CCPC Minutes 11/19/2009 R
November 19, 2009
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
Naples, Florida
November 19,2009
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Collier County Planning
Commission, in and for the County of Collier, having conducted
business herein, met on this date at 8:30 a.m. in REGULAR SESSION
in Building "F" of the Government Complex, East Naples, Florida,
with the following members present:
CHAIRMAN: Mark Strain
Donna Reed-Caron
Karen Homiak
Tor Kolf1at
Paul Midney
Bob Murray
Brad Schiffer
Robert Vigliotti
David 1. W olf1ey
ALSO PRESENT:
Jeffrey Klatzkow, County Attorney
Joseph Schmitt, CDES Administrator
Ray Bellows, Zoning Manager
Thomas Eastman, Real Property Director, CC School District
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AGENDA
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MEET AT 8:30 A.M., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19,
2009, IN THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING ROOM, ADMINISTRATION BUILDING,
COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER, 3301 TAMIAMI TRAIL EAST, NAPLES, FLORIDA:
NOTE: INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO 5 MINUTES ON ANY ITEM.
INDIVIDUALS SELECTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AN ORGANIZATION OR
GROUP ARE ENCOURAGED AND MAYBE ALLOTTED 10 MINUTES TO SPEAK ON
AN ITEM IF SO RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIRMAN. PERSONS WISHING TO HAVE
WRITTEN OR GRAPHIC MATERIALS INCLUDED IN THE CCPC AGENDA PACKETS
MUST SUBMIT SAID MATERIAL A MINIMUM OF 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE
RESPECTIVE PUBLIC HEARING. IN ANY CASE, WRITTEN MATERIALS
INTENDED TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE CCPC SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE
APPROPRIATE COUNTY STAFF A MINIMUM OF SEVEN DAYS PRIOR TO THE
PUBLIC HEARING. ALL MATERIAL USED IN PRESENTATIONS BEFORE THE CCPC
WILL BECOME A PERMANENT PART OF THE RECORD AND WILL BE
A V AILABLE FOR PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
IF APPLICABLE.
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION OF THE CCPC WILL NEED
A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS PERTAINING THERETO, AND THEREFORE
MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS
MADE, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE UPON
WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.
I. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2. ROLL CALL BY SECRETARY
3. ADDENDA TO THE AGENDA
4. PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENCES
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - OCTOBER 15,2009, OCTOBER ]9,2009 GMP, AND OCTOBER 20,
20090MP
6. BCC REPORT- RECAPS - NOVEMBER 10, 2009
7. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
8. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
9. ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARINGS - 2007/2008 TRANSMITTAL CYCLE GMP AMENDMENT
A. Petition: CP-2008-3, Petition requesting an amendment to the Golden Gate Area Master Plan and Golden
Gate Area Master Plan Future Land Use Mao and Mao 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 at a base density of3.55 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 ,"20.71 acres. (Coordinator: Leslie Persia, Senior Planner)
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B. Petition: V A-PL2009-1162, Elke Remmlinger-Behnke, as Trustee of the Bernd Schoenherr 1998
Irrevocable Trust, represented by Karen Bishop of PMS, Inc. of Naples, is requesting two (2) after-the-
fact variances from Section 8.16 of Ordinance No. 82-52, Kings Lake Planned Unit Development, to
reduce a required rear yard setback from 15 feet to 12.5 feet and to reduce a required side yard setback
fi'om 7.5 feet to 4.84 feet to permit a screened pool enclosure for a single family home. The subject .26,"
acre property is located at 2454 King's Lake Boulevard, in the King's Lake Unit 3, in Plat Book 13,
Pages 33 and 34 ofthe Public Records of Collier County, in Section 7, Township 50 South. Range 26 East,
Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Nancy Gundlach, AICP)
C. Petition: CU-PL2009-170, First Haitian Baptist Mission, Inc., represented by Frederick E. Hood, AICP,
of Davidson Engineering, Inc., is requesting a Conditional Use expansion in the Agricultural (A) zoning
district pursuant to Land Development Code (LDC) Subsection 2.03.01.A.l.c.7. The proposed Conditional
Use will permit expansion of a church by adding 1,550 square feet to an existing church building and by
adding a new ] 9,281 square foot general purpose building. The 4.59 acre site is located at 14600
Tamiami Trail East in Section 12, Township 5] South, Range 26 East, Collier County, Florida.
(Coordinator: Nancy Gundlach, AICP)
D. Petition: PUDZ-2007-AR-12294, Theresa Cool" Executive Director of the Collier County Airport
Authority and CDC Land Investments, Inc., represented by D. Wayne Arnold, AICP, of Q. Grady
Minor and Associates, requests a rezone from the Industrial (I) and the Rural Agricultural with a Mobile
Home Overlay (A-MHO) Zoning Districts to the Airport Operations Planned Unit Development Zoning
District (AOPUD) for a project to be known as the Immokalee Regional Airport Planned Unit
Development. This project proposes to allow development of a maximum of 5,000,000 square feet of
aviation and non-aviation development on 1,484," acres of land located north of CR 846, in Sections 25,
26, 27, 34, 35, 36, Township 46 South, Range 29 East, and Sections 2 and 3, Township 47 South,
Range 29 East, Collier County, Florida. (Coordinator: Kay Deselem, AICP)
10. OLD BUSINESS
I]. NEW BUSINESS
12. PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM
13. DISCUSSION OF ADDENDA
14. ADJOURN
11/6/09 cepe Agenda/Ray Bellows/ld
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November 19,2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to
the November 19th Meeting of the Collier County Planning
Commission. If you'll please rise for pledge of allegiance.
(Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
Item #2
ROLL CALL
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: If okay, will the secretary please make
the roll call.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Kolf1at?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'm here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Chairman Strain?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner Vigliotti is
present.
Commissioner Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Commissioner W olf1ey?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Here.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: And Commissioner Homiak?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Here.
Item #3
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November 19,2009
ADDENDA TO THE AGENDA
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
First item is addenda to the agenda. We have a request to
continue the very first item on today's agenda. It's Petition
CP-2008-3. It's for the Golden Gate Area Master Plan and Golden
Gate Area Master Plan Future Land Use Element map series for a
project at the southwest corner of Golden Gate Parkway and Santa
Barbara Boulevard.
The applicant has requested that we continue this. And I don't
know how long, how far, but I think we'll hear more, then we'll need
staffs -- both legal and staffs comment on it afterwards.
Mr. White?
MR. WHITE: Good morning. Good morning, Mr. Chairman,
Planning Commission members. Patrick White, the law firm of
Porter, Write, Morris and Arthur, representing the petitioners this
morning on the request for a continuance.
We're here seeking your indulgence. We've had a dialogue with
the staff about what some of our options may be in terms of a point to
continue to a date/time certain.
As you know from the e-mail communication provided by staff
yesterday regarding the civic association's letter, that we've been in a
dialogue with them, and believe that by continuing to do so we can
further the productive conversations we've had thus far.
Given the upcoming holidays and other factors, it seems that we
won't be able to complete those activities prior to the BCC's January
20 transmittal hearing, so we believe a time frame beyond that will be
necessary to do the things that we've preliminarily discussed with the
association and amongst ourselves about how we should proceed.
And therefore, recognizing in the dialogue with staff that there is
a separate track ongoing for the Immokalee Area Master Plan, we had
a preliminary dialogue, Mr. Schmitt and Mr. Weeks, about those
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November 19,2009
possibilities and what the various factors would be.
Obviously for us this comes down to a desire to take advantage
of the things we would have conversations and work with the
association on, and not let them get stale. So we'd like to be able to do
those things as quickly and be as productive about them as possible
and get back before you as soon as we can.
We feel that that time frame, which is presently mid February for
your consideration of the Immokalee Area Master Plan, is about
probably the minimum. We know that you have a rollover date to
March 4. That's probably a bit more realistic for us. But in thinking
about this logistically and in terms of advertising, which we can see
because we're certainly talking about a time frame that's more than
five weeks from now, that there would be additional advertising cost
for, that there would be a way to continue to the February 16th, and at
that point we would knowingly have a request before you to be
continued to the rollover date of March 4. I think that that helps to
keep the two of the considerations you have, this Golden Gate Area
Master Plan amendment and that and Immokalee Area Master Plan
series of overall amendments kind of distinct in time and could give
you some flexibility as to your deliberations.
Part of our further conversation with staff of course has to do
with some of the more I guess I'd say logistical aspects of moving
forward in this manner. Prime among them of course from the two
non-profits that are the petitioners here is the idea of being thrust into
a position where a whole new filing fee might be necessary.
We anticipate certainly that based upon our dialogue with the
civic association and other neighbors that there may be modifications
to the plan and certainly there's some need potentially for the staff to
have to reevaluate what those changes might be. But we don't see
those as being so vast or drastic that would make sense that we would
essentially have to start over.
So timing wise I think we have a point we can look to land as a
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November 19,2009
date/time certain, with an understanding that we would then make a
subsequent request for the March 4 date. That all leading up to the
May 4th BCC consideration for transmittal, what's presently on the
schedule for the lAMP and what would be for our proposed
amendment to the Golden Gate Master Plan.
I'm certain that staff has other input they'd like to share with you.
And as far as the legal considerations go, I think the one thing that's
out there that we're aware of, based on our dialogue with staff, is with
regards to the number of cycles per year that the BCC, by resolution
typically allows. Although the state statute allows too, and there's
other exceptions and exemptions that I believe arguably may be
sought by the lAMP process.
We're amenable to, if we need to, going to the Board of County
Commissioners and asking if need be for an exception to allow
essentially what would be a limited -- I don't know if you could call it
a second cycle, since it would be the first one in 2010. But suffice it
to say, knowing there's already one pending '09 cycle private petition,
we recognize that that doesn't have any hearing date set yet. So I'm
not exactly sure how that factors in. But I'm certain that what we're
trying to do is the best thing for not only our petitioners, but for the
staff in its process, as well as your consideration to get this thing
before you as soon as we possibly can.
And I'd be happy to answer any questions now or at the end of
the dialogue between staff and legal.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Let me make some clarifications first.
Ray, on the schedules that were recently given to the Planning
Commission as part of our packet for this week's agenda, on the
January 29th, it shows the Immokalee Area Master Plan transmittal
review by us. Is that date no longer good?
MR. SCHMITT: Let me have David come up. David's got all
the dates.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The reason that's important is I think if
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November 19, 2009
the dates are off we need to make Mr. White aware of that quickly.
Because ifhe's counting on combining his efforts with the Immokalee
Area Master Plan, we need to know what those dates are.
MR. WEEKS: For the record, David Weeks, Planning Manager,
Comprehensive Planning Department.
That January 29th date is no longer valid. On your December
3rd agenda, at the time we bring back the consent review for this
07 -08 cycle of GMP amendments, staff is also going to be discussing
a revision to the schedule for the Immokalee Area Master Plan, as well
as a revision to the adoption portion of the 07-08 cycle.
Short answer, January 29th is out.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And David, you heard the
presentation made by Mr. White, and I'm going to start with you and
we'll ask the County Attorney afterwards what's your position on this.
I do want to stress to you that the effort here is to respond better
to what the community's desires may be. I think the community
realizes that the intersection of Santa Barbara and Golden Gate
Parkway is going to be something some day. Now, what that
something is is where the I guess discrepancy is right now. So any
effort to make that better for the community, I think we should try to
work with if we can.
So with that in mind, what is staffs options in regards to the
request by Mr. White?
MR. WEEKS: Let me start with -- I don't know if worst case is
the right term, but I'll start with the more extreme term, which I do not
believe is being contemplated by the agent. And that would be if they
were to request a lengthy continuance. And I would throw out
perhaps six months or so as defined as lengthy. Possibly less.
At that point staffs position is the application would need to be
significantly revised. We would have new population data, we would
have new commercial inventory data, we would have new AUIR
adopted, approved and in effect which would in our opinion
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November 19,2009
necessitate significant changes to their supporting information in their
application.
That would be where staff would say this is not a continuance,
it's a withdrawal, you need to start all over. New petition, new
petition fee. And then whatever hearing cycle you can fall within, so
be it.
Now, more to what is specifically I believe being asked for and
that is to merge this with the Immokalee Master Plan cycle. The staff
position is that because that is close enough to the present schedule for
this 07-08 cycle that this petition is presently a part of, from that
timing standpoint of is the application stale, to use Mr. White's words
from last night, staff would say no, it's not. You can make revisions to
it and we could review those under your current petition number,
current fee, et cetera.
But we believe we need to go before the Board of County
Commissioners to get their authorization to add this or any other
amendment petition to the Immokalee cycle. Because it presently is
standing on its own. He alluded to exemptions to the twice a year
adoption of plan amendments allowed by state law.
The Immokalee Master Plan petition is -- may be an exception,
one of those exceptions to the twice per year. That is certainly the
position of the agent for that petition. Staff so far disagrees.
But if it ultimately is determined to be an exception to the twice a
year adoption allowed by state law, the addition of this petition to that
cycle throws that out. Because this petition does not -- clearly does
not qualify for that or any other exemption under state law.
But -- I said a lot, but to narrow that down, we believe that it
could be accommodated in the Immokalee Master Plan schedule
timing-wise from our perspective, but we need board authorization to
add that.
A third scenario, and it's not been asked for here, but a third
scenario, if there were time for the applicant to resolve their issues
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November 19,2009
with the community, to at least attempt to do so, would be for them to
stay part of the 07-08 cycle, have another advertisement for their
hearing, because we're almost at the five-week period from the
November 19th hearing that you began with for this 07-08 cycle.
If they were to re-advertise and, for example, hold their hearing
in early January before the Planning Commission and then have your
consent review later and then still be part of the BCC hearing, though
it would not be in January, they would be advertised for January but
continued within five weeks to a later hearing. If that were to work
for them, that's just a possibility.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So to sum it all up, we have --
there's two options. We can continue this to the Immokalee -- I mean,
this is pending legal review comments yet, but from your perspective
we could continue this to the Immokalee Area Master Plan transmittal,
which would be on whatever date you tell us, subject to the BCC
approval, for a combination with that master -- with the Immokalee
Area Master Plan cycle.
Or we -- or the option -- in addition to that, it could be
alternatively, they could re-advertise in time to include it within this
cycle at one of our future meetings.
