Volume 2, Number 2
Issued June 2002
Edited by ECCO--the Estero Concerned Citizens Organization
·For further information, to provide information or to add names to our mailing list, Email Don Eslick at
doneslick@worldnet.att.net or call him at 949-4050
July Opportunities for Citizen Participation In Protecting Estero's Quality of Life
Date | Time | Event | Location |
Tuesday, July 2nd | 6 p.m. | Estero Community Planning Panel Meeting | South County Regional Library, Three Oaks Blvd just north of Corkscrew |
Tuesday, July 9th | 9:30 a.m. | Board of County Commissioners Discussion of County Proposal for Funding Estero Community Needs | Commission Chambers, 2120 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Ft. Myers |
Wednesday, July10th | 9:30 a.m. | Fiscal 2003 County Budget Hearing-- Revenue Sharing Proposal Discussion | Commission Chambers, 2120 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Ft. Myers |
Tuesday, July 16th | 5:30--7:30 p.m. | Estero Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours-- Rep. Carol Green speaker | The Vines Country Club |
Week of July 22nd | 6:00 p.m. | Estero Community Planning Panel Meeting | South County Regional Library, Three Oaks Blvd just north of Corkscrew |
At their first 2003 Budget Workshop The BOCC extensively debated Estero's request for County financial help for satisfying the community's needs from revenue growth produced by the community. Commissioners Albion and Judah seemed most supportive of the support while Commissioners Janes and Coy seemed most resistant. As indicated in our last report County staff is opposed to funding anything but what they define as "core" services for the unincorporated areas of the county. Commissioner St. Cerny remained silent on the issue.
The Budget Workshop produced two results:
- Commissioner Judah asked staff to research the financial impact that Bonita Springs' incorporation is having on the County and the potential county fiscal impact should Estero incorporate, and
- Wayne Daltry, the County's Smart Growth Director, was requested to analyze the issue from a Smart Growth perspective and present his findings to the BOCC at its June 25th meeting.
Daltry's report suggested that the County:
- encourage all unincorporated communities to implement community plans,
- expand its budgeting to include the community needs identified by each of these community plans, and
- consider ways the County can satisfy the expectations of these plans. He concludes that these needs cannot be satisfied by the existing tax structure. One option he suggests is another County MSTU that would raise additional taxes from unincorporated taxpayers to pay for these newly identified needs.
The following are some of the conclusions and recommendations contained in the Daltry Report (underlines added for emphasis):
"A key component of Smart Growth is the recognition that “one size does not fit all,” even if the area under discussion is a solitary county. Each place must be recognized for its characteristics, and efforts to “smarten up” the community must be sustainable through reliably available fiscal tools. The implication for this is that the County budgeting process must develop another facet-for want of a better phrase, the community based investment budget…. The test for the County is to see if it can support community based planning, through a community based budgeting process, without having to help create extraordinary independent taxing authorities.
"In order to ensure equity, the County should pursue community sponsorship for community planning initiatives that cover the entire unincorporated area…. The purposes of the community based plans are to be both proactive and reactive. The proactive component should contain the land use, capital budget, community appearance, and maintenance programs necessary that support the community-and demonstrate that the community is being viewed as having a discrete identity that the County is supporting and implementing.
"The end result will be a three fold budget process-the one that exists now with expenditures and revenues as line items; one which has a geographic component depicting where expenditures are occurring countywide (which is provided usually in the presentations to the BOCC and the MPO) that can be considered “regional” in scope; and, one that “cross cuts” the capital and remarkable operations/maintenance programs into discrete communities…. The “cross cut” report could have four components-part one being derived from the County’s comprehensive plan, part two being derived from the community based plan which expands and adds detail to the County plan; part three being derived from the County budget, and part four being the unmet needs of the community plan. Each year, an annual report would be presented that demonstrates progress towards implementing the community based plan based upon current budgeting practices, and how additional progress can be achieved through additional effort (or revenue sources)."
