Estero Development Report

Volume 7, Number 8
Edited by ECCL--the Estero Council of Community Leaders
 
For More Information about Estero …see www.esterofl.org

December Opportunities for Citizen Participation In Protecting Estero's Quality of Life

Index

Estero Community Website

During the first ten months of 2007 an estimated 60,300 persons visited this site to learn about Estero. During the same period last year less than two-thirds as many visitors, about 37,400, thus 2007 have seen an increase of nearly 61% from year to year.
 
The community groups sponsoring the site are:
 
Estero Community Planning Panel (ECPP)
Estero Civic Association (ECA)
Estero Design Review Committee (EDRC)
Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL)
Greater Estero Cultural Arts Council (Arts Estero)
 
www.esterofl.org

Bonita Springs Two Mile Buffer Controversy

On November 13th the ECCL Annexation and Incorporation Committee met for the second time to discuss how the ECCL should address the two mile buffer issue before the Local Legislative Delegation when they meet on November 29th. After considerable discussion the Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the entire ECCL membership approve the following motion at their meeting on November 16th:
 
"MOTION TO WAIVE THE TWO-MILE BUFFER ZONE
 
A two-mile Buffer Zone from the border of the City of Bonita Springs northward to Williams Road prevents the citizens of this area of Estero from participating in the determination of how they will be governed, either as an unincorporated area or a part of a new municipality.
 
Approximately 7,000 residences and 4,500 registered Florida voters are located within this Buffer Zone.  Florida citizens in the Buffer Zone are disenfranchised from their right to vote on governance options, a right that is enjoyed by all the other voters in Estero.  The residents of the Buffer Zone have a right to equal treatment with the residents of other parts of Estero. The residents of the Buffer Zone deserve to know whether they will be able to join with the other residents of Estero should they choose to apply for incorporation.
 
The City of Bonita Springs has had the opportunity to annex all or part of the Buffer Zone since December 31, 2004 and has taken no action.  A survey of all the registered voters of the Buffer Zone in February, 2005 found that 83% of the respondents did not want the two-mile area in which they reside to be annexed by the city of Bonita Springs.
 
Therefore, I move that the Estero Council of Community Leaders petition the Local Legislative Delegation to waive the requirement of the two-mile Buffer Zone for incorporation from the northern boundary of the City of Bonita Springs if the City of Bonita Springs has not annexed this area or renounced its intention to annex this area by no later than December 31, 2009.
 
Presented to:        Estero Council of Community Leaders
Date:                     November 16, 2007
By:                        John Goodrich
                 Delegate of Pelican Sound Golf and River Club”
 
On November 16th the ECCL voted unanimously to approve this motion. The motion was deemed by the membership to be a “compromise” proposal. The City of Bonita Springs had been denied the opportunity to annex land in the Estero portion of their two mile buffer for 5 years by a provision added to its charter by the Local Legislative Delegation. In return the proposal would provide the City an equal period, 5 years, during which it could attempt to annex adjacent land within the two mile buffer, prior to nay effort by groups in Estero to incorporate the community.
 
As a result of this action the Chairman of the ECCL presented this proposal to the Local Legislative Delegation on November 29th. The City of Bonita Springs spoke in favor of indefinite extension of the two mile buffer. Senator Burt Saunders, a long time member of the delegation, expressed the opinion that the “compromise proposal”  was beyond their authority and no action was taken by the delegation.
 
On the following day, the Estero leadership met for the sixth time in the last two years with the Bonita Springs City Council to discuss issues of common concern. The two community’s differences about the two mile buffer were discussed at length. The two communities agreed to disagree about the duration of the two mile buffer, but took the following positions:

• The City of Bonita Springs indicated that they have no plans for attempting to annex any land within the Estero portion of the two mile buffer;
• The Estero leaders emphasized that although two of the leaders of Vote Estero are active members of ECCL, representing their communities, Vote Estero is a completely independent organization.
• The Estero leaders indicated that they would not participate in any incorporation effort except to ensure that if Vote Estero were to do so the ECCL would review their information for accuracy and completeness so that the residents of Estero were not misled regarding this complex issue.