And both options could be made as a possible continuance, and
then either one that comes up to the benefit of the applicant and the
community may be the one that works.
Is that reasonable?
MR. WEEKS: That's accurate. I would just caution you, if you
should make a motion similar to what you mentioned, not to tie your
hands -- I mean, this is a continuance in the sense that it's not going to
be heard today. Because it goes beyond the five-week time period for
which your hearing was advertised on October 19th, it does require a
new advertisement.
I draw a distinction there between a continuance and simply a
newly advertised hearing. A continuance in a more generic term than
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November 19,2009
what I'm thinking of as a technical term.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So they would have to re-advertise
within a time frame of the current cycle to get back on agenda.
MR. WEEKS: Re-advertise to be part of the current cycle or to
be re-advertised potentially as part of the Immokalee Master Plan
cycle. That's the way I would phrase it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. What is the date of the
transmittal hearing that we're expected to be involved with as far as
Immokalee? What's the new date for the Immokalee Area Master
Plan; do we know?
MR. WEEKS: Yes.
MR. SCHMITT: 16 February, David?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: For BCC?
MR. SCHMITT: No, for Planning Commission.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: For Planning Commission.
MR. WEEKS: February 16th for Planning Commission.
I believe that in the earlier schedule, I believe that was your
carryover date, yes. And now it is scheduled as your first advertised
date.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So there's two potential options, both of
which require re-advertisement, one of which requires an
acknowledgment from the Board of County Commissioners.
So with that in mind, before we get questions from the panel, Mr.
Schmitt, let's finish with staff comments, I'll get Mr. Klatzkow's and
then Planning Commission comments.
MR. SCHMITT: The only other option that is of possibility
would be the yet to be scheduled RLSA amendments, which we've not
scheduled yet. Those are being looked at by an outside counsel to
determine what needs to be done to package that for a GMP submittal.
But those dates have yet to be scheduled.
It would be certainly much later in FY '10. And that would be a
possibility if when we're looking at a future GMP amendment cycle.
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November 19, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, well, that gets past the -- that gets
into the longer time frame --
MR. SCHMITT: Right.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- David was trying to avoid, so let's try
not to go there if we can fit in an earlier one.
Mr. Klatzkow, you want to have any -- do you have any legal
position here?
MR. KLATZKOW: Yeah, once again, we've got the tail
wagging the dog here, all right? I mean, we have a schedule set up,
it's ready to be heard by the Planning Commission, you folks are
prepared to hear it. The petitioner is requesting that it not be heard
today. That's fine, you don't have to hear it today. Petitioner can get
with staff.
However, staff/petitioner reschedule this thing down the road,
whether it's new application or not a new application, whether there's a
new fee, not a fee, I don't care. That's between the petitioner and staff
at this point in time.
All we're doing here is we're not hearing it today. That's all we're
doing today.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. WHITE: Just one point, if I may inquire ofMr. Klatzkow.
David had alluded to the situation regarding the lAMP and its
status as potentially being exemption. The sooner that that
determination obviously can be made, the clearer it becomes as to
whether the request before the BCC would be one that would be ours
alone in the one scenario we're discussing or would be for both of
those.
So to me I think that that has some legal consideration and I
would just ask if Jeff could say --
MR. KLATZKOW: Yeah, we're ready here today. If you don't
want to hear it today, then get with staff and work it out with staff,
then we'll review it for legal sufficiency.
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November 19, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I think those kind of analyses need to be
done either before or after the meeting, not during the meeting. It's
more complicated than can be analyzed right here today for the legal
staffs consideration.
So with that in mind, before we go -- I'm certainly going to open
discussion up to the public, but I wanted to find out from the Planning
Commission first, does anybody have any comments on what we've
heard so far?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I don't want to presume, but it
certainly seems like Mr. White's petitioner needs a lot of time. And
I'm not sure where we're going to go. And I happen to agree with Mr.
Klatzkow, this matter really shouldn't go on any further for us, it needs
to be dealt with by petitioner and staff. We really don't -- that's my
VIew anyway.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else on the Planning
Commission wish to make a comment?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ifnot, is there anybody in the public
who wanted to speak on this item or have any information they'd like
to provide to us here now?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, the recommendation is to -- for
continuance. We were notified a day or two ago that -- I think maybe
yesterday -- that this was going to be potentially continued. I know
we're not prepared to discuss it today as a result of that. So a
continuance is almost a given in some manner or form.
We have options. We can continue it till just our next meeting. I
don't believe that will work for the benefit of anybody. We can
continue it under two frameworks that the applicant and staff have
suggested. One is to continue it to 2/16/10, subject to the BCC
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November 19,2009
approval for accommodation with the Immokalee Area Master Plan
cycle. Or we could continue it to be included in this cycle. But in
either case, whether it's with the lAMP or within this cycle at a later
date, it has to be re-advertised at that time for whatever meeting it
comes at.
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I have a question then. If it's
contingent upon the BCC approval and they were to move in that
direction, avoiding other directions, do they not then lose their
opportunity to seek some other means of doing it?
In other words, you have three options, potential. I go with the
middle one. Do I not lose the other two?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, when I read my suggestion to
everybody, it was for two, a double stipulation: A continuance either
to the lAMP on 2/16/1 0, or leave the option open for the applicant to
re-advertise and include themselves within this cycle as well. That
was something David suggested could be done in January at one of
our meetings.
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: I heard all that, but what I did
hear, and that's what struck me, was the question of contingent upon
the BCC approval.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That would be only for the application
regarding to Immokalee Area Master Plan. That's the only one that's
needed for.
So the other one -- if they were to lose that one, he would have to
then re-advertise and come back in with this cycle sometime in one of
our meetings, either December or January.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So you're saying that he could,
he could --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, David said that.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: No, the way I asked that
question, you might want to think about that.
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November 19,2009
MR. WEEKS: That's a good point, Mr. Murray. Because I think
the way we framed it sounds like they only have two choices. What if
they opt for the Immokalee Master Plan cycle and the board says no,
are they then locked in there only twice?
I would that they're not. It's their petition, they've been -- they
can decide if they want choice C, which might be, well, we want to
come in four months from now.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, then wait a minute, if they want to
come back four months from now, you already said that a lengthy
continuance -- if they got a time specific continuance to the
Immokalee Area Master Plan and they didn't get that from the BCC
and they didn't get the time frames worked out to come back within
this cycle, then that means they would need what you had previously
referred to as a lengthy continuance and that you weren't in favor of
that and they would be more or less deemed withdrawn and then have
to go into a new cycle. So I don't see that as an option to continue,
that's an option to withdraw. I mean, is it or is it not?
MR. WEEKS: Yes. Again, it goes back to the technical what is
a continuance. We have nothing in writing, we have no policy, no
specific procedure that deals with continuance, other -- that I'm aware
of other than the provision of you can continue for up to five weeks
from the advertised date of a hearing without having to advertise. As
long as each time a continuance is granted it's to a date/time/place
certain, you can go up to five weeks. Once you get beyond five
weeks, there is no continuance, you are re-advertising the hearing.
The unusual circumstance here is that we don't have regular --
these are under different statutory provisions than the usual zoning
petitions you deal with, re-zonings and conditional uses and whatnot
in that we have a limited number of cycles that we're allowed under
state law to adopt.
I threw out six months. There's nothing in writing. We have
nothing that says if you go beyond this time period you're a new
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November 19,2009
petition and must submit all new data. I threw out six months as a
suggestion.
But it may be less. Maybe four months would be a point where
staff would say, you know what, we've got new population, we've got
new -- you know, what has changed in the background that would
affect your submittal that we might be in a dialogue with the agent
saying no, we think you are withdrawn, there's a new petition here.
Because that's not black-and-white, there's nothing in stone,
there's nothing specific, I don't -- I'm leery of making a decision right
here, right now to say here's their two options: Stay within the cycle
or go to the Immokalee Master Plan cycle. If you don't do either of
those two, you must be viewed as a brand new petition.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Or they have to come back and ask for
another continuance at the latest date of either one of those that they
would have open to their opportunity.
MR. WHITE: Exactly.
MR. WEEKS: And the continuance is only based upon the
hearing being advertised for their petition. After today, you know,
and a handful of days after today, they'll be beyond the five-week time
period. And of course you're taking your action today.
So after today, calling it a continuance again is in a generic sense,
yes, it's a continuance because it's not heard today, it's going to some
future date. But from a regulatory standpoint, it's simply a re-
advertised hearing. It's a brand new hearing.
That's what I was talking about a while ago, kind of the technical
continuance versus the generic continuance. And I believe you're
discussing today the generic continuance as in we're not going to hear
this today, maybe it will be heard on one of these other two dates here.
Let me restate something I said earlier. Let me backtrack, erase
it and start over. I think the cleanest way would be to simply say we
grant a continuance to indefinitely and leave it to the applicant and
staff as to when they get advertised, and the board, as might be
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November 19,2009
required, to when they're going to come back before you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But you started out telling us that's the
wrong thing to do, because you didn't like the idea of indefinite. You
said if it was indefinite that's not where you wanted to go because it
would have to go into a different cycle. So now we're changing that
position, and that's fine. Because what we've got are two non-profits
trying to do something better in regards to their relationship with the
community, and I don't see that as a bad thing. So we ought to try to
accommodate if we can.
Mr. Vigliotti, you've been patiently waiting.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Not to oversimplify this, but
why can't we just grant the continuance and let staff and the petitioner
work it out.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's what he just said.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Simply over and done.
MR. WEEKS: Yes.
MR. WHITE: If I could just briefly comment, Mr. Chairman.
We would have originally proffered to do that, but based on the
dialogue we had with staff and a desire to try to find a date/time
certain and give a comfort level to this commission, we I guess have
gone the long way around. And as Mr. Klatzkow says, maybe the tail
is wagging the dog at this point, but --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, well, then I suggest that we're
looking for a motion to continue this indefinitely, subject to the staff
and the applicant working out the details as to what timing that will
evolve to. Is that a fair way to state it, David? And is it effective
stated that way?
MR. WEEKS: Yes.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: So moved.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion made by Mr. Vigliotti, seconded
by Mr. Midney.
Page 15
November 19,2009
Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 9-0.
You are indefinitely continued until such time that you and staff
work things out.
MR. WHITE: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, I was trying to get a
discussion. Could we guarantee that this is re-advertised? Because if
we're having difficulty, I'm sure the public is.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I think the law requires it to be
advertised after a certain period, and they automatically lose the
original advertising period within five weeks of the first meeting,
which is coming up pretty close I think, isn't it, Mr. White?
MR. WHITE: We recognize that requirement and acknowledge
it.
MR. KLATZKOW: It's not continued to a date certain here, he's
going to have to re-advertise it.
MR. WHITE: Exactly.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, did you have a comment you
wanted to make?
Page 16
November 19,2009
MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, I thought you were raising your
hand. Sorry.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Are we still on the addenda to --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, we are.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'd like to add something for
new business. It's a presentation from the health department.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, that would be under new
business.
Is that -- someone going to be here to present that?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No, I'm going to request the
ability for them to present it at a later date.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh. Well they can just get scheduled
with staff, but that's fine.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, actually, that's the
confusion part, is because they want to do that and staff said that
somebody had to bring it up at the meeting. Ray was the one that
advised.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Because I saw the paperwork. I
thought that whenever they were ready, they'd come in with it.
The paperwork I read interestingly, because it certainly counters
what transportation is trying to do to this county, so it will be a lively
discussion, I'm sure. Maybe we'll get somewhere and cut our cost for
roads throughout the county, because they're not needed if we can do
healthy things like that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Exactly.
So can we just make it on the -- I guess they want to come on the
17th, or whenever staff can schedule it, that's fine. I mean --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: From direction of this board then, does
any -- as long as no one objects -- does anybody here mind a
presentation on trying to make people healthier in this county? No,
I'm sure they don't.
Page 17
November 19,2009
Ray, would you just try to coordinate that and pick a date that's
best for us to add it?
MR. BELLOWS: Yes, I have been working on that, and I think
the December 17th meeting would be the best. I tentatively have it on
there.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And don't bother telling transportation
that it's coming up.
MR. KLATZKOW: Too late.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I know.
Mr. Vigliotti?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: For the record, Mr. Eastman is
here. I skipped him this morning.
MR. EASTMAN: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Morning, Tom.
MR. EASTMAN: Morning.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That gets us past addenda to the agenda.
And again, for everybody who may have been here, the GMP
petition for Golden Gate, CP-2008-3, has been continued. We don't
have a date yet, but it will be re-advertised.
Item #4
PLANNING COMMISSION ABSENCES
Planning Commission absences. Our next meeting is December
3rd. Does anybody know if they're not going to be here?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, we will have a quorum.
The other thing I'd like to bring up at this time because it has to
do with scheduling, we all just heard about the Immokalee Area
Master Plan. The master plan started two or three years ago and has
gone through many, many versions. I can't even count the number of
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November 19,2009
versions that I personally have read over the years.
But it's finally to a point where they believe the version that
they're working on now is a final stage and it's going to come before
public hearings.
We have a budget problem at the county and it gets very costly
with this commission to meet where they have to reset up cameras and
reset up a lot of photography and audio and all that other good stuff.
As a solution to that -- and that's another reason why we haven't
scheduled any meetings for this commission in Immokalee on issues
like the airport that is coming up today.
In regards to the Immokalee Area Master Plan, Mr. Mulhere
called me and asked if we would mind holding a workshop in
Immokalee. And the workshop doesn't necessarily need to be
televised. It can be done very informally through staffs attendance.
And the workshop would be managed, I would assume, by the
team that is working for the Immokalee Area Master Plan, which
would be Mr. Mulhere's group and the CRA. And they would
orientate us to the community's concerns and needs of that master
plan. And that would be in lieu of actually holding the meeting out
there in February. It would actually be a primer for us to have a better
understanding of where the community's trying to go and all the
facets.
And it would be a workshop, not a place where we make
motions. We would basically have a lot of interaction.
So at Mr. Mulhere's request -- and Bob, if you want to come up
and give us your ideas of this --
MR. MULHERE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- we'll then consider it.
MR. MULHERE: Bob Mulhere, for the record, representing the
-- with RW A, representing the CRA, the Immokalee CRA.
