page, giving you the newer number.
COMMISSIONER CARON: So your roll forward dollars don't
show anywhere on this?
Page 19
October 29,2009
MR. FEDER: No, and that's why we had the category up here,
Because they get trued up only after the budget's developed, And
they're a snapshot in time. It depends how much I pay down at the end
of the year, that gets trued up and then the establishment of what that
roll amount is.
And that's why we had the category up here and have had it for a
number of years, showing you all the active projects that were
previously encumbered that still have some level of money on it. You
had asked to see that, including the Oil Well, and that's what
attachment J is.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay? I mean, it may not be okay, but
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I would say I would think
it's not okay, but it is what it is.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, back on attachment--
MR. FEDER: You're always going to have some level of roll
forward, as I said, because you have payout curves in times.
COMMISSIONER CARON: I understand that. My problem is
that it doesn't show and it wouldn't have showed unless we had asked
for --
MR. FEDER: And we'll provide it to you each year, as long as
it's understood it's a snapshot in time, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And as far as that attachment D under
your DCAs --
MR. FEDER: Yes,
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- there's only one that you mention.
That's the consortium on 41 and 951. I know we have other DCAs in
the county. In fact, you're benefiting from one for the Oil Well
extension.
MR. FEDER: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: How do you factor those in, or where do
you show those?
Page 20
October 29,2009
MR. FEDER: It's showing it in as grant funds, DCA,
consortium, but you also have grants and reimbursements, and so
you're seeing that down there. You have not only the Oil Well trip
funds, we also have trip funds on two of the Collier Boulevard
projects, One is six million, the other two together are over nine
million. Those are shown down there in your grants.
And again, as direction of the board and as this committee's
concerns, we're very conservative on that. Ifwe haven't gotten a
strong commitment of that money, it's not shown.
But that is part of your grant funding, that money on Oil Well, as
well as other trip monies.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I guess I'm a little confused then.
You just said we have more DCAs than the one that's shown on here
specifically. It says -- and it differs, by the way, on the top of
attachment D than on the bottom. On the top of attachment D you
have the 60116 and for that you show a total of 20 million, 646. But
down below you show 5 million, 253. Do you know why those differ?
MR. FEDER: Yeah, because first of all you've got the total cost
in there. I've got monies that I'm working with Florida DOT. We're
taking on the resurfacing of 951 to the south, a little over 7 million.
That JPA has been executed, it will be made part of this project, as
well as the intersection.
And you've got the monies that are coming in. Over time you had
an initial shot of monies and you have the other monies that are
committed out of that JPA with 951 consortium.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Could you put this attachment D in the
yellow format back on the screen? It was on there earlier.
MR. FEDER: Yes. It's going up now.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. If you look where it says FY '13
and go down to 60116 that's in the left column.
MR. FEDER: Yes,
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Follow it over. You have a yellow
Page 21
October 29,2009
highlighted 15 million, 393.
And over on the right from that it totals in 20 million.
But if you go down to DCA consortium, US 41/951 below 60171
under revenues, you have all the other years for that US 41/951
consortium equal to the one up above, but you don't carry the 15393.
Why did you exclude that specific year?
MR. FEDER: Because those dollars are predominantly coming
out, as I said, from the JP A with Florida DOT and is -- a set of grant
funds have been brought to it. So it is not just the consortium has been
brought down there and is part of the DOT, JPA and the overall
intersection design. Because we have a JP A with the state for both the
intersection and the resurfacing below it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, then where down below is the
15393 included? In which ones of those numbers?
MR. FEDER: In the 19657 (sic).
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: 6677
MR. FEDER: 667, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So then the 60116, it's only
included there because it's part of the resurfacing, it is not part of the
DCA.
MR. FEDER: It's part of the overall project. Down here you're
looking at the funding sources. Up there you're looking at the overall
project cost of all funding sources.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: When we move on to the next line
below where it says operation improvements program?
MR. FEDER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I think whoever did your sheets may
have missed something.
Could you turn to the second page of attachment F, I believe it is.
It's your big spread sheets. Yes.
MR. FEDER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And in the lower right-hand corner of
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October 29,2009
that last page you have a series of numbers that reflect operations and
maintenance, but they don't correspond with the new numbers you
have under operations improvements program on the page attachment
D. At least I can't make them correspond.
MR. FEDER: And they may not. In the update of this, I'm not
sure that table got updated. We'll make that correction.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. You have an item under 60171
called advanced right-of-ways. What is that?
MR. FEDER: Excuse me. That is opportunity buy, as we look at
certain corridors. Most recently we've used it to purchase some
retention ponds on Randall Boulevard based on negotiated purchase,
having done about 30 percent in-house design plans.
And so it's basically to look at opportunity buy outside of specific
project activities that are programmed for right-of-way.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, so how far in advance do you buy
land for projects? For example, say you have a project on your
long-range transportation plan that's 20 years down the road. Would
you spend money in the next five years under advanced right-of-way
for the goals of that project?
MR. FEDER: Not unless I had at least some level of design, first
of all, to make sure I knew what my right-of-way needs were. I
wouldn't just go off of the long-range plan. Generally it would be
something closer and it would be to exclude or preclude, as we are
aware of it, a development that might not allow the corridor to be
developed, or to acquire like in this case on Randall some of the
retention ponds before development makes that very, very expensive
or very difficult to do.
So it would be nearer term but it's not something that's in our five
years. And we'd have to have some level of design to back it up.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. The next page is a -- just a
cleanup of the first page, at least the one I have. Whoever's got that
phone on, please stop. It happens to be me. You know what? When
Page 23
October 29,2009
I'm working out in the yard I put this thing on noise so I hear, and that
was last night, so now I've got to put it back on vibrate. Sorry.
Attachment E would probably be the next attachment. Does
anybody have any questions on attachment E?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Then we get to attachment F, which is a
fold-out 11 by 17 page. Anybody have questions on attachment F?
(No response.)
MR. FEDER: And we'll make those adjustments we just spoke
about, gentlemen,
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right.
Attachment G is a spreadsheet showing updated deficiencies
report. Any questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Attachment H?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Attachment I?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Then the last one is attachment J, which
we already discussed.
And then the two charts, Does anybody have any further
questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And I know the Productivity Committee
has taken up this issue -- or they're going to. They will hopefully have
issues involving the financial part of it that I think they are -- probably
understand better than I certainly do. And I don't necessarily disagree
with their position, but I don't know if it's a planning issue for the
Planning Commission, so at this point I want to ask anybody, do they
have any questions involving this?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Norm, have you already met with
the Productivity Committee?
Page 24
October 29,2009
MR. FEDER: Yes, we did, we met with them. The
sub-committee met with the full committee and we presented to them,
yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: All right. And what was the
outcome?
MR. FEDER: They recommended the sub-committee
recommendation, that we look at taking eight-and-a-half million out of
the roads program and three million out of the stormwater program.
In your AUIR you have the letter that was drafted and signed for
I guess the chairman.
COMMISSIONER CARON: We don't have that.
MR. FEDER: Okay. It's in the AUIR in the introduction.
I would tell you and we'll be discussing this with the board, and I
have a correspondence that's just gone out to everyone. The statement
is that the transportation administrator said that the only implication
on the roads program for eight-and-a-half million out a year for the
four common years was that two 951 projects would be each delayed
one year.
That is extremely far -- relatively inaccurate to my presentation,
including both the written material that I gave and in my verbal
presentation in issues that were discussed. But we'll discuss that with
the board.
It would be very significant impacts if that were followed. We
recognize that well, as we already have, it used to be 10 million, it's
actually not eight-five anymore, it's seven-six beyond the debt service,
which has been constant, that is made available in ad valorem to the
capital program in transportation.
But even if you took that out at that level, you will have basically
everything that is outside of the current year other than one 951
project. The one at 13 from Golden Gate Boulevard down to Green
would be removed. The 41/951 scope somewhat modified remains,
the others would be out. Your prospect's to fund all of the projects
Page 25
October 29,2009
under that funding level scenario, even assuming that impact fees stay
at the exorbitant 20 million, depending where they go, of course. But
if you keep other things even, if you will, you're talking 2022 just to
deliver on what's in your AUIR today. That's with no other issues
comIng up.
So we recognize, just as we've gone from 10 million down to
about seven-six that we're probably part of the solution when we're
looking at reduced ad valorem assessments and therefore revenues.
But at the same time taking all of it out other than debt service is
rather draconian is what we're going to at least present to the board.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Whatever that letter was, the
Planning Commission did not get a copy of it.
MR. BOSI: And I apologize. That's a recommendation from the
Productivity Committee --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Right.
MR. BOSI: -- to the Board of County Commissioners. It
provided with in the books that it was going to the Board of County
Commissioners. It was provided -- I guess we should have provided it
as an additional exhibit for the review of the transportation
component. But when I distributed the transportation component by
FedEx, that was not available yet per the Productivity Committee. .
MR. COHEN: And what we'll do is we'll e-mail it to you.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Perfect.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, you just provided, though, the
example as to why the Board of County Commissioners saw it best for
the Productivity Committee and the Planning Commission to jointly
hear this. While they are numbers crunchers more than we are and we
are more planning effort, it would have been nice to hear their position
and hear it debated in an open forum where we're all present like
originally anticipated.
I know that had to change because of the add-on at the last
Page 26
October 29,2009
minute, but I certainly would have liked to have heard that portion of
it.
But on the other hand I've got to ask you a question, Norm. I
think we're going to have a tougher year ahead of us than not. I think
2010 is going to be another -- more of a reaction year to the economic
problems in this country for us because of our high level of standards
we have here than other countries may have in reaction in 2010.
And if it takes us longer to come back, we have to do things next
year that are going to be desperate. And some of those is maybe the
gold fleecing on the outside of our buildings has to peel off. And
maybe we have to do not quite so much glitter and get down to some
very, very hard basics just to get by without imposing additional taxes
on our citizens, which I certainly don't think we need in any category
whatsoever.
If you go forward with this AUIR and the board decides because
of the reduction in revenues next year that they go along with the
Productivity Committee either now or next year and they want to cut
this, are they able to?
MR. FEDER: Yes. And obviously we're going to the board.
The Productivity Committee will be presenting their issues.
But let me just hit a couple of things, if I can have your
indulgence.
First of all, as well as they send you the Productivity Committee
response, I'd like to have them send you the response that I'm
providing as well as follow-up to that.
I need to tell you that this board, while we have both entities that
we presented to, the issue is the AUIR. The AUIR is to identify what
in a snapshot in time, based on the level of service that we establish,
our anticipated revenues, whether or not we have a cost feasible
five-year situation. Which then leads into both the CIE, which has to
be a cost feasible plan, and our budgeting.
But it is not a budgeting item. And what I'm dealing with is one
Page 27
October 29, 2009
month after having established a budget, a request to develop a
five-year budget. And interestingly enough, their comments from the
Productivity Committee found that all others were fine except for take
eight-and-a-half out of transportation, it's really seven-six, and three
million out of stormwater. There was nothing in that discussion about
what it does for concurrency.
Let me discuss for just a minute.
We had a savings and loan crisis in the late Eighties and early
Nineties. We had a growth curve that wasn't quite as extreme, it was
more recent. We then had a leveling off and somewhat of a drop
because it got very hard and very tight to get money. And everybody
declared that well, the growth spurt is over, we're okay.
I came in 2000 at the end of the crisis that was created by being
okay and deciding not to do anything for six or seven years. I spent
nine years of my life, it feels like 25 as far as age, trying to get us out
of the hole.
What we are proposing here is to do it again. It's deja vous all
over again. As the great philosopher, Yogi Berra says, it's deja vous
all over again. And I hope that we don't go to that -- that's why I
called it draconian -- orientation.
Do we need to pull back? Yes. Am I at level of service E, which
is the lowest level of service? Yes. So I'm not guild-plating the issue.
I'm not even maintaining at a proper level.
So I'm not advocating increased revenues. And I've already said
to you, as I said to the Productivity Committee, we recognize that
we're part of the solution as well. And the times call for belt
tightening, and we're going to have more of that.
But the idea of only taking one area in the whole county, who has
already the lowest level of service set, and resolving your issues on
that basis and recreating what we did before tells me we've learned
nothing from history,
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, let me reflect on something I
Page 28
October 29, 2009
heard the last time we talked about this. Not you and I but in a
meeting, I think Nick was there.
I questioned the fact that Golden Gate Boulevard east of Wilson
was now kind of like off the books, it's postponed for years when it's
got a level of service F and there's backup traffic, and the money I was
told had to go to other areas that we're committed to. And I
understand that, I'm not even complaining about it, because I knew it
was a commitment.
But I said well, how can you just move it from the books from
the year it was there till these past years?
Well, you know the failure is really only at the peak time. It's
only early in the morning. After that it works just fine.
Well, I drive 951 probably more than you do. I drive it
continuously -- I shouldn't say continuously but I drive it many times
every day. And it is only peak time in the morning that it's backed up.
And it's not backed up for more than a couple of light changes. I've
been there from 6:00 in the morning to 8:30 in the morning to 9:00 to
midday to late day going north and south. So if that's the
inconvenience we have to have in order not to have a tax increase,
that's not a bad inconvenience. And all I'm suggesting is, and I think
you already answered it, is if the board realizes next year we have to
cut further and these are programs that they may want to consider, that
isn't as bad of a thing to cut in my opinion as other things that could be
done. So--
MR. FEDER: And that's fine, that's what the board will have to
decide.
The only thing I'll say on that is Golden Gate Boulevard is slated
to be, at least at the program stages here, even with the impact fee
reduction, slated to be the new six-year project. And that's why you
see a balance maintained at the end of the fifth year to allow the
revenues in the sixth year to allow that project to go.
It is a backlog. It's identified in your AUIR as a backlog. And
Page 29
October 29,2009
it's one that we hope to get to. So I don't want to minimize that issue.
And it isn't just a little bit in the morning. I've been out there.
First of all, it's particularly in the morning because the school buses
during the school year. But it's also other times of the day as well.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Norm, it wasn't me that was said it was
a little bit in the morning, that was the answer that was given to me is
that it's only a peak hour backup just in the morning. Well, okay,
well, so is 951.
MR. FEDER: All of the --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So if you can --
MR, FEDER: All of the systems--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: If you can justify it on one, you can
justify it on all is all I'm getting at.
MR. FEDER: All the system by its very nature is a peak hour
backlog. At 3:00 a.m. I've got plenty of capacity.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, anybody else have any
questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And by the way, I can't let the day go
without complimenting or talking about Nick. In all the questions
you've got here today, you can thank Nick for those.
Go ahead, Mr. Bosi.
MR. BOSI: Mr. Chairman, you do have one speaker.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Good.
MR. BOSI: Ms. Janet Vasey.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Janet, you want to come up and speak?
Do we need to swear her in or anything for AUIR?
MS. ASHTON-CICKO: No, you don't.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
MS. VASEY: Hello, Janet Vasey for the record.
I had planned to tell you about what the Productivity Committee
did at our meeting this month so that we could close the loop with
Page 30
October 29,2009
you.
Norm has alluded to a lot of the things. Not exactly the way we
saw them, obviously. But basically on the road program -- well, let
me just back up a second,
Our concern, when we were in the workshop with you, is what
the future funding looks like. And you know in FY '10, property
values dropped only 11 percent, and it was a $30 million cut to
property tax revenues. And we ended up having I think a 13 percent
increase in property taxes for FY '10,
So our vision for this was there's -- there was only -- really only
roads and stormwater in the five-year program construction. Nobody
else has any big pieces in here. And that's why we looked at
transportation.
So we feel like a lot of people are talking about maybe a 15
percent reduction in property tax values in FY , 11. Well, if it was 30
million for 11 percent drop, you know, we're talking in that ballpark
for 15 percent too. So we have to look ahead.
And we were concerned about being locked into a five-year
program that we could not afford without property tax increases. So
that was our view in what we were bringing to the discussion and to
the Commission.
Now, as far as the changes that were made on the road program,
there were very minimal changes, Very minimal changes in the first
two years, '11 and '12. I think $6 million. And you never got any of
the analysis that we got. We had a whole one of these worksheets
with all of the numbers based on our $8.5 million reduction each year,
and we could see how the programs change.
And basically in '11 projects, about $6 million of projects
dropped out. But in '12,3.5 million came back. So we felt like for
those first two years there was very little change for taking out 8.5
million in '11 and '12.