Several participants indicated that the “status quo” would continue until such time as the City of Bonita Springs and the Estero Leadership group agreed to a change.

South Lee County Road Improvement Negotiations Replaces More Coconut I-75 Interchange Fighting

At the conclusion of the September 28th MPO meeting, Commissioner Ray Judah asked representatives of ECCL and the Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce to meet with him to explore ways to keep the $10 million earmark in South Lee County, preferably for the Bonita Beach Road/I-75 interchange. 
 
The first meeting between these parties extensively discussed how those in attendance could support a common position regarding the use of the $10 million.  One of the starting points was Commissioner Judah’s position at the MPO to allocate $1 million of the $10 million to a study of the Corkscrew Road to Bonita Beach Road corridor, including keeping the Coconut Road Interchange in the 2030 plan for the time being while the Congress works its will and the MPO’s traffic model is updated.  The second part of this alternative would be to support using the remainder of the $10 million on the design of the Bonita Beach Road interchange, assuming that the corridor study concluded it was the highest priority.   
 
There was a consensus that the Coconut Road interchange could remain as an unfunded part of the MPO’s 2030 Long-range Plan, until some or all of the corridor study, the County DR/GR study, or Congressional reallocation of the $10 million occurs.
 
This meeting concluded with a consensus that the Southwest Florida Expressway Authority’s proposal for 10 laning I-75 with six toll lanes between either Immokalee Road or the Lee County line and the Airport is essential for the early completion of the group’s top priorities, reconstruction of the Bonita Beach and Corkscrew Road Interchanges with I-75. This corridor is to be studied by the Expressway Authority, thus it was decided that the group should meet with the Authority before determining if some of the earmarked money should be allocated to a corridor study, and if so, with or without the Expressway Authority.     
 
The ECCL and the Bonita Chamber met a second time on November 14th along with Bill Barton, Chairman of the Expressway Authority, Don Scott, Executive Director of the Lee MPO, Dave Loveland of Lee DOT, Debbie Tower of FDOT, Kris Cella consultant to the Expressway Authority, and Amy Davies, formerly of Lee County DOT, and now the SWFEA traffic consultant. 
 
After Chairman Barton provided a status report on the 10 laning project, extensive questions and answers, and considerable discussion, a consensus developed from the non-government participants that no real solution to the problems associated with the Bonita Beach Road interchange and Corkscrew Road interchanges with I-75 would be possible in the foreseeable future unless they were constructed as part of the Expressway Authority’s 10 laning project. 
 
The next significant step that the Authority needs to take to move the project along and to provide detailed and dependable answers to the concerns of the project’s detractors is an “investment grade traffic and revenue study”.  Such a study would include sufficient detail to determine the marketability of the amount of revenue bonds (whether issued by a public body, private entity or both) needed to construction of the 10 laning project.
 
The cost of the Study is estimated to be less than $1 million, an amount not presently available to the Expressway Authority. If the MPO, FDOT and Expressway Authority can support allocation of these funds from the $10 million earmark, it could expedite the 10 lane project by 6-9 months. This study is needed in order to answer the critics of the project who argue that the project is neither needed nor financially feasible.
 
In conclusion, two organizations, convened by a public official, who had bitterly opposed each other concerning the Coconut Road Interchange for about two years and after the September 28, 2007 MPO meeting found common ground by reaching consensus they should work with the Expressway Authority in order to expeditiously address their common goals of improving the Bonita Beach I-75 Interchange and the Corkscrew I-75 Interchange by supporting the use of $1 million of the $10 million earmark to accelerate the Expressway Authority’s “investment grade traffic and revenue study” while allocating the remainder of the $10 million to “the widening and improvement of I-75” within the first phase of the 10 laning corridor identified by the Expressway Authority. 
 