Yeah, I think that there are a lot of issues. It's a substantial
complete rewrite of the Immokalee Area Master Plan. There are still
Page 19
November 19,2009
some outstanding issues with staff that I think probably we will agree
to disagree on until we go before the Planning Commission.
It made a lot of sense to me maybe to have sort of a less formal
environment to have some -- to make a presentation and then get some
feedback from the Planning Commission. Also allows the Immokalee
community to be involved in Immokalee in a less formal setting.
And I hope and I think that that will also make the subsequent
more formal hearings, advertised public hearings, less contentious and
more focused on the issues, once we have feedback from you.
I mean, we can actually probably address some issues that you
raise between that workshop and the first hearing. Because the first
hearing is February 16th, as we just heard.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And part of the process that I saw
coming up for the Immokalee Area Master Plan in reviews, my
intention originally was to always hold those out in Immokalee. But
as we got the date fixed, which now hopefully that date is fairly fixed,
I certainly would like to request from staff that they approach the
Board of County Commissioners on an agenda item, whether it's
summary, consent or whatever, with just a cost to hold our meetings
for that Immokalee Area Master Plan in Immokalee. And subject to
their approval, we may still be able to have those meetings out there.
But because of the budget crisis, I would rather not arbitrarily do that.
That would incur a higher cost for the county without the Board of
County Commissioners saying it's okay.
MR. MULHERE: You know, I don't want to speak on behalf of
the entire community, but I had a conversation with Penny Phillippi,
who's the CRA executive director, and Fred Thomas, who's chair of
the CRA advisory board, and I think they felt that the workshop was a
very good idea. And I think they also felt that if that could be in
Immokalee, that would go a long way towards I think making the
folks in Immokalee feel like you're reaching out and doing the right
thing.
Page 20
November 19,2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN : Well, we've held meetings --
MR. MULHERE: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We've been there before, and our
premise was to try to be there more often until we started funding
shortfalls -- or having our budget shortfalls that we currently have.
MR. MULHERE: Yeah. So you might not have to hold those
subsequent. There's probably at least two public hearings for the
Planning Commission for the actual transmittal. I assume there'll be
two.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right.
MR. MULHERE: You might not then have to hold those out
there if I think in a workshop we can get a lot done.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. But at the same time, as we go
forward with this discussion, Ray, if the staff were to create a cost to
hold two transmittal hearings in lmmokalee on a daily basis so that the
board could say yeah, we like this idea, we think it's worth it and we
could still do it, or that they want us to meet here, that's just a side bar
to Mr. Mulhere's request. But it would resolve that issue early enough
so we know what we're meeting for the February meeting, okay?
MR. BELLOWS: Yes, we can work that out with--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
MR. BELLOWS: -- planning.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I happen to be very much in
favor of doing this.
Given the magnitude of change, you envision a full eight-hour
day, I would presume.
MR. MULHERE: I mean, I guess -- I didn't. I was thinking
probably something more like four or five hours.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Can cover it all you believe?
MR. MULHERE: I think so, yeah.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Fine.
MR. MULHERE: I think, you know, we're not going to focus on
Page 21
November 19,2009
every issue. We're going to focus on the issues that are substantive
and that there are, we believe, differences of opinion on, based on staff
review and the community's desires and what we put into the plan.
There may be some issues that you all raise. And thinking about
that and once we have a date, obviously I have to get the product to
you so you can be prepared as well.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I think it's a wonderful idea.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron, then Mr. Midney.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, just a question, Bob. Were
you talking about doing that workshop as a daytime workshop or an
evening workshop?
MR. MULHERE: I was thinking daytime.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Daytime, okay.
MR. MULHERE: You know, I don't know if you have a
preference. I was thinking daytime.
COMMISSIONER CARON: No, it's just the community, so --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I would have thought maybe like start --
if it's going to be four or five hours, which I think is reasonable, and
I've read it a number of times to know what's there, in an informal
setting we could probably accomplish that. But if we were to start late
afternoon, that way we go into the evening and people who wanted --
are able to get off work and come--
MR. MULHERE: That's a good idea.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- could contribute as well.
Mr. Midney?
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah, my point of view is a little
bit different. I don't think that there's been a CRA meeting in the
evening for more than a year, and I think that's a serious shortcoming.
Because the people who can come are people who own businesses or
government workers, but people like myself can't go to a daytime
meeting. And we've been shut out of the process. The working
people of Immokalee --
Page 22
November 19,2009
MR. MULHERE: Well, let me ask --
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: -- have been shut out for all this
time. You need to have -- I don't know if it needs to be this workshop
that we're talking about, but there need to be evening meetings.
MR. MULHERE: Let me just ask this: If -- I can go back and
talk to the CRA, I don't think they would object to doing that. I just
wanted to not overly inconvenience you all. So if you don't object to
something that's late in the afternoon, going into the evening, I don't
think that's a problem.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Paul, and I wasn't -- that's what -- I
thought if we start at around 4:00 --
MR. MULHERE: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- then we could end up -- because it's
going to be four or five hours, we'd be done around 8:00 or 9:00, and
that would give anybody that wanted to come in after they work
plenty of time to be there for the bulk of it. And then usually the first
hour of anything is a long introduction anyway.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Whose fault is that, Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: It will be -- Bob will be talking. He gets
paid by the hour, so --
MR. MULHERE: Get paid by the word.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So I mean, is that more along the lines
that you might --
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- you were thinking?
MR. MULHERE: Okay. And I will make a commitment to get
the draft in its most final version out to you ASAP.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. MULHERE: And all the backup, you know, all the data and
analysis and everything.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So then is there a consensus from this
panel that the workshop idea is a good idea?
Page 23
November 19, 2009
And that's the next phase. Bob, we would need to have
distributed to us well in advance of the meeting drafts of, to be fair,
both your position, your current --
MR. MULHERE: Yeah, we'll give you the staffs --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- findings and that of staffs.
MR. MULHERE: -- staffs sufficiency comments.
I can distribute all that stuff at the very latest Monday.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, I've got my copy already, so--
MR. MULHERE: Well, it's actually changing since what you've
got, because we're changing in response to this last sufficiency round.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. MULHERE: And we're resubmitting to staff on Friday. So
that will all be done by Friday. I'm just saying we've got to worry
about getting it to staff first. And then by Monday I can have it out to
all of you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. But what I would like you to
consider is between now and December 3rd, which is our next
meeting, get with staff, get with the CRA, figure out a series of dates.
Try not to interfere with the holidays or our regular meetings.
Because usually when we have a special meeting like this in between
a regular meeting, that's the best thing to do.
MR. MULHERE: Okay, so we--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Then midweek, whether it's the odd
week, look at that through staff. And if there's a way to fit that in,
come back on the 3rd of December with suggestions for dates,
locations and times. And then we'll just go ahead.
MR. MULHERE: I'm thinking that at this point it's going to have
to be early January. That's what I'm thinking, right? I mean, you
know.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I would agree with you, yes.
MR. MULHERE: Because we still want to be able to have
enough time to address your issues in advance of the 16th. Or maybe
Page 24
November 19, 2009
we won't have time, but at least we'll know what they are and we can
deal with them better at that meeting.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And I think David's got
something to say.
MR. WEEKS: Commissioners, the EAC is scheduled to hear this
Immokalee petition on January 6th. And then your new date that we'll
be I guess officially discussing at your next December 3rd meeting, is
February 16th is your advertised transmittal date.
Couple concerns come to mind. First of all, we don't object at all
to a workshop. As Bob has mentioned to you, there are outstanding
issues so far between staff and the applicant, and if a workshop helps
to resolve those, good. Because ultimately when we come to you for
public hearing and then to the board, as with any petition, the fewer
outstanding issues there are, the better. Whether we walk
hand-in-hand or at least close to each other, that's the best scenario as
opposed to walking in with, you know, a 50-page staff report filled
with issues.
The timing is the concern. Are we talking about holding a
workshop after the EAC has already held their hearing, are we talking
about holding it before?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I don't think it makes a difference,
David. We're not -- we're kind of independent. The EAC does their
thing and we still do ours, whether they -- we look at the
environmental concerns just like they do. So I'm not sure why we
need to worry about their timing. Their timing is their own board's
Issue.
MR. WEEKS: The other would be what is the expected outcome
from the workshop in the sense that might you give certain direction
or voice certain opinions that the applicant would then want to
respond to by going back and revising their submittal?
Again, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think it's a good thing.
The bad thing is what does it do to our schedule?
Page 25
November 19,2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I don't think it does anything. Because
what I would anticipate is they would get input to be prepared to
address at the transmittal, which would expedite the transmittal
process, and you would already have a heads up as to what some of
those issues are so if you had concerns about them, instead of being on
the fly here at a meeting, you'd be able to more factually discuss them
with us and react to them. And I see that as -- that's what I would see
coming out of it. Certainly no decisions.
Mr. Murray, then--
MR. MULHERE: I think it's germane.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray had--
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I want to ask a question of the
Chair. Do we intend to have transcriptions? And that would impact
on what David Weeks is --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, only if it's required by law for a
workshop. If it's not, I would rather keep the cost down and let
someone take minutes is all.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Good. Well, that answers the
issue anyway in that sense.
MR. KLATZKOW: Minutes are sufficient.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Pardon me?
MR. KLATZKOW: Minutes are sufficient.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
MR. MULHERE: Here's what I -- I think David raises a good
point. I was obviously thinking the same thing when I was discussing,
you know, the 16th. We don't want to lose that date.
And to me we're going to get input from you, the staffs going to
hear it, we're going to hear it. That can certainly allow us enough time
to work with the CRA and the community to adjust, if we need to, any
positions.
While we may not actually resubmit, at the transmittal hearing
we can be prepared to have those discussions with you with that
Page 26
November 19,2009
workshop. Without that workshop we're going to do the same thing
but at the transmittal hearing.
So I don't want anything to hold -- to change that date. But I
agree with David, you know, the workshop should give us enough
time. We just probably are not -- there's not enough time for us to
respond to whatever comes up at that workshop, revise the submittal
and resubmit it and expect staff to review it. It's not going to happen
that way. It's got to be just we understand, we've heard you, you'll
know what you said, we'll know what you said and staff will know
what you've said, and then we'll be more prepared at the transmittal
hearing to address those issues.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Does that --
MR. MULHERE: I think it's going to make for a better process.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Randy?
MR. COHEN: Yeah, for the record, Randy Cohen,
Comprehensive Planning Department Director.
As Bob mentioned, the third submittal, based off of the second
sufficiency review letter, is this Friday. And obviously timing is very
important.
Based off of that submittal, my staff will immediately begin to
review that and also draft not only the EAC staff report but your staff
report as well too, because of the timing that's required.
Undoubtedly we will be very close if not finished with your staff
report in that first or second week of January. That's where the
workshop becomes a little bit of an overlap there. And that's when,
when Mr. Mulhere says, you know, we may not have time to address
things, from my staffs standpoint, it does become problematic because
we could be put into a position of possibly having to readdress issues
with respect to what transpires at that workshop.
It would be a lot easier on my staff if that workshop were to take
place in December, okay, based off the submittal that comes on
November the 20th. And I would feel a lot more comfortable if it
Page 27
November 19, 2009
would transpire in that manner.
So that's just food for thought and I would like you to consider
that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, and there are dates in December
that may work. And I think staff -- you all ought to work that out. I
think our desire, from what I can see, is that we're in agreement that a
workshop would work for us, we have no objection to it, and we
would attend it.
It's a matter of staff coordinating it, both getting us out there and
having the cost involved, which I think will be minimal on staffs part.
Because this is going to be a CRA driven workshop, if I'm -- and you
guys will handle the presentation. So we're looking at a minute taker
from staff and minimal people to attend.
So with that in mind, is that okay with everybody on the panel?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That's good.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So that's the way, Ray, I would
like, by December 3rd to have a consensus from staff and the
applicant as to where this will go, dates and all that good stuff.
Item #5
APPROVAL OF MINUTES - OCTOBER 15, 2009, OCTOBER 19,
2009 GMP AND OCTOBER 20, 2009 GMP
Okay, next item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes.
We have three. October 15th, 2009. Is there a motion to approve?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: So moved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Made by Mr. Vigliotti. Seconded by?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: I'll second it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Homiak.
All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
Page 28
November 19, 2009
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries.
October 19th. Is there a motion --
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: So moved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- to approve?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Seconded, same people.
All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries.
Is there a motion for approval for October 20th?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: So moved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Homiak?
Page 29
November 19,2009
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: I have one change.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, go ahead.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: On Page 50, the first line that
starts with Ms. Homiak, it says, doing a restudy of the area bothers
me. It should say -- I believe it should say not doing a restudy of the
area. Just one word added. And then I'll second it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion maker accept the changes--
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I'll change my motion to accept
that change.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Motion maker and second have
agreed.
Any other comments?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries, all of them 9-0 again.
Item #6
BCC REPORT - RECAPS - NOVEMBER 10,2009
That takes us to the BCC report. Ray?
Page 30
November 19,2009
MR. BELLOWS: Yes, on November 10th the Board of County
Commissioners heard three petitions. The first one was a conditional
use for the Unity Faith Missionary Baptist Church. That was
approved on the summary agenda.
They also heard the conditional use for the Collier County Solid
Waste Utilities Recycling Park. That was approved by the board 5-0
on the regular agenda. It's my understanding that they approved it
subject to the staffs recommendation or conditions of approval that
was presented on the consent agenda to the Planning Commission.
I'm not sure -- Kay's here, she can go into a little more detail the
little twist that was changed on one of the conditions I think that came
out of --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: For the machinery.
MR. BELLOWS: Yes.
The board also heard the PUD amendment for Winding Cypress
that had to deal with setbacks. The board approved it 5-1 (sic),
Commissioner Coyle was opposed. And his main issue had dealt with
no AC's on the side yard, or ifthere was, there would be a notch in the
building to accommodate that unit.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: We apparently --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: -- added one commissioner
there. You said five to one.
MR. BELLOWS: Oh,4-1. Thank you.
Item #7
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Chairman's report. I have just-
Page 31
November 19,2009
one follow-up comment. We have in 2010 a series I think of meetings
coming up that will involve primarily Immokalee. One of those is the
Immokalee Area Master Plan, both transmittal and adoption. And the
other is the RLSA, which will be transmittal and adoption.