But of course you will feel the impact. I mean, you can't take
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October 29, 2009
that kind of money out without impact. But it's not in '11 and '12. It
happens really in '13 when the project on Collier Boulevard from
Golden Gate Boulevard to Green moves from '13 to '14. And then in
'14 the Collier Boulevard from Golden Gate Canal to Green moves
from '14 probably into '15. And then another one, the Santa Barbara
Copper Leaf to Green moves from' 14 to the out years.
That's the impact if you have 8.5 million every year of the
four-year period.
Now, I don't believe and I don't believe anyone in the
Productivity Committee believes that that would be necessary to have
that kind of a cut for the next four years. But we do really believe that
there's an important issue in '11 and maybe even '12.
So in our -- I think in the back of our minds we were thinking 8.5
would probably come back in in '13 and '14, which would buy back
some of these roads.
So what we were looking at when we looked at the road program
was yes, it's a slippage, yes, there are issues, but there are funding
problems that are very serious and we wanted the Commissioners to
look at this option.
And I know that's not from the purview that you look at it, but
that's what we were trying to look at.
So I wanted you to understand how that is. And we had -- you
know, we had worksheets. And I was surprised, Norman said that it
would affect the US 41/951 intersection. And there was no money
taken out of that in the new numbers he gave us.
So that's kind of the way we looked at the roads.
And then we had asked for a look at what would happen if the
millage rate was cut for stormwater from .15 mills to .10 mills, you
know, one-third cut. And we got the paperwork on that.
And I don't have it to compare to your change sheet on
stormwater, but basically what happened was we said we couldn't
really live with that whole cut. It would have been about $13 million.
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October 29,2009
But Norman took $4 million out of the Big Cypress Basin grant
program each of the years' 11 through '14, and he said there wasn't
enough money -- I mean, there's too much uncertainty to leave that in
the program.
So we said okay, we're not going to take the full 13 million, we
only recommended taking 9 million out. And basically what that does
is it takes out some of the new programs that were put in for the first
time in this AUIR.
And we also recommended that they rework the L.A.S.I.P.
program to try and achieve some savings. Commissioner Coyle
himself thought, you know, there were some areas there. And we had
a big discussion on L.A.S.I.P. in the workshop, so we thought maybe
that could save some money.
And then we wanted them to aggressively pursue the grants. Not
the Big Cypress -- well, we wanted them to get the Big Cypress
money back, but aggressively pursue other grants that this whole
program was set up to attract. And then also try and get down to the
.1 mills. So, you know, we're still kind of looking in that direction.
And I did forget to tell you, on the roads we also made a
recommendation that they look at if the program slippage that would
occur by taking the 8.5 million out in each one of those years is
unacceptable, we suggested looking at some bonding. They're
projecting that impact fees -- no, I'm sorry, the gas tax money would
be increasing in the program in some of the years.
And so we said take a look and see if there's any opportunity for
bonding to buy back some of these roads, you know, a little sooner
than would be achieved if you took the 8.5.
So I think that's -- I wanted you to understand what we were
thinking about. And I'd be happy to answer any of your questions, in
can. We'll be at the meeting on the -- next week for the AUIR
presentation to the Board of County Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody have any questions of Janet?
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October 29,2009
Go ahead, Donna, and then Brad.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I thought that the county
was pretty well bonded out and that we weren't able to do that.
MS. VASEY: Well, that's why we were looking at the increase
in the tax revenues for gas taxes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Just the increase in -- okay.
MS. VASEY: Yeah. I can't remember who, it might have been
-- oh, yeah, Jim Gibson on our committee is really the bonding guy,
and he looked at some of the increases over the years that are
projected.
I think you can get a -- this is not my area, but he was talking
about you could get a fairly substantial amount of money, like
$300,000, in debt service for the bonding. And some of these impact
fee -- some of the gas tax money was going up enough to cover some
of that.
So it was something to look into if it turns out that the 8.5 that we
were suggesting couldn't be lived with.
MR. FEDER: We bonded at the level of 23 million a year on gas
tax. We are now down about 18. And our AUIR shows that we might
get up to about 20. We are not in a position to re-bond. Although we
are asking our finance, because we're bonded out to 2023, which is
also the last year, unless it's re-upped in some manner, of the local
option gas tax. But we are asking finance committee if there's any
opportunity to bond.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Brad?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Janet, since we do this every
year, are you really worried about this year? In other words, three
years ago we had a beautiful vista on the top of a bubble. Now -- you
know, to avoid being shortsighted, what do you think? Are you
worried about anything this year, or is this something when we look
next year we'll know better what's going to happen to the economy,
what these numbers are going to do?
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October 29,2009
MS. VASEY: What do you mean by this year--
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, in other words --
MR. VASEY: --FY'lO?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- we look at the AUIR for five
years every year. So, you know, obviously we want to make sure the
five-year works each year. But next year we'll have a better feel for
some of the predictions.
MS. VASEY: Right. And see, as you say, we redo it every year.
And we're saying that, you know, we think the funding should be
reduced for this AUIR, looking at the next year or two and what might
happen and the fact that we don't want to lock into programs in the out
years that we can't get out of just because of funding shortfalls.
So we would redo it next year, and next year the situation might
look better and some of these programs could move back in and we
wouldn't need to take that kind of money out.
But we're really kind of trying to protect the Commissioners'
flexibility in, you know, taking a chunk of money if they need it so we
can avoid a property tax increase again next year.
So, you know, it's totally up to them. But this is our view of
what should very seriously be looked at for not locking ourselves in
on the AUIR and for, you know, going into the next budget year.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Thanks.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And Norm, Janet's point on the bonding
is interesting, because it brings up kind of another question.
If you had the ability to establish a loan in the last two years of
$50 million and you decide you didn't need it so you didn't take it, do
you still have that ability to establish that loan?
MR. FEDER: I'm not sure whether we've met the 13 percent,
which got maxed out when we were offered two years ago, that 50
million. Because you've taken out more on ad valorem support where
impact fees and other areas were taken out based on bonding, not able
to be realized and general fund is supporting the payback on those as a
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October 29,2009
loan. So I'm not sure if we're in that bonding position.
But again, we didn't utilize it because we didn't want to end up in
that same mode of having committed our impact fee schedule to a debt
service payback when it was such a volatile source of revenue, as you
can well see, from 70 million down to 13 million last year.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, but in order to get by for a year at
a time until we could feel the economy turning around and your
impact fee schedule changing, wouldn't we want to look at bonding
loaning out a year at a time, and we're talking 8.5 million and the debt
service on that's going to be far less than 50 million? But if you had
that line of credit available to utilize for those times, wouldn't that be a
good idea?
MR. FEDER: We have a couple of options here, depending on
how the board wants to go with the recommendations.
I think what needs to be clearly understood -- and look at our
work program. You have no new initiatives, no construction projects
in years 'II and '12. The savings that are being talked about would be
realized by the 18 million that we're carrying forward to go to projects
in four and five specifically, because this board and its cost feasible
plans did not want to commit construction until we knew we had it,
especially in the first three years that can be relied upon.
So you don't have any construction phases in '11 and '12 and so
the request for savings are coming out of the funding that would allow
you to meet your concurrency needs in '13 and '14 and then hopefully
in '15 with Golden Gate Boulevard, by the savings of additional
dollars at the end of'14, along with the new $15 (sic) to be able to
bring it in.
So it does have an impact, a very significant impact if we pull it
out as it's proposed. But it is true to say that in '11 and '12 you don't
have a major impact on projects. You don't have it until you've taken
it out and all of a sudden, like we did in the early 1900's -- excuse me,
1990's through 2000, when we basically didn't build it and they came.&
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October 29,2009
And if anyone believes that it's not going to turn around, the
question is when. But do we believe that yes, we have an issue and
we agreed with Productivity Committee that probably we're looking at
15 percent reduction in ad valorem? And has transportation been and
does it need to continue to be part of that solution? Yes. The question
is to what degree you impact the program and the degree that's been
asked has very, very significant aspects that the board's going to have
to decide on those tradeoffs,
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody? Brad?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mike, since we can't take
anything out of the five-year program using the reason that we have
lack of revenue or increase in funds, we can take things out if we
come to a lack of need of an element, correct?
MR. COHEN: It's probably more proper for me to answer that
with respect to the CIE.
If you're going to take items out of the AUIR which would end
up in the CIE, you're going to do an assessment of need to determine
whether or not that improvement is still necessary to address
deficiencies that exist. Because we're required by DCA to commit
ongoing revenues to address those needs and deficiencies that exist.
So we have to show progress towards addressing them or in some
instances because the progress has been going along for a certain
amount of time we have to get to the point of construction.
MR. FEDER: And that's really the issue for you here at this
party and to the Productivity Committee in many ways. What we've
turned into -- and I understand why, I understand the times we're in,
okay. But we've turned this into a budgeting discussion. I think you
correctly asked when we get a little bit closer to that part of the
process, can we make this decision as opposed to trying to make it
now when the issue is one of where we are.
Now, Janet's concern is that locks you in. I think that's a bit of an
overstatement when it says absolute funding. That's not what the
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October 29,2009
statute says, And we do this every year and we make adjustments as
necessary. But we're trying to maintain real-time concurrency.
What's interesting up in Tallahassee is that, at least Pelham,
somewhat protecting it, they said that we still can maintain what might
be a more aggressive concurrency program than is proposed for the
state, which is 10 and IS-year concurrency, jfwe can show that we
can financially afford to do so.
Now, if we don't financially afford to do so, then we may be in
long-term concurrency.
And the interesting part about that is that my successor won't
come upon a big backlog trying to figure out how to fund it because
there's another piece of statute called a concurrency backlog authority
that basically requires you to fund it.
And guess what? What income streams do you have? Well,
you're a wealthy county with a very low ad valorem rate. So just what
we're trying to avoid we may create.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Janet, thank you very much.
MS. VASEY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Appreciate it.
Are there any other speakers? Anybody in the audience wishing
to speak on this AUIR transportation?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I know you're not here for this, And I'm
sorry that we probably had to bore you with a lot of this talk for the
first hour, but we're getting beyond it.
In fact, we've only been here for five minutes, according to that
clock.
MR. BOSI: There are no more registered speakers for this item.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, with that we need to entertain a
motion.
Page 38
October 29, 2009
Brad?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'll make a motion that we
forward the 2009 county arterial and collector roads AUIR as
presented in this revised version today.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion made and seconded.
Is there a discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: There's been some recommended
changes to it that we discussed. So the version that we got today
needs to be modified at least to those questions that we had.
Donna had a graphical clarification, and I pointed out that the
pages don't match. So I think we need to make those changes.
And I would want to consider one other thing: This department
had on its books for two years a $50 million loan, bond, letter, line of
credit, whatever you want to call it. And with the pending problems
that could occur next year, that should be something they ought to try
to reestablish. Not necessarily take it down, but reestablish that ability
to have that there in case it's needed.
And so I would think that would be a good consideration as an
alternative if the board decides that the cutting of 8.5 million isn't
appropriate.
That also lends to the question of Norm's discussion about
concurrency. We have concurrency on paper a failure, and maybe at a
peak time, but in reality it may not be. And by using that line of credit
or potential loan or bond, if it's needed, it gives the board an
alternative to offset, you know, any ad valorem increase.
So if you don't mind amending your -- I could support your
motion if you would amend it with the ability to ask that that be
reestablished.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'll make that amendment. But I
do have a question.
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October 29,2009
Norm, that's some financing. I mean, in this environment can
you assume that it's still there? I mean --
MR. FEDER: I'm not sure it is. We've got a maximum, and I
think it's good that Jim Mudd established a 13 percent maximum to
our debt capability.
I'm not sure if that got realized as we handed back what was, I
understood, the last 50 million that brought us up to that. So that
would be one question.
But I think if you make your motion, obviously the intent is for
us to look at whether or not we have some options. We have shied
away from both that 50 million when it was available and the issue of
debt without an ability to know that we can fully pay. And so that's
issues that need to be discussed.
But I understand the nature of the question. And obviously if I'm
trying to maintain real-time concurrency and I do need to pull ad
valorem out, I need to find a way to do so, so I think that's what is
being raised.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I'll accept that, Mark. I
mean, do they know how to word that?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I think it's just worded well
enough for the record that the alternatives of one of those ought to be
sought to match what we used to have in 2007 and 2008.
MR. BOSI: And basically say the recommendation from the
Planning Commission was for this transportation services department
to explore the reestablishment of the $50 million loan that was
available as in '07 and '08.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That's fine. I'm good.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I can accept that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Mr. Murray, did you have
anymore?
Okay, then you both accepted the changes that we have, the -- I
guess the tweaking of the document to make it right. Is that a nod
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October 29,2009
yes?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yes, it is.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes.
And Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'm good.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. With that, is there any further
discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All in favor of the motion, signify by
saymg aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries.
Thank you very much.
Norm, remember who caused you all these questions this
mornmg.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark, before we leave, Mike, in
the packet I got, as we reviewed it, it was obvious there were more
things. Attachment J was the last thing that was in my packet. So if
there were charts and things that were referenced after that, would you
send them to me?
MR. BOSI: The other attachments that were contained in the
original AUIR book, if they were not, the documentations that I sent
you, those were only the documents that were changed. Everything
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October 29,2009
else had remained the same.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But the Mount Everest funding
that was shown today, I don't have that so I'd like that.
MR. BOSI: Okay. I'll obtain the chart from Norm and get it to
you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, And just for the record, I did ask
for some additional backup material. And once Norm gets that
collected, I don't know why the rest -- unless the Planning
Commissioners don't want it, I sure want it. And if they would like it,
you might want to poll them at the time.
Does anybody else care to have that additional data?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I think should just be
e-mailed to --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, just e-mail it to everybody once
that's available, if you could. I asked Norm for a couple items that
they -- during the discussion.
Item #4G
CP-2007-5, LOGAN BOULEV ARD/IMMOKALEE ROAD MIXED
USE SUBDISTRICT
And with that, we will move on to what I think everybody is
really here for, and it's the advertised public hearing for the Growth
Management Plan Amendment. It's CP-2007-5, and it's for the corner
of Logan and Immokalee Road,
All those wishing to testify on behalf of this item, please -- let's
do this group swearing in thing again. Please rise to be sworn in by
the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Disclosures on the part of Planning
Commission?
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October 29,2009
Mr. Vigliotti?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I had a telephone conference a
few weeks ago with Mr. Y ovanovich regarding this petition.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Homiak?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: I also spoke to Mr. Y ovanovich
and Mr. Arnold a few weeks ago.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else? Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Same here.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And I too had the same con -- I
don't know if they were the same conversations as yours. I did have
conversations with Mr. Arnold and Mr. Y ovanovich. I also had
conversations with Diane from -- Diane Ebert from Olde Cypress, and
I think some e-mails with the Oakes Advisory Group, and that's the
extent of it.
Randy?
MR. COHEN: Mr. Chairman, just a point of order. I notice the
number of people that stood on up, and they're quite in excess of the
number of speaker slips that I have, so --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I don't need the speaker slips. They can
-- everybody can speak. And as we go -- we'll start with the speaker
slips. Once we finish those, I'll just ask the audience to come up,
those that want to speak, one at a time and we'll call you up.
MR. COHEN: Okay, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: David?
MR. WEEKS: For the record, David Weeks, Comprehensive
Planning Department, Planning Manager.
Mr. Chairman, I understand what you just said, but I would say
that it's helpful to staff and the court reporter if you would have the
speakers fill out a slip, because we need their name and address. It's
helpful for the court reporter, but it's also helpful for staff because we
need to provide that information to the state with our submittal.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, every speaker that comes up,
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October 29, 2009
especially during GP A amendments, they're required to tell us their
name and their address in the beginning of their discussion. So you're
getting it on record both in transcript from the court reporter and in
video.
If you have the paper, that's fine, but I will not, let's say, deny the
public the right to speak regardless whether they filled out a piece of
paper or not.
So with that, we will move forward and Mr. Y ovanovich, it's --
whoever's making your presentation from your side. You usually like
to make those, so --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Good morning. For the record, Rich
Y ovanovich, on behalf of the petitioner.
Also with me today is Wayne Arnold with Grady Minor &
Associates, Chuck Mohlke with Frazier and Mohlke, and Reed Jarvi
with the Omega Consulting Group.
I'm going to start with what was the original petition. Wow, I
think just out of sheer luck I got that right.
