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Backup Documents 03/23/2005 Townhall BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT #1 TOWNHALL MEETING MARCH 23, 2005 e-r County Board of County Commissioners District 1 Town Hall Meeting Wednesday, March 23, 2005 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. East Naples Community Park 3500 Thomasson Drive, Naples HOSTED BY Donna Fiala Commissioner, District 1 Introduction and Pledge of Allegiance 1. Roads Update/Level of Service/Traffic Signal Timing 2. Greenways and Median Landscaping 3. Hurricane Preparedness 4. Water and Wastewater Plants 5. PUD Update 6. Code Enforcement 7. Parks, Libraries and Museums Question and Answers Dear Karen, As I will not be in attendance at the Town Hall Meeting for District One on March 23, 2005, I ask that you deliver these brief remarks for me to the assembled group: Honorable Commissioners, Members of Government Staff, Ladies and Gentlemen, As president of the East Naples Civic Association I had planned to attend this evening's Town Hall meeting and speak to you directly, but due to a long-standing commitment that is in conflict with this evening's meeting, I ask your indulgence that I may make some remarks to this assembled audience through the graciousness of the reader. As all who live here or visit know, East Naples has begun its march to urbanization~ the days of our being a sleepy rural setback to the City of Naples are recent history, but history nevertheless. All around us we see signs of waking to a new day when our once appreciated country-like roads were met with open skies and small buildings~ where Mom and Pop operated business on a not- so-grand scale, but knew all their customers by first name~ where a sense of "Yes, we are a small town" gave satisfaction that those ugly issues and events of the "big cities" were far, far away. It's changing, yes, but that doesn't mean we must lose all the charm and the beauty that had been yours, and now mine, too. But you ask how can that be? Why everyone knows that once building begins there is no way out, except to run, right? Not true! Besides, there are few places left to "run to." Finally, It's time to stand our ground, to make East Naples what it is "we - all of us" - want it to be. So, who do we "stand up to" in this upcoming struggle? Is it government? Is it development? Is it "us," meaning those among us who are settled here and want no one else to crowd us in. Oh yes, there are those who would shut the gates to any more development~ maybe they're right, but it doesn't matter, the word's already out, they will come! They are coming, and in droves! Newest demographic data says we will have over 650,000 living in Collier by 2030, with over 300,000 living in Golden Gate Estates! What are we to do? Should we go en masse to government and demand they "shut those gates?" Can government stop settlement? Not likely. You know, it makes me think of how the American Indian surely must have felt in those days a hundred or so years ago when the "white man" kept coming into their territories, destroying their way of life and changing forever the land that was theirs. And, that's the mindset of many with whom I have spoken. Maybe they're right, too. Life will change forever for those of us who will remain. Okay, so let's stop development! How? Can we buy up all of the vacant land? Not a chance. (But we can expand our program to buy land to remain as Conservation Lands Forever if everyone would agree to support our government's plan to spend money for that instead of other needs, or it could mean raising taxes~ anyone for that?) And, anyway, development is a right of any property owner ... as long as it is in accordance with established zoning ... and zoning regulations. Problem is, as perceived by many residents, current zoning regulations allow for the eað)' possibility of increased density and intensity .. providing that all infrastructure is in place 1 within two years of the projected date of completion of a development. Based on that, developers have come to rely on their "right" to seek extra opportunities to expand their Planned Unit Developments. Thusly, the Battle Cry is made and we make plans to go to war! But unlike the American Indian's sad plight, we do have the means to retard overall growth and to inhibit any excessive growth expansion of near-term by sticking to the plans already in place that anticipated what was deemed to be a sufficient growth way back when.. . Zoning! We can make our voices heard that we are unsatisfied with the state of our roads and the potential impact of added growth affecting them even more. We can make it clear that we want our government, our commissioners to vote in favor of growth that maintains a status quo in zoning until our roads and all other infrastructure is in place or clearly about to be when any development is seeking a certificate of occupancy, but absolutely stopped by the process of Checkbook Concurrency if infrastructure is not yet complete. Some day soon, our little East Naples environs will appear to all as the place to go before going on to that "other place." It will become a destination. We will soon have a Tournament Players Club PGA golf course~ an ever-expanding Botanical Garden~ a newly established Arts & Crafts village setting on Bayshore Drive~ a wonderful Regional Park called Sugden, that represents a super alternative to that "other" beach~ enhanced Community Parks (Eagle Lakes and East Naples), the first not far fi-om Lely Resort and the second on Thomasson Drive (where a community-driven renovation of a Skate Park was completed with a grand re-opening just last Saturday); with a community-driven planned model aircraft and watercraft park that will provide alternatives to all those other forms of recreation, and the list goes on. Your Civic Association is very much in the forefi-ont of these efforts. We work quietly and, we are proud to announce, effectively with both government and development interests. There is no other way that makes sense. But we represent YOU, all of our citizens of East Naples, whether from the south of it, or the north of it! Thank you for this moment, for this opportunity to share with you our understanding of the'problems and their solutions. And, we truly appreciate you working with us to bring about those solutions. Bob Murray, president East Naples Civic Association 2 ~wU~&-~ ~(~o-Aw-Jß 0-/.1 .~ ~ '-Iou ~ .:..w~(~~~~~tc0 ~~~., ~ ~.~Jg¡~~, ~~ro~XL~~~~ ~. Cor1.o- .~~¥ ~ r::JJ. ~ w--<' c--i..L...-¡ ~ ~ 7:; cwt- ' 0v~/--j,h~~~~~ +- ~-tÞ~ ~~~iA ~ w 1:Þ ~1 ~-r;;t;¿ ~.~ < W~. ,J;b«-¥r ~(~~~.. .