It would be nice if staff worked up a standard cost per day for
any meeting that we would hold in Immokalee, and that would include
any transportation, staff support, video, everything else that has to go
on, and let us know that and get -- so that we can get the BCC -- and I
know this isn't required of us to do but I think the budget the way it is,
we ought to, to certainly make the BCC aware of these costs and let
them tell us whether or not they want us to meet out in Immokalee
each time or not.
That would require at least four meetings for just those two
issues, or more. I'm not sure the adoption is necessary if we have
transmittal, because transmittal is really the meat of the issues. But at
least we'd have a daily cost. And if the board says they have no
objections to those daily costs or they want a separate approval every
time one of these comes up, then we would at least know ahead of
time how to proceed.
MR. BELLOWS: That makes sense, and I'll coordinate with
David Weeks and we'll make sure that we get that direction.
Item #9B
PETITION: VA-PL2009-1162, 2454 KING'S LAKE BOULEVARD
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And there's no consent agenda
items today, so we'll move into our first advertised public hearing.
The first one is Petition V A-PL2009-1162. The -- I don't -- I'm
not even going to try the name. It's at 2454 King's Lake Boulevard,
and it's a variance.
With that in mind, anybody wishing to testify on behalf of this
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November 19, 2009
item, please rise to be sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there disclosures on the part of
Planning Commission?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, I have one, Mark.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, this morning I was shown
the plan for the original construction of the pool deck by staff.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, nobody else?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Just a letter --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron, okay.
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- we received.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: I also observed the drawing that
staff had made showing the setbacks on the property.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Thank you.
With that in mind, Ms. Bishop, it's yours.
MS. BISHOP: Good morning. My name is Karen Bishop. I
represent the owner, which is Remmlinger-Behnke. That's the name
that you can't pronounce, Remmlinger-Behnke.
This is kind of a complicated matter. The original owner, Mrs.
Pitman, built this house in 1983 and then later in 1991 applied for a
pool and screen cage.
The actual pool got started in '91 and wasn't C.O.'d until '93. So
my application originally said '91 and there was a mistake in there
now that it says it was permitted in '93. And it was actually permitted
in '91 but wasn't C.O.'d till '93.
Unaware that this pool was not built correctly, because
apparently in 1992 is when spot surveys were required by Collier
County for buildings. So this, since it was already in construction,
wasn't required to have that spot surveyed.
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November 19,2009
My client bought this property in 1994, and in 2005 the
hurricanes came and took down the cage. These owners live in
Germany and of course don't come here very often, they're here just a
couple of months out of the year, bring their family. They're retired.
They tried to get a contractor to come and fix this immediately.
That of course, if any of you had issues at that time with your cage,
you know that it took a very long time to find any qualified people to
do this.
They hired a contractor in 2007, without knowing that this
contractor was unlicensed. They asked the question if he was
licensed, but he said yes and it turns out he wasn't.
So this all came to light over a code compliance issue, which was
the contractor started building without a permit and was caught. And
so during the process of trying to then apply for a permit, the -- it was
found out that the house itself -- or the pool cage and the deck was
over the setback lines.
So I tried to go through staff and see if perhaps, you know, this
could be a nonconforming use and be approved, because it had been
there for 18 years, essentially. And they suggested that we really have
to go through this process.
So essentially what we're here today is to ask for this variance to
allow for the encroachments that were there prior to this owner. And I
do have -- I understand from staff that there was a request to see what
evidence that we have that this has not been added to. Because this is
a repair, not an addition.
And the only thing that I have to offer is some photographs back
in the Nineties when they were having fun with their children and
grandchildren. And I have some aerials from 19 -- or 2001, which still
shows the same exact structure. Of course, they're very small aerials
because they're from our website.
Now, there is one letter of objection from the HOA. I spoke to
the management company and sent them a letter explaining, you
November 19, 2009
know, what had happened. And apparently my client didn't know that
Mrs. Pitman originally never went through architectural review for
this back in the Nineties. Repair work in King's Lake does not require
architectural review, but since she didn't do the original -- Mrs. Pitman
didn't do the original, that's why we got this letter of objection from
the HOA.
If there's any other questions, I'd be happy to --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I have a question.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Was there architectural review
back in the time of the request?
MS. BISHOP: I believe there was, sir. And I asked the
gentleman, you know, how could this be missed for all those years?
And he said of course, you know, that there wasn't -- unless somebody
complained, that no one knew that things were being built without
going through this architectural review committee.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I do.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, in the packet it described
that they had -- a contractor applied for a permit. He wasn't given one
because of the setback issues, and then they went and hired another
contractor, unlicensed, to build the thing; is that correct?
MS. BISHOP: I don't think that is correct. Actually I think I
misunderstood. I thought that's what happened, that they had one
contractor. Because I came in at code compliance when it became a
compliance issue. I'm a friend of the daughter. And so she had me
come in then.
And I was understanding that from the code compliance guy that
they had one guy apply and then this guy built. But it was the same
contractor. So I guess the same contractor applied and there was
setback issues and he just went ahead and built it without the permits.
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November 19,2009
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But is he an unlicensed
contractor?
MS. BISHOP: As it turns out, he's an unlicensed contractor.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, describe repair, though. I
mean, was the cage taken down? Was the physical structure of the
cage removed and replaced?
MS. BISHOP: Yes, sir. Because it was damaged beyond being
able to save it. There wasn't just screen damage, the cage was in fact
damaged at the time.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, I'm not sure the word
repair describes that kind of work, but --
MS. BISHOP: According to the -- well, according to the criteria
for King's Lake, any -- that damage, since it was an existing structure,
existing cage, that repairing it. And as it turns out, part of it was
damaged, but you can't just fix part of it based on I guess the structural
issues with it, so it had to be torn -- I guess they took it all out and put
a new one m.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And that brings up, since it was
-- was there a permit ever showing the structural? Was that ever
approved and processed?
MS. BISHOP: Originally there was. 1991 there was a permit
submitted by Mrs. Pitman. It was approved. And there was a drawing
submitted by Mrs. Pitman, a hand drawing that I've seen. I saw I think
the same one you did just recently. Because when I went to the
records room, somehow I didn't get that drawing.
But I think what happened was it was mistakenly built
incorrectly. It's the same configuration. I just believe it was a
mistake. They drew it by hand and I don't believe that they used a
surveyor, and they didn't have the proper survey information and they
just built it accidentally in the wrong place.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But it does show the proper
setback, the seven and a half feet.
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November 19,2009
MS. BISHOP: It did. Well, it does on the hand drawing. But for
some reason because there was no spot surveys it was never checked.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, you know, I'm not sure a
spot survey would check the pool slab. Essentially that's for the
structure. You're checking the walls of the building before you put the
tie beam on. The pool slab probably wouldn't be included in a spot
survey ever. And it's not the survey's fault, it's --
MS. BISHOP: Oh, no. And there was no surveyor. But I believe
that -- I mean, when I do spot surveys now, the surveyor, he locates all
concrete -- you know, anything that's got a slab on it is located on a
survey. They're required by law to put that in there. They can't just
say, oh, you know, let's skip the pool. They actually have to put all
that in there.
And there could be another -- since this was drawn by hand and it
wasn't -- I can only just guess. This was done back in 1991. I can
only guess what happens. And my guess is that it was a mistake. The
pool guy laid it out and maybe the drawing didn't really reflect the
setbacks appropriately and -- you know, or the lot configuration
appropriately and it was just built incorrectly.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: When you say it was drawn by
hand, I mean, the drawing I saw was a drafted drawing. Obviously
back in those days we used pencils and drafting tools.
MS. BISHOP: I was a draftsman for many, many years.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But is that what you mean by
hand? Because the impression I'm getting is somebody just sketched
it. But it was actually a drafted scaled drawing that I saw this
mornmg.
MS. BISHOP: This drawing. The same drawing I'm assuming
that you looked at today.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: That looks like it, yeah.
MS. BISHOP: Right. And not suggesting that -- I was a very
good draftsman, but it doesn't mean that I didn't make mistakes
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November 19, 2009
sometimes. But the difference between now when you do it on the
computer, you have the ability to check the closing and the geometry.
And usually a surveyor provides -- when I do work now, they provide
the work directly.
So I just can only surmise. I didn't go back and check this work.
And I didn't -- the people who built this are no longer around so I can't
ask how did this happen.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. The other question is
that there's nothing in the packet that shows that the pool was put back
exactly where the other pool was. Do you have anything that would
show us that?
MS. BISHOP: I can only show you the aerials. And it is -- there
was no construction, nothing new added in. I have some pictures from
1996 showing the structure literally in the same place, but that's --
there's no real I guess other evidence than what I've seen myself.
And I went out there and looked at it and there was nothing
added. The contractor added nothing. All he did was replace the
cage.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. Did -- and let's go back.
Since it hasn't been permitted, we don't know if it's structurally sound.
We did learn a lot with cages through the years.
So when you say he replaced it, did he replace it with physically
the same structural components that it prior had?
MS. BISHOP: I'm understanding that he did. And actually the
code compliance guy -- I asked the same question. And from what I'm
understanding, it was built to code, he just didn't have a license. And
he put it back in exactly the same place.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: So the structural plans review
was completely done signed off by the building department?
MS. BISHOP: Well, no, because they haven't -- they're going to
have to do an after-the-fact inspections with the building department.
But the building department wouldn't move forward until we get the
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November 19,2009
approval on the location of it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. So it never had a
structural review from the building department.
MS. BISHOP: Uh-uh. Not that I'm aware of.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: All right, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there any other questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Karen, you have a lO-foot PUE?
MS. BISHOP: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Who's it dedicated to?
MS. BISHOP: It's dedicated to the master association.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, has there been any release from
the intrusion into that PUE?
MS. BISHOP: Well, the PUE we're not encroaching into. We're
only encroaching into setbacks.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, the PUE is five feet each side of
the line.
MS. BISHOP: Oh, you're talking about on the right-hand side.
Those are for utilities, and they -- there has not been any release.
There's not been one requested, until we get permission that we can
have it in its location. But those were for utilities specifically. There
are no utilities in any of those. That was pretty typical back in those
days to put those in on either side, but there was no utilities ever put
m.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I know. Usually, though. But the party
that they're dedicated to, you would need a release from --
MS. BISHOP: Right. And we still will have to go through that if
we get this permission to have it in its location.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else have any questions?
Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: You said that you had written a
letter --
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November 19,2009
MS. BISHOP: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CARON: -- to the homeowners association.
MS. BISHOP: I have.
COMMISSIONER CARON: But have you actually met with
them? Have you had any discussions with them? You just followed
up with a letter after --
MS. BISHOP: Right, right. There was -- because it was a repair,
that wasn't required. We discussed with our neighbors on either side,
we met with them -- or the owner's daughter met with them, let them
know what was going on. They had no objections.
The -- according to the manager, when the sign went out in front
of the lot, that's when the HOA saw that there was this variance
request. And so he wrote that letter a couple of days ago.
But the HOA doesn't require anything for repair, and that's what
this was. And so I responded to him, spoke to him, gave him a copy
of the package, hoping that he could review the package and get back
a letter saying okay, it's all right. But that didn't happen because it
was only two days ago. But I have a copy of the letter that -- in the
package that I sent to him, if you would like to see that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And since you did say on the record you
have photographs, both old aerials and current, and some kind of
family photographs showing that location, would you mind showing
those to us?
MS. BISHOP: I would not mind.
This is the 2007 aerial. I have aerials that go all the way back. I
even -- from 2001 all the way back up. But this shows the earliest one
I could get.
The 1995 aerial for Collier County is really furry and you can't
really see anything. So this is the best one that shows that cage in
place, in the exact same place that it is today with the cage on top of it.
This is pre-hurricane.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Before you take that one off, could you
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November 19,2009
take today's and fold it so that the new -- today's picture is alongside
that one?
MS. BISHOP: This is the 2007 aerial.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You may have to just fold the edge over
on one of those so we can see them both.
Oh, there we go.
MS. BISHOP: So you can see the 2007 aerial is exactly the
same.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: With the exception of the linage from
the assessor's office. Looks like it's moved and shifted. That has
nothing to do with the house, though.
MS. BISHOP: Right, it's just their angle of view.
I've got the 2006, 2002, 2005, if you'd like to see those too.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, one more compared to the newest
one would be helpful, if you've got one of the older ones.
MS. BISHOP: All right. Let me do 2006.
That's the 2006. That's right after the hurricane. You can see the
cage IS gone.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. That helps a lot.
Well, what's the one on the left? That's today's without the cage.
The cage is gone in 2006, so we're showing the pool slab.
MS. BISHOP: Right. And actually that's a 2007 aerial. That's
when the cage went up is in 2007. It really doesn't show very well on
this aerial that -- and this aerial may have been taken right before the
cage went back in.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Does the cage in any way break
the side plain of the residents?
MS. BISHOP: No.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. You had those other pictures you
said you may have?
MS. BISHOP: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Since you volunteered those, I just think
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November 19,2009
it's better we get them all on record. At least to see them the best we
can.
MS. BISHOP: This is the corner that is the encroachment corner.
So this shows -- this picture showing that cage, showing the deck at
that corner, that is in fact encroaching.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: This is about what year?
MS. BISHOP: 1996.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MS. BISHOP: And the other pictures I have are some cute little
kids in the pool, if you want to see the date on the pictures.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Only ifit shows the side of the site in
question. If it doesn't, then --
MS. BISHOP: It really doesn't.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, thank you.
Anybody else have any questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Are there any members ofthe public--
oh, staff. Let's do staff before public.
MS. GUNDLACH: Good morning, Commissioners. I'm Nancy
Gundlach, Principal Planner with Zoning and Land Development
Review.
And staff is recommending approval of this variance petition. It's
consistent with the Growth Management Plan.
And also I have copies of documents that I had shown to some of
the commissioners prior to our meeting starting this morning, if
anybody's interested in seeing them.
You've already -- Karen has already shown you the site plan from
1991 building permit file. And I also have a copy of the current
boundary survey that shows in color the area of encroachment, if
you're interested in seeing that as well.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody have any questions of staff?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I just --
Page 42
November 19, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: I'd like to see that one showing
the setbacks.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Kolflat?
Now, the yellow and red both represent the setbacks?