The original request and information you have in your packet
was to establish the Logan/Immokalee mixed use sub-district on
approximately 41 acres and requesting 260,000 square feet of C-l
through C-4 type uses.
At our neighborhood information meeting on September 10th,
2009, there was a mixture of opinions regarding the project that we
presented. Some residents objected to retail -- any retail at all. One
square foot they felt was not necessary. Some residents supported the
full request, and some residents supported retail but did not support
the entire 41 acres and 260,000 square feet.
After we held our neighborhood information meeting we met
with our client to discuss the results of the neighborhood information
meeting and then subsequently met with our client to discuss the
results of the staff report, which we received around October 1 st,
2009.
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October 29,2009
Based upon the results of the neighborhood information meeting
and the staff report, we decided to reduce the request to the 18 acres
owned by Mr. -- well, it's owned by Dan Peck, the beneficiary of that
trust is Mr. Bill Longhi (phonetic), and to reduce the request to an
80,000 square feet retail center and 40,000 square feet of office. And
I'll put that up.
And I'll briefly take you through what that did in relation to
concerns we heard from the residents of Saturnia Lakes, which is
really our immediate neighbors.
And as you can see now, we have very little -- we just have a
corner of our parcel -- a corner of our parcel actually will now touch
Saturnia Lakes, where previously the project went all the way down to
here, so you had this entire cul-de-sac and this entire cul-de-sac
actually fronting on the project.
We reduced the request. And Wayne will take you through some
exhibits to show you that in actuality none of the residents within
Saturnia Lakes will be within 300 feet of the proposed development
on the project. And in fact, this distance is far greater than 300 feet
when you're talking about this particular cul-de-sac.
And we did that in response to several people at the first
neighborhood information meeting saying you're too close to us, we'll
be overlooking your project. So we scaled that back and thus scaled
back the square footage request as well.
Between our scheduled hearing last week and the meeting today,
we held another neighborhood information meeting to discuss the
changed project. I will tell you that those who were opposed to retail
overall, that didn't change, they still want zero. So we were not able
to persuade people who were fundamentally opposed to retail to now
jump on board with the proposed reduction.
There were people who did speak in favor of the reduced request.
And we tried to address any concerns that neighbors raised as
questions. We had people -- people say they were concerned about
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October 29,2009
uses, what uses were going to be on the property, and we asked well,
what uses don't you want, so I can make sure I list those as prohibited
uses,
The only information we got was basically a gas station. I'm sure
there were other uses, but we tried to elicit through the neighborhood
information meeting process what other types of uses would they
think are inappropriate on this particular piece of property.
A lot of people, I think when we showed them how far away we
were from the project, it wasn't so bad. We showed them -- and
Wayne will take you through -- the 80,000 square feet retail would be
up near the corner near Immokalee Road and then the office would be
back on the southern portion of the project.
One of the concerns was will you have two stories of office.
Since that neighborhood information meeting we've talked to our
client, we can agree that all structures on the site will be single story.
We have 18 acres to put 120,000 square feet on, so we can easily
accommodate that request to have just single-story uses on the site,
including the office, which we would submit to you is fairly
compatible with single-family homes in the area.
We heard comments regarding the vacancy rate of existing retail.
And interestingly enough, one of the people in the meeting was
actually in the commercial real estate business and provided me a
report that he had received from CB Richard Ellis regarding the
current status and projected status of retail and office over the next
two or three years.
Now, keep in mind that best case scenario, if we get
comprehensive plan amendment approval about this time next year,
maybe summer of next year, that would be 2010. We then do our
PUD on top of that will take about a year, that puts us basically
summer of 20 11, then you've got to do your site development plan and
build it safely, that will be another year.
So basically best case scenario, we wouldn't be open and
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October 29, 2009
operating for business until the summer of2012, which is basically
three years from now. That's the best case scenario. We don't really
expect the best case scenario to happen. We're not going to
immediately put more inventory of retail and office into the system
today.
But what the report provided to me shows is that today there's a
vacancy rate in retail of seven and a half percent. So they -- your hope
for is to get to 95 percent occupancy, and we're at basically 92 and a
half percent occupancy right now.
Now, it looks a lot worse because there are some centers out
there that are way off on their occupancy and there are several centers
out there that are basically at 100 percent occupy. And it really is a
center-by-center analysis.
I mean, if you look at the Greentree Shopping Center, I think it's
pretty much at 100 percent occupancy. But if you look at some of
these non-anchored centers that are not doing so well, and they're
probably at a great then 50 percent, or around a 50 percent occupancy.
So the perception out there is worse than the reality. And plus
you have some of the nationals that went out in the last year. You lost
The Expo and Linens 'N Things in that center on Immokalee Road and
US 41. So there's a perception out there that there's really more
vacancies than the reality is.
And those aren't numbers that I came up with, those are numbers
that were provided to me, it was from somebody that was sitting in the
audience who was basically saying I think the people in the audience
don't really understand, it's not as bad as people think it is.
Now, office vacancy's higher. It's about 12 percent right now.
Probably will go up a little bit. But nobody's building any office right
now, so that will get absorbed. And again, we're not going to be
coming on line any time soon for that.
Now, Chuck Mohlke will take you through in much great detail
the supply and demand analysis and our disagreement with staff on
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October 29,2009
how they calculate really the supply side. I don't think we're so far off
on the demand side, but on the supply side we think that staff is not
analyzing the supply appropriately, And Chuck will take you through
greater detail.
I will note that staff took some shots at our market analysis, and
in particular they reference on Page 4 that we failed to include
commercial that's in Mirasol. I'm fairly certain, since I did Mirasol,
there is no commercial in Mirasol. So I think that staff was
considering that exists in Mirasol in their recommendation. They
were in error in doing that.
They also say on Page 10 that we failed to account for the impact
on our market area of commercial that will be located in rural villages
in the RLSA. Well, we're three miles from the urban boundary. I do
not understand, and maybe it's just me, how any commercial that may
somehow find its way into a rural village will impact our market study
area, but we were criticized for not analyzing it, and I would like staff
to tell us how that would affect the supply side. And I'm really
confused about how stuff that's out in the RLSA will affect our market
analysis.
So maybe staff didn't factor those into their decision, but they
sure did -- they did criticize us for not putting that in our analysis.
Wayne will also take you through what's kind of the standard
distance between activity centers that's on the Future Land Use Map.
And generally you'll see that activity centers are two miles apart.
Some are closer, some are slightly further apart. But in generalities
you'll see that your activity centers in your Future Land Use Map in
the urban center have activity centers about two miles apart.
And there's a provision in the Future Land Use Element that if--
you can request another activity center, as long as there's not another
activity center within two miles.
We're not asking for an activity center, Your typical activity
centers are four quadrants, 40 acres apiece, totaling 160 acres. We're
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asking for something much smaller. We're asking for a neighborhood
oriented center of 18 acres, which would be one-eighth the size of an
activity center.
Weare at the intersection of an arterial, which is Immokalee
Road enter-collector (sic), which is Logan. And there is no retail on
Logan essentially from Bonita Beach Road south until you get to I
believe probably Golden Gate City. Because Logan is actually an
extension of Santa Barbara. So for quite a north-south segment there
are no -- there's no commercial opportunity.
And I would say that a similar situation occurred on Livingston
Road, there was no commercial under the compo plan that was on
Livingston Road, no activity centers. But over time the Planning
Commission did approve some commercial opportunities on
Livingston Road. You have Pine Ridge Road as an example and also
you have Vanderbilt Beach Road as an example, where there's
commercial on Livingston Road. Not in all four quadrants, but in a
quadrant next to residential. So it's not unheard of to do that. Because
again, there was no retail really on all the north-south Livingston
Road.
We think that, and you'll hear in much greater detail, that there is
demand for what we're asking for. The demand will be there over
time. Again, we can't look at today's snapshot, but today's snapshot is
not as bad as everybody thinks it is. In the future we hope, and if it
doesn't come back we're all in trouble, but the economy will come
back and the vacancies will be absorbed and there'll be need for new
space.
I'm going to turn it over to Wayne to take you through some of
the planning aspects of our project as well as some of the conceptual
plans we showed the community to address compatibility issues. And
I think there was a lot of compatibility issues related to the
neighborhood information meeting that we needed to address through
the revised comprehensive plan process.
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October 29,2009
And with that, I'll turn it over to Wayne, unless you have
questions about anything that I've said to this point.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Tons of questions, Richard, but I guess
it's going to wait 15 minutes and we're going to wait to hear Wayne
too. So we'll take a break till 10: 10; by that clock it will be 9: 10,
IS-minute break for the court reporter.
(Recess.)
MR. COHEN: Mr. Chairman, you have a live mic.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. And through the efforts of
Kady, she came in and tried to fix the clock, took it down from the
wall, monkeyed with it and it didn't get fixed. But Kady, thank you
for trying.
We'll have to just remember to add an hour,
So, Wayne, you're up and go right ahead.
MR. ARNOLD: I'm Wayne Arnold with Grady Minor, and I
will be following up where Rich left off.
I'll just leave the graphic up there right now. But as Rich alluded
to, we have a corridor that's a very long corridor. And you're going to
hear Chuck Mohlke talk to you about our market area in a little more
detail.
But if you look at the I8-acre boundary that remains, we have
one corner where we touch Saturnia Lakes. The other quadrants, we
have the Oakes neighborhood to the west across Logan extension, and
then we have to the northwest we have Longshore Lakes, and to the
northeast we have Olde Cypress.
There is no other commercial planned or permissible on those
other three quadrants of this intersection. You have what's in the
Golden Gate Estates area master plan to the west, and that would have
to go through a comprehensive plan amendment to obtain that. You
would have to likewise amend the comprehensive plan to have any
commercial allowed at Longshore, which I think is pretty infeasible
considering you have rooftops there, and then at Olde Cypress again.
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So the process of having commercial and this leading to more
commercialization I think is probably not an accurate characterization
for this particular site because of its configuration.
To the south, what was formerly in this property, as many of you
know, it's a landscape nursery and it's a landscape maintenance
business operation. That property is zoned agriculture and it will
continue to operate into the foreseeable future.
This is a copy of your planned unit development map that the
county has. And I've identified our 18-acre site. The areas in yellow
are the residential. You see another pattern of yellow, which is the
Estates. And then you have the tan colors which show commercial
zonmg.
And you'll see, I think the map exhibit doesn't correctly reflect
the new Mirasol zoning, but I don't think we have commercial in
Mirasol, as Rich said.
The most dominant feature that you have here are the two
activity centers. The one on the west at I-75 is an interchange activity
center and those are meant to be highly intensive and they're really
attractors for regional uses. Some of them allow industrial uses. This
one does not have industrial uses in it.
But to the far east side of that exhibit it's Collier Boulevard, and
you have commercial obviously at that intersection.
But when you look at the spacing, we're about a mile and a
quarter back to the interchange activity center to our west, and we're
almost two miles to the activity center to the east.
And as Rich said, your comprehensive plan indicates that our
activity center spacing should be about two miles. And in this case we
are almost two miles from an activity center, but we're asking for far
less commercial than you could find in a typical activity center.
But I think this graphic identifies that you don't have a
commercialized corridor on Immokalee Road, and you certainly don't
have a commercialized corridor for Logan Boulevard, which now is a
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collector road that goes and extends all the way down to Rattlesnake
Hammock Road, soon to be open segment, and is designed to be a
road that will extend into Bonita Springs into Lee County into the
future.
One of the things that we did, we held the second neighborhood
informational meeting. It was an informal meeting that we held
between the last scheduled hearing and today. And we wanted to
discuss the proposed changes and reduction in intensity with those
neighbors to find out how that was received. And as Rich said, I don't
think there's a clear answer. It was a pretty diverse group of people.
We had many residents from Saturnia Lakes, obviously, our nearest
neighbors, but we also had residents who lived in the Oakes
neighborhood to the west and we also had residents from Olde
Cypress who were there as well.
I think it would be unfair to say that there was large opposition to
the project. I had many residents come up to me after the meeting and
talk about the need for certain types of uses here, especially things that
could be more daily use type things. And that would include things
like grocery store, restaurants, banks, things that they didn't need to
drive back through the interstate to get to, and something more
convenient for them and appropriately sized for them.
One of the things that we heard from the neighbors was the
intensity. 260,000 square feet sounded like a lot. And I think we
confused a lot of people with the inclusion of the agricultural
component, which was really meant to deal with the existing
agricultural operations that were now to our southern boundary.
But nonetheless, I had our landscape architect, we sat down and
tried to look at some concepts for the revised boundary and how we
could look at 80,000 square feet of retail and an office component and
make that the most compatible we could with the residential neighbor
we have at Saturnia Lakes.
And I walked through those three examples at the informal
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meeting we had earlier this week, and I'll take you through those, if I
could have a few minutes to do that.
This one we had called concept A. And what you see is
Immokalee Road to -- at the top of the page. You have Logan
Boulevard to the west. And the tan type structures are what we would
envision to be retail oriented uses that are primarily at and focused on
the intersection.
And then to the south we have water management preserve area
that we're required to have by code and then a small office component.
And you can see -- if David can pull it back a little further. I've
identified -- outlined the existing structures in Saturnia. You can start
to see those and see the relationship we have to them. And that's
about 300 feet from the nearest unit to the office component that I'm
showing on that.
We're showing access over to Logan Boulevard. There's an
existing ingress/egress easement that extends over to Logan, and we're
also identifying right-inlright-out access on Immokalee Road.
Here's a second concept that we presented called concept B. And
again, the same idea. We have our retail oriented to Immokalee Road
and we have offices to the south. But this one we've reshaped the
water management area and put more preserve between us and our
neighbors at Saturnia Lakes, again keeping access to both Logan and
Immokalee Road.
I think it's an arrangement that to me makes good land planning
sense. It certainly reduces the intensity as we move closer to our
neighbors. And certainly by keeping the preserve there, I think that
makes it very compatible with Saturnia.
The third example we presented was one that I think represents
probably a little bit more traditional look at retail type development
where you would end up with several tenant type spaces, But it again
presents the focus to Immokalee Road and the intersection. On this
one we've divided our water management up into two areas so we can
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October 29, 2009
put a focal point at Immokalee Road. And we can also can keep
preserve and water management again closer to the neighbors at
Saturnia Lakes.
All of these, we presented the office primarily as a separate office
component to help make that transition as we move south to our
residential neighbors.
I think that -- what I believe is that this site does not set up well
and would never be utilized for low density residential development.
I know that one of the first zoning actions that I worked on
private consultant after I left the county was Saturnia Lakes. It's
known as the Rigas PUD. And it was impossible for then GL Homes
to assemble the lands that went up to this future intersection.
You know, had that been incorporated into a master plan
community of a couple hundred acres, you change the complexion of
how you would design that and you can buffer yourself from those
impacts. But left with an 18-acre parcel at this intersection, we don't
have that same opportunity to make a project work at three or four
units per acre, which is a density that's probable in this particular area,
given the relationship we have to the Estates to the west and the
master planned communities to the north.
But we think this is an appropriate location for commercial.
Certainly we've downsized the commercial to a point where it does
become more of a neighborhood oriented type retail opportunity at
80,000 square feet. We have enough that it can be a viable
commercial. We also have an office component that makes sense.
We have a client who's been willing to make concessions in this
regard. And as Rich said, our -- he's also authorized us to limit heights
to one story,
So I think with that in mind compatibility isn't an issue for this
particular property. And I think it makes sense for commercial land
uses. I think that's demonstrated in Mr. Mohlke's analysis where he
looked at demand. And when you look at the geographic trade area
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October 29,2009
that he established, it's one that's different than the county staff. And
I'll let him describe why that is. But when you look at this roadway
corridor that literally it's five miles down to Green Boulevard where
you have your first opportunity for commercial as you travel on Logan
Boulevard.
And obviously Logan Boulevard was designed to carry that of
traffic. The focus was to get traffic off of Oakes Boulevard to the
west, thereby removing the signal to discourage people from using
that road. And I think you'll find that anybody who lives in Oakes
neighborhood will probably tell you their traffic has gone down. And
the focus should be on Logan Boulevard, which is designed to be a
future four-lane road, to carry that traffic.
And as I mentioned earlier, that road is designed to go to Lee
County, it's designed to go all the way south and is under construction
right now to Rattlesnake Hammock Road.
I'll answer any questions you may have about our planning
efforts or our neighborhood.
Rich, in didn't leave anything out, we can move on to Mr.
Mohlke, if nobody has questions.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Does the Planning Commission have
any questions before we hear from Mr. Mohlke, or we can wait till
afterwards?
Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Would you put that first slide up
on the board, please.
MR. ARNOLD: The PUD exhibit?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Yes.
Now, starting left at the large activity center off of Immokalee
Road, if you move this along the right toward the east, what is the next
little brown place there? Is that the commercial component?
MR. ARNOLD: That is what's known as the -- I think it's Quail
II. And there's an office building there and I believe that's also got the
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October 29,2009
gas station.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I think there's some retail in with the
office. Or there is a strip center there that's got retail in it as well.
(Audible comments from audience.)
MR. ARNOLD: Yeah, it's small.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You guys, everybody that talks got to be
on a mic. You'll all get your turn. So just let the guy on the mic
respond, if you could.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: But that is a component that is
commercial; is that correct?
MR. ARNOLD: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: And then you move over to
where the site is, and that's what you're proposing to be commercial
now?
MR. ARNOLD: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: As you move further east along
there, there's another brown spot. Is that commercial also?
MR. ARNOLD: Yes, it is.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: And then you move further east
and there's a large spot. Is that commercial?
MR. ARNOLD: That is the activity center at Collier Boulevard
and Immokalee Road.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: So in that stretch of Immokalee
Road there, those are all commercial centers. Now then, those
commercial centers are nearer each other than they are in other places
in the county.
MR. ARNOLD: I don't know that I would agree with the
statement that they're closer than they are in other places in the
county, because --
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Well, the activity centers are
generally two to four miles apart, aren't they?
MR. ARNOLD: Two--
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October 29,2009
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Through the county on an
average?
MR. ARNOLD: Roughly two miles on center.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: But these here are no more than
maybe .7 mile difference separation.
MR. ARNOLD: Right. But I think the difference is those are
very small-scale commercial, primarily office on the one closest to
I-75. And then you have the other one that's closer to Olde Cypress,
and that is a mixture of -- it's got I think indoor self-storage and it has
a gas station/convenience component and some retail. But they're not
part of activity centers, nor are they sized to be.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: No, I agree that the area is
small, but the locations are many. That's what my point is. There's
many locations on that stretch of street that have commercial, even
though the areas might be small.
Now, let me ask you another question about the site, in could.
Is there access off of Logan road onto the site?
MR. ARNOLD: Yes, we have an access easement that extends
to Logan Boulevard.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Is that an easement?
MR. ARNOLD: It is.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: It's not the entrance that is there
for the nursery now?
MR. ARNOLD: No, sir. That entrance is further south.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Why did you select the
easement rather than the existing entrance?
MR. ARNOLD: Well, the existing entrance to the landscape
nursery was within our boundary previously, but when we retracted
the boundary of our request to have the 18 acres, we don't control that
property to the south. But there is another ingress/egress easement
that extends to Logan at the southern portion of our project.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: When was that easement
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October 29,2009
executed?
MR. ARNOLD: I don't know; some time ago.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Mr. Kolflat, it's been of record for, gosh,
many, many, many years.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: All right, it's been many years,
though.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yeah, it's been there. That was an access
easement that exists across all of those properties on their southern
boundary and the northern boundary all the way across,
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Thank you.
That's all the questions I had, Mark.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, anybody -- Mr. Murray, then Mr.
Wolfley.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Wayne, what would distinguish
this project from a strip mall? What is it that you propose that would
be so significant that would not -- I mean, that last rendering showed,
just looked to me like it could be, if it were extended out straight, a
strip mall. What is it that would be so different here?
MR. ARNOLD: Well, I think the distinction generally would
come about at the time that we would rezone the property, and we
would then identify a master plan. I mean, these were three concepts.
They're hand-drawn sketches showing how we can develop the 80,000
square feet of retail and 40,000 square feet of office and different
configurations.
I know that just responding to the comments that I heard, the
neighbors would support things that they can use on a daily basis,
things like the restaurants.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Well, when you presented the
other day for the Golden Gate Boulevard and Wilson, you guys talked
about an anchor store and a CO that would have to be -- do you have
any kind oflike offering on this one? I mean, all of the reading that
was done here was associated with this humongous thing, and now
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October 29, 2009
we're talking about something just zoom. And I want to understand
where we're going with the changes.
MR. ARNOLD: Fair enough. I think if you look at this exhibit,
for instance, that's up there and you look back at I-75, the focus at I-75
has clearly been regional commercial. I mean, you have the supers of
the world. You have Super Target and you have Super Wal-Mart.
You have other regional commercial uses; you have Hodges
University, for instance. I mean, that activity center, except for the
Strand -- which is 100 percent occupied, by the way. You have a
grocery-anchored shopping center. You have another
grocery-anchored shopping center out at Collier Boulevard and
Immokalee Road. But you don't have the true activity center where
you can have those other uses other than regional uses here.
And I guess this doesn't have to be a traditional strip center, if
you will. I don't know that without an anchor tenant you're going to
get financing these days. So it will.
I don't think Rich and I are in a position to tell you that as we bet
the farm on that project you referenced with a grocery store anchor, I
don't think we can certainly make those kinds of commitments today.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Well, I didn't really expect that
you could, but I'm trying to rationalize. I mean, we'll hear from staff
and we'll hear from the public, but I'm trying to rationalize what it is
that you folks responded to, having heard the public, and what it is
that you are translating for us to tell us that they think that they want
or feel that they want or want.
MR. ARNOLD: Well, I think we offered -- you know, I think
that you'll probably hear from one of the speakers that the C-l through
C-4, when you look at how many pages of the Land Development
Code that is, it's over a dozen pages of uses. Well, a lot of those uses
in C-l through C-4 are duplicate uses, they're carried forward in each
of those zoning districts.
So I think the question is, if it's the C-4 component that makes
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October 29,2009
people concerned, what are those uses? And I at the neighborhood
meeting said one of those uses that you can have in C-4 is a car
dealership. Does anybody here think that that's an appropriate
location for a car dealership? I don't think there was a clear answer,
but there was a lot of rumbling in the crowd. And, I mean, it's
certainly a use we don't intend to put there. And like Rich said, gas
station was one that was mentioned specifically.
And to the extent we can prohibit uses, as you have done in other
of these sub-districts, we can certainly try to get to that list. But if the
dominant answer from some of the residents who aren't even your
nearest neighbors is no retail, we have too much, then that's a hard part
and a hard position to negotiate from.
But I do think that we're certainly willing to place reasonable
restrictions on the property to assure the immediate neighbors that
they're going to get a quality designed project and one that's well
buffered and compatible with them.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'm sure if it goes forward we
would be delighted to place some restrictions on the property.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Wayne, could you put the
diagram up of the property that shows the ingress and egress, please?
Immokalee and Logan.
MR. ARNOLD: Any of them work?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Yeah.
Okay, obviously the one on Immokalee is going to be right
in/right out.
MR. ARNOLD: Yes.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Okay. Now, let's talk about this
easement down there on -- what, is it just called access easement?
MR. ARNOLD: Um-hum.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: And that's where you're going
to be entering?
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October 29, 2009
MR. ARNOLD: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Okay. What kind of -- will that
be a full right-in left?
MR. ARNOLD: That segment -- yes, it would be. Because that
segment of road currently is two-lane. And I'd have to let our traffic
consultant answer what happens in the event that it becomes a
four-lane road segment, but right now that would be full movements
on a two-lane road.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Right, I got that. My problem
was when it turns to a four-lane. How deep is the prop -- what's the
distance from that 30-foot access easement to Immokalee Road?
MR. ARNOLD: I believe it's about 900 feet, plus or minus.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: So it's under a quarter mile.
MR. ARNOLD: Correct.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: So once it goes four-lane, I
mean, you aren't going to be able to even go to Island Walk, back to--
you know. That's my -- that's my issue with it is I don't know how
you're going to get home. I don't know how people are --
MR. ARNOLD: Like I said, I don't know the answer to that
question.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Worst thing that could happen
is that you're doing right in/right outs, U-turns every which way. And
that's not a good -- that was my biggest issue was --
MR. ARNOLD: Well, unfortunately that's been the nature of
how we have dealt with transportation access issues throughout the
county. It's become the norm to deal with those as right turn only and
U-turn movements.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Well, Pine Ridge and
Livingston. I mean, you go into breakfast there, try to go north -- I
mean try to go south from there, it's impossible.
MR. ARNOLD: And I understand, I utilize that shopping area as
well. And I deal with that access issue. And it's just the nature of the
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beast. I don't know too many -- unless you get a traffic signal, you're
not going to be assured of full access.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: You can't on this site because
it's too close. So, I mean, fix that somehow.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of the applicant
before we go to the market issue? Then we'll come back to the
applicant again.
Wayne, as a follow-up to Mr. Wolfley's questions, 30- foot access
easement. I didn't see language in the documents you supplied to talk
to us or tell us what that 30-foot access easement, how it's written.
The reason that's important is because you've got issues like
utilities and drainage. And 30-foot, you're going to have two lO-foot
lanes as the narrowest you could possibly put in. On each side you're
going to have gutter either -- if it's a valley gutter it's two feet on each
side, so that's 24 feet out of 30. It leaves you six feet to fit your
drainage elements and anything else in, plus any signage that you'd
have to recognize the facility out in Logan.
Have you taken all that into consideration in your design of that
access?
MR. ARNOLD: We have. I mean, we have not designed the
access per se, but we understand that we probably will have limitation
on signage, That's going to be a challenge, we know that. We believe
we'll be dealing with some of those issues at the time of zoning.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And based on only two lanes, it
would be a right in/right out, I would assume. You couldn't fit a left
turn lane in. Otherwise you'd be blocking your people wanting to
make a right. Is that what you're anticipating?
MR. ARNOLD: I'm not sure we would have to have a dedicated
left turn lane. I don't know that yet, Mr. Strain.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I was just curious if you -- how far
you've thought that out. Thank you.
Chuck, welcome.
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October 29, 2009
MR. MOHLKE: Mr. Chairman and members, thank you. For the
record, my name is Chuck Mohlke, and I'm here representing my firm,
Frazier and Mohlke.
We had the privilege of conducting what I will regard as one of
the more challenging responsibilities that we've had recently in terms
of generating a profile of the community that can represent fairly the
opportunities for a commercial enterprise at this intersection.
Let me share with you briefly what those challenges were as we
tried to address them.
Us bean counters have a responsibility of determining what to
count and what not to count. And in this particular case we chose, as
the Section 1 of the study will reveal, to address the issue of how
many persons we need to account for in respect to the areas
surrounding this particular site. And also how do we address the issue
of what is typically referred to here as the seasonal population.
As you know, from reading the material that's in there, the basis
for many of our conclusions were census information that was
provided in census tabulation area, as it's called, by those folks, 34119,
which we all know is the zip code for this particular area. It tells us
how many structures, it tells us how many permanent persons in the
population, it tells us the household size. And when you look at that
profile, you're confronted with the fact that there are many more
structures than are occupied by permanent residents. And you're then
confronted with the issue of do you introduce into the analysis what
many people refer to as the functional population, those folks who are
here six months or less, or technically domiciled somewhere else but
who are part usually in these well designed and livable gated
communities that surround this particular site. In some manner you
have to account for them. Are they seasonal? Apparently so. But we
really don't know what their pattern of residence is and won't know
that until about 18 months from now when the census to be conducted
six months from now --
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(Microphone interference.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Let's take a couple minutes and stop the
recording while we figure out what's wrong. Break for a minute or
two.
(Recess.)
MR. COHEN: Mics are back on.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It was the county attorney's fault.
MR. COHEN: That was the timer going off, letting Chuck know
that his time was up.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, as soon as Kady gets back across
the hall, we'll get back on the record. So let's give her a minute or two
-- or a second or two.
Okay, everyone, let's go back on record. We found the mystery
noise, whatever it was.
And Chuck, sorry for the interruption.
MR. MOHLKE: Not at all,
Mr. Chairman, this reminds me a little bit of an extemporaneous
speaking contest that I was in in high school in which the recess bell
rang right in the middle of my remarks, and I just paused briefly and
as soon as the bell stopped started again. And the judges in that
favored that approach, apparently, and I was accused of one of my
fellow contestants of timing this so that I would appear at the time of
the recess bell and give me some sort of interim advantage. I hope it
gives me an interim advantage with you.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: The story will, anyway.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Good story, thank you.
MR. MOHLKE: Well, it just occurred to me, that happened 55
years ago. So my memory is, shall we say, durable on issues like that.
Mr. Chairman and members, in dealing with some of these
challenges, we chose to take two approaches. We knew that we had to
account appropriately and in detail. And that's why Mr. Kolflat's
questions interested me. And if you choose later in the discussion to
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know exactly what's on each one of those parcels, the square feet, the
acreage and many of the uses, we could provide that information.
Probably not appropriate to introduce it now, but we could at any time
that you choose, including a density calculation in which we compare
square feet per acre and have that calculation included in some
material which we shared with Mr. Schmitt and with Mr. Weeks.
We chose, because of the unique character of this site, to take
account of the fact that there is about a 1.9 center mile road length
between the edge of the site and Vanderbilt Beach Road extension that
has exit points only for the future at Saturnia Lakes and currently, not
an egress -- an egress point only at Island Walk. And then to ask
ourselves the question, can we fairly extend that further to include
parcels of land south of Vanderbilt Beach Road.
We chose to include them. And as you can tell from the material
which is provided in the market study, we tried to count them only as
secondary trade areas and not as fundamental to the analysis as the
area immediately surrounding.
We had to deal with the issue of access points. Many of the
related communities do not access directly near this site, but we have
to account for them.
And the staff in a very forthcoming way dealt in detail using the
surrounding lands analysis, which they put into the staff report, to tell
you at some considerable length what existed between Collier
Boulevard/951 and the interstate.
They however did, in an abundance of caution, I think, provided
a radial three-mile analysis, which included many developed, but also
some undeveloped properties, which are west of the interstate. It
struck us that that was a comparison that was instructive but ought not
to be crucial in any decision that you make as to whether or not that is
fairly competitive with an enterprise or enterprises that might be
located at this particular subject property that we are talking about.
We believe that when you account for the regular and what we
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October 29,2009
call the functional population, including seasonal residents, that the
resident population of the area, both the primary and the secondary
market area, somewhat exceeds 26,000 persons.
To make a determination about whether or not that number of
persons could equate to a per square foot analysis of what could be
permitted at this site or in sites that surround it, we came up with a
calculation under the old analysis, when we were looking at the
possibility of a community shopping center, of something in excess of
222,000 square feet. That recalculation is yet to be.
And we stand ready to assist this Planning Commission and the
staff in adapting the report that you have before you for that purpose.
We have added features to a summary of the staff report, which
we thought well done and appropriate to the information needs of the
Planning Commission. Some very detailed look at their identified
areas and surrounding lands that have commercial enterprises located
in them.
You've seen their calculations as to mileage. We agree with all
of those calculations. And actually, we came up with a number of
acres and square feet of commercial that exceeded the analysis that the
staff provided.
And that material is available to Mr. Weeks and Mr. Schmitt.
And Mr. Chairman, I could give that to you now, if you wanted to
circulate it. But we thought it would not be fair to suddenly impose
upon the Planning Commission brand new analyses that you have had
but a modest chance to look at, if any. And we thought it appropriate
first to give that to the professional staff so that they might then make
their own assessment. What their recommendation upon looking at
that material will be to you, I don't know.
Let me add one thing that we did add to the analysis because of
the enhanced role of office space at this particular site. And we could
discuss this in whatever detail you, Mr. Chairman, and your members
decide to.
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October 29, 2009
But if we were to take a typical example of the way in which a
calculation of need is made, you'd look at what is readily available
from the property appraiser for the year 2008 that would tell you that
in Collier County there are 435 acres devoted to office space. And
that office space occupies somewhat in excess of 4,900,000 square
feet. If you divide that out against the population, you'll get first of all
an acreage calculation on land zoned for office of about 11,000 square
feet per acre.
But the more important consideration is the population. If you
divide the population for 1980 (sic) of something in excess of 332,000
persons against the 4,900,000 square feet, you come up with a per
capita average of 14.73 square feet per person.
That would equate in this market area to something in excess of
332,000 square feet of office.
In the area that -- best of our ability, and we stand to be corrected
by professional staff, there is only 8.55 percent of that represented in
the trade area that we have proposed to you.
Now, we could do while I'm standing here endless examples of
this kind of comparison of population to existing need, but I don't
know that that's in the interest of the Planning Commission or the
public, But we're prepared to do that, if you direct us to.