Thus the Daltry Report supports the need for the County to budget for the needs -- core and non-core -- identified by community plans such as Estero's. However, It fails to address Estero's current needs and, unfortunately the suggested budget process will take several years to install should the County decide to adopt Daltry's model.
If the County were to adopt Daltry's approach and begin to fund some of the needs identified by the Estero Community Plan, the County could use Estero to demonstrate that the program would work. It would also provide an incentive for other communities to participate in the community planning/budgeting program.
County staff is preparing a response to the Estero proposal for presentation to the BOCC on July 9th when the Board has scheduled the matter for unlimited discussion at the end of their regular meeting that day. All interested Estero residents should attend this meeting in the Board Chambers, 2120 Main Street, 2nd floor, in Ft. Myers. The meeting begins a 9:30 a.m. but the discussion is not expected to start until at least 10:30 a.m.
On the following day the BOCC holds its second and final 2003 budget workshop. Two Public Hearings on the 2003 County Budget will be held in September.
On June 11th over twenty Estero residents, representing many Estero communities and organizations, testified in support of the need for a Community Appearance Committee to review commercial projects along Corkscrew Road. As a result the ECPP and County Planning Department were able to resolve their differences and presented a united front when the BOCC on June 25th. As a result the BOCC adopted the following Land Development Code changes for Estero:
- For the first time the community will become an integral part of the decision-making process affecting the design and appearance of commercial development projects in Estero. Previously the County Land Development Code permitted public input only at the time a project was zoned and until the Estero Community Plan was adopted that input could only take place in Ft. Myers. Now developers must meet with the public in Estero as part of both the zoning process and the "development order" process.
Adding the public review at the "development order" stage is important, because oftentimes when a property is zoned the property owner has no specific plans for the property. When the owner or developer seeks a "development order" there are specific project uses and designs for the community to review and comment upon.
After much debate the BOCC decided to require each developer seeking a development order to meet with the community early in the application process -- before county staff has reviewed the project -- when changes are easier and less expensive to make. The important thing is that the community has a real opportunity to influence projects before the developer becomes reluctant to make changes. After the meeting the applicant must submit a report to county staff detailing the issues raised by the community and what he or she plans to do about each of them.
This authority will expire in two years unless extended by the BOCC prior to that time.
The ECPP will begin to decide how this new responsibility will be implemented at its meeting on July 2nd.
• New and improved standards for automobile service stations and convenience food and beverage stores. In addition to extensive landscaping, setback and other requirements lighting at these facilities must: …"be directed away from adjoining properties", "be fully shielded", "onsite luminaries must be of low level, indirect diffuse type" and "Lighting located underneath a canopy must be of low level, indirect diffuse type designed to provide light only to the pump island areas located underneath the canopy." In addition, "Color accent banding on gasoline canopy structures and all other structures is prohibited. Canopies must be of one color, consistent with the predominant color of the principle structure, if applicable. The color of all structures on site must be of soft earth tones or pastels."
• New landscape buffer requirements for Estero designed to be more functional to the creation of pedestrian environments, mixed-use developments and buffering of incompatible uses. All future commercial development order applicants with projects that abut residential communities will be required to provide either a 20 foot wide buffer with 10 trees and 30 shrubs per 100 feet and an 8 foot solid wall or a 50 foot wide buffer with 15 trees per 100 feet and a hedge that is maintained at 60 inches in height.
• Create an "Overlay Zoning District" for Corkscrew Road. The following are some of the more important provisions within this new section of the law:
1. "The District will be developed as Estero's Main Street, a corridor of architecturally appealing and attractively landscaped retail, office, residential and institutional developments that cater to the needs of the community. All uses established within the district are to be compatible with surrounding uses and interrelated with the other properties in the district through an integrated pedestrian walkway and greenway system."
2. "The preferred architectural style within the Corkscrew Main Street Overlay District is Mediterranean, with Old Florida where appropriate, and other styles of architecture that are deemed compatible with these styles."
3. "Out-parcels. Exterior facades of out-parcel buildings must be treated as primary facades and must employ architectural, site, and landscaping design elements that are common to the theme used on the main development on-site including colors and materials associated with the main building."