MS. GUNDLACH: Yes. Yellow represents the IS-foot setback
and pink represents the seven and a half foot setback. And then I --
you can see where I patched in the area of encroachment.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: So that's -- that cover, that
screen closure could have been built farther south or down below and
still been in compliance.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I don't think so.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: If you eliminated that
encroachment by designing the screen a little different.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is that a question, Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Of? I'm not -- could you
rephrase that, that one -- I can't understand your --
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Is it possible that that screen
enclosure could have been built in accordance with the setbacks and
not have an encroachment there? A different designed screen.
MS. GUNDLACH: It could have been designed and built in
accordance with the setbacks, yes.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Yeah, the concept, this is not
really just a repair, the total cage was taken down so it has to be built
up. Repairs, you put the screens back in it.
So the building department has not done a structural review of
this project yet?
MS. GUNDLACH: I do have a copy of the building permit file,
if you would like to look at it. I looked at it briefly yesterday. And I
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November 19,2009
did notice that there were some -- it appeared to be some structural
drawings. And we do have one set of review notes from the building
permit reviewers. And there was a structural review on it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And -- but was it signed off for
structure, or did it --
MS. GUNDLACH: Well, you can look at it. I mean, they really
can't sign off on it because, you know, the setbacks weren't correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, they could sign off for
their division, the structural, without the setbacks.
MS. GUNDLACH: We could take a look at that and see if they
did.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: While she's looking at that, Ray, do we
have any public speakers?
MR. BELLOWS: No one has registered.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, is anybody in the public wanting
to speak on this matter?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Maybe while she's doing that I
can ask Ray.
Ray, do we have letters from the neighbors on this at all?
MR. BELLOWS: None that I'm aware of.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, positive or negative.
Other than the association itself.
MS. GUNDLACH: Regarding letters of objection, there was
only the one from the homeowners association.
Okay, I have a residential plan review comments prepared on
April 5th, 2007. Okay, we have one from a residential plan review
and it says not a failure, but please be aware that any changes to the
structure due to the setbacks will require a new construction layout for
the review process.
That sounds like it was structurally sufficient but he couldn't sign
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November 19,2009
off on it because of the structural -- I mean the setback issues.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay, yeah. That's good,
thanks, Nancy.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of staff? Anybody
-- oh, Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Yeah, I just have a quick one
here. On all these diagrams, the ones that I looked at and obviously
that are in here, it never shows the setback. It shows the utility
easements, but I haven't been able to find other than what was written
in the front of the setback and I didn't see any PUD in there that shows
that. I mean, it obviously is, if you wrote it, but how come none of the
diagrams, none of the draftings, if you will, or architectural does not
show setbacks?
MS. GUNDLACH: Okay, probably the best place to look, and
sometimes it's hard to see. Let's refer to my colored in -- that's
actually a boundary survey that shows the encroachment. And there's
a lot of lettering so sometimes it's hard to see.
Okay, you can see obviously I wrote in that it's seven and a half
and 15- foot setback.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: But that's also -- that's what the
five- foot utility easement goes to, or the total 10- foot utility easement.
You point to that, you point to the dotted line, and this is where
my confusion was, is I'm thinking that whoever designed the pool
cage and the deck thought that those dotted lines were the setback. I
would have if! were there doing a layout for a pool and didn't see
anything else, that's what I would have assumed.
I mean, that's what it looked like. When I first looked at this
whole thing, whenever it was ago, that's what I thought. I said, well, I
would have done it the same way, hit right on that dotted line. I didn't
see any other setbacks. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Anybody else?
(No response.)
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November 19,2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Nancy, one thing I did notice, the pool
cage actually is set back 5.09 feet. The slab is a few inches past that.
And the slab's the only thing that protrudes into the utility easement, at
least according to the blowup of the detail of that corner. I mean, that
makes a difference from the aspects of the easement. I don't know if
MS. GUNDLACH: Yeah, we're here today for the setbacks,
which is seven and a half feet, the encroachment into the seven and a
half foot area.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right. But it's just about two and a half
foot difference is what they're looking at.
MS. GUNDLACH: Um-hum, correct.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Mark?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yes, sir, Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Nancy, I know we have a code
enforcement case that's bringing this to us, but what -- is there any
kind of -- anything happening to the contractor who's building in the
county without a license, and obviously causing these kind of
problems?
MS. GUNDLACH: I would have to inquire about that.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Wouldn't your reference to the reason
for the variance instead of a setback of 4.84-foot, they need a 5.00,
since it's the cage that's in question, not a slab?
MS. GUNDLACH: Yes, that's correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, so the variance they're asking for
is not 4.84 feet, it's to 5.09 feet.
MS. GUNDLACH: Correct. That's my error.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Wait a minute, Mark, that's the
existing setback. That's--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I'm just --
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November 19, 2009
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: They've got to go to seven and a
half feet, so subtract from seven and a half, 5.09 is what they really--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: No, what I'm saying is the cage is at--
isn't the current, this detail, this plan here, the large 9/29/09 survey --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: No, you're right, I see it. You're
right. Instead of 4.85 it should be 5.09.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Should be 5.09 is all, so--
MS. GUNDLACH: It shows up in the enlargement. Or the
detail, rather.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: So really they're looking at a 5.09
setback in lieu of the previously stated 4. --
MS. GUNDLACH: Yeah, I would have to change that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Now, does anybody else have
any other questions?
Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: No question, just a comment
when we come to that point.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. We'll seek a motion first and
then we'll go to comments.
Mr. Vigliotti?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I'd like to make a motion to
approve changing it to 5.09 feet from what you had requested.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And the rear setback of 12.5 foot?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: There was two of them.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Yes.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion made by Mr. Vigliotti, seconded
by Mr. Wolfley.
Now discussion. Mr. Kolflat?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: I'm going to vote against the
motion for the following reasons: I don't believe that they meet the
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November 19, 2009
requirements ofthe LDC. Number one, a pie-shaped lot is not a
special existing condition peculiar to land and structures, as required,
while owner expectations of construction approval is not a special
condition either. A literal interpretation does not result in unnecessary
and undue hardships. This variance confers a special provision on the
petitioner, and I will vote against it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, are there any other comments?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well I'll be making--
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I'm going to be voting against it.
Although the hardship and everything I'm not so much against, but the
fact is that they knew that this was a setback issue during the
permitting process, so the information was in hand and they just
bullied ahead and found themselves here today. So I can't reward that
because I can't punish the people who do it right by rewarding that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, I'll be voting against the
motion as well. I don't think that it -- of the criteria that we have to
judge by, I do not think that there are special conditions or
circumstances. They bought the property, it's a pie-shaped lot. It can
be built on appropriately.
C, the literal interpretation, if they could afford to rebuild, they
could afford to rebuild correctly. I think the variance will not be the
minimum, we just heard that, which is D.
E, we would be granting a special privilege. Apparently there
have been no other variances, according to the staff report, in King's
Lake.
F, I think granting a variance will not be in harmony with the
purpose of the Land Development Code. It's not a legally permitted
enclosure as it stands now.
I think that they probably would have been better off to spend
some more time working with the homeowner association. These
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November 19,2009
homeowner associations have the authority and they should have
worked with them before they even did the repairs. Most PUDs are
that way.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Ms. Homiak?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: I just -- I don't see a problem
with this. I think this happens. It happened in our homeowner's
association, and you don't -- things get -- they just go by the wayside
somehow. There was a pool cage -- and you don't realize it until the
hurricane came and it took a pool cage down.
And it's not the fault of the homeowners that own the property
now. And it's a huge expense, it's not a little expense. The pool
cages, when they came down, ours cost over $17,000 just for the pool
cage. And generally when you have -- in a homeowner's association,
if you're replacing something that's already in existence or if you're
repainting the same color or putting on the same roof, you do not have
to get permission from the homeowner's assoc -- it might be in the
documents, but you generally do not.
And this is -- it's unfortunate, but it still does not go into the
public utility easement. It's 10 feet in the back and 10 feet on the side.
And it's really not encroaching on that, so I don't think it's a big issue.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, anybody else?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I -- for the record, I'll make a comment.
I will support the motion for approval. This particular house and
pool in that location's been there since I think we heard testify since
'93. The neighbors have not complained. I can't see how it's harming
anybody. And we shouldn't be penalizing people because the damage
is caused by an act of God that they couldn't control.
So at this point I'm in favor of it. And with that we'll ask for a
vote. And please signify by both raising your hand and saying aye.
All in favor of the motion for approval, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
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November 19,2009
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
All those opposed?
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 6-3.
Thank you.
MS. GUNDLACH: Thank you, Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, the next item up, and we will take
a break in about 15 minutes, Cherie', does that work for you?
THE COURT REPORTER: Thank you.
CAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, next item up is Petition
CU-PL2009170, the First Haitian Baptist Mission, Inc. at 14600
Tamiami Trail East.
All those wishing to testifY on behalf of this item, please rise to
be sworn in by the court reporter.
(Speakers were duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Disclosures on the part of the Planning
Commission?
I had a discussion with Mr. Hancock. I suggested some
refinements that I'm sure we'll be discussing today. So other than that,
we'll move forward.
Tim, it's all yours.
Well, he was up there. Oh, there he is.
MR. HANCOCK: Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members of
the Planning Commission.
I made the mistake of trying something new this morning. I
found it interesting when I bring in PowerPoint presentations that one
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November 19,2009
of the few people in the county that knows how to load them is Joe
Schmitt. And so it gets a little bit of a bind up here sometimes, it's not
easy to do. So I'm trying to use my laptop here. If you'll give me just
one second to see if I can fix it. If I cannot, I'll use slides on the
visualizer.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
MR. HANCOCK: To avoid holding this body and everybody up
further, while I'm a fan of technology, never underestimate the power
of a paper backup.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: We could take a break right now, we're
pretty close enough to it. Why don't we just try that and maybe that
will make it easier.
MR. HANCOCK: I appreciate that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Why don't we take a break till five after
10:00, we'll continue at that time.
(Recess.)
Item #9D
PETITION: PUDZ-2007-AR-12294, IMMOKALEE REGIONAL
AIRPORT MASTER PLAN
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, before we go into the next item,
during the break through conversation with the County Attorney's
Office for the last item today, which is PUDZ-2007-AR-12294, which
is the Immokalee Airport Master Plan or PUD, the -- there's some
issues involving the circumstances of that plan, and some details that
were missing. And in discussions with the County Attorney and Mr.
Arnold and Ms. Cook, it was best recommended that we continue that.
They've requested a continuance to the 17th meeting in December.
I think that's a good thing, because there is a lot of outstanding
questions that could get resolved by then. So anybody have any
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November 19,2009
comment on it?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And Wayne, do you want to come up to
the microphone and officially make the request to continue?
MR. ARNOLD: Sure. I'm Wayne Arnold with Grady Minor,
representing the Airport Authority on this matter.
And given the questions that have arisen and after conversations
with County Attorney, we believe it is in the best interest of the
project to request a continuance to probably December 17th. That
gives us essentially a month.
I understand in talking to Ms. Deselem with the county that the
packets are already in process for your meeting in two weeks, so it
probably makes more sense to put that out two more weeks.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, does anybody have any problems
with that?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is that okay for staff? Is there any
concern on staffs part?
MR. BELLOWS: Only -- for the record, Ray Bellows.
Only -- I just want to get some assurance that if there are
information that cannot make the packets for the 17th meeting, the
petitioner will be prepared to present that to you verbally during that
hearing.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, I'm sure they will. I mean, we're
going to have -- any questions that they miss I'm sure we'll pick it, so
with that --
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Do we need a motion?
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah, with that in mind, I'm going to
ask for a motion.
First of all, are there any members of the public here for that item
that wish to speak today that cannot be here on December 17th?
(No response.)
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November 19, 2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: So moved.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion made for petition
PUDZ-2007-AR-12294 for a continuance to December 17th. Motion
was made by Mr. Vigliotti. Is there a.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Seconded by Ms. Caron.
Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: All those in favor, signify by saying
aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 9-0.
Thank you, Wayne. Appreciate your cooperation. I think it will
be a better product when it comes back. So that will work out a lot
better for everybody.
And I would recommend to the Planning Commission to save the
information packets they have that we've already got, because there
will most likely be a supplement that will be issued to that, so set that
stuff aside.
Okay, Tim, it looks -- did you get your computer working -- did
you correct that computer?
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November 19,2009
Item #9C
PETITION: CU-PL2009-170, FIRST HAITIAN BAPTIST MISSION,
INC.
MR. HANCOCK: We have done our best and I think we're up
and running. So thank you again for the break and the time, I do
appreciate it. I hope that it makes things go a little smoother.
Again, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, my name is Tim Hancock
with Davidson Engineering. Mr. Hood was going to present this item
but is home sick watching it on television. So I'll be pinch hitting for
him today, and of course I will give him some very terrible tasks to
take care of next week for making me be here.
But I'm here representing the applicant, First Haitian Baptist
Mission, a church ministering to the Naples Community at 14600
Tamiami Trail East.
I'd like to take a few minutes to talk to you about the history of
the existing conditional use, an existing and absolute conservation
easement and the proposed conditional use application for expansion
on the subject property that's before you today.
The subject property is located three miles east of the intersection
of Tamiami Trail East and Collier Boulevard. It is zoned rural
agricultural with a conditional use for the existing church facility.
The subject property lies within the urban coastal fringe sub-
district future land use designation. It has approximately 500 feet of
frontage along Tamiami Trail, and it bordered on three sides: The
east, south and west by Charlee Estates, Habitat for Humanity
single-family residential development.
The zoning ofCharlee Estates is in fact the Charlee Estates PUD.
To the north across Tamiami Trail right-of-way is undeveloped
C-2 commercial zoned property.
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November 19,2009
The eastern boundary of the subject property shares a border with
a water management retention area that is part of Charlee Estates
PUD.
In May of 1993, the applicant was granted a conditional use to
provide for the establishment of a church and accessory uses to a
church in the rural agricultural zoning district on the parcel which is
4.59 acres.
Subsequently a site development plan application was approved
in July of 1995, that's SDP 94-64, for the construction of the existing
church and parking areas shown in this aerial photograph.
Under that SDP approval the applicant was granted the operation
of a church and church related uses, associated parking and water
management areas for a 9,360 square foot square sanctuary. The
sanctuary currently seats a 345-person congregation, and that
translates into an existing 148 parking spaces provided on-site at the
required ratio of three spaces per seven seats.