Mr. Chairman, I think I probably exhausted my time. I don't
think the recess bell is going to ring again, but I'm ready for it if it
does.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It's a good way to look at it. We never
thought of it as a recess bell, but good point.
Are there any questions from the marketing perspective at this
time of Mr. Mohlke?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And I do have questions, but I'd ra--
more in line of trying to understand why staff saw your document in
the way they did. So I'm going to really defer my questions to be
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more effective when we get our chance to talk with staff.
MR. MOHLKE: Mr. Chairman, I thank you and members. We'll
be available for whenever you choose to call on us again.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
Any other questions of the applicant's team? I'm assuming,
Richard, you've call all your team members you want to speak at this
point?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yes. And we have Reed here to answer
transportation questions, if you might have some of those.
I would just point out to what Mr. Wolfley brought up about
having full access. I think under the current transportation standards
as far as what would qualify as access, I'm not sure that any of the
activity centers now would qualify to have a full access, because I
think you have to be at least a half a mile away.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I thought it was a quarter.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I think it's a half a mile for full -- half a
mile for signal. It's a half a mile to get a signalized access point. And
I don't think they'll give you any if you're on a -- and most of these
roads are all six lanes now, so I'm not sure you can even get an
un-signalized access point on -- a full opening on a six-lane road
anymore.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Okay. Well, then along those
lines, Rich, what are your plans? How do you plan for someone to get
to Island Walk from here?
MR. YOVANOVICH: Well, we're--
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Not to but from here to Island
Walk.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I don't know that any future project,
unless you're going to buy a half of a mile worth of frontage on any
future activity center that you're going to be able to do that. We're
going to be stuck with the norm being U-turns.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I thought it was 1,320 feet.
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Because we dealt with --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: On a four-lane we could, But on six we
won't.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: We dealt with this on a
development just south on Collier Boulevard. But I don't want to get
into that.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Right, right.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: And that whole issue was -- I
had that same issue there, and it exists today.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: And we may have to work with our
neighbor to the south --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: South to get --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: -- to get an access easement to go further
south when that situation comes.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Would be a little bit over 1,800.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: And we wouldn't be technically right on
the number, but we'd be pretty close, I believe, on the --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Well, I don't think a six-lane is
in the --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Right, I think --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: -- 10 or 20-year plan, I don't
know.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yeah, quarter mile for a four-lane, so I
think it's roughly 1,300 feet. So we'd have to work with our neighbor
to the south.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Exac -- that was going to be my
point.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, Rich, this easement thing,
it runs all the way behind this property, it runs behind the piece of
property that you're dropping from this application?
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October 29,2009
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And it enters that other property
to the east of that; is that right?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: It goes across from a west to east. From
-- it goes across the little triangular piece, then goes across our
boundary of our property, and then to the property to our east and the
property to the east of that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And the property to your east, is
that by the same ownership or is that another owner who's dropping
out of the application?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: No, it's another owner who's dropping
out of the application. What happened was is the eight acres to our
immediate east and the 15 acres which is the nursery and landscape
business are owned by the same people. Not titled the same way, but
owned by the same people. So they've dropped out of the application.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, before we go to staff, are there
any questions of the applicant any further at this time?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, hearing none, we'll take the staff
report.
David, that means you or Randy or whoever you want, Corby?
MR. WEEKS: Well, Mr. Chairman, I'm not sure if we have a
staff presentation. Ours is based on the original submittal.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Right.
MR. WEEKS: And the petition has changed significantly today.
I won't say staff was unaware of the change through verbal
communications and including Corby's attendance at the informal
NIM that was held Monday evening of this week, staff became aware
of the verbal intent to make a change. But we have not received any
application materials, we've not received data and analysis.
And I know Rich has a response to some of what I'm saying, but
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the fact is we don't have the changed materials.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: This is the staff report, Richard. So go
ahead, David.
MR. WEEKS: We did receive Mr. Mohlke's response to the staff
report market study portion this morning, but I submit that that's not
adequate time for us to review and digest that.
The short of it is though staff has had because of the verbal
communications some time to prepare, I think it would be appropriate
to continue this and would suggest to the November 19th hearing.
That would give staff time to receive the materials from the petitioner,
review those and then write a new staff report and present it to this
body.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Weare going to go through with our
questions as we typically do and hear from the public, and we'll take
all of your recommendations into consideration, and that includes the
recommendation, if one is to consider, and we'll just see how far it
goes by the end of the meeting.
But Randy?
MR. COHEN: Yeah, Mr. Chairman, I also wanted to add, I
know Mr. Y ovanovich, he discussed some data and analysis that was
presented last week, which we would like to take a look at as well too
in conjunction with this particular petition, as well as some vacancy
rates. Because we haven't -- you know, it was mentioned but we
haven't seen that data or analysis.
Also, I think it's probably appropriate for the County Attorney's
Office to review the access easement that was discussed here as well
too to ascertain whether or not it's for ingress and egress as well as
public utilities as well, just to make sure that we cover all our bases.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Corby, you want to move forward?
MR. SCHMIDT: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Commissioners, given the situation where we have new
information being presented to us only at the beginning of this hearing
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and the significant changes being made to the application, I don't find
it useful to make a presentation at this time.
So if you've got questions on the portions of the staff report that
might still be applicable, I'd accept and answer those.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Anybody have any questions?
Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Corby, how many reports or
how many presentations from the agent did you get relative to this
subject? I mean, how long have you been studying it?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: When did the application first become
submitted and how many times have you responded going back and
forth with the applicant, I think that's --
MR. SCHMIDT: Yes, I believe --
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Well, I'd like to know the
intensity of the interchange.
MR. SCHMIDT: Yes, there were at least three rounds of
sufficiency in which both the traffic impact study and the market
conditions study were found insufficient for one reason or another.
And as time grew tight, even though some of those insufficiencies still
remained, there was no time left and we had to move on to substantive
review. So at least three.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there any other questions of staff?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Let me just ask.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, Corby, has staff done not
any applications specific, but have they done any analysis of what
uses should occur on this corner?
MR. SCHMIDT: Insofar as the uses that are already permitted
there by both planning and zoning, certainly.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And what are they? They're
agricultural, right? I mean, the question I'm asking is what we do here
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October 29, 2009
is do gatekeeper zoning where the applicant wants to do something,
but is there any kind of planning within the department that analyzes
these corners prior to an applicant --
MR. SCHMIDT: Analysis that analyzes corners prior to
applications? I don't believe so. We have hundreds of corners and
we'd be spending our time doing that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So we don't have planning
studies as future uses until an applicant arrives at the gate and we
decide to let them go or not.
MR. SCHMIDT: That's a different question.
MR. WEEKS: The short answer is no, we don't. We're not
studying intersections for land uses by our department. The
opportunity to do so would be through an EAR process, but even that
is typically not to that detailed level.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: All right. Thanks.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But in response to Brad's question,
though, you did do that at the time we initiated our comprehensive
plan for Collier County. That's how we originated with our activity
centers and how we decided to place them. The reason I know that, I
was involved in it back then, so --
MR. WEEKS: Certainly back with the original establishment of
the adoption of the plan in 1989, the time period leading up to that.
During the 1996 EAR, evaluation and appraisal report process, the
opportunity was there. Again, I would not say that staff or the public
went to the level of detail of looking at each intersection or each major
intersection throughout the urbanized area, but the opportunity at least
was there for that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, I just didn't want the impression
to be that we never thought of a master plan in the community. We
have. It just isn't done on a regular continuing basis. It was done
initially, and then we've been living with it since, so --
MR. SCHMIDT: And certainly, Mr. Chair--
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October 29,2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Kolflat -- oh.
MR. SCHMIDT: -- if I may continue that thought, I was asked
about this specific location and the uses already permitted either by
our comprehensive plan or by the zoning. And that's part of your staff
report, but I will answer.
The land use designation allows for the residential development
of the site, a variety of community facility uses: Recreation and open
spaces, institutional uses such as child care facilities, churches, other
places of worship, assisted living facilities, adult care facilities,
nursing homes, other senior living facilities, social and fraternal
organizations, public and private schools, a variety of agricultural uses
and essential services.
So there's no lack of viable uses for the piece of property.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right. But it's zoned
agricultural and those are uses within the agricultural zone; is that
right?
MR. SCHMIDT: That is.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay.
MR. WEEKS: Excuse me, some of those uses that Corby
identified would be allowed under the agricultural zoning by right or
by conditional use. Most particularly in mentioning residential
development, that would require a rezone --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Correct.
MR. WEEKS: -- to allow higher density.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Yes, but this is a hearing on
growth management, is it not? It's not a hearing on PUD.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Right.
MR. WEEKS: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, are there any other questions of
staff?
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October 29,2009
(No response,)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Corby, I need to understand some of the
comments you made in your original staff report on Page 8.
You have a paragraph titled defining a support area for analysis.
And your staff -- it says staff notes that the geography of the support
area is not the typical radial measurement, nor is it the road mileage
distance mirroring expected traffic patterns. It is a support area
approximately seven miles long by approximately 2.5 miles wide.
How did you come to that conclusion? I've got -- I mean, I may
have been looking, we got so many documents. This is the document
that I thought was the support area document. This is apparently not?
MR. SCHMIDT: One of the colors on that image does show you
the support area as presented by the applicants, yes. The study that
the staff performed was really two-tiered. Because we often see radial
studies, it's typical that we see gravity studies. We see road distances
used as bases for your market areas.
We saw none these. But we thought it was useful to show you at
least the large three-mile diameter -- or I'm sorry, radius -- around the
subject property that was typical. And that's your yellow circle on that
diagram or your image.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Could you put this on the overhead.
MR. SCHMIDT: I can.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Because I'd like you to show us what
the applicant's market area was and what you were trying to say in that
statement you made.
There you go, Now, the circle I guess then is staffs; is that
correct?
MR. SCHMIDT: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Where is the applicant's? What is the
applicant's -- I think I know what you're going to tell us, but I'd like
you to define it for the record.
MR. SCHMIDT: With the exception of some existing
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October 29,2009
commercial colors or communities being highlighted, it's that light
green-colored market area,
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So the applicant believes the
market area goes from looks like the north Collier line all the way
down to Pine Ridge Road. And that's the two and a half mile by seven
mile longitudinal reference you made up and down?
MR, SCHMIDT: It is.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And typically staff uses a
circular radius like you've shown on here for yours? Is that how it
should have been analyzed from your perspective?
MR. SCHMIDT: Technically staff doesn't use any of those, but
what we're used to seeing from market analysts or other professionals,
our radial measurements are something more similar, yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is there any reason why it's better to go
with a radial analysis over the applicant's analysis? And again, I
understand the answer, what you're probably going to say, but I'd like
to get it on record as to why you saw it this way. Because I read your
report and it wasn't as clear.
Do you feel the circle is a better depiction of the market and the
commercial needs in the area or lack of needs in the area than the one
that they had presented or used?
MR. SCHMIDT: We don't necessarily agree that their choice of
a market area is better than ours, but I couldn't say for sure that ours is
better than theirs.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Well, you seem to prefer one
over the other. And I was looking for your reasons for preference,
that's all.
Does anybody else have any questions?
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: Yeah, I just --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, Mr. Murray.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: -- have one on that one.
Maybe you know, Corby, maybe I know, we'll find out.
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My understanding of large corporations who are in the business
of doing these things typically use the radius as a form just because it
talks about travel distances. It's a capture rate, so to speak. And isn't
that what is more like tradition than anything else?
MR. SCHMIDT: Well, it's traditional because it best represents a
market area generally.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Probabilities, yeah, and that's it.
And I find that the -- it's kind of interesting the market approach
that goes all the way down to Pine Ridge. That stretches in my mind.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And Corby, on Page 10 you have a
second paragraph on there that reads, of particular interest is the
study's use of data on Tables 3.2. and 3.03, which includes TAZs
located outside the proposed sub-district support area. Of the more
than 240 acres listed, only 80 acres lie inside the support area.
Can you explain that?
MR. SCHMIDT: I can somewhat. But because much of our
information in the market study that was examined by staff was
mismatched or different subsets of one another and not apples to
apples as we usually see. This was a situation where they were
showing us information from one study area or selection and not
representing it as the subset we were looking at.
Here is something that they've included additional acreage
outside their own study area, and we don't know if there was a
necessity or intent there or not.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. In this study area that you have
on the screen, at the intersection of Immokalee Road and 951 there's a
large activity center. But from the indications -- from the indications
you're giving, they wouldn't have considered that in their analysis
because it's outside that green area; is that a fair statement?
MR. SCHMIDT: That's correct. They selected their market area
without that portion of it involved.
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October 29,2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Let me make sure I don't have
any other questions of staff.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: But that activity center is still
existent there, right?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir.
My next questions would be of transportation. So anybody else
have any questions of Corby before he departs momentarily?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you very much, Corby.
MR. SCHMIDT: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And Richard, I know that by your
mannerisms you're anxious. You'll have to wait. And as soon as we
finish with staff, you can have a moment to discuss whatever it is you
want to do.
MR. WEEKS: Mr. Chairman, if I could just quickly put on the
record that the exhibit on the visualizer is from the -- it's an attachment
to the staff report which is in your binders. I just want to get that on
the record.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Hi, John.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Good morning. John
Podczerwinsky, Transportation, for the record.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Have you had time to review enough of
either what we had been presented with or the previous one to know
where your department's position would be on access to Immokalee
Road from this property?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: No, we have not.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, that was my main concern.
Okay. Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: But the information you had
received before and have analyzed led you to a conclusion, did it not?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Yes, it did.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: What was that conclusion?
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October 29, 2009
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: The previous conclusion was that we
did not favor access on Immokalee Road.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Is -- by not favoring access, is
that the same as having the ability to deny access?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Not in particular, no. We were
going to recommend against it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And your reasons for recommending
against it?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Distance to the intersection and the
impacts on the functional operation of the intersection were part of the
reasoning for that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And the best they could hope for if it
was in would be right in/right out?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, anybody else?
Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Yes. Now, when I read the staff
report, this following appeared in there: Adjacent roadway network
will not be able to accommodate traffic that will be provided by the
proj ect. Do you recall that?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Was that from transportation's
statement, sir?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: That was from the staff report,
our staff report.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: I don't recall it offhand, but--
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Could you verify that? Because
I believe it was from the transportation probably originally, but it was
quoted in the staff report.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: I can check on it.
MR. COHEN: Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: It was a rather unequivocal
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statement.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: What page are you on, Tor?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Commissioner Kolflat, it may be in
relation to the current status of Immokalee Road, which is under a
policy constrain at the moment.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Let's get this page, we can put it on the
screen, then you can take a quick look at it and resolve it real fast.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Sure.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Page 12?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Someone's saying page --
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Corby, can you help me on this?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Who?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Corby. Can he help me locate
this in the staff report.
MR. WEEKS: Is this it?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Page 12. You may find it on Page 12,
Tor.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: It's page 12, number one in bold,
transportation planners.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Page 12, up at the top under
one.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Mr. Kolflat, yes, that is our
language, transportation's language,
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: And that was your
recommendation?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, any other questions of
transportation at this time?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: John, I noticed you've changed a bit
since we've seen you last. Congratulations. The key to it is not to
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October 29,2009
shave so much and trim it so much, but let it grow out much thicker.
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: Thank you, sir, I'll keep that in mind.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Are there any other questions of
staff at this time?
Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Well, transportation.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, sorry, gentlemen, more.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Do you have any suggestions
for their ingress and egress?
MR. PODCZERWINSKY: At this point, no. We need to
analyze this a little bit further --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Flyover. I'm sure they'd be
happy to give you a fly over. All right, thanks.
MR, PODCZERWINSKY: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Richard, if you wanted to jump
up and say something real quick before we go to the public to -- you
were all anxious there for a minute. I don't mean to cut you offbut
everybody gets their turn, so --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Well, I do have to address a comment
that was made about the lateness of the change. And I think David will
confirm that I did call David probably well over a month ago and said,
David, I would like to modify the request to reduce the acreage and
the square footage we're requesting and provide the modified request.
And I was told that if I did that I would be taken out of this cycle,
placed into the next cycle and I would -- my client would be allowed
to pay another application fee.
And I said, but what happens if I make the change at the Planning
Commission?
He said, that can happen.
So it wasn't because I didn't want to give staff the information
ahead of time to give them an opportunity to analyze it.