4. "The colors of commercial structures must be neutral, warm earth tones or subdued pastels….Contrasting accent colors of any wall, awning or other feature must be limited to no more tan 10% of the total area for any single façade."
5. "Provide lighting throughout all parking areas utilizing decorative light poles/fixtures. Other than pedestrian light fixtures, all other light fixtures must be fully shielded light fixtures. Other than pedestrian light fixtures, all other light fixtures must be fully shielded light fixtures. Lighting must be directed to avoid intrusion on adjacent properties and away from adjacent thoroughfares."
6. "Parking areas must be well configured with pedestrian links, buffers and visually pleasing landscaped areas….Joint/ collaborative parking is encouraged within areas with pedestrian links…Parking must be to the rear or side of buildings."
7. "Pedestrian walkways must be provided for each public vehicular entrance to a project…Sidewalks or pedestrian ways must connect the on-site pedestrian systems to pedestrian systems on adjacent developments.
For the fourth consecutive year Estero led all Lee County communities in estimated property tax growth. Preliminary figures released this month by the Lee County Property Appraiser indicate that Estero's property tax base will expand this year by over $623 million, or 39%. The next closest municipality or fire district had a growth rate under 25%.
This year's property tax growth is greater than Estero's total property tax base just four years ago (1998). Surprisingly only $17 million of the 2002 increase is due to the new
Hyatt Coconut Point resort.
Unincorporated Lee County's property tax base grew by 13.8%, about 1/3 Estero's growth rate. This year's Estero will contribute over 28% of total unincorporated Lee County's property tax growth, raising Estero to 12.2% of the Lee County unincorporated tax base, up from only 3.4% in 1996.
If the County's Municipal Services Tax Rate (MSTU) remains unchanged, as expected, Estero's contribution to the County from this revenue source alone will increase by $755,000 to $2.7 million. Five years ago Estero residents' MSTU contribution was only $693,000. Once again Estero's increase exceeded the entire contribution 5 years ago.
Housing construction in Estero continued to rebound in May. During the month another 146 housing units were permitted in Estero, bringing the total for the first five months of the year to 634.
The value of new residential units permitted in Estero during May exceeded $20 million. This was one-third of the total for unincorporated Lee County. Estero's share of unincorporated Lee County's total residential building value has risen throughout the year from 19% January and to 33% in May.
Year to date the value of residential building permits in Estero is almost double that of Bonita Springs, $98.6 million to $49.5 million. On the other hand Bonita leads Estero by a wide margin in the building value of commercial development, $28.5 million to $7.3 million. However, over 80% of the 2,000 acres in Estero's commercial corridors-- US 41 and Corkscrew Road -- is still vacant land. That is the reason that our community plan is so important for Estero.
When the county officials responsible for the design and construction of this 65 acre park met with the Estero Community Planning Panel on May 20th they indicated that they would present the master plan for the park to the community within the next 60 to 90 days. They now indicate that the target date for the presentation to the community is Tuesday, August 6th. After that meeting the Park planners will make the changes they think are necessary and present the Master Plan to the BOCC for their final approval seven weeks later on Tuesday, September 24th. Thereafter contracting and construction can begin on the park.
The Estero Fire Rescue District has now completed its second fire station and has begun construction of its third station. The district's first new station was opened in April on Three Oaks Parkway between Williams and Corkscrew Roads. The second station, the County Road Station, located between Broadway and Corkscrew on US 41, is now complete and will be placed into service during July. The dedication of this station, named after George Horn -- Estero's first fire chief, has been scheduled for August 14th at 9 a.m. The appearance and landscaping of both completed stations enhances the overall appearance of the roadways on which they are located.
Construction is now underway on the District's third station, the Stoneybrook Station, located just east of the Stoneybrook development on Corkscrew Road. A fourth station is expected to be started later this year when the Simon Coconut Point Town Center zoning is approved by the BOCC.