The church currently is on well and septic on this site.
Under the prior SDP approval, the applicant identified and
preserved a 2.15-acre area under conservation easement to the State of
Florida, Department of Environmental Protection, formerly the DER.
You can see that area here on the existing plan of development.
This area was set aside per a settlement agreement with Deltona
Corporation for the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve in December of 1992 to preserve an enhanced wetlands and
other areas of environmental concern in perpetuity at the time of the
easement's granting.
A portion of the subject property -- and you can see the property
here in yellow. A portion of the subject's property, along with a
number of others, were selected by DEP for preservation, assumedly
due to their proximity to extraordinary waters to the south.
The areas here highlighted in pink are areas however that were
approved for development. The subject property is within that area.
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November 19,2009
After looking at and analyzing the 1973 aerial shown here we've
confirmed, along with environmental staffs agreement, that there were
no wetlands existing on the site then nor are there wetlands and
vegetation on the site now.
The intent of the applicant going forward is to vacate the
conservation easement that we believe was placed in error at the time
of the SDP approval by the applicant, and to request that conservation
easement through DEP be lifted. We believe that the modification of
the surrounding properties in the years obviously have made this not
some kind of environmentally significant two-acre parcel. There's no
vegetation on it, it's not a wetland and it's surrounded on three sides by
a residential development.
We have contacted DEP and are awaiting their determination to
lift the conservation easement. Any granting of the conditional use
today obviously would be subject to that conservation easement being
lifted or amended.
Now that we've gone over a little bit of the history, let me share
with you what the church is intending for the property.
The congregation has grown out of their current administrative
and activity areas. Fairly common for a church to build the sanctuary
first and some additional administrative areas, and as funding comes
available, then expand as their programs expand, such as the case
here.
Though the sanctuary is still of sufficient size for Sunday
services, the areas to hold Bible study, Sunday school classes,
administrative functions and receptions for the congregation is now
inadequate to meet the needs of the church.
The church is not seeking to expand the seating in the sanctuary.
The maximum permitted congregation size will remain at 345 seats. If
in the future the church's congregation should grow to a point where
more space is needed, an amendment to the conditional use
application would be required at that time.
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November 19,2009
To adequately accommodate the congregation's fellowship
programs and to provide more area for the church's administrative
offices, this conditional use proposes to expand the existing church
sanctuary and reception hall by 1,550 square feet. In addition, they
would like to add a separate 19,281 square feet general purpose
building.
As you can see on the site plan before you, if you'll look on the
bottom of the plan, that's the existing sanctuary. That's going to have
again the 1,550 square feet added to it primarily for administrative
space. The building just to your left as you look at that would be the
new general purpose building for the church.
The general purpose building will house a fellowship hall with an
associated kitchen, administrative offices, a reception area, restroom
facilities, a conference area and additional classrooms.
The new structure will allow members of the congregation to
gather and hold events and functions such as receptions for weddings,
Sunday school classes, Bible study and other church related events for
its members.
The intended use is compatible with the single-family residential
development and vacant land surrounding a near proximity to the
subject property. The proposed expansion will be buffered from those
uses via landscaping as required by the Land Development Code and
shall conform to the dimensional standards in accordance with the
rural agricultural zoning designation. Planned access will remain via
the existing driveway connecting the property to Tamiami Trail East.
There are a few issues that may have come up in your review of
this petition. I'd like to try and address some of those at this point, as
well as some comments that I received from Mr. Strain.
The first of those really is that we discovered as we were going
through this conditional use that the boundary survey and survey
provided to us, that the existing structures are actually encroaching
into a required 50-foot setback.
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November 19, 2009
What it is our intent to do and the church's intent to do is the
expansion and remodel of the sanctuary will remedy this existing
condition and avoid the need for coming back before you for another
fun-seeking variance.
The second issue is that the -- and don't get me wrong, I really
enjoy being here.
The second issue is the additional 98 parking spaces -- I thought I
could pull that out without laughing myself.
There's an additional 98 parking spaces on the master plan. It's in
excess of what the church seating currently requires. And I'm sure
that drew some of your attention.
When designing the site for circulation and potential water
management areas, we maximized the parking areas trying to think of
the future. The church's congregation size does not exceed the 345
seats now, but it may at some point in the future. We've decided to
allow for that now instead of later, showing you what the site would
look like and what its development extents would be at its maximum
development potential.
Also, there is a misprint on the provided master concept plan that
is our responsibility. There are 246 parking spaces, not 245. So for
those of you that counted them, I'm going to intercept you right there.
We do have amended master concept plans we'll provide for the
record, but at consent you will see that change, should we get to that
point.
The design before you also allows us to design and install the
stormwater management system to accommodate the build-out of the
full site. Future growth may result in designating what are shown here
in parking areas and converting them to an additional building, for
example. Or more than likely what would probably be the case is the
larger building may at some point be converted to more of a church
use allowing for increased seating.
Nonetheless, any increase in seating over the 345 would have to
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November 19,2009
come back before you as an amendment to the conditional use. But
we thought it wise to at least project out what may be the needs of the
church in attempt to master plan those at this time. The way we've
done that in essence is to install placeholder parking.
At the time of development of the additional building we mayor
may not construct all of those spaces, but the stormwater management
system will be designed to accommodate them so that future runoff
and future development envelopes are designed and adhered to in the
future.
As it stands today, the church's congregation cannot expand on
this site, cannot add one single seat. Because the trips on this link of
Tamiami Trail East are not available.
We've agreed through our traffic impact statement filed with the
application and reviewed by transportation planning staff to limit the
number of seats that govern our trip generation because of that road
failure.
The section is defined as being from Collier Boulevard to the
west and Greenway Road to the east along this section of Tamiami
Trail.
When the roadway's been improved at some point in the future
and trips become available, the opportunity to expand the seating of
the congregation would be present. At this time it is not.
The third issue we would like to address is the proposed ADA
accessible off-site pedestrian walkway.
We have a lot of members that live in Charlee Estates
surrounding the church. This is in fact a community church serving its
immediate community. As a matter of fact, a review of the
membership roles showed approximately 15 percent of the members
living in Charlee Estates currently.
The walkway was provided basically to keep cars from traveling
out Charlee Estates onto U.S. 41 to access the church. Candidly, folks
are walking to the church now. They're just not doing it across an
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November 19, 2009
approved pathway.
And we felt that by addressing this both internally to our site and
working with Charlee Estates in the construction of a sidewalk
through what is a common area adjacent to the church, that we could
maybe make that a little more of a smooth transition. As someone
who enjoys getting up Sunday morning and walking to my own
church, it's something we'd like to promote, obviously.
And as a result, we think that there may be some trips that
normally are going on on the Trail that people are accessing it by car
that would certainly use this pathway, if it were present. So we're
trying to promote the pedestrian connection as in essence a good
neighbor act and also as a way of mitigating any potential traffic
impacts that even the additional building may create.
And Mike Green is here with transportation staff. And we can go
into that a little bit further, if you'd like, but the reality is that when
you look at the actual traffic impacts of the church, there's two ways
that we evaluate traffic.
For churches, for weekend services it's based on the number of
seats. But when you look at the weekday effect, you look at the
square footage of the facilities. So you really are doing two TISs
within one use, because the uses are distinctly different.
During the week I believe we exceed the p.m. peak hour by
something in the area of eight trips. Eight trips is not a lot. Eight trips
represents -- if we had five percent of our congregation that actually
walked to church, that would be about three families, then that would
address that five percent. So it's a fairly minimal number, but it is in
fact in excess of the p.m. peak hour in the way we review our TISs.
So this pedestrian pathway is designed specifically to address
that deficiency, and we believe it recognizes an existing pattern that is
already going on. But by doing so, addresses the mitigation
requirements of the application.
Another issue that came up that was posed at the neighborhood
November 19,2009
information meeting was who would be responsible for constructing
and maintaining the walkway. What we will do is we will obtain -- do
everything we can to obtain a cross access easement through the
community area. The church, though, will be responsible for
construction and maintenance of any sidewalk in that area. That will
be the church's responsibility.
And last, of course the DEP conservation easement that currently
is active on the property, I mentioned earlier, any proposed change in
the site within the area of conservation will be subject to the vacation
or modification of that easement.
I'd like to go into a couple of items that Mr. Strain raised in a
conversation I had with him yesterday.
One of them is contained in your staff report with respect to
hours of operation. And those hours of operation were listed
specifically, and I want to clarify this, not just for the church operation
but also for the general purpose building too.
So those hours of operation we listed. We tried to accommodate
all of the operations on the site, not just the church sanctuary itself.
But that does include the general purpose building.
Secondly, we say in our application that events are limited to
church members. And let me clarify that. This is not a rental facility,
this is not an Elks Lodge where you're going to have outside groups
come in and have events. When we talk about weddings, we're talking
about weddings of church members. When we talk about baptismal
celebrations, we're talking about baptisms of church members. And I
do want to be very clear about that. This is not a facility that's going
to be rented to outside parties. It is indeed for church members.
Third, outside music and celebrations. Well, one of the reasons
for building this nice new facility is to be able to have more general
purpose events. And we are anticipating no outside events as a part of
the normal worship function of the church. If there were to be any
type of an outside event with outside music, it would be subject to the
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November 19, 2009
special permit requirements of the county and we would have to apply
for such permit. Those permits carry with them limitations as to hours
of operation and time throughout the year.
And again, one example that I offered is that my particular
church, we have one event that's outside every year that specifically
has one of the local high school jazz bands play, but we have to get a
special events permit in order to do that. That same thing would apply
here. Weare not including in our application outside music or
amplified music.
And last is you'll see a reference to a fence that is six to eight
feet. Now I've never met a six to eight-foot fence. It's usually either
six-foot or an eight-foot. And so that was our mistake. We somehow
plugged six to eight feet in for some reason, and it just kept going
right through the process.
So let me be clear, any fence requirement -- and I believe the
LDC requirement is at six feet when you have a use like this that is
adjacent to residential, so it is a six-foot fence requirement. The
church may opt, should they wish to at the time of SDP, to request an
administrative fence waiver where you take the fence -- instead of the
fence you do a landscape buffer and whatnot. But we would only do
that if we had the agreement of the adjacent property owners and
follow the LDC requirements for buffering.
So we're not asking for any exceptions to the LDC requirements
for buffering. Any fence as required by the LDC I believe would be
six feet in this location, so please allow me to correct that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, the only difference to that
statement, Tim, the recommendation of staff is not to give you the
option to require a wall six to eight feet. So you had just I thought
alluded that the LDC has an option that it can be more landscaping
and we can eliminate the fence or the wall. That's not what would
happen if the recommendation here was included.
And that's what I was suggesting is that I believe a wall is called
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November 19,2009
for, especially that close to residential. My question to you was, well,
let's just make it six or eight feet, not leave the -- so everybody knows
what's happening, so --
MR. HANCOCK: The one area that I would ask for some
potential relief of that is where the church property does not
immediately border the residential homes.
And I'm not asking you for the variance here today. I've been
down that road with other churches and I know where it ends up when
it gets before the board. In the past the board has directed that we go
through whatever administrative procedures may be available to us.
And for example, we had New Hope went through a process.
And what the staff actually did is they bifurcated our request and said
well, over here we think you need a wall and over here we can
understand you may not. And so we got a partial relief, if you will.
My specific concern for the church is the cost of constructing a
six-foot wall along a water management area or along a common area
where it's a playground may not be appropriate. If staff determines
that it is, it shall be constructed. But where we are immediately
adjacent to single-family homes, we will not be seeking relief in those
areas.
So I wanted to leave that option open only with respect to where
we are not immediately adjacent to single-family homes. If it is your
desire to follow staff recommendation, we're not going to fuss with
that a lot, but we would like to have the opportunity to make that
request to staff and allow them to make a planning based decision on
whether it's appropriate.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Well, it does say along the
residential land uses, so I don't know what --
MR. HANCOCK: Well, because the entire PUD is a residential
PUD --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Oh, I got it.
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November 19,2009
MR. HANCOCK: Yeah, it can be construed that -- and probably
has been construed more consistently than not in the past.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Certainly don't expect you to
put one along the street. I don't think that's the issue. The issue is
when -- because you've got parking on where most of the homes are.
And heading up into there, people walk away, lock their car, beep,
beep, you know, that's not going to work.
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Charlee Estates was what, is
that a Habitat community?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: And as we know, those people
are, quote, forced to keep a very tight neighborhood. Very clean, tight
neighborhood. And it would just be terrible to make sure that that's
not kept (sic).
Which brings up my point about the buffer. In your NIM
meeting, in your neighborhood information meeting, was that buffer
acceptable?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes. There were no objections in the
neighborhood information meeting with respect to the buffer that's
proposed. And we propose the same buffer there that we did (sic)
now.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: And they understood what that
is, that type of buffer is?
MR. HANCOCK: It was explained. And Nancy, I've reviewed
the minutes of it, but I was not in attendance. But the buffer was
explained what a Type D is and that it mayor may not include a wall.
And I believe that exact verbiage was used.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: All right. Now, along the
residential area there will be a wall, you said eight foot?
MR. HANCOCK: Six foot is the LDC requirement.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Okay. You didn't feel like
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November 19,2009
going eight foot in the residential since you're getting relief? I'm not
here to negotiate, I was leading into something.
MR. HANCOCK: What I'm heading to is our plan is a six-foot
wall. If the Planning Commission feels that eight-foot is more
appropriate immediately adjacent to residential, that's something I
would understand.
When we get away where we're not immediately adjacent to
residential, we would prefer to have the option of requesting a waiver
from the wall requirement to install a heavily opaque landscape buffer
in lieu of the wall.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: That was going to -- that's
where I was going with it, was with that buffer.
And that's going to be on the residential side or on the church
side property?
MR. HANCOCK: It would be planted on the church's property
and maintained by the church.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Correct. And then the wall or
-- which is facing the residential?
MR. HANCOCK: Well, when you have a wall requirement, a
Type D buffer, the vegetation is on the residential side and the wall is
on the church side.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: That's good. Thanks.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Tim, had you finished with your
presentation?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Ray?
MR. BELLOWS: I'd just like to point out that the process that
we're going through is a conditional use. It's not a PUD where there's
an ordinance adopted and you have deviations. There is no deviations
from the landscape requirements that the Planning Commission can
recommend on.