What I would request is that -- I don't have an objection to going
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October 29,2009
to November 19th. But I do request that staff review the information,
and we're prepared to give it to them immediately, and we have given
them the revised traffic analysis. We will give them the revised
market study that will simply reduce the square footage, because we
analyzed much more square footage than we're now requesting.
I will give them the access easement. All I simply request is that
they actually review it, interact with us as to what further questions
they mayor may not have with that prior to writing a staff report so
we can discuss professionally any other revisions or concerns that they
may have.
And we would be happy to move to November 19th, ifit will
give the Planning Commission the benefit of the staff analysis.
And again, it's not because we didn't want to give them the
information ahead of time. We were prepared to give it, in fact have
given it and were told it will not be reviewed. Specially the traffic we
were told it will not be reviewed because of it not being provided
sooner.
So that's my request. Hear the public, they're here, or ask them to
come back, either way, But I would request that since staff is now
saying they haven't had a chance to analyze it and they're requesting a
continuance to November 19th to do so, we would agree to that
continuance. I think it's fair to us and I think it's fair to staff and I
think it's fair to the public to have that analysis done.
But I didn't like the way it was portrayed as if we just simply
sprung it on staff. And maybe I'm the only one that took it that way,
but it just seemed -- it seemed to be -- that's the way I took it, as if we
didn't try.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: First of all, we're going to go through
the day like we had planned. We're going to hear the public and
hearing everything everybody says.
At the end of that, we may decide that we have a position or not
or we may decide that a continuance is the best idea. But we're going
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to wait and hear that first.
But in regard to the possibility of a continuance, David or Randy
or Joe, if anybody wouldn't mind e-mailing Ray Bellows and trying to
find out from him how booked up November 19th is already so that
we know what we've got dealing with us,
Okay, Mr. Schmidt will take care of it. And then at the end of all
of our discussions today we'll have a discussion about whether or not
it even needs to go that far.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: And if you'll allow me briefly to let Reed
come up on the transportation issues? Or do you want to wait until
after the public --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, I'd rather the public heard
everything that your group has to say as well so that when they come
up and speak to us they have all that into consideration as well.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yeah, because I would like Reed to come
up and tell you what his analysis is, now that it's 80,000 square feet of
retail and 40,000 square feet of office, and the functionality of the
intersection and functionality of Immokalee Road. I think that would
be beneficial.
Now, staff obviously will not have had an opportunity to review
Reed's information, but at least you'll have the benefit of his analysis.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's fine. And we'll hear Reed then in
just a moment.
I want to ask David one question. Because something you said,
I'm not sure it coincides with what David had intended. And since
he's busy talking to Corby, maybe Randy can answer me. And
Randy's not even there. I thought he --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: He's on the phone.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: He's on the phone on the floor.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: He's on the floor.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, he is? Boy, he sure gets small
quickly.
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October 29,2009
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: He's ducking your question.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: David?
MR. WEEKS: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN : You had previously I thought made a
suggestion that if we wanted to consider this you would try your best
if it was continued to November 19th to review it. I didn't -- is that a
request of your department or is that just something you're suggesting
if we want to see this -- if we think there's some reason to consider
this?
MR. WEEKS: If you want to entertain the changes that have
been presented today, we would -- staff would request a continuance
to give us time to evaluate it. Which would be very limited. We're
talking about five or six work days to evaluate this and write a new
staff report, revised staff report, and provide it to you.
If you don't wish to entertain these changes, then we stand by our
existing staff report and recommendation.
And also, just to quickly respond to Richard's comment, not to
get the back and forth but just to say as far as the working with the
applicant, again because there's only about six days before we would
need to get staff report out to you, that does not leave us time to work
back and forth.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
MR. WEEKS: Regrettably. Because we -- staff doesn't disagree
that there is a benefit of having that dialogue, but you need to have
this a week or more in advance, November 11 th is a holiday, we're
just tight on time.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And I kind of anticipated that would be
the outcome anyway, so --
MR. COHEN: But Mr. Chairman, at the same time, we would
commit to obviously meeting with them initially right afterwards to
ensure that we've got the totality of what they're submitting, you
know, and that we would be reviewing it accordingly.
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October 29,2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
And then Reed wanted to come up?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Right. That's what I was asking --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN : Your presentation was previously
finished. Let's just keep this to the point and we'll go on after that.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I'm just going to call Reed up, that's all I
was simply going to do.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir, Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Is this not a question also
whether there's sufficient information that already has been submitted
to make a decision? And perhaps the information we have is
sufficient to make a decision. That's --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I think that's what--
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: -- no need to stretch this out.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's the discussion we can have when
we get done hearing the public. We can have all those discussions,
Mr. Kolflat, absolutely.
Okay, Reed, go right ahead.
MR. JARVI: My name is Reed Jarvi. I'm a professional
engineer with Omega Consulting Group. I did the second and third --
or I guess it's the third and fourth traffic impact statements for this
project, being the one previous was the 260,000, the 41-acre parcel
and then a more recent one beginning of October for the new program
of 80,000 of retail and 40,000 office.
And just to highlight that, we responded in our TIS to the
comments from the staff in this new program, and I'll just highlight
those, as the main issue seems to be Immokalee Road at the
intersection, as John said, that is a policy constrained road, I think. Is
that the right words? Policy constrained in that we are required to
look at it as a four-lane road, which was previous to the six-lane
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construction, which is -- and then the now eight-lane construction
that's currently under construction.
So with that data today, this segment of the road is over capacity.
And with our project -- with this project it would be further over
capacity.
However, that segment of roadway, the I - 7 5 interchange area
which is going to eight-lane and will have some kind of modified six
or eight-lane capacity in the future, that is scheduled for completion
the end of this year, first of next year. So it's soon, well before this
project could ever possibly put any traffic on the road.
With that said, I've discussed the potential capacities with Mike
Green at transportation planning, and using his numbers or using the
numbers that were there previous to the -- excuse me, the capacity
numbers previous to the policy constraint, that segment of Immokalee
Road does function within standards, or will function within
standards, projected to function standards, with or without this project.
So Immokalee Road does not seem to be the answer -- does not
seem to be an issue from a concurrency standpoint in the near future.
Currently, yes. Near future, no.
We've also looked at the intersection that was mentioned that --
with all the U-turns at the intersection. I have done the analysis
looking at 2015 as a threshold year, and used only the only in access
on Logan Boulevard being that anything that would go east would
have -- excuse me, everything would have to come out of Logan
Boulevard, go north and do either a right turn, left turn or U-turn, and
some northbound.
With that in mind and putting in the projected number from
today, we did a count about two weeks ago, three weeks ago,
projected that to peak season as we normally do, projected it to 2015
as we normally do, put in the vested trips that are already out there,
put in our project trips. It does work within level of service standards.
That's the intersection using all the U-turns at that intersection; so
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northbound to southbound U-turns. Assuming there is no left out of
the project.
Also assumes there's no access on Immokalee Road, which is,
you know, the most conservative situation. As John said, they are not
saying necessarily no to an Immokalee Road access, it's just not their
preference at this time. My estimation is having a right in/right out on
Immokalee Road would probably benefit this project and the traffic
circulation in that area.
The last thing we did look at, there was a statement that was
highlighted here, I think it was Page 12, that talked about the project
doesn't meet the standards with -- and I'm paraphrasing -- vested
project in zoned trips.
As you may remember when we've gone through the TIS
guidelines several years ago, there was nothing about zoned trips. It is
impossible to know what the zoned trips would be. We do a growth
rate, we do the AUIR trip bank, the vested trips, yes. We don't do
zone trips.
However, I did talk to staff about a long-range forecast, 2013,
and they have -- the most recent numbers are from the interchange
justification report at the I-75 intersection -- or excuse me, potential
interchange.
They gave me numbers for that for 2025 and 2035, which we
equated to 2030 looking at long-range projections. It still doesn't meet
the -- what is assumed to be the standards of Immokalee Road in the
future.
So in a nutshell it appears with this new project, all the
projections I've done show that it does fall within what we think the
future standards of Immokalee Road will be.
And that ends my presentation.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Before you started I knew that you
would not be agreeing with staff, so thank you for your discussion.
Go ahead, Mr. Murray.
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COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Reed, irrespective of whether
you have sufficient availability on the roadway, on the Immokalee
entrance is there room for a de-cel. lane?
MR. JARVI: Yeah, I don't have the exact frontage in front of
me, but I think it's about 700 feet, if I remember right, on Immokalee
Road. A typical de-cel. lane would be, for 45 miles an hour is 185
feet, I think.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay. Because I can't imagine
with a 45 mile an hour road that you'd be inviting traffic at 90-degree
angle turns in there. That certainly wouldn't be something.
MR. JARVI: It's six or 700 feet. So there is adequate room to
put a turn lane.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So the property that we're
talking about that we were shown would also probably have to be
given up in order to facilitate that. But that's another matter.
Logan, assuming you cannot make a left out of that easement
over into Logan, you spoke of U-turns. And I don't know, sure it can
be qualified, but do they do U-turns at major intersections?
MR. JARVI: Yes, sir. In fact, the -- as we talked just briefly
about, most any major intersection has U-turns at it right now. There
are some that actually prevent U-turns. There are some -- and that's
because of the phasing of the signals. But almost every intersection in
the urban area has U-turns.
And with the access management plan we have now in place, as
Rich alluded to briefly, it almost requires U-turns.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Really?
MR. JARVI: Because as we said, the intersection spacing with
the access management plan, because the speed limits are deemed to
be high speed, the division is 45 miles an hour, and almost all of our
six-lane roads are 45 mile an hour speed limits. So that's deemed to be
high speed. That intersection spacing for a six-lane road is for signals
half a mile. For a full access it's a quarter mile. However, realistically
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you can't do a full access on a six-lane road, or you shouldn't, because
it's an issue.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: All right, I appreciate your
answer, but I'm having a hard time appreciating how this project could
even capture -- adequately capture any traffic going eastbound on
Immokalee or people coming up from the area that was shown as the
market area, in effect without being trapped in traffic situations that
probably would require some significant changes to the intersection to
allow all those U-turns.
MR. JARVI: The intersection currently has two northbound left
turn lanes, and the left most of the left turn lanes would be the U-turn
could be a left.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Wait a minute, orient me
correctly. Which intersection -- which road on the intersection?
MR. JARVI: Logan Boulevard.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay.
MR. JARVI: The northbound approach on Logan has -- was
constructed when they recently did Logan and Immokalee Road for an
ultimate configuration, which has two northbound left-turn lanes, two
through lanes and a right-turn lane, So it's an ultimate configuration
for that intersection.
In fact, maybe something that wasn't brought out, Logan
Boulevard in general in this area is a two-lane road, but the
intersection is set -- is done for four lanes.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: But I'm confused, because there
is no light there, right?
MR. JARVI: No, there is a signal there.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: There is a signal. I'm not
obviously seeing that.
MR. JARVI: It's fairly new.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay.
MR. JARVI: But there is a signal there now, and it does
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accommodate U-turns currently. In our situation we would anticipate
more than likely there could be left turn out of this access, but when
there's a four-lane configuration, there more likely will not be left turn
out because the --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay, I hear you. And maybe if
I get to talk to John again, I'm going to ask him whether or not they
intend to permit a continuation of U-turns at an intersection which is
going to be intense with all the people going home and after work and
so forth. But maybe it's moot, I don't know, I'm going to find out.
MR. JARVI: When we did our count, I don't have it in front of
me, but there were a few U-turns at that intersection. I think it was
more the east-west direction than north-south, but there were a few
U-turns, not many.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Now I'd like to go to public
speakers, unless there's any other questions from the Planning
Commission.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Good.
David, do you want -- Randy, do you want to call public
speakers. And then anybody that hasn't submitted a slip, we will still
ask you to come up. Please identify yourself and state your address for
the record, including your zip code. That way if any mailings have to
be sent out, we have it on record.
And we ask that you try to limit your discussion to five minutes,
but that's not a hard fast rule. Just if you're not repetitive that's the
best thing we can ask for.
MR. COHEN: JoAnne Day, followed by Gary Lusher.
MS. DAY: Hello. I'll try and be brief. My name is JoAnne Day.
I live on Khasia Point in Saturnia Lakes.
First I think it's disingenuous for the developers to say that most
are in favor of this project. I've been to both of the community
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meetings. I have seen one person who is in favor of it locally, and one
who comes in and speaks for the developer. So that to me -- unless
I'm unaware of somebody else, I don't know, maybe I was sleeping.
So anyway, first of all, when you -- I'm not telling you anything
you don't know. When you look at the photos, when you look at the
aerials, you see Olde Cypress, Longshore Lakes, Saturnia Lakes, the
new Saturnia Falls, which is right across the nice green area, they're
all residential. Logan, down Logan, all residential, no commercial.
This developer must prove a need for a change in the
development area. There is no need for commercial and retail space
here, not in the middle of thousands of residential homes.
There's already an abundance of empty store fronts locally.
Within a quarter of a mile there's empty store fronts; across from Gulf
Coast High School there's empty store fronts, down Immokalee there's
empty store fronts. It's unbelievable, as you well know. I'm not
telling anybody anything they don't know. And Target as well.
So what we have are two large areas, commercial areas, on either
end. We have the Target area and then we have the Immokalee and
Collier area that are large commercial areas with also large areas for
growth, So those are there as well.
Then we have what you all were just discussing which is the
traffic pattern at Logan and Immokalee. And I would love people to
come at rush hour and try and take a U-turn, follow the traffic up north
coming to go to 75. It will-- it's getting worse, It will become a
nightmare. When you see people trying to cross that road to get into
say a Lowe's or a Home Depot or a gas station, it will become a real
nightmare for a traffic pattern, there is no question. I mean, it's asking
for problems that we don't need at this point. I mean, there's just
plenty of other areas that are more easily accessible to have.
Plus the idea of tractor trailers coming into that small area doing
U-turns where they cannot do them will be a very interesting exercise.
I'll be anxious to see them.
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So anyway, we also believe and are concerned in our community
that the commercial space can become an attractive nuisance for the
high school, which is very close by, the students walk, and the
elementary school, which is right next to the high school there. So,
you know, we have a lot of school age children that walk right around
the corner there. And if we put in some commercial properties that we
-- could be an attractive nuisance, we could have some problems there
as well, everybody knows that.
Anyway, it's my opinion, as well as many of my neighbors, that
this project does not belong here. We agree with staff
recommendation that it really belongs elsewhere. We hope that you
agree as well, and we thank you for time and effort.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
Next speaker, please?
MR. COHEN: Gary Lusher, followed by Mary Jane Cary.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Cherie', we doing okay here?
THE COURT REPORTER: Yes, thank you.
MR. LUSHER: Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, for
the record, my name's Gary Lusher. I'm a resident of Olde Cypress, I
live at 3080 Terramar Drive in Olde Cypress. The zip code is 34119,
I'm here today on behalf of the Olde Cypress Master Property
Owners Association board of directors. I serve on that board.
And I would like to enter into the record a correspondence that
we drafted for Mr. Schmidt with the comprehensive planning
department related to this petition. And I'll read it to be very succinct.
On behalf of the Olde Cypress Master Property Owners
Association, please accept this letter as notification of our objection to
the amendment of the Collier County Growth Management Plan to
remove the property urban residential sub-district designation to
establish the Logan/Immokalee mixed use sub-district.
Our intent is not to impede commercial development on
Immokalee Road. But we feel that there are more than adequate
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established commercial sites and opportunities available both east and
west of the property under consideration that should accommodate
commercial expansion for many years into the future.
We have also taken into consideration several additional factors
that may become issues, should the petition be approved, which are as
follows: A commercial development entry to the property just east of
the Logan BoulevardlImmokalee Road intersection will affect the
traffic flow through the intersection, The need for a turn lane will also
add to this specific problem.
The existing developments to the north and east of the property
were developed with specific intent to maintain a gated residential
community signature and esthetic appearance. This was intended to
maintain value, desirability and attractiveness of the respective
communities.
As a community, Olde Cypress is uncomfortable with the
unknown commercial interest complementing what now exists.
The renderings provided by the agents for the petitioner at the
information meeting held on October 26th show retail and office space
that was substantially blocked from view from both Logan Boulevard
and Immokalee Road. Although only an opinion, it would appear that
retail establishments would have little use for space without maximum
visibility to the public.
Agents for the petitioner named at least two projects in Collier
County where mixed use sub-districts have been established. A brief
examination of those will reveal the presence of significant
commercial activities in the immediate proximity prior to the change
of designation. There is none at this location.