This proposal was discussed at length at the quarterly Joint meeting between the Bonita Springs City Council and the ECCL on November 30th. Although not all participants were prepared to commit to the approach, considerable support was expressed by both groups of participants. John Spear, Councilman-elect of the City of Bonita Springs, was most helpful throughout the whole process. Amy Davies and Kris Cella, Consultants to the Expressway Authority provided valuable information at this meeting as well.

DR/GR - Density Reduction Groundwater Resource Area

Lee County, while growing rapidly, in 1989 set aside about 150 square miles (over 90,000 acres) in the southeastern area of the county for low density and groundwater resource protection. Half of Estero, its eastern end, is located within the DR/GR. For a map of the DR/GR area see http://esterofl.org/EsteroLife/environment.htm#DRGR .

The Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) in 2005 committed itself to seeking County approval of a research program that would provide the County with the information that it needs to properly plan the area and protect the natural resources within it.
 
Development pressures on the DR/GR have grown rapidly during the last decade and they continue to mount. Some pending threats to the DRGR are:

• An attempt to construct an interchange at Coconut Road and I-75 in order to open up the land to the east for development,
• A plan to build a four-mile canal along the east side of I-75 in order to drain all or a major part of 4,000 acres of mostly high quality wetlands,
• Five, and maybe more, pending applications for new dirt and aggregate mines along Corkscrew Road east of I-75, and
• A County comprehensive plan change application that would authorize a 2,800 acre mixed use development south of the intersection of Daniels Road and County Road 82, the northern boundary of the DRGR.

Two other matters that has some potential for improving the availability of clean drinking water are the pending amendment to the County’s Wellfield Protection Ordinance, a statute adopted by the County in 1989 but largely unaltered since that time, and a Fertilizer Ordinance.
 
The following sections detail some of the recent activities associated with these threats and actions.

Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource (DRGR) Planning Update… The Proposed Moratoriums

On October 23rd the BOCC conducted their first public hearing on the two moratorium ordinances that were tentatively adopted on September 18th… one affecting changes in the Lee County Comprehensive Plan for properties within the DR/GR and the second impacting DR/GR rezoning applications, mainly for new mines. Much testimony was heard on both sides of the issues. The Board took no action on either matter but some of their comments indicated that they might consider strengthening the Comp Plan moratorium to include the one application that they had previously excluded.
 
The second and final Hearing on these ordinances has been rescheduled for December 4th. If you are concerned about the truck traffic and the dirt, noise, pollution and accidents all these mines would bring to Estero’s roadways you should attend this meeting and speak out (see the calendar above for the time and place).

Background

On September 18th the BOCC voted unanimously to approve the following rezoning moratorium for a period of one year: “Do not accept new rezoning applications and do not process the ones that are already submitted but insufficient”.
 
There are three pending mine applications in the County’s files that are sufficient. They are:
The Estero Group (see status below)
Ft. Myers Harper Mine, and
The Ginn proposal.
 
Six additional rezoning applications for mining are insufficient and therefore will be delayed for one year. According to Tim Jones, County Land Use attorney, such moratoriums could exceed one year for mining applications that don’t seek authority to mine aggregate products, rock and sand.
 
In addition the BOCC voted to limit the Comprehensive Plan moratorium to one year and exclude “The Fountains” project from the moratorium. The Board could consider extending this moratorium after one year, except as it relates to aggregate mining.

Implementing the DR/GR Action Plan

On October 26th the Lee County Contracts Department posted a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a “Comprehensive Study of the Lee County Southeastern Density Reduction/ Groundwater Resource (DR/GR) Area.” The Department’s website indicates that the RFQ is for:
 
“SCOPE OF WORK:   The Lee County Florida Board of County Commissioners is soliciting Requests for Qualifications from a qualified consultant to conduct a Comprehensive Study for a portion of the unincorporated county known as the Southeastern Lee County Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource (DR/GR) Area.  The Lee County Commission desires a comprehensive plan that will properly manage the numerous resources and adequately address conflicts between the allowable uses in the area.”
 