However, there is an administrative fence process the applicant
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November 19, 2009
can go through to address either the height or portions where it doesn't
abut actual residential units, that they can ask for elimination of the
fence.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Unless the stipulation that staff has
included in here says there shall be a wall.
MR. BELLOWS: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Presentations done from the
applicant.
Questions of the applicant?
Mr. Schiffer, then Mr. Murray.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Tim, I want to focus in on the
existing building. The original PUD showed a 30-foot setback, and it
looks like this building has that. But it also looks like you're intending
to trim off five feet of that southeast setback. Is that true? Or is that
necessary?
MR. HANCOCK: It is my understanding, based on the survey,
that there's a six and a half foot encroachment into the required
setback. So yes, the renovation of the building would attempt to
correct that. We'd be required to correct that encroachment.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But your new building shows
35 feet. And like I said, the original PUD allowed that to be a 30. So
I guess you'll argue that out with staff at the time.
But -- because these setbacks -- I mean, trimming off little slivers
of building seems to be a very difficult thing to do. Is there no
administrative way to allow you to have those small encroachments?
MR. HANCOCK: I don't believe that degree of encroachment
qualifies for any administrative waiver. So if we cannot do it
economically, we'd be forced to come back through a variance.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Okay. Anyway, check that,
because it was 30 feet, and it looks like they built that right.
The existing building has a porte-cochere in the front. You're not
going to build that back? Or this level of drawing not going to get into
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November 19,2009
stuff like that?
MR. HANCOCK: We have not. That's going to be a budgetary
issue for the church. Since the porte-cochere would not increase the
seating requirements, we've just simply not gotten into the
architectural issue of showing it.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: All right.
And then the only other comment, and this would probably be
worked out in SDP, is putting the trash containers in somebody's
backyard versus all the other locations. It doesn't seem fair.
But anyway, thank you.
MR. HANCOCK: We can do a better job at that, yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Tim, looking at the hours of
operation, the statement in the staff report says days and hours of
operation of the church are as follows. I'm wondering if that's used in
the more generic sense, inclusive of those two buildings.
When we talk about half -- almost a half an acre of a building,
the general purpose building, you've mentioned classrooms, and I was
just trying to visualize what that configuration may be. I almost saw a
gymnasium. I don't know.
How many people would we be bringing in for a prayer meeting?
Now, the prayer meeting, according to the statement here, prayer
meeting would probably happen in the sanctuary. I'm guessing, of
course.
Do you have a feel for where I'm going with this to try to
understand what a half an acre of building would really be used for
and how many people will it draw?
MR. HANCOCK: I do have an idea. And I actually have a very
real word example of my own church. And we have a general purpose
building that is roughly the same size. And as you walk in the
entryway, there are different size meeting rooms to handle different
functions. One is maybe a Christian library and the other is a parlor
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for receptions, and then on the second floor there are Sunday School
rooms. And then there's a kitchen area that can serve both front and
back side of the building that is more central.
The back side of the building is created as a general purpose area.
And the floor plan, the preliminary floor plans for this were similar to
this, along the same lines, that that open area can be used for a variety
of activities. You could have a youth basketball league. For example,
my church runs a youth basketball league, a Christian basketball
league in there.
We also have Wednesday night dinners for our church members
where we'll have fellowship and dinners and Bible study that breaks
out following that.
So the number of people that it can hold depends on the type of
function you have there.
One of the reasons I think the additional parking is being put in
there is to ensure that that does not create a problem, because this is a
site where you can't exactly park out on the street ifthere's an
overflow.
So those are the -- that's the mindset of the building.
And one of the big problems they've had is that -- and this
portion of Collier County, if you have a wedding and are looking to
have a reception, there are not a lot of facilities that are available for
church members to use, and I'll say at a reasonable or acceptable cost.
And they've had a lot of requests for special events by church
members on the property. And so that's one of the functions the
building's intended to serve.
I hope I've answered your question.
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: I think you have. And I
certainly am not against it. My -- the route of my question in that
sense, and you hit it right on the head, is -- I'm going to use an absurd
example here. The cousin from Des Moines having their wedding
there because they're a cousin of one of the members. I'm making that
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kind of a ludicrous example because I really don't believe that has
happened very much. But there is a question that I think should be
asked about what real control do we have over whether or not that's
going to turn into something that will be a promotion for the benefit of
the church but to the detriment of the neighbors. Try to help us with
that, if you would.
MR. HANCOCK: You've hit on something that we run up
against with every single church. And we seem to appear before you
on an inordinate number of churches, and we're actually very proud of
that.
But the range of events that occur with churches are so incredibly
varied you almost have to -- and I hate to use these words, but you
almost have to trust in the institution that most churches do not
provide weddings for non-members. Therefore, a reception on site
following the wedding, ergo it would be a member.
The only enforcement that really exists is, and I think this would
come about, if there were a high degree of events or events that were
creating noise and somebody looked into, there was a complaint filed,
hey, you know, these aren't church members, they leased it out to, you
know, "X" organization to have a fundraiser, and that were confirmed,
it would in fact be a violation of their zoning.
That's the only enforcement I can offer to you that I can think of.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: And I appreciate that.
What I'm guessing -- I'm not guessing. What I'm relating to here
is when one looks at the statement of what all is going on there:
women's ministry, I'm thinking sanctuary; youth and adult Bible
study, okay, maybe classrooms in the room; choir rehearsal, I assume
would be in the sanctuary; prayer meeting, not sure. Most of the
activities from this statement here suggest that it would be held in the
sanctuary .
So a 19,321 square foot building or 281 square foot building
seems an extraordinary enterprise for something that doesn't seem to
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have any clear apparent use other than probabilities for limited use.
MR. HANCOCK: We probably got caught a little bit in the trap
of talking about what the church currently does in determining of
hours of operation and applying it to the larger building.
I'm not entirely sure that they think they're going to use all
19,000 square feet right out of the chute. But if you're going to build
10,000 in this market, it makes a lot more sense to build the other
nine, even though you may not have an immediate need for it.
I can tell you that, for example, our general purpose area, we
have a production called Night in Bethlehem every Christmas, and it's
a walk-through production. And it doesn't allow any more folks to be
there and use that facility for that purpose than our sanctuary does.
But it takes a lot more space. And we have the ability to do it because
we have the space to do it.
I think that's part of the planning that the church is trying to
implement here. I don't see a 20,000 square foot wide-open facility
with rock concerts going on here. I know that's a fear, it's a concern,
it's a worry. But from a practical standpoint, I'm not sure how to
preclude that from ever happening, but that certainly is not the intent
of the church and I'm not sure how to further limit it, to be honest with
you.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'm satisfied with your
statements. And I understand it's either a problematic issue based on
history, or ifthere's no history it's likely not to become a problem.
MR. HANCOCK: One ofthe benefits of this site, because its
only point of access is on Tamiami Trail, is it doesn't use residential
streets to get to and from the church. So people parking, you know,
overflow parking, if they were to have a large event, occurring on
residential streets, which can be problematic, is far, far less likely
here. And I think that's at least a degree of mitigation for those
concerns.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Ms. Caron?
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COMMISSIONER CARON: So what you're saying is that the
church will not be hiring Mr. Vigliotti's son to put in a sound system
so that the actual -- while your seats in the sanctuary are limited, you
essentially have 19,000 square feet of additional sanctuary space.
MR. HANCOCK: No, ma'am. The sanctuary is the sanctuary,
and services will be held in the sanctuary.
And overflow seating -- we can only have 345 seats period for
any service to occur. And that even includes, for example, you could
have a wedding in the general purpose area, I guess, but I don't see
that happening. I don't recall it happening in other facilities of similar
design.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Vigliotti?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: My question is to the County
Attorney.
Jeff, where do we get to a point with over-restricting hours and
uses in the church? Don't we start to cross a line and wind up in a
possible problem?
MR. KLATZKOW: I think you have to be reasonable in your
conditional uses. How's that? And if I'm hearing something here I
think is unreasonable, I'll pipe up. But I think that's --
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Okay. I'm just concerned
because we're getting into hours and usage. I don't want to be too
specific.
MR. KLATZKOW: Yeah, but these -- a lot of these churches are
in residential neighborhoods and that's why we have these reasonable
times and hours.
I mean, there's a difference between a church and more of a
commercial setting with nobody around them and a church surrounded
by homes.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Okay, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Any other questions of the applicant at
this time?
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(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Tim, let's go back and start right from
the beginning.
You said that you would limit hours of operation. And I'm
recalling the Covenant Church on 41, if everybody remembers what
happened in regards to the Pelican -- or Pine Ridge community there.
There was a lot of concern about the hours of operation. And we did
restrict that church, and they agreed to the restrictions, for certain
hours of operations to not disrupt the neighborhood. The
neighborhood there was equally close as the one you're dealing with
here.
I think you said you were comfortable with that all buildings will
be limited to the hours of operation that was in the staff report. Is that
the Page 4 that you're referring to where it says the hours of operation
of the church are as follows?
MR. HANCOCK: It is with -- and the notable exception, and I
should have mentioned this. For example, there's nothing in here for
Tuesdays or Saturdays.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, that and as well the hours that the
church itself operates. You may want it to have different hours for the
multi-use building; otherwise what good is it? If it's multi-use, you're
probably going to need it for more hours than you're operating the
church.
So I think that your hours of operation need to be considered in
regards to the way you previously defined it. I think you really want a
little more flexible hours, and I think that would be reasonable.
So I would suggest that you suggest something more reasonable,
and we get that in. Because we have to come back on a consent and I
want this as carefully stipulated as possible.
So are you prepared to have that now, or --
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- before this conversation is done
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today?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. And 9:00 a.m.
to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m?
MR. HANCOCK: To 9:30 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to
10:00 p.m.
MR. HANCOCK: I said 10:30. I can be negotiated downward.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, 10:00 would be better than 10:30.
MR. HANCOCK: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You're against a neighborhood that's
probably got children living in those houses right up against this
building. And that's where my concern is. There's a lot of families
living there and they're going to have to sleep. 10:00 is more
reasonable than 10:30.
MR. HANCOCK: Understood. And we will agree to that
limitation, yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. As far as the outside music goes,
you agreed to have no outside music, either amplified or otherwise,
until -- but only through special permit application. Is that --
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- fair to say?
Okay, the members of the congregation will be those who -- the
only people using this multipurpose facility will be members of the
congregation; is that right?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes. The only problem I run into is if you're
having a wedding for a member of the congregation, there's folks from
outside the congregation that are invited, I don't want to preclude that.
But --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I understand that. And that's why I
brought the question up, because I want to make sure we define it.
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Should we be better off saying members of the congregation and
their guests?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. That's who will be limited to
using that multipurpose building.
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir, I thank you for that clarification.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: The dumpsters. I heard Mr. Schiffer
correctly indicate there's a concern with the dumpsters. I had also
written the same concern.
My suggestion was that you not just say you're going to fix it,
that you tell us today you're going to move it to the line that's
bordering the water management area in Charlee Estates to the
southeast. Is that a fair statement?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir, that should have been done.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And lastly, where is your water
management on this plan?
MR. HANCOCK: The water management area is located
between --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: You've got a lot of impervious, from
what I can see. So that's why I was wondering where you're going to
have your 12 to 15 percent of your site for water management.
MR. HANCOCK: The water management is located between the
parking area and U.S. 41. There's a linear area there that will
accommodate the dry retention.
This plan shows approximately 31 percent of the parking spaces
is grassed parking spaces. And we are willing to agree to a minimum
of 30 percent of the constructed parking spaces will be grassed. That
does help us to some degree with the water management.
But we believe the water management as designed is acceptable
for the church uses.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. But your water management is
all designed on this property?
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November 19,2009
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Because when we talked about when
you -- during your presentation, I thought you mentioned you had a --
you were sharing the water management with Charlee Estates, but
that's not the case.
MR. HANCOCK: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. The fence -- the wall that needs
to be put around it, I didn't see the wall as a barrier or as a security
issue, I saw it as a sound preventative issue.
And I understand your argument that you could potentially stop it
where there is a playground or stop it where there's water
management. But if you stop it there, the houses are right behind both
those areas. And as we learned in the Lely application with
commercial in Lely and we were concerned about the travel of noise
across the water, the same thing would occur here. So those people on
the triangular side -- that little triangular water management area are
still going to have noise issues from the church property. And I saw
that as the concern for the wall over any other issue.
And I heard you make a -- you're willing -- you don't want the
staff recommendation I believe to stand as it's written, you want some
flexibility in dropping that wall.
I really think that would be detrimental when you're in a
neighborhood as close as you are. And I don't mind stipulating it be
six feet instead of eight, but I think a wall of any kind there is more
beneficial to noise transmission than a hedge that -- or a landscape
buffer that we know especially when you're dealing with non-profits,
there's a potential there for it to not be maintained or fertilized in a
manner that keeps it as lush as it might be to be the effective hedge it
could be for its life, whereas a wall, it doesn't change, so --
MR. HANCOCK: I can't necessarily obviously disagree with
that thinking, with one exception. The areas where the church
buildings, and there are no activities between the church building and
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the property line, the buildings themselves act as a sound barrier for
noise occurring on the far side. In other words, the entrance to the
church is facing U.S. 41.
The rear of the church, there's no activity back there. And it does
seem costly and maybe unnecessary to construct a six-foot wall 30
feet away from a 25-foot building that does not have activity or access
to that site other than emergency access only.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, the only problem I have is that as
we heard on the Pine Ridge subdivision's concerns about the church
that they had there, when the people were inside the building the noise
and the vibration from inside the building could be heard across the
street. And that's what I'm concerned about.
Maybe as a consideration the point that a wall could be
administratively requested to be dropped is where the building ends
and you just have parking lot. And where there isn't residential
alongside it. And that would really apply only to that southeast corner
from 41 down to about two-thirds of the way where that triangular
water management area is. And that would be more practical not to
have a wall there.
But I think for the rest of it, especially around the buildings, I'm
more concerned about the activities that go on inside. And religions
tend to be a lot noisier nowadays, all of them do, with singing and
entertainment than they did in the past. That's what I think we're
going to run into any time we have compatibility issues.
So just that's my consideration.