Agents for the petitioner related that independent study revealed
the highest and best use for the property as commercial. Although this
results in more taxable value, it does nothing to preserve the general
scheme of the established residential communities.
Future traffic demands related to the four-lane expansion of
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Logan Boulevard and the continuation of Logan Boulevard north of
Immokalee Road to Bonita Beach Road also is of concern based on
increased traffic and egress issues for southbound travel from Olde
Cypress and any additional communities north of Olde Cypress.
Presently two large residential developments are planned,
Thank you in advance for your consideration, and please contact
our association president, should you have additional questions.
Thank you very much for your time and attention.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MR. COHEN: Mary Jane Cary, followed by WalterCary.
MS. CARY: Good morning, Mr. Chairman. My name is Mary
Jane Cary. I'm a small business owner and a property owner in
Saturnia Lakes PUD. I live at 2073 Painted Palm Drive, Naples,
Florida, 34119.
In order to understand an issue, I like to gather the facts from all
the parties involved and make observations. So for this project I need
facts from the developers, as well as from Collier County.
So what data have I found? From the developers, I gathered an
April, 2007 aerial map with the original40-acre proposed project.
Well, I was out of town for the first neighborhood information
meeting but attended the second one October 26th, where I saw an
aerial map of the proposed 18-acre proj ect. I saw three proposed
conceptual designs, even though the developer said, quote, the client
hasn't seen them, unquote.
Regarding building heights, I heard the developer say, quote,
nothing would be taller than two-story, unquote.
I also heard the developer say that the county's commercial
planning projections are wrong, but were any facts, analyses or reports
provided? No.
Was any traffic analysis or reports provided? No.
My husband requested a copy of the revised traffic analysis from
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the developer. Have we received it yet? No.
Now, this morning I did hear some new information. But I'm
hoping that some facts and analyses and reports will become more
available.
Moving on. What kind of county data have I found? From
Collier County I found zoning maps, land use maps, ownership
records. I found the current Land Development Code with its
descriptions and permitted uses for agricultural and Estates districts,
PUDs and C-l through C-4 commercial zones. I found Exhibit A for
the proposed BCC ordinance, along with the county's planning staff
analysis report for the original 40-acre project.
And I started to notice that the staff analysis report matches some
of my observations.
I live surrounded by Estates and single-family homes, There are
commercial centers within one to two miles at the I-75 and the Collier
Boulevard intersections, and traffic in those areas seems to flow in,
out and through those areas, you know, as kind of as if it were
planned.
These areas have several empty store fronts and there are also
open undeveloped areas in those centers for future use, There are two
smaller commercial districts within a half to three quarters -- or
two-thirds of a mile at Quail Creek and Olde Cypress. These smaller
districts have even more empty store fronts. And they have some
additional open space for future use.
And look at the parking lots of all these commercial centers.
They're a third full, which means they're two-thirds empty. So maybe
the county staff conclusion that we have three times the commercial
space we need in the area now seems kind of reasonable?
In fact, given the amount of own space awaiting future
development in all of these existing centers, it doesn't take a rocket
scientist to understand that the needs ofthe current and projected
population in this area through even probably 2030 can probably be
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met through the continuation of the existing Collier County Growth
Management Plan.
So where is the compelling argument in favor of modifying the
zoning of this property? Has anybody seen any compelling data in the
developer's analysis or reports? Because I really haven't seen any in
the county's data, analysis or reports.
So at this point I'm willing to abide by the recommendations
contained in the staff report submitted to this commission for the
October 19th, 2009 meeting. For under these circumstances, I'd rather
walk or drive just a little bit further like I'm doing right now east or
west on Immokalee Road or to points even further away from my
home than live with a constant reminder of another developer's
unsubstantiated dream.
Thank you for your consideration.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. And just before the next
speaker I want to make a note to the Planning Commission. We're
going to be up for a break or for lunch in about five or 10 minutes. I'll
ask you all when we get to that point if we want to continue through
and finish this, because I think we can, rather than take a lunch break
today, but at least we'll have to gave Cherie' a break at about 11 --
well, that clock says 10:45, but -- so until then we'll continue with the
public.
Next speaker, please.
MR. COHEN: Walter Cary, followed by Sally Kirk.
MR. CAR Y: Good morning, almost to be good afternoon. I'm
Walt Cary. I live in Saturnia Lakes on Painted Palm Drive,
I have talked to several of my neighbors in the last few days
about this planned project, and most of them have stated exactly what
the prior speakers have stated, that they feel that there's enough
commercial endeavors within our ability to drive in a short time that
another commercial site is not really needed.
And I go along with that. A commercial site would add a
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considerable amount of more nighttime lighting in the area that's
reflected up. It would damage our quality of life. We all like to sit
out around our nice beautiful lake we have, watch the stars and just
enjoy the nighttime.
So I would ask this commission to not approve the rezoning of
this area to allow another commercial site. I believe we have enough
in the area, and I don't mind driving a little extra distance. Thank you
very much.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MR. COHEN: Sally Kirk. And I guess it would be after the
break Janet Vasey.
MS. KIRK: Good morning. I'm Sally Kirk. I'm the president of
Longshore Lake Foundation. I live at 11180 Phoenix Way, Naples,
34119.
I can't say much more than alreadys been said much more
eloquently than I probably could. And I only ask that you do not
recommend approval of this change to the Growth Management Plan.
We talk about the commercial areas that are currently vacant
along our corridor, and I think that speaks for itself. And we too are
concerned about the additional traffic in the area, particularly the
V-turns. I personally have been almost hit right there at Logan
Boulevard and Immokalee Road when making a V-turn, as is the case
at Valewood and Immokalee Road where you have to make a V-turn
in order to go west onto Immokalee Road. So that's always a concern
to myself and my neighbors.
That's pretty much all I have to say. Because as I said, it's
already been said in a much better manner. So I thank you for your
time and have a good day.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
MR. COHEN: Mr. Chairman, could the speaker clarify whether
or not she was speaking on behalf of herself or her organization.
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MS. KIRK: No, I'm speaking on behalf of Longshore Lake
Foundation. I'm the president of that organization.
MR. COHEN: Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
Next speaker? I think Ms. Vasey's up, and then probably go for a
break after that.
MS. VASEY: Janet Vasey for the record, 4398 Longshore Way
North. And the zip code is 34119.
I'm an 18-year resident of Longshore Lake, and I'm really
frustrated at having to try and comment on a plan that has changed for
us today. We were unaware of some of the earlier meetings and so
didn't even know that it was dropping from 41 acres to 18.
But some of my concerns are still valid, I think. I agree that this
-- what is happening here as a commercial area is being dropped into a
place where we've got residential all around, and I don't think that that
reflects good planning. I think you should leave that area residential
and not put any commercial in there.
The issue of population. The staff had I thought a very excellent
point when they were looking at over-commercialization. And they
said, and I'm quoting, that we don't need more than two times the
commercial space necessary to serve the estimated population in 2030.
And even with the downsized commercial property that they're talking
about now, I would think that that statement may be not to the same
degree, but it would still apply, we don't need more commercial than
we need and the population can support.
And as to traffic, I was very concerned about the traffic analysis
based on the 41 acres, because when that section of road from the
interstate -- on Immokalee from the interstate to Logan was only
four-Ianed, it was a nightmare, just a nightmare with all the population
coming from the east going west. And then when it was -- it's now
six-Ianed. If you put in more traffic than the road can handle, it--
that's not a place you ever want to live. You can't even get out of your
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development. And it's frustrating for all the other people east of us
trying to get through backed up.
So I would say that if you're going to wait and get a new traffic
analysis based on the new redesign, please don't approve anything that
transportation says that can't be supported by Immokalee Road.
One thing that Wayne mentioned that I'd just like to address, he
said that the interchange activity center is for regional uses. I'd just
like to say that we don't know it as regional uses, we know it as that's
our local store. And there's lots of stores. That interchange
intersection has Wal-Mart, Publix, Target and all the other associated
stores that go with it. And that's our local. And we're fine with it. It
works fine, it's not far away, and I can't see that we have any need for
anything more now or it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't needed well
into the future, we wouldn't need anything more.
So thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you. And with that, I'd like
to ask the Planning Commission, I think it's best if we just skip lunch,
work through this. Because we can probably finish up before 1 :00.
And then we'll just take a 15-minute break. By our time we'll come
back at noon, by that clock we'll come back at 11 :00.
(Recess?)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You're on record, everyone, just to let
you know. We're talking. Planning Commission is not going to break
for lunch, we're going to continue through.
And do we have anymore registered speakers, Randy?
MR. COHEN: Yes, Mr. Chairman. Gene Mayberry, followed
by I believe it's Tim Witherite.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Ms. Mayberry, if you'll come up
and use one of the mics. Or Mr., I'm sorry.
MR. MAYBERRY: Good afternoon, gentlemen -- good
mornmg.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You've got to say and ladies.
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MR. MAYBERRY: And ladies. I apologize.
My name is Gene Mayberry. I live at 7424 Treeline Drive, in
Olde Cypress, Naples. Zip code, 34119.
I abut that vacant area that you see there that you gentlemen,
ladies, previously recognized as Vita Toscana.
And as you recall, you addressed that subject about a year ago.
The developer abandoned that, left it in very deplorable condition.
And thanks to your support, that property was leveled and has been
seeded. And we extend a special thank you for your support in that
regard.
In respect to today's petition, we do not need another prospective
abandoned site. And as has been remarked this morning, you go about
a mile west and there's a commercial site that is probably about 50
percent developed. The 50 percent that is developed is probably about
50 percent empty.
And you go down towards 75 that's been remarked to, the Target
Store, that property is somewhere probably between 30 and 40 percent
developed, if that. The 30 or 40 percent that's developed, there's about
five empty buildings in that project. The land around it is barren with
weeds and dirt.
That also brings me back to the other commercial site that I
alluded to a little bit earlier. There are vacant lots in there with pipes
sticking out of the ground where developers have abandoned the
project for lack of demand.
You go east about another mile, and adjacent from the high
school is another 20-acre commercial site. Again, it's probably about
the same condition as the other sites, only about 30 or 50 percent
developed. Vacant stores, vacant windows, signage with lots available
to be developed.
You go down to the intersection of Collier Boulevard and
Immokalee and there's an area down there that's probably about 40
acres, 30 to 40 acres; rocks, sand and there's one loan CVS that's
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spawning from the ground.
Gentlemen, North Naples is almost starting to look like a modem
Detroit. We have a lot of abandoned lots and, as you can see, space
that is not being marketed.
All these abandoned empty commercial projects are a blight to
our communities. And it does not project well for prospective buyers
coming into the community; that is, there does not appear to be
growth, there appears to be abandonment.
We do not need another developer to, pardon me, you know, take
abuse of the earth, leave it abandoned and further poke another stick
into our eye. It is not sound policy to continue this unabated
commercial stripping of land without adequate justification for merits
of the project. And I think we all -- well, not all, there's some
certainly -- but the majority of us today do not feel that this project has
adequate justification to proceed forward.
I think at the point in time that the developer could demonstrate
that there was a need for the project, perhaps we'd be agreeable to
hearing that product plan. But as of today, we do not see a product
that warrants consideration of this petition moving forward. Thank
you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
Next speaker, please.
MR. COHEN: Tim Witherite, followed by Diane Ebert.
MR. WITHERITE: Good morning, Chairman, Commissioners.
Appreciate the time to talk.
I'm Tim Witherite, 6060 Shady Oaks Lane, in the Oakes
Boulevard neighborhood to the west of this project.
I'm the president of the Oakes Estates Advisory Board. We're a
voluntary neighborhood organization, we represent the interests of the
neighborhood there on Oakes Boulevard. We're a long-established
neighborhood. We've been there since I believe the late Sixties. We
were platted a long time ago, along with Golden Gate. So we've been
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October 29,2009
there long before anybody else was around us.
Our stance on this right now is going to remain neutral, okay, and
it's for a couple of reasons. Originally we were very concerned with
the original design and shape of this property or proposed
development. As it stands right now, we're going to remain neutral
because of the down-sizing. If it stays as proposed right now, the
downsized version of it, we will remain as neutral on it, because it
does not have any direct effect on our neighborhood. We have the
property separating us from our neighborhood there. So there would
be no profound direct effect on us at this time.
We do share the concerns of our neighbors and the other
developments, though, for, you know, traffic and abundance of
commercial up in that area. There's, you know, some obvious
problems there. But officially we will remain neutral at this time.
Now, I say that at this time. However, there's a couple of things
we want brought forward on the record.
If the property to the south, the Colin Walker property, the
nursery, the landscaping area, if that should for any reason come back
into this proposed project, or should it be proposed into another
development in the future, which is all very likely, we do have a
couple of grave concerns for our neighborhood. And one would be
the protection of east end of Hidden Oaks Lane, there you can see on
the map.
When Logan Boulevard was extended through there, our
neighborhood was pretty well protected by the -- because if you know
our neighborhood, it's pretty heavily forested, so we have a lot of
landscaping between us and the road. The one exception was Hidden
Oaks. For some reason, just the way it worked out, it was very well
cleared out and those homes are sitting right there exposed to Logan
Boulevard.
Should the property on the other side become developed, that's
where our concern was, is that we would want to see some sort of
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barrier put across through there to protect those homes so they aren't
sitting in their houses looking across the street at who knows, shops,
centers, office building, we don't know, okay.
The other concern we would have in the future too is -- and this
is an ongoing concern we've had for many years, I think some of you
are probably aware of it, is that we absolutely are steadfast against any
of our streets being ever connected to Logan Boulevard. We have a
gentleman's agreement with the county on that that won't happen but
it's just that, gentleman's agreement.
So we just want to make sure, we want that on the record.
Should the southern end of this come back into this proposal or any
future proposals, then we will object to that, unless we have some, you
know, considerations given to our neighborhood.
All right, thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, appreciate it.
Next speaker?
MR. COHEN: It's Diane Ebert, followed by either any
unregistered speakers or Corby Schmidt reading into the record a
couple e-mails.
MS. EBERT: Good morning, Commissioners. For the record,
Diane Ebert, 2898 Lone Pine Lane, in Olde Cypress, 34119.
I have been to both meetings that Rich Y ovanovich and Mr.
Wayne Arnold have given. Originally it is correct, it was 41 acres.
I have maybe different concerns because all of a sudden they
pulled out the other acreage. But to be honest, there is 50 acres there,
and once you get the zoning, the other two owners can hook on
because the zoning is there.
And you cannot come out of Olde Cypress right now and turn left
or right going east or west without passing commercial.
The area that you do see that is vacant right now has been seeded,
but that is 446 acres, which was Vita Tuscana. And that was designed
for single-family homes also.
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We already have two activity centers there. And just because
there is a new stoplight on Immokalee Road and Logan Boulevard
does not mean we have to have commercial.
According to the owner's agents, Logan Boulevard lacks
commercial development. We say that's nice.
This is nothing more than a strip type mall spot zoning into our
area. And this county pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for this
Growth Management Plan, and then to have someone come along and
just want to change everything and do this spot development I think is
not justice to the rest of us that live there. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you. Appreciate it.
Are there any other -- is there anybody else in the audience who
would like to speak who has not already spoken? Okay, well-- sir?
Come on up and use the microphone, provide your identity, we'll be in
good shape.
MR. RIZZO: Good afternoon, Commissioners. Name is Ben
Rizzo. Spell it? R-I-Z-Z-O. 2158 Khasia Point, in Saturnia Lakes,
34119. K-H-A-S-I-A.
I appreciate you hearing what we have to say, and I don't want to
take your time up, so I'm just going to say that I agree with all the
objections which were made to this project of more commercial space.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
Anybody else from the public that would like to speak?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Corby, you want to get
something on for the record, I understand?
MR. SCHMIDT: Yes. There were two correspondences that
staff received during the last few days. For one of them, that person
already spoke to you previously during this hearing so I'll skip that
e-mail.
The other one from a Mr. Barry Tulin of Butterfly Palm Drive.
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As a resident of Saturnia Lakes and Naples, Florida, I am against the
subject petition mentioned above. I do not understand the proposal is
for is work to be done in the future to accommodate future growth --
I'm sorry. He reads, I do understand the proposal is for work to be
done in the future to accommodate future growth. However, I think
that thinking is premature. No one knows how long it will take to fill
any of the empty homes, offices and retail space that is now available
in Naples and our specific area. I also don't feel that any additional
office or retail space is needed or wanted in the area designated by the
petition, and I certainly don't want any more traffic in the area, already
having to cope with the Immokalee Road construction for some four
years now.
I also believe that the proposed drawings that were shown were
not representative of the final outcome.
And I believe he's referring to the preliminary site plans or
concept plans.
The retail portion of the plan showed the stores set back and
partially covered by trees. No one would want their stores shielded
from traffic, they would want their stores or signage proudly
displayed.
At the meeting which I attended at the Saturnia Lakes social hall
on Monday evening, October 26th, it was clear to me that the majority
of concerned people there were also very much against the above
petition. Please take these comments into consideration.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, at break David said you may
want to put something on for record, some analysis of your own?
David? He's looking at me with this puzzled look.
MR. SCHMIDT: Yes, Mr. Chairman, thank you for the
opportunity.
Given the idea that you may act on this today and not lay it over,
I want to make sure that on the record we reiterated some of the
findings that still might be valid, even with the reduction in square
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footage: The fewer owners; the lack or the different access onto
Logan Boulevard; the restricted mix of uses, or whatever the final
presentation to you might be or to staff forthcoming.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Corby, you previously --
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Excuse me, Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Tor.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Corby, could you repeat that
slowly so we could jot that down what those items were?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, I've got an idea along those lines.
You previously supplied a list of bullet items on Page 15 and 16.
And if you really have concerns of this new one that you're familiar
enough with to respond in regards to which one of those would still be
valid or invalid based on the reductions to the extent you heard
without a full analysis, that might be the best way to approach it in an
organized manner so we can understand where you're coming from.
MR. SCHMIDT: Simply stating that many of those points still
stand. For instance, the staff analysis of the market study shows that
there is no need for additional commercial space through the year
2030. Reducing the amount of square footage or the acreage would
not change that. So that's why we're interested in seeing those
materials in the future.
For those that would still stand and certainly we mentioned
earlier, there are viable uses on the property, and there still would be
even in the reduction in size.
One that was newly introduced because of the change as we've
heard it here today, the reduction in size really reduces or eliminates
any merits the petition would have had as a mixed use sub-district that
could have met some of the criteria for the community character plan
for the county. Your FLUE Objective 7, it's under policies. Now we
have a single use being introduced at the intersection of a smaller size
and an inability to meet those criteria.
With the reduction in size or acreage it would no longer serve as
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a community center or community sized shopping facility but now
another neighborhood center.
And I believe that the petitioners themselves or the agent touched
on this, that the adjacent properties' change here might lead to
advanced or additional requests similar to this on adjacent properties.
Well, when it was one large piece there was some merit to that
contention, and we present that many times and you hear it because
there's a basis for it. Here now that I've removed some of the
properties, leaving them vacant for future development, introducing
commercial to part of it even makes that a stronger argument. Now
those adjacent pieces more certainly will come in for the same kinds
of requests.
And finally, we've already seen in the staff report materials that
there's an over-allocation of commercial space, both existing and
potential for the future, enough to serve the market areas shown and
even a greater area.
An over-allocation of commercial space is one of the primary
indicators of urban sprawl. And that's one of the things the DCA has
told us recently they're looking stronger at. And here's a situation
where not only do I remove the residential potential over the property
where I would have avoided sprawl by providing the residents close to
the existing shopping opportunities, I'm taking that opportunity away
with this amendment to the FLUE and instead I'm replacing it with
additional commercial opportunities to fewer residents, just the
opposite of where we're supposed to be going. Someone said it wasn't
good planning --
MR. COHEN: Mr. Chairman, correct me ifI'm wrong, but I
believe what you want, in addition to what Corby just went through,
was going to the findings and conclusions on Page 15 and expressly
articulating whether or not each one of those bullet points apply, based
on what was introduced today as well.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, ifhe wasn't going to do it, I was
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going to ask him, so one way or another. That's what I'm trying to get
to.
I understand your presentation, Corby, but like the first one, you
believe it was spot zoning as originally presented. Do you still believe
it's spot zoning?
MR. SCHMIDT: Even more so, yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. That's the kind of response I
wanted to your bullets, because that's -- I guess the meat of your
conclusions are right there. So if you could proceed down that -- I
don't want to read it to you, I think you --
MR. SCHMIDT: Certainly.
We've already shown a number of times or in different ways
there's no additional need for commercial. Reducing that amount of
square footage doesn't change that threshold. It doesn't meet any new
numbers, doesn't meet any new demands or different.
The magnitude and scale of the project, it simply provides --
would provide, if it was approved, another typical neighborhood
center.
There are only significant impacts to transportation facilities.
And you've already heard some testimony this morning that although
you may not have the constraints imposed, once the construction
project is completed on Immokalee Road, you still have a problem at
that intersection, and some of those other situations would not be
eliminated by this change.
You still have the situation with existing neighborhood
generators being just a half a mile or more away in one direction, less
than two-thirds of a mile away in another direction, and community
center shopping areas a little over one mile away to the west and a
little less than two miles away to the east along Immokalee Road.
We talked also earlier about the viability of the project. That
bullet point does not change. The residential viability of this project
had a higher density than exampled by the agent earlier. It's not just a
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three or four-acre item, but here we saw that if rezoned to its potential
as a residential neighborhood, likely up to 12 units per acre could be
the density we would see there.
We still have a situation where there's a problem with access onto
Immokalee Road. We haven't heard anything to reverse or change the
idea that there might be some there now with the smaller property or
the narrower frontage.
And the others I've covered.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
Are there any questions of staff at this point?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Richard, do you want a short
rebuttal opportunity?
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I'd like a long one.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, you've had a lot of time.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Well, I haven't had a chance to respond
to the public or some of what staff just said. I was being facetious
about long, I would appreciate -- I've never taken a long time on
rebuttal.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I know, I've never cut you off either.
But if you think you're going to take an hour or two, that's not going to
work.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: No, I don't have the stamina for an hour
or two.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I just find some of what was just said to
lack any credibility. I would like to know how staff can base their
decision that there are other viable uses on this site. I didn't see a
single analysis of viability of other sites.
And to my knowledge, I don't think any of your staff that
testified today have any experience on the private side on viability of
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projects. Nor did we ever say there were not other uses that can be
made on that site. What we said was low density residential at this
comer was not a viable use. And we stand by that statement. Low
density residential use on this comer is not a viable use of the comer.
The standard that we have to meet is not are there other uses on
the property. Is there data and analysis so support what we're
requesting is the standard we have to meet.
There are two reports you have in your packet. You have our
report prepared by Chuck Mohlke who knows what he's doing and has
concluded that there is a demand for what we're requesting, and that
this location can meet the demand.
He factored in all of the sites your staffs talking about. He
factored in the two small retail sites that are on Immokalee Road, on
the north side of Immokalee Road. He factored in Quail II that's
predominantly office. He factored in the small retail that's in Olde
Cypress. He factored that in and he concluded that yes, there still is
demand to be met on this corridor.
We put up a transportation consultant who did analyze the
reduced request and he testified that there are no transportation related
questions. That's been uncontroverted because your staff has not been
given an opportunity to review that. To conclude that there are still
transportation related problems related to our reduced request is not
fair. It's not accurate. We put a credential consultant up to show you
that there's not. Staff can't conclude that there still are problems.
I almost got up here and said, tongue in cheek, we'll accept
Corby's offer of 12 units per acre density. But you know and I know
that's never going to happen on this site. We're never going to get 12
units an acre approved on this site.
To get to 12 units per acre we'd have to come in with an eight
unit per acre bonus. And how do you get to an eight unit per acre
bonus on this site? I only know of one way, and that's through the
affordable housing density bonus program. And I don't think that 12
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units per acre is going to get approved today under the affordable
housing density bonus program.
Now, one thing I do think we qualify for is the -- we're less than
20 acres so we would be -- we would qualify for residential infill that
would allow us to get to two seven units per acre, and that's a possibly
for this site. Now, of course we'd have to -- I call it six for free, you
buy one under the TDR program, so it costs you something to get to
the residential infill.
But I do think that that site, you know, you might be able to get
to seven as a residential density but certainly not 12 the way you
would have to get there.
I'm not surprised by the people who spoke today. I mean, they
were the same people at our NIM and they basically said there's
enough commercial out there. I told you from the outset I didn't think
I persuaded them any differently at the neighborhood information
meeting. That's okay.
We do believe that the project that we have put in front of them
and the conceptual plans will work for a retail and office use.
What it comes down to is do you want to continue to accept the
activity center generated retail and office concept as the only place in
Collier County that you can have retail and office development? If
that's the answer, that will be the only place that under no other
circumstances can you justify other retail and office opportunities, you
know, I guess I lose.
But that's not how it's been historically done. When you can
show at intersections of major roads -- and you've got Immokalee
Road in a four-lane intersection with Logan -- appropriately scaled
retail and office can occur in predominantly residential areas. That's
happened.
And I think a good example of planning on a roadway, and I go
to the King's Lake Shopping Center. That's a neighborhood scale retail
project. Publix anchored shopping center. It's not a big shopping
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center, but it certainly does serve a lot of homes in the area. I could
envision the same scale of development at this intersection. There are
a lot of homes in this area that that type of center can serve.
We're asking for the opportunity to have our reduced request
analyzed by your staff and come back to you with an analysis. Not an
off-the-cuff analysis, because I honestly don't think that they've given
it much thought on what we're proposing and what those changes are.
I don't think that the activity center concept has been a good one.
I mean, most people cited as where you don't like it. Pine Ridge Road
and Airport Road is what every time we come in with a commercial
change to the compo plan is thrown in our face. But that's an activity
center. What we're suggesting is a smaller scale 18-acre project, not
160 acres of activity center development.
We think there's data and analysis to support our request. We
think the conceptual plans work. And with that, if you want to
continue it, fine, if you don't want to continue it, we understand and
we'll -- I don't know, I'm confused, do I give the data and analysis to
staff or do I not on my 120,000 square foot proposal? Because we
would still like to go forward with that and have the Planning
Commission consider that, because we're responding to neighborhood
information meetings well as well the staff report. And I couldn't do it
ahead of time, I have to do it after the fact. So we're requesting that
we be given consideration on our request and our data and analysis,
but we'll see what comes from the Planning Commission.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any final questions of the applicant?
Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Well, Rich, I would say that
with your ability of persuasion, if you could get ingress and egress at
the Saturnia Lakes entrance and then also at the southern point of that
landscaping, you know, the southern end toward down Logan -- sorry,
I got my tongue tied up -- that that may be viable. Highly improbable,
but I think that you could take care of some transportation problems
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that way and --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Commissioner Wolfley, I think I have a
shot at the one on Logan. I'm fairly certain I could be shot on the
other one.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: You would be shot, yes.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Yes, okay. So--
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: That would be a way to solve --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: But if you think about what you're
saying, and you have thought about it, obviously, is that if we had
access onto Logan far enough from the intersection, full movements
would be allowed to be made, because it's going to be a four-lane
road.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: When it's four-Ianed.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: Right now I already have full
movements.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: That's correct.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: So, you know, that may --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: It'll take it through the
four-lane.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: It may be a reasonable condition to
impose is that I need to get access far enough south through my
neighbor to the south.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Right. Well, that is -- and I
take Logan quite often. And that lady that was pulling out of Olde
Cypress, it may have been me. Was it a pickup truck that almost hit
you? It could have been me, because it can get pretty crazy there and
you're uncertain where people are coming from and going there. So
that is a tough intersection.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Richard, one thing I wanted to
kind of -- you had said something to the effect that you didn't think it
was fair for staff to object without a new data and analysis.
I think that's about as equitable as you presenting all this stuff as
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late as it was presented. So I don't think -- if you want to weigh
fairness in this, that's not an issue. They did the best they could to
respond to a question from the panel in regards to their objections or
their positions on this, based on what little they've heard today.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: And again, Mr. Strain, I had asked for
permission to submit it much earlier. So I will not accept the
responsibility that we have sprung it on staff, because I was not I
couldn't give it to him sooner. And we can disagree on that, but we
were not allowed to provide the data sooner for review.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, you have a 2007 dated GMPA.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I do.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So you've been in the process a long
time. And to do anything in the last 30 or 60 days is difficult to
respond to in a manner that warrants a real good analysis. So they did
the best they could and I think they did it in response to us, so --
MR. YOV ANOVICH: And I understand that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- that's where I'll leave it.
MR. YOV ANOVICH: I understand that. And I will say again, I
do have a 2007 date, and I got my first substantive review as to what
they thought of the results of my analysis on October 1st, 2009.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Anybody else have any
questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And we've heard all the public speakers.
Staff is finished, I assume. And with that in mind, we'll have
discussion prior to motion.
I just want to layout to the Planning Commission, we have three
choices that I can see. One is we recommend to staff they review this
and we continue it to the 19th. The second is that we recommend
denial. And the third is that we recommend approval.
Now, I don't know which way it's going to go, but before we
even consider the first one, what is the agenda like on the 19th? Have
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you gotten input on that, David?
MR. WEEKS: Yes, sir. It's available. There are presently four
petitions on that agenda: One PUD, one variance, one conditional use
and the previously continued comprehensive plan amendment at the
southwest comer of Golden Gate Parkway and Santa Barbara
Boulevard.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
MR. COHEN: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir.
MR. COHEN: Could I clarify the record that with respect to
approval or denial, would that be based on the petition as presented by
the applicant today?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: When we get into that motion, we'll be
very specific.
Okay, so before we go to motion, is there any further discussion
or any discussion the Planning Commission would like to have before
a motion?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I will.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, I mean, once they reduce
the site, that made it totally -- I would never approve something that
would be this spot zoning. Had Rich come in and said, guess what, I
got the additional sites, so now we can totally plan that area, we can
put in proper buffers, we can discuss the aesthetics of the comer. But
I would never support an application of this size in that condition. It
makes the other properties totally uncontrollable. And it would be
probably the worst sprawl move we could make.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there any other points of discussion,
anybody else?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: If not, then I need to ask for a motion.
Does anybody want to make a motion?
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October 29,2009
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'll make the motion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'll make the motion that we
deny as presented today transmittal.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Second.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Second.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Or that we recommend denial
for transmittal.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, there's been a motion made to
recommend denial for transmittal, made by Mr. Schiffer, seconded by
Mr. Kolflat.
Mr. Schiffer, your motion is made pursuant to the revised
changes that were presented in the public meeting here today; is that
correct?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And Mr. Kolflat, you concur with that?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Yes, I do.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Discussion of the motion.
I am going to support the motion because it coincides with my
agreement with staff that basically this is spot zoning, it does not show
sufficient need, there are unresolved transportation issues, and there is
ample enough commercial available in the surrounding neighborhood,
or actually surrounding roadway. And so that's why I will support the
motion.
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I'll support the motion. My
basic reason is need. There is just not a need. And the custom area
that they developed to try to create need was certainly creative, but I
don't think valid.
I also have concerns about the traffic situation. I think for a
project of the original size or even this size, I think we're going to run
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October 29,2009
into a lot of traffic issues, so for those reasons I won't.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: I'm going to support the motion,
obviously, I seconded it, because number one, it's all residential there,
and we've seen that without question. And this is a hearing for growth
management planning, not for a PUD and dividing based on making
the decision based on some of the details involved.
And I think the staff has indicated that they are capable of
making a satisfactory judgment and motion on the information they've
got and that any new information in the areas they designated would
have no bearing on the conclusion.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you, sir.
Anybody else?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Hearing none, we'll call for the motion.
All those in favor of the motion to recommend denial, signify by
saymg aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 8-0.
Thank you all for your time and attendance today. That will go
forward to the Board of County Commissioners with a
recommendation of denial, so --
Okay, I want to thank our records department again for the
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October 29, 2009
coffee. It kept us going today, and was especially helpful. I
appreciate it. And Cherie' for her time and Kady for the attempted fix
on our clock.
With that in mind, I would like to ask the Planning Commission
for a motion to continue to the November 19th meeting to hear
CP-2008-3.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: So moved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Made by Mr. Vigliotti. Seconded by?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron.
All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 8-0.
We are continued until the 18th. Thank you.
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October 29, 2009
*****
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 12:37 p.m.
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING
COMMISSION
MARK STRAIN, Chairman
These minutes approved by the Board on
or as corrected
, as presented
Transcript prepared on behalf of Gregory Reporting Service, Inc., by
Cherie' R. Nottingham.
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