As part of this expansion program the District took delivery of a 95 foot tower (ladder) truck in June and will receive two other fire engines this month. These vehicles are part of a six truck purchase initiated by the District last year. Another engine and ladder will be put into service by the District when the Simon
Coconut Point Station opens.
Estero Fire Rescue also completed two property sales in June. The site of the community's original fire station was sold to the business to its immediate south for expansion purposes. One half acre of land that the District did not need for the County Road Station was also sold this month to a purchaser who plans to build an office building on the site. The sales contracts for both properties require that the purchaser seek community input at an ECPP meeting before developing the property.
As noted elsewhere in this report the tax base of the Estero Fire Rescue District increased by over 39% this year to almost $2.3 billion. This valuation will soon be used by the District to determine its property tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year. It is these taxes that pay for all of the capital improvements described above as well as the personnel needed to operate them. It should be noted that the Fire District serves a far larger area than that included in the Estero Community Plan, but that most of the valuation increase is within the Community Plan boundaries.
Simon Suncoast (now "Coconut Point") Mall and Mixed Use Development
(on the east side of US 41 from Williams Road to Coconut Road)
In late March the Hearing Officer on this case gave the parties until April 5, 2002 to submit written information on each of the outstanding issues. They filed their reports on a timely basis but now, 86 days later, the Hearing Officer's report is still not forthcoming on this important project. The County needs to remedy this problem during the current budget cycle. It is expected that the report will be issued some time during July. Thus next month's report should be able to detail the status of this important project and the outstanding issues still facing the community.
On June 25th the BOCC voted to transfer $250,000 from Impact Fee Reserves for a Sandy Lane corridor alignment study and related public involvement efforts.
Sandy Lane currently exists as a two-lane minor collector between Corkscrew Road and Broadway in Estero. The Sandy Lane Extension has been part of the County’s 2020 Financially Feasible Transportation Plan since its adoption in 1995. The long-range plan calls for a two-lane extension as a collector road south to tie into Old 41 in Bonita Springs and north to tie into Oriole Road in San Carlos Park. The Simon Coconut Point Town Center proposal would build this road with four lanes through the project from Williams Road on the north to the Bonita Springs border on the south. In addition the developer supports four laning the balance of the road from Old 41 to Corkscrew Road, thus providing another major north-south road through much of Estero.
The improvement was always considered to be in the outer years of the plan, so it had not yet been incorporated into the Capital Improvement Plan. However, recent zoning actions along its path have raised questions about its alignment.
Rather than continuing to define the alignment on a piecemeal basis as development proposals come in and before granting road impact fee credits for right-of-way, County staff sought the funding to pursue a corridor study to establish the alignment and verify the feasibility of the project. Since a portion of the roadway goes into the City of Bonita Springs, final alignment agreement will be sought from the Bonita City Council. Unless the Bonita Springs segment is completed in a timely manner large amounts of north-south traffic will funnel onto US 41 in the vicinity of
Pelican Landings when the
Coconut Point project is completed.
During June significant steps were taken on two of Estero's 19 roadway landscaping projects:
• Corkscrew Road between Sandy Lane and
Corkscrew Woodlands-- On June 18th the Board of County Commissioners approved a contract with Big Tree Inc. for $209,000 for the installation of "core" median landscaping -- canopy trees and sod -- along this 1.4 mile roadway segment. In addition to installation of the plant material, the contract includes the installation of an underground irrigation system, wells, pumps, electrical systems, directional boring and one year of landscape and irrigation maintenance. Landscape installation is expected to start late July or early August and be completed in September or October.
• Koreshan Boulevard between US 41 and Three Oaks Parkway-- A draft one year maintenance agreement between Lee County and an entity representing the Estero community has been prepared by Lee County DOT. This agreement requires that $30,000 be paid to the County upon approval of this "core" landscaping project by the Board of County Commissioners, expected to occur in April or May of next year. These maintenance expenses have been pledged by five Koreshan Boulevard developers/landowners. If that amount is insufficient additional funding by the landowners must be remitted when the contract for the landscaping is approved in early 2004. If the maintenance contract requires less than $30,000 the landowners will get a refund with interest for the unneeded balance.
