Estero Development Report

Volume 4, Number 12
Issued April 2005

Edited by ECCL--the Estero Council of Community Leaders

Report for April, 2005 - Issued May 4th, 2005

For further information, to provide information or to add names to our mailing list,
Email Don Eslick at doneslick@comcast.net or call him at 949-4050

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

Index

Traffic Congestion, Road Delays and
The ECCL Transportation Committee

Traffic congestion on Estero’s roadways during the recently completed “season” seemed much greater than in 2004. No issue is of greater concern to more Estero residents and visitors than our inability to get around the community in a reasonable amount of time. Recent announcements of construction delays have compounded the public’s frustration with the region’s roadway system.

The Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) has been working with the State and County Transportation Departments for several years to accelerate the funding and implementation of several road projects necessitated by the exceptionally high rate of growth that we are experiencing. The ECCL has organized special purpose Transportation Committees to create a four lane Sandy Lane; to accelerate permit approvals for Three Oaks Parkway and to fund the six-laning of US 41 from Corkscrew Road north to San Carlos Park.

In February the ECCL decided because we have so many transportation problems that it is time to create a standing Transportation Committee to deal with all the problems. About 30 community representatives have volunteered to serve on this committee. So far the Committee has:

• Met twice per month to organize and develop a work plan,
• Identified all the transportation issues affecting any part of Estero and classified them by responsible agency (see last month’s EDR),
• Discussed those issues with County DOT staff and with Regional Florida DOT staff,
• Organized a consortium including Miromar Development, Germaine Arena, FGCU and Stock Development (the developers of Grandezza) to work with us to find solutions to the congestion problems surrounding the I-75— Corkscrew Road intersection,
• Worked with Commissioner Judah to add Jim Merritt, a Shadow Wood in The Brooks resident, to the Citizen Advisory Committee of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and
• Coordinated our efforts regarding south Lee County traffic problems with the Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee.

EDR readers interested in becoming a working member of the ECCL Transportation Committee should respond by return email to Don Eslick, the editor of the EDR.

Improving Traffic Management

On April 22 nd the ECCL Transportation Committee met with Harry Campbell, Lee County ’s Chief traffic engineer, to discuss the County’s plans for improving traffic management and safety and our local traffic management problems. Mr. Campbell recently joined Lee DOT from Orlando where he served in a similar capacity for the City of Orlando .

Mr. Campbell started out his presentation by encouraging everyone to report all traffic malfunctions and deficiencies to Lee DOT at the following Phone numbers:

WEEKDAYS…………………....694-7600

NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS…..337-2000

Please keep these numbers and use them when appropriate.

Other highlights of this meeting are as follows:

• Lee DOT maintains all of the 359 traffic signals that are located on public roads throughout the County except when the roadway is under construction. Roadway construction frequently disables the signal sensors that are located in the pavement near the intersection (Loop Detection), thus requiring them to operate on a more simplistic and less effective timing system. The alternative technology for construction sites is a “Traffic Video Detection System” that uses cameras to time the lights during construction. The cost of a Traffic Video Detection system is about $30--$35,000 per intersection. At present neither Lee DOT nor FDOT have budgeted any funds for use of this system.

• Lee DOT maintains about 2,000 street lights on its major roadways today but will be installing about 1,400 more street lights in the next two years in order to reduce the number of accidents on these roads.

• Lee County received a high mark of “B” in a national traffic signal study conducted by the National Traffic Operations Coalition compared to an average score of “D minus” for all the 378 participating governments.

Nonetheless, Mr. Campbell does not believe that the County can rest on its laurels. He wants to begin the process of studying and then installing an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), a computerized, centralized traffic control system that includes all the traffic signals in the County. At present the 359 signals located at 287 intersections are part of 53 separate systems. Installation of an ATMS system could increase the effectiveness of our present road system by 5% to 20%.

ECCL will work with Lee DOT to retain about $220,000 of State money intended for a study of the most effective way to implement an ATMS system in the county. Those funds are presently in danger of being withdrawn by the state.  

Status of Major County Roadway Projects

• Funding for Three Oaks Parkway South of Coconut – the funding shortfall for these two segments totals $17.4 million. County staff is suggesting the County fund $8.0 million of this shortfall and has asked Bonita Springs to provide the remaining $9.4 million. Bonita Springs is expected to respond to this proposal within the next 30 days.

Expected Schedule: Out for bids…October 2005; Construction start…January 2006; Complete construction…July 2007.

Possible problems: Acquisition of Tisone property

• Three Oaks from Corkscrew Road to Alico Road -- Expected schedule: Out for bids…summer 2005; Start construction…fall 2005; Complete construction…late 2006 or early 2007.
   
• County Road 951 – County staff is strongly committed to a route that would cross Corkscrew Road between Stoneybrook and Wildcat Run.
   
• Coconut Road I-75 Intersection; Coconut Road over I-75 -- A Flyover at this intersection has been included in the 2020 Plan for several years. The ROW set aside on the west side of I-75 is not large enough for today’s cloverleaf intersections. The I-75 6 laning plans do not include any improvement at this location. Any improvement is contingent on CR 951.

• Corkscrew Road Improvements around I-75 - - Traffic engineers employed by Miromar Development are working on some draft plans for improvements to Corkscrew, Ben Hill Griffin, and the I-75 intersection and within the Miromar Shoppes development. These plans will to be reviewed by Miromar Development, the ECCL Transportation Committee, FGCU, the owners of Germaine Arena and Stock Development. Lee DOT would be willing to participate in the meetings of this consortium.

• Sandy Lane North from Corkscrew Road - - County staff is recommending that funding for design of the segment between Corkscrew and Estero Parkway be delayed until 2008-09.

• Sandy Lane South from Coconut Point to Old 41 --

• Estero Parkway Flyover and Delays – FDOT forced the County to redesign the bridge…that design is underway; the involuntary right-of-way acquisition phase is also now underway; Construction could begin this fall (October 2005) but County staff is not recommending construction funding ($10.9 million) until 2006-07, thus delaying the project by one year.

• Estero Parkway Extension to Proposed 951 Alignment – the first step in this project is a traffic analysis to determine the impact this project would have on the Corkscrew—Ben Hill Griffin intersection; this analysis will take about two months.

Staff is recommending funding for the design phase of this project for the 2005-06 fiscal year which begins on October 1, 2005 .

• Widening of Broadway west of US 41 --

Status of Major State & Federal Roadway Projects

• Design & Construction for Widening of US 41 from Corkscrew Road to San Carlos Park – the design and right of way process has been delayed due to a conceptual development proposal presented to FDOT by the Estero United Methodist Church for the orange grove property just south of the church . As a result of this proposal FDOT is in the process of considering realigning the road, reducing the amount of fight-of-way they would obtain on the east side of the road and potentially increasing the amount of right-of-way on the west side. This will require a redesign of this part of the road segment and the right-of-way process has been put on hold. All of this could delay the date when the road will be construction ready. Prior to this problem FDOT had indicated that construction of the road could begin as early as mid-2006 if funding was available.

FDOT and its consultants had discussed its plans for this segment last summer with an ECCL Committee and at that time promised that it would conduct another workshop with the community later that year. We have been told that this workshop has been on hold pending resolution of the above mentioned alignment decision. The ECCL encouraged FDOT to move ahead with this workshop as soon as possible.

• Estero Parkway Flyover Delay -- The original County design for this bridge over I-75 satisfied the likely 10 lane design for I-75, especially if it contains four toll lanes in the middle. However, FDOT rejected this design because it was not flexible enough to facilitate a 10-laned I-75 with all 5 lanes in each direction immediately next to each other. At present the County expects to complete the redesign of the segment and obtain the needed right-of-way and permits by this fall.
   
• Corkscrew Road & I-75 Interchange--- improvements and landscaping -- The improvements now under construction will provide double exit lanes from I-75 turning in each direction for both north and southbound traffic. In addition it will lengthen the left turn lanes for persons entering I-75 from both the east and the west. In its April 21 st meeting with FDOT, the ECCL Transportation Committee recommended that FDOT add a right turn I-75 entrance lane for vehicles approaching I-75 from the east, including the Miromar Shopping Center. FDOT is considering this suggestion and should be getting back to the ECCL in the near future, since this project will be completed this year.
   
• I-75 Widening Federal & State Funding – The Federal Highway Transportation bill that passed the U S. House earlier this year greatly increased the amount of Federal funds allocated to this project. The bill is now under consideration in the U S Senate. FDOT has included funding for construction of the two adjacent segments of I-75 for State Fiscal Year 2007-08, starting July 1, 2007 . The FDOT Regional Director told the ECCL Transportation Committee that due to the 3 month bid period construction of these segments will not start earlier than the fall of 2007.

• I-75 Toll way Authority – Legislation authorizing the creation of a Southwest Florida Tollway Authority has been approved by both the House and the Senate and will soon be sent to the Governor for his signature.

• Alico Road I-75 Intersection Improvements -- plans for a totally reconfigured intersection at this location have been approved and construction will begin soon on this much needed project. While this project is being constructed traffic congestion at the I-75 Corkscrew Road intersection will undoubtedly become even more snarled.

• Coconut Road Bridge to Ft. Myers Beach -- At the request of the City of Ft Myers Beach a study is underway to assess the feasibility of a bridge connecting the island to the western end of Coconut Road . At present the proposal is being evaluated by all the affected agencies i.e. U S Environmental Protection Agency; US Fish and Wildlife; Southwest Regional Water Management District etc . Later this year when these reviews are completed the Lee Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will evaluate the reports and decide what to do next, if anything. ECCL will be closely monitoring this process and keep the community informed about it through the Estero Development Report.

• Coconut Road I-75 Interchange Studies and Proposal - – although Lee County has indicated that there is not enough right-of way on the west side for a more modern intersection, FDOT has indicated that an intersection could be approved and constructed at this intersection within two and one-half years if the necessary land is donated and the private sector offered to pay for the improvement. At present the improvement is not in the County and MPO’s long range 2020 financially feasible plan. Participation in the MPO long range planning process this year is essential for proponents and opponents of this proposal.

The Williams Road / US 41 Intersection

On April 12th representatives of ECCL, the developers of West Bay Club and Paradise Shoppes and County DOT staff met to discuss the proposed intersection improvements that the engineers for Paradise Shoppes have now refined from the conceptual designs discussed in our earlier reports.

At present the eastbound left turn lane on the west side of the Williams Road/US 41 intersection provides space for only 4 vehicles. Oftentimes there are so many vehicles waiting to turn north on US 41 that vehicles seeking to enter the Albertsons/Coconut Point Ford entrance road are blocked by these vehicles, thus backing up all westbound Williams Road traffic. In addition, one east bound vehicle blocks all east bound right-turn vehicles from turning south onto US 41.

Due to timing problems the intersection improvements have been broken into two phases. Phase one would add two new lanes to the intersection east of the existing Albertsons entrance road. The five lanes in this area would consist of:

• One west bound lane
• Two east bound left turn lanes
• One east bound through lane, and
• One east bound right turn lane.

In addition Williams Road 's signalization would add a left turn sequence.

The second phase would relocate the Albertsons entrance to the rear of the West Bay property; extend the eastbound right turn lane; extend the eastbound left turn lanes and move the Albertson's left turn lane to the west of the Paradise Shoppes exit onto Williams Road .

As a result of this meeting the developers of Paradise Shoppes will develop detailed engineering plans for Phase One to be reviewed by the County. Based upon the County’s reaction to the proposal no major problems are expected in the approval process. The basic design remains the same as described above.

The engineers concluded that the West Bay Club will need to donate 15 foot of right-of-way in order for the Phase One plan to be implemented. Paradise Development has started permitting for their project, without the Williams Road intersection improvement, but will be submitting those plans as they become available. They hope to begin constructing the first buildings on the site in about 9 months. It is estimated that the Phase one intersection improvements will be completed in about 9-12 months.

Dana Hume of Johnson Engineering, West Bay Club’s engineering firm, agreed to identify the steps necessary to obtain the permits for Phase 2 and prepare a permitting agenda process. When that becomes available ECCL and the developers can solicit the help of the County to accelerate the permit approval process. With the help of County leadership phase two may be completed in two to three years.

Commissioner Judah has indicated that he will intervene with the Army Corp of Engineers and the Southwest Florida Water Management District at the appropriate time to make them aware of the urgency of the problem.

The total value of the developer contributions to the intersection improvements is estimated to be about $600,000.

Estero Fire Rescue Service Growth

The total number of emergency calls answered by Estero Fire Rescue (EFR) during the first quarter (January-March) of 2005 was 899. This is 27.5% greater than last year’s 1st quarter call volume of 705 calls. A month ago the District was 26% ahead of last year’s pace, so March was indeed a busy month. A more dramatic comparison of the District’s service requirements is that during the first three months of 2005 EFR has responded to more emergency calls than during the entire year of 1998, when the district responded to 659 calls.

Estero Code Enforcement

On April 1st the Estero Council of Community Leaders Code Enforcement Committee met with the Lee County Code Enforcement and Contractor Licensing Director at his office in Fort Myers to educate the committee members about the County’s enforcement authority and procedures. An overview of the Director’s responsibility as it relates to Estero code enforcement needs was presented. The Committee related to the Director our specific issues and received information as how to proceed to resolve them. Several issues that were brought forward by committee members are outside of Code Enforcement’s domain and need to be addressed by the Lee County or State of Florida Departments of Transportation. Signage and display issues were discussed in detail.

New Post Office Update

On April 27th the U.S. Postal Service held a public hearing in Estero to receive community input regarding their search for a post office site in Estero. The Postal Service was represented by Kenny Griffin, Real Estate Specialist from the Southeast U.S. Facility Services Office in Atlanta, Gary Sawtelle of the Regional Office in Tampa and Debbie Reardon, Estero’s new postmistress.

The Post Office representatives made the following points about the proposed facility:

• The required site should hold a 23,000 square foot facility located on 6 to 7 acres if it is a freestanding site and possibly somewhat less if it is part of a larger property, like the School Board site on Three Oaks Parkway .
• The cost of the facility is expected to approach $4 million.
• The search area extends from Estero Parkway on the north to Williams Road on the south and from Estero Bay on the west to Wildcat Run on the east.
• When completed the facility will operate about 30 mail trucks and routes. Eventually, it could house about 50 mail trucks and routes.
• Effective access is the most important criteria for possible sites.

The Post Office development schedule outlined by Mr. Griffin is as follows:

• Pubic advertisement soliciting the public for suggestions regarding possible Post Office sites within the target area.
• Post Office evaluation of the proposed sites and all others discovered by the Post Office staff.
• Notice of possible sites provided to the Board of County Commissioners and the public for their comments and suggestions.
• The preferred site is selected and announced to the BOCC and the community for further comment.
• Post Office purchase of the site.
• Start to construct the Post Office. It typically takes 7 to 9 months to construct such a facility.

The U. S. Post Office has the power to condemn property in order to build a post office and is not subject to many of the typical building and zoning requirements, but expressed a willingness to work with the community on both the location and appearance of the new Post Office. They indicated that the new Estero post office could be completed 18 months from now.

Members of the public who spoke at the meeting emphasized the need for the new Post Office to serve all of the Estero Community Planning Area, including The Brooks, Pelican Landing and other communities along Coconut Road, The Vines, Bella Lago and The Reserve at Estero. Others spoke about the importance of the Post Office to work with the Estero Community Planning Panel and the Estero Design Review Committee.

Persons wanting to express their opinion about the location of the new Post Office should write:

Mr. Kenny Griffin
Southeast Facilities Service Office
1735 N. Brown Road, Suite 200
Lawrenceville , Georgia 30043-6078
kenny.griffin@usps.gov

Persons concerned about the service area should contact:

Mrs. Debbie Reardon
Postmaster
Estero Post Office
8111 Broadway Street
Estero , Florida 33928

Estero 2005 Community Survey Final Results As Of 5/01/05

FLORIDA REGISTERED VOTERS

Estero Precinct 132 (East of US 41)
From Bonita Springs City Line to Williams Road

Estero Precinct 147 (West of US 41)
from Bonita Springs City Line to Williams Road

Total Surveys Bulk Mailed to Entire Survey Area 5,320

Total Mis-sent and/or Returned & Disqualified 55

Readjusted Total Mailed to Entire Survey Area 5,265

Responses Received 1,501

Response Rate 28.5%

RESPONSE OF ENTIRE SURVEY AREA

QUESTION # 4: I regularly receive most of my news about Estero from:

(Choose One or More)
Mentions Pct.

728 20%
566 16%

TOTAL 3,606 100%

RESPONSE OF ENTIRE SURVEY AREA

QUESTION # 8: Whether in person or by absentee ballot:

(Defined As)

I will definitely vote in an annexation referendum: 1,373... 92% (Likely Voters)

I may or may not vote in an annexation referendum: 123...8% (Unlikely voters)

TOTAL 1,496 100%

RESPONSE OF LIKELY VOTERS ONLY IN ENTIRE SURVEY AREA

QUESTION # 7:From What I Know Today....

I FAVOR the annexation of part of Estero by Bonita Springs: 205...14.9%

I OPPOSE the annexation of part of Estero by Bonita Springs: 1,142...83.1%

Undecided 26...2.0%

TOTAL 1,373 100.0%

RESPONSE OF LIKELY VOTERS ONLY IN ENTIRE SURVEY AREA

QUESTION #5: From what I know today, I grade the following on a scale of 1 to 10*:

RESPONSE OF LIKELY VOTERS ONLY IN ENTIRE SURVEY AREA

QUESTION #6: The annexation issues of importance to me on a scale of 1 to 10** are...

* Scale Range : One (poor) to Ten (excellent).
** Scale Range : One (least important) to Ten (most important).

March Housing Permits Set New Record

During March Lee County issued building permits for a record 392 housing units in Estero worth $63,944,855 exclusive of land. The second highest month was September 2000 when 386 units worth $49, 691,275 were permitted excluding land.

The following table shows how the first quarter of 2005 compares with the same period during the prior five years:

The 883 housing units permitted during the first quarter of 2005 exceeds the second highest year, 2001, by 299 units, or 51%. The permit value of those units, excluding land, exceeds the second highest period, 2001, by $80,054,478, or 91%. This year’s total value exceeds the total of the last two years combined by $16,251,704.

The average building value is comparable to the two highest prior years, 2002 and 2004, in spite of the fact that the percentage of single family homes is 22% and 35% percent lower respectively.

The developments that were the major contributors to the quarters rapid growth are:

Osprey Cove... 144 units
Villagio............ 128 units
Bella Terra....... 126 units
Rapallo.............. 98 units
Meadows.......... 72 units
Bella Lago......... 47 units

REMINDER: The residential building value understates the cost of each residence because it excludes the value of the underlying land.

Approved Projects in Process

Bella Terra

This large US Homes/Lennar Homes residential development is located on Corkscrew Road about 2.8 miles east of I-75. The developers plan to build 1,824 housing units on about 1,000 acres. Current plans call for 1,500 single- family units and 324 multi-family units. The project appeals to more full-time residents than many housing projects further to the west.

In November, the developers sold about 50 units in the first released site consisting of single family homes and villas. They plan to release a few sites each month with build out scheduled for 5 years from now. Bella Terra amenities include a 7,000 square foot clubhouse with a kitchenette, offices, conference room/library, and two multi-purpose rooms; a 7,000 square foot resort style pool, several tennis courts, inline skating park, basketball court, volleyball court, bocce court, and a fitness center.

Grandezza

This project is located on 1,000 acres surrounding the Grande Oaks Shopping Center on the northeast corner of Ben Hill Griffin Parkway and Corkscrew Road. When complete Stock Development will have constructed about 1,097 housing units in Grandezza. As of April 8th only 109 units remained unsold, all of which are expected to be sold within the next 18 to 24 months.

Grandezza has 11 distinctive neighborhoods featuring luxury coach and carriage homes, single-family villas, detached villas, single-family homes, custom estate homes. Each residence comes with a social membership in the development’s golf club. Grandezza’s amenities include an 18 hole golf course designed by Darwin Sharp III with golf membership limited to 375 members, a 53,000 square foot clubhouse with pro shop, media room, restaurant and grille, exercise room, junior Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis facility with six lakefront Har-Tru courts, and a wooded nature preserve.

Copper Oaks

This residential development is located north of Corkscrew Road on the east side of Three Oaks Parkway . The 29 acre development is a project of Stellar