Three firms or groups responded to the County prior to the November 16th deadline. The three competitors are: The Image Network headed by Dover, Kohl & Partners from Coral Gables; MSCW, Inc. from Orlando and Golder Associates, Inc. from Tampa. Telephone interviews were scheduled for Thursday, November 29th. County staff will rank the three firms and the BOCC will make the final selection. To monitor the selection process see the following webpage http://lee-county.com/contracts/projdetail_T12_R328.htm .

The Strategic Aggregate Review Task Force and Lee County’s Authority over Mining

Legislation enacted earlier this year established a “Strategic Aggregates Review Task Force” to meet throughout the state in order to develop some legislation that will insure that Florida has an adequate supply of this material for road-building and other purposes. The Task Force appointments have recently been made and the first of four Task Force meetings has been scheduled for December 18-20 in Tampa.
 
On November 16th several ECCL members and other groups concerned about mining in the DR/GR met with Richard Grosso, a member of the Task Force, to discuss our concerns and to provide him with a tour of the DR/GR, its existing mines and the many proposed mine sites.
 
Residents of Estero who are concerned about the impact of mining on our community are encouraged to attend this meeting on December 18th and 19th.  Both days will be very educational and there will be an opportunity for public input on the afternoon of the 19th. A second opportunity for public input will be at a meeting of the Task Force in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area on January 8-10 2008.
 
The Task Force is dominated by representatives of the mining, transportation and related industries. Thus it is very important for the public to support the few Task Force members with water supply, environmental and natural resource concerns. For more information on the Task Force see their website at http://www.dot.state.fl.us/statematerialsoffice/administration/
resources/library/issues-trends/aggtaskforce/index.htm . 

Background

Apparently in response to a Federal Court decision having some potential for limiting aggregate mining in the Lake Belt mining area of Miami-Dade County, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) hired some geological consultants to study the current and future supply of aggregate for road-building and other purposes throughout the state of Florida. The consultants submitted their report to the Department in March 2007.
 
This report became the rallying cry for the Florida legislature to consider legislation that would have transferred most approvals for aggregate mining from Counties and Municipalities to the State. This version of the legislation failed but the legislature did pass legislation, approved by Gov. Crist, that limits all local government moratoriums on aggregate mining to one year and established a Strategic Aggregates Task Force to study the issue and make a recommendation to the State prior to the 2008 legislative session.
 
The following summary of the report’s assessment of the Lee County aggregate supply was distributed to the County Commissioners in time for the October 23rd Hearing on the pending Moratorium Ordinances:
 
“The Strategic Aggregates Study completed by the natural resource consulting firm, Lampl Herbert Consultants, for FDOT in March 2007 is consistently cited as the reason why the Florida Legislature should enact legislation limiting the ability of local governments throughout Florida to authorize and regulate rock mining within their boundaries.  
 
While this report paid scant attention to natural resource and environmental protection….the reasons why communities and local governments closely reviewed all rock mining applications, the geologically certified study provides considerable evidence that Lee and Collier Counties are not the long-term answer to FDOT’s aggregate needs should Lake Belt aggregate production be reduced.
 
In this regard the studies found:

Except for the Rinker Mining Complex on Alico Road the other Lee County mines do not produce the high quality “certified aggregate” that FDOT and other road builders need.
 
“With the exceptions of a few mines 40 miles north of Tampa and one in Fort Myers, rock found in most mines throughout the rest of Florida is too soft or otherwise unsuitable for aggregate applications.”
 
“The Rinker Mine is significant for this area because it is able to produce certified aggregates for FDOT use while other mines produce limerock and some commercial aggregates. The original planners for the Rinker Mine located it in an area of unusually hard rock within the Tamiami Limestone. For the most part, the Tamiami Limestone is soft throughout its range, and the only crushed stone materials that can be made from this resource are limerock and fill.”

They further state that for the most part Tamiami Limestone….that which is in Lee and Collier Counties… is soft throughout its range…thus is only good for limerock and fill.
 
“The limestone resources in Collier and Lee Counties are in the Tamiami Limestone which is generally softer and less durable than the Miami Limestone found in the Lake Belt. Hard and durable resources have been found and exploited in both counties; however, but the available reserves are dwindling and mine sites may be expected to be restricted by land use and environmental plans. “
 
Thus Lee and Collier Counties are not the answer to FDOT and the state’s problems, if indeed, the Lake Belt mines cannot continue to produce at their planned levels.
 
On the other hand two central and northern Florida limerock “Resource Areas” contain areas of hard limerock that, if developed into megamines, could, over time, replace any lost FDOT quality aggregate production in the Lake Belt area.
 
Hernando, Sumter and Citrus County Resource Areas
The Report states: “The Hernando, Sumter, and Citrus County area has reserves of durable rock from the Suwannee, Ocala and Avon Park Limestone formations…
 
“Several regional supply mines are operating in this area with truck hauling to the Orlando and Tampa markets. However, with rail improvements, highly efficient mega-mines could be developed in the next several decades.”
 
The Taylor and Dixie County Resource Area
The Report states: “This area has high potential as a limestone resource area because of the presence of hard rock and the rural and undeveloped character of the area.”…
 
“The Florida Geological Survey, Department of Environmental Protection, in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey will be mapping this area over the next two years… 

“If the reserves are present in this area, then a “Lake Belt North” scenario could be developed to include several mega-mines.”…
 
“Taylor County is one of the few places in Florida with mineral resources that are potentially of comparable quality to the Lake Belt and has deposits with characteristics making them viable for large scale, highly efficient production.”
 
We would urge Lee County and other local officials to urge FDOT and the Governor’s Aggregate Task Force to focus on planning for the areas of the state with great potential for high quality aggregate and on upgrading our port and rail facilities so that more quality aggregate can be imported rather than usurping the responsibility of all Florida local governments regarding this product.

Estero Community Improvement Foundation (ECIF) Rural Land Use Study

The ECIF’s Rural Land Planning Study, financed by a grant from the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation, was transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners on November 15th along with the following letter:
 
“Dear Commissioner:
 
We are proud to present you with this important new report on the future of Lee County’s DR/GR lands:  “Toward a Greener Lee:  Effective Planning Alternative for Rural Lee County.”
 
This report provides the County Commission and staff with the following analyses:

• A history of Lee County’s DR/GR area since its origins in 1998.
• A concise summary of the rural land use planning efforts of Sarasota, St. Lucie, Martin, and Collier Counties, all of whom have undertaken major rural land use planning efforts since the year 2000.
• Specific policy questions that Lee County should consider in the coming year, along with planning options that staff and the Board can use in developing Lee County's approach to guiding the future of the DR/GR area and other rural lands.

This report is the result of several months’ effort by author Bill Spikowski, the Estero Community Improvement Foundation, and a coalition of other sponsors including the Responsible Growth Management Coalition, The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, The Brooks Concerned Citizens, the Estero Civic Association, and the Corkscrew Rural Community. This report was financed by a grant from the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation.
 
We hope that all Commissioners and county staff members will find this report to be useful and timely as you prepare to tackle this most important issue.
 
We would welcome the opportunity to present its most essential points to a meeting of the County Commission to further your ongoing dialog about the future of DR/GR lands.”
 
This excellent report may be reviewed at the following website http://www.spikowski.com/GreenerLee.pdf . If you like what you see, please urge the Board of County Commissioners to direct County staff to pursue its recommendations.

Property Tax Forum

On January 7th at 3 p.m. the Lee County Property Appraiser Ken Wilkinson will participate in a discussion of the Property Tax Changes approved by the Florida Legislature for consideration by all registered Florida voters at the Presidential Primary Election to be held on Tuesday, January 29, 2008. The proposal will impact all property owners, homesteaders, snowbirds and businesses, often in very different ways.
 
The presentation is open to all Estero residents and will be held at the Shadow Wood Country Club in the Shadow Wood community of The Brooks. All persons planning to attend are asked to register in advance (including the number of attendees) by emailing Nick Batos at mrnbjr@aol.com or by calling him at 948-3741. If you call please leave you phone number in case Nick needs to get back to you. Seating is limited so we would urge you to register early if you are planning to attend.

Improving Citizen Communication with Public Officials Who Make Decisions Affecting Estero

Improving the ability of all the residents of Estero to communicate in a timely manner with the public officials who serve us is essential to our ability to get things done for the community. As an unincorporated area of Lee County these communication are most often directed to the Board of County Commissioners. Sometimes those messages need to reach the Lee Metropolitan Planning Organization (transportation planning); Florida Department of Transportation (state roads); South Florida Water Management District (drainage; flooding; sprinkling); the State Legislature; our Federal Congressmen and/or the Governor.
 
Nick Batos and the Brooks Concerned Citizens have developed a website for use by all Estero residential communities and residents that will make it very easy for each of us to understand the issue and to express our point of view by email to the governmental decision-makers on a timely basis.
 
For each decision the website contains some background information, a sample letter that can be amended by the sender and with a simple click of a button will send personalized emails to each of the decision-makers. The system also will provide us feedback about how many emails have been sent by residents of each Estero residential community.
 
Please take a few minutes to register on the site http://www.brooksconcernedcitizens.com/ and review its present contents. If you want to suggest other issues or provide additional content follow the directions provided below.
 
Secondly, please complete a brief survey designed to improve the effectiveness of the site by clicking on the “Survey” button on the lower left hand side of the “Current Issues” page.
 
This website can also be accessed through the Estero community website at http://www.esterofl.org/new/ . Thanks for your participation and help…spending a few minutes in support of issues of importance to Estero will have a far larger impact than you would expect.

How to Register to Vote in the January 29th Florida Presidential Preference Primary

Registration is now open and will stay open until December 31st when it closes to allow the Supervisor of Elections time to prepare the voting lists for the Presidential Preference Primary on January 29, 2008.
 
Any person at least 18 years of age, who is a citizen of the United States and a permanent resident of Florida and of the county where he wishes to register, is eligible to register with the Supervisor of Elections when the registration books are open. Once registered, if you vote at least once every four years, your registration is active and permanent.
 
A voter registration application can be obtained at the following website… http://election.dos.state.fl.us/RegToVote/webappform.pdf . Instruction for completing the form may be found at  http://election.dos.state.fl.us/RegToVote/regforms.html .
 
Forms may be obtained at the Lee County Supervisor of Elections satellite office at 24951 Old US 41 Suite 10, Bonita Springs. This office is open from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. It is located on the east side of Old 41 about two blocks south of the US 41/Old 41 intersection…just north of the railroad tracks.
 
Registration forms can also be obtained at public libraries, Chamber of Commerce, Dept of Motor Vehicles, AAA Motor Club sites throughout the county. Information on registration forms may be obtained by calling (239) 533-8683.

Permitted Commercial Building Values Continue Slow Increase in October

October building permits of all types continued at a slow pace, especially residential permits.
 
The value of commercial buildings permitted in Estero during October totaled $7.3 million. Nonetheless during the first ten months of 2007 Estero’s total commercial permits are valued at $152.5 million. Estero’s commercial permits during all of 2006 totaled $184.7 million. (All figures are exclusive of the underlying land). With two months to go 2007 could approach the record set last year for the value of commercial development permits in Estero.
 
The major projects that contributed to the ten month total are:
 
$44.2 million in the Coconut Point Town Center;
$24.2 million for the WCI Headquarters building on west Coconut Road
$6.8 million for the Argonaut Chevrolet Dealership at I-75 and Corkscrew
$3.1 million of the Estero Ridge Shopping Center at US 41 and Estero Parkway
$2.9 million for the renovation of the Villages of Country Creek Clubhouse
$1.8 million for the Animal Hospital of Estero on Corkscrew Road
$3.8 million for Broadway Shoppes on US 41 near Broadway
$2.4 million for Corkscrew Palms on the south side of Corkscrew
$2.2 million for commercial buildings at Coconut Trace on US 41
$4.8 million for the renovation of the Country Creek Clubhouse
$2.9 million for Empire Builders office complex at the Galleria on Corkscrew
$4 million for the Estero Fire Rescue Headquarters on Three Oaks Parkway
$8.8 million for retail stores at Estero Interstate Commerce Park
$7.5 million for Miromar Outlets expansion
$4.1 million for the three story Advanced Insurance building at I-75 and Corkscrew
$3.02 million for Paradise Shoppes projects on US 41
$3.3 million for the Coconut Center (retail) at Coconut Road and Three Oaks Parkway
$1.3 million for the Copperleaf Golf Club improvements
$1.08 million for the Park Circle development on the north side of Corkscrew
$840,000 for the Estero Medical Center on the north side of Corkscrew
$640,000 at the International Design Center
$850,000 for the Lee County Utilities facility on east Corkscrew Road
$697,000 for Estero Park Commons projects

The permits issued thus far in 2007 are widely distributed throughout Estero unlike 2006 when most of the commercial construction activity was at Coconut Point.
 
REMINDER: The building values understate the cost of each residence or commercial building because it excludes the value of the underlying land.

Estero’s Housing Permits Continue Very Slow Growth

During October only 9 housing units with a value of $2.57 million were permitted in Estero. Year to date 416 housing units with a value, exclusive of land, of $116.9 million have been issued. This slowdown in construction of new homes should help reduce the inventory of unsold new homes constructed in Estero in 2005 and 2006.
 
Housing units permitted during the first ten months of the year were by far the lowest in the 8 years that the County’s system has tracked Estero’s permits. This result reflects the declining trend that began in early 2006. The County permitting information used in this report may be found at http://www.lee-county.com/dcd/Reports/EsteroReports.htm.    

The following table shows how the first ten months of 2007 compares with the same period during the prior seven years:

Not only are the 2007 total housing units below all prior years, they total only 31% of the quantity during the first ten months of 2002, the season immediately following the tragedy of 9/11/2001 and the third lowest year.  

In spite of the decline in the number of housing units permitted thus far this year, the average building value, excluding the land beneath it, continues to increase, up 8% from the prior high set last year and more than double (up 101%) the average in 2000, in spite of a slight decline in the share of more expensive single family homes

Commercial Construction Now Underway

Development	Location	Project/Status
Coconut Point
Coconut Point Town Center	Northeast of US 41 -- Coconut Road intersection	Florida Gulf Bank
Coconut Point Lakefront	Northeast of US 41 -- Coconut Road intersection	Pagelli’s Cucina and Hemmingway’s Restaurant
Coconut Point Market Area	Northeast of US 41 -- Coconut Road intersection	Super-Target and TGI Friday’s Restaurant
Coconut Point South Village	Southeast of the Intersection of Coconut Road and US 41	The Shoppes of Coconut Point
Corkscrew Palms
Corkscrew Palms	South side of Corkscrew east of the Park entrance	Two multi-story office buildings completed but unoccupied
Galleria
Galleria and Design Parc	North side of Corkscrew east of Sandy Lane	Five Office Buildings including Empire Builders Headquarters
Estero Interstate Commerce Park
Multi-tenant retail shops along the I-75 exit	Northwest corner of I-75 and Corkscrew	Site preparation underway
Estero Town Commons
Corkscrew Road Outlot	Southeast corner of Three Oaks Parkway and Corkscrew	Site Preparation Underway
Miromar Developments
Two outlots	Northwest corner of Ben Hill Griffin and Corkscrew Road	Site preparation underway.
Phase VI Miromar Outlets	Northwest corner of Ben Hill Griffin and Corkscrew Road	Buildings and Parking Lots under construction
Paradise Shoppes
Walgreens	Northwest corner of Williams and US 41	Just completed and open for business
Mobil On The Run	Northwest corner of Williams and US 41	Under construction and nearing completion
Multi-user retail building	Northwest corner of Williams and US 41	Under construction and nearing completion
Corkscrew Commerce Center
Estero Bay Chevrolet	Southwest corner of I-75 and Corkscrew	Just completed and open for business
Advance Insurance	Southwest corner of I-75 and Corkscrew	Site preparation and underground utilities underway.
Others
Estero Fire Rescue Office Building	West side of Three Oaks Parkway south of Corkscrew	Building under construction
Coconut Point Ford Used Car Facility	US 41 in front of Fountain Lakes	Building under construction
Brooks Town Center	Northwest corner of Three Oaks and Coconut Road	Anchor store and smaller stores under construction
Estero Ridge Shopping Center	Southeast corner of US 41 and Estero Parkway	Entire Center under construction and nearing completion
Broadway Grand Shoppes	Northeast corner of US 41 and Broadway	Three buildings under construction
Estero United Methodist Church Thrift Shop	South side of Broadway at Highland	Building completed and open for business
Estero Animal Hospital	South side of Corkscrew west of River Ranch Road	Building under construction
Park Circle	North side of Corkscrew west of River Ranch	Site preparation underway
Picaya Bay Medical Center	North side of Corkscrew Road just west of Three Oaks	Two medical office buildings under construction, one almost complete
Coconut Point Ford	West side of US 41 south of Williams Road	Building under construction
Tuscany Park	Northwest corner of Three Oaks and Estero Parkway	Site work including underground utilities well underway
Coconut Crossing	Northwest corner of Coconut Road and US 41	Site preparation and underground utilities recently completed
Coconut Trace	West side of US 41 north of Coconut Road	Site preparation and underground utilities

As the Table above indicates commercial construction in Estero has continued unabated in spite of the residential construction slowdown. At present there are at least 36 commercial projects now under construction in Estero. They are the following types of projects:
 
·         Twelve (12) office buildings
·         Eleven (11) retail buildings    
·         Six (6) shopping centers, and
·         Seven (7) sites being prepared for development
 
The table above lists all of these projects and their current status.

Estero's Recent and Projected Population Growth

The University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) estimates the population of all Florida municipalities and counties as of April 1 each year so that state funding for local governments are apportioned fairly between censuses. BEBR does not make an annual estimate for Estero because Estero is not a municipality, but they have shared with us their procedures so that we could make comparable estimates.

Using their methodology Estero's permanent (full time) population is determined by adding the April 2000 population to the product of the following multiplication: the number of new housing units built during the intervening year(s) times the occupancy rate times the average persons per household.
 
The 2000 census found that Estero contained 2,737 seasonal housing units, or 37.3% of all housing units. Assuming that Estero's snowbird households are the same size as its full time households (2.06 persons/household), Estero's seasonal population in April 2000 was 5,638. This assumption is probably too high for seasonal households but the permanent household value is probably low, thus the total population is largely unaffected.  Estero's current snowbird population is estimated by adding 5,638 to the product of the number of new residential units built by seasonal residents during the intervening years times the average persons per household.
 
Since 2005 the proportion of occupied housing units has undoubtedly declined as a result of widespread speculative purchases of new housing units in Estero, throughout southwest Florida and the country. Thus this estimation procedure, no doubt, temporarily overestimates the population of Estero. Now that the number of new housing permits has declined greatly and as the inventory of vacant new housing units gets absorbed, this error will decline.   
 
Using this methodology Estero's population has increased by 187% during the last six years and nine months.