Estero is experiencing a higher level of rezoning applications than at any time in the recent past. At least seven applications are at various stages of approval, all of them contain some commercial property and most of them are located near Corkscrew Road and I-75. The following sections provide more detail about some of the most recent applications.
The Timberland and Tiburon project is one of Estero's largest. Its present zoning authorizes 2,895 housing units, 788,000 square feet of retail space and 200 hotel rooms on 795 acres of land. On May 29th a County Hearing Officer conducted a Public Hearing on an amendment that would make the following major changes:
- Add and rezone 127 acres of agricultural land along the eastern boundary of the property just north of Wildcat Run on Corkscrew Road to be used for 400 additional housing units.
- Revise the layout and dwelling unit count for Grandezza which would be expanded to include the 127 acres. This expanded project would be authorized a total of 490 single family homes and 610 multi-family units.
- Relocate the authorized 200 room hotel from the east side of Ben Hill Griffin Boulevard to the west side of that street.
- Reduce the number of housing units authorized by 290 in exchange for 30,000 additional square feet of retail space.
If the rezoning is approved the total site area will increase to 921 acres, the square footage of commercial space authorized will be 818,000 and 2,335 housing units will be permitted on the site -- a net reduction of 185 units. County staff recommends approval of the changes.
When this request was presented to the ECPP the owner's representative indicated that additional rezoning is expected for the northwest area of the property now zoned for 1,235 units of multifamily housing. According to newspaper reports some of this land will be the site of two FGCU sponsored and operated charter schools --one high school and one middle school.
Ginn & Company, an Orange County developer of large residential communities last year purchased 4,500 acres of land east of Florida Gulf Coast University extending from Corkscrew Road to Alico Road. On June 19th a Lee County Hearing Officer conducted a Public Hearing on a petition to rezone 447 acres of this land from its present agricultural use to permit the construction of a 27 hole golf course. County zoning staff favors approval of this proposal. However staff recommends that that extension of water and sewer service to the site be prohibited in order to discourage sprawl development in the area. In this regard the staff report states: "It must be recognized the this is non-urban area of Lee County (as defined by the Lee Plan) and urban services such as water and sewer service are not expected to be extended to serve these areas."
Most of the property owned by Ginn has been subject to extensive mining and has been included by the County on its future land use maps as a groundwater recharge area (DRGR). The County has authorized the construction of up to 10 golf courses in the DRGR area. The DRGR designation limits the density of housing to one unit per 10 acres within that area. Further efforts by the owner to rezone additional parts of this property are expected shortly.
A zoning application has recently been filed for a 3.4 acre site just west of Arby's on the north side of Corkscrew Road. The proposed project would authorize construction of four buildings totaling 24,000 square feet. The largest building would be a surgery center while the other three would be medical office buildings. The owners of the facility are three doctors: a surgeon, an eye doctor and an ear, nose and throat specialist. The developers are attempting to design the project in accordance with the guidelines being prepared by the Estero Community Planning Panel. This includes locating building close to the road with parking in the rear, away from the road. Lee County staff has indicated that they believe that all vehicles proceeding to the Center should enter through the existing entrance to Arby's so as to minimize vehicular entry points along Corkscrew Road. The developers would prefer their own entrance near the west end of their property.
A rezoning application has recently been filed by the owners of 81 acres on both sides of the planned extension of Koreshan Blvd. between Three Oaks and Interstate 75. If approved the property would permit construction of 294 housing units and 78,200 square feet of retail space -- down from 308 units and 240,000 square feet. The developer has located the lakes on the property as buffers between the commercial and residential project areas. When the project was presented to the ECPP the developer's agent indicated a willingness to consider elimination of retail uses opposed by the community. The proposed layout of the property would appear to be a significant improvement over the existing adopted zoning site plan. Next the application must be found to be sufficient by County staff, who will then prepare a report containing their recommendations and the case will be assigned to a Hearing Officer for a Public Hearing.