And David, I've still got more. Let me fin --
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: I was going to add to that.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, well, go ahead.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Before we lose track of it, I
think I scaled, I think it was about 180 to 200 feet from that corner up
to where, you know, that entrance to the building would be. So that's
the distance -- that's the only distance we're talking about is about 200
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feet.
MR. HANCOCK: I'll be candid, I'll take what I can get. I'm
trying to save the church money in areas where it may not be
necessary .
But as you mentioned, Mr. Strain, it's tough to make that one size
fits all. It's very difficult to do. So I'm -- I understand your point and
I'm not going to belabor it any further.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And the last question I have, and
I think it's more of a staff and you combination, you have an existing
conditional use. I believe it's the existing conditional use that limits
your number of patrons to the church. Does this conditional use wipe
out the first one? And if so, do we still have -- I want to make sure we
don't lose any of the restrictions that we had in the first one that we're
counting on here today.
MR. HANCOCK: You make a good point in that the new
resolution --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Doesn't have the--
MR. HANCOCK: -- does not have the number of seats
contained in it. We have no objection in putting the number of seats
into the resolution, sir.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. And that was 345?
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir. And I apologize, I should have
picked up on that and did not.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. So for the sake of being
redundant, I want to walk through this again.
The hourly limitations of the multipurpose building will be
Saturday through -- or Sunday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:30
p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
There'll be no outside music or amplified music outside unless
with special permit application.
The members of the congregation and their guests will be the
limited users of the multi-use building.
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November 19,2009
The dumpsters will be moved to the southeast side of the
property.
We will add a limitation of 345 seats to the resolution for the
quantity of church members that are allowed at this time, which is
consistent with the original conditional use.
There will be a wall that will be six feet high around two and a
half sides of this project, basically ending, as Mr. Wolfley described,
about 180 feet back from 41 on the southeast property line.
And I believe -- Mr. Wolfley?
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Well, from the corner where
(sic) the residential up towards --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, up, okay. But I think the point is
where the parking lot is on the southeast property line, that's where
staff -- we could stipulate that staff could administratively drop the
wall, okay?
I think everybody -- those are the stipulations that I've gotten out
of our conversation.
We haven't -- we're not at a point yet to make a motion, but that's
-- I just wanted to summarize where I believe we're at.
Mr -- Ms. Caron? I'm sorry.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Good '01 what's her name.
I have a couple of others I think that were brought out.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Sure, let's go.
COMMISSIONER CARON: And one is the conservation
easement. We need a letter that says that that's been lifted.
You need to address the 50-foot setback issue.
And you committed to 30 percent of the parking to be grass.
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, ma'am.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Okay, with that we've still got to
hear staff report. Or does anybody else --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: One thing.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Schiffer?
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November 19,2009
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And Tim, is there any midnight
services that this church might have, Christmas Eve or something that
we're out of compliance here? Is there any need for that.
MR. HANCOCK: To date they've not had any. Let's see.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I mean, there are some special
services that might be outside your hours. If there's not, there's not.
MR. HANCOCK: I was trying to craft something that may be
acceptable.
Under stipulation number two, which I know these are going to
be renumbered as things are coming back to you on consent, where it
indicates the maximum number of special events per year, if we were
to add including no more than two services extending up to but not
beyond midnight during high holidays, I think that would allow that, if
it were to happen in the future.
And I appreciate you bringing that up. It just -- not every church
does those, but --
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: And then the other might be
Easter morning at sunrise.
MR. HANCOCK: That's a good point.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Wouldn't those be some of the special --
you're asking for 20 special events per year. Wouldn't those be
considered special events?
MR. HANCOCK: I kind of thought they fit under that, but then
when we did the hours of operation, I see the potential for an internal
conflict between those two, and I think that's what Mr. Schiffer's
raIsmg.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: But wouldn't the special events on the
application be able to deviate on the hours of operation? Or does this
lock it in 365 days a year?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, I mean, the special events
are in where you're defining the days that you can have services. And
one of those days obviously is religious holidays. But I think if it's not
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November 19, 2009
in the sentence or paragraph with the hours it wouldn't be obvious that
that's what it means.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, then maybe where the hours are
written, we just put except for the 20 special events as approved per
year.
MR. HANCOCK: That would more than accommodate.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Then you could have a
Christian rock concert in the parking lot at midnight, so that's --
COMMISSIONER CARON: Fifteen times a year.
MR. HANCOCK: Let me ask, is the term high holidays a
generally accepted term? Because whether -- it's based on the
individual faith. I mean, the high holidays for the Jewish faith is a
little different than Christian, but it does have a limitation.
Is that clearly defined enough that events may occur earlier or
later than the prescribed hours, but only during high holidays?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, if they sell it to the
Rastafarians.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray, Mr. Schiffer, you both are
talking at the same time.
I think Mr. Schiffer, you have the floor at this point.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Well, mine was a bit ofa wise-
crack. If they sell it to the Rastafarian church, you'd lose your
definition.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Go ahead, Mr. Murray.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'm just making a facetious
comment.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, you both were.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: But the truth is is that I'm not
sure that anything anymore in the next five years to 10 years, whether
that will roll away as being meaningful.
And I know you're struggling to find a way of putting it. I
thought the way it was couched here just a little while ago was fine,
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quite frankly. It needn't be -- I think if you referenced them as
exceptions, I don't think they're going to hold a 2:00 a.m. rock service.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And they may not get approval for it if
they do.
So -- and the other concern I think we have is not all religions
we're finding out are the same. And what we're looking at are
holidays known to most of what, Christian religions, and we now
know there are holidays for other religions that have to be honored as
well. So I'm not sure we want to limit or even get into a discussion on
which holidays we pick for every religion.
So we might be safer just leaving it with the 20 special events
and let staff handle the logistics of that.
MR. SCHMITT: Yeah.
MR. HANCOCK: To address the potential conflict, I may have
one more quick shot at some language. It would say no more than two
events per year may exceed the prescribed hours of operation.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: No more than two events?
MR. HANCOCK: Two events.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, that's fair.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: You're really limiting yourself.
COMMISSIONER CARON: That's fair.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: No, no, no, no.
MR. HANCOCK: Well, and the reason is that a special events
permit doesn't allow you to have music typically, you know. And
we're not going to have 2:00 a.m. events.
And so while I agree that I am limiting my client, I don't think
I'm doing so unduly or in a burdensome manner. I think if we had two
that went -- I think the special events permit, there's limitations that go
until either 10:00 or 11 :00 and then there's an additional condition till
midnight, if I remember correctly.
MR. SCHMITT: Yes, the special events permit would define
that. And if he were to exceed any of the limits defined in the noise
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ordinance, it would identify it as such. For instance, if they were
going to do an outdoor concert, it would list the times.
We would still most likely specify that it would be completed at
10:00. For instance, they just had the film festival at the Mercato, and
I think there was a time limit when the outdoor music stopped, that
type of thing.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I was just going to say, and
there's no possibility that the other language restricting it to the time
frames that we're intending here would negate that?
MR. SCHMITT: The 20 events a year, to be frank with you, if
there's a sunrise service, we're going to recognize that as such.
Likewise, a midnight mass.
I don't think we as a county are going to attempt in any way,
shape or form to try and litigate or issue a citation. My goodness, Jeff
and I would be trying to deal with the -- let alone the media, but any
other legal --
MR. KLATZKOW: No, that would be you dealing with it.
MR. SCHMITT: Oh, thank you. I deal with the media, you deal
with the legal challenge. No, we're not going down that road.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: So I do think --
MR. SCHMITT: So we would clearly recognize --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: -- as many as you want.
THE COURT REPORTER: Excuse me, I didn't--
MR. SCHMITT: If they want to do a sunrise service, they do a
. .
sunnse servIce.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Now everybody, please, we can't talk
out of turn. Cherie's having a hard time taking the minutes and these
need to be accurate, so --
MR. HANCOCK: On top of trying to keep up with me.
With Mr. Schmitt's clarification, I think the verbiage that's
contained in the staff report gets us where we need to go. But Mr.
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Schiffer, I do appreciate you raising the point. I think we're addressed
with that clarification.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ray, did you have something else you
wanted to add?
MR. BELLOWS: Just make a quick point that if the church
wanted to exceed the 20, that they could do that through a temporary
use permit process also.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Yes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Any other questions of the
applicant before we go to staff report?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, Nancy? It will probably be short,
I imagine. We've already covered most all the ground.
MS. GUNDLACH: Good morning, Commissioners.
Yes, the staff report will be short. I'm Nancy Gundlach, Principal
Planner with the Department of Zoning and Land Development
Review.
And we are recommending approval of this conditional use,
subject to staff conditions, as well as the conditions that you have
proposed today. And I'm happy to go through staffs conditions on
Page 11 of 12, if you would like me to.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: I think we all have it in our packet.
Unless there's specific questions, I'd prefer we didn't.
With that in mind, we have related to you during this discussion,
besides the staff conditions, we talked about nine, one of which was a
redo of condition number five of staffs.
Are you -- did you take good enough notes to know what those
nine are?
MS. GUNDLACH: Yes, I did.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Does anybody have any questions of
staff on this particular application?
(No response.)
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CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, hearing -- oh, Ms. Caron?
COMMISSIONER CARON: Yeah, just one.
Is the indication on the master plan of the sidewalk good enough?
We don't need any -- you don't need a letter or anything saying that
they have an easement through Charlee?
MS. GUNDLACH: Actually, one of staffs conditions of
approval is that that sidewalk must be shown on the site plan that will
be presented at a future date when they submit their site development
plan. And it will have to be in -- constructed prior to their certificate
of occupancy.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Okay.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Nancy, they're going to have a
wall there, but they want to allow access. Will that be a gated wall or
will it just be open; do we know?
MS. GUNDLACH: I think that is at the petitioner's discretion.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: And we might find out, if that
access is going to be open, maybe Tim could just quickly nod. Will
that access be open all of the time, or will that be subject to closing of
the church property at a certain time?
MR. HANCOCK: Because Charlee Estates are public roadways,
open and accessible to the public, we have no intention of gating the
access. If it is their request that we do so, we certainly will honor that
request.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Okay. Because I was just
thinking about sound penetration through an open portal. Which tends
to negate what you're trying to achieve with the wall.
MR. HANCOCK: Fortunately that location is to the rear of the
buildings, and so I think between the wall and the fact that the opening
is only going to be about five feet wide, I think we'll accomplish most
of that with those in place.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Just a thought.
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November 19, 2009
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir, thank you.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Tim, before you sit back down, I meant
to ask earlier, what's that dark gray triangle between the two
buildings? It's on all your plans but it's not defined that I can find.
Yeah, that's it.
MR. HANCOCK: That would be a dark gray triangle.
I think the intent there was that -- and you'd mentioned a
porte-cochere earlier, Mr. Schiffer -- is that it may be an expanded
connector between the two buildings to give a single point of entry,
but it had not been designed, so we showed it as -- if you were to look
at this from plan view, maybe it would be an elevated or higher
section that would connect the two.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Drop-offpoint.
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But actually, if you look at the
large plan, it's a pochette of a patio, a lot of pavers, so it's just a
graphics. I don't think there's any function.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. I mean, it doesn't seem to be
problematic, I was just curious.
Are there any other questions of staff or the applicant?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: And Ray, we have no public speakers,
because I don't see anybody left, is that --
MR. BELLOWS: Correct.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. With that, we'll close the public
hearing and seek a motion.
Please remember, we already have staff recommendations and
nine stipulations that have been reiterated for the record when you
make your motion, if you are so inclined. Anybody?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: I'd like --
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I'll make the motion.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Go ahead.
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November 19,2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Murray?
COMMISSIONER MURRA Y: Yes, I would move for a
recommendation of approval of CU-PL2009-170, known as the First
Haitian Baptist Mission Church, subject to the
recommendations/stipulations made here in the foregoing testimony.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Is there a second?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: So moved.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Seconded by Mr. Vigliotti.
Is there a discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay, all those in favor, signify by
saymg aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLA T: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
Anybody opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Motion carries 9-0.
And this will be coming back for consent in two weeks.
Tim, thank you for your --
MR. HANCOCK: Yes, sir, thank you very much.
Item #11
NEW BUSINESS
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November 19,2009
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: -- efforts today. We appreciate it.
With that we'll go into old business, and I don't have anything on
the agenda. But we do have a new business item. Presentation for the
health department. Did we resolve that enough in the previous
discussion?
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: I thought we did.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: But just for point of
information, if somebody does want to come to us, can't they just be
put on the agenda? I mean --
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: -- this is a republic.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Right, that's why I didn't know why you
asked. I assumed it was just going to be done.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Because Ray was the one that
said I had to do it.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: They have to -- basically Ray would
have to contact me as chairman, and I would just acknowledge it can
be added to the agenda. Ifthere's an issue with it, I'd -- like I have 90
percent of the time, I request things come back for general discussion
with the board to give everybody an opportunity to weigh in, rather
than I make a decision on that. But that's how it's worked in the past,
so --
MR. BELLOWS: Yeah, I just wanted to make sure that the time
and date for this be heard.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Well, is this like an eight-hour
presentation?
MR. BELLOWS: No, it wouldn't be more than 15, 20 minutes.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: That's what I thought. So yeah, it
shouldn't be a problem.
Anybody have any other comments? Mr. Vigliotti?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Signature sheets for the
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November 19, 2009
conditional use.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Oh, yeah, signature sheets for the
conditional use. Mr. Vigliotti pointed out there's none in our packet
about.
MR. BELLOWS: Remember, we've changed the format to be--
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Good. One less thing to do.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Help some of us that can't remember
these things. I appreciate it.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: One less thing to do.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Okay. Nothing else, is there a motion to
adjourn?
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Move to adjourn.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Mr. Vigliotti.
Seconded by?
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Second.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Ms. Homiak.
All in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HOMIAK: Aye.
COMMISSIONER KOLFLAT: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER MIDNEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER WOLFLEY: Aye.
COMMISSIONER VIGLIOTTI: Aye.
COMMISSIONER CARON: Aye.
CHAIRMAN STRAIN: Aye.
We are adjourned. Thank you all.
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November 19,2009
*****
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 11:03 a.m.
COLLIER COUNTY PLANNING
COMMISSION
MARK STRAIN, Chairman
These minutes approved by the board on
presented or as corrected
as
Transcript prepared on behalf of Gregory Reporting Service, Inc., by
Cherie' R. Nottingham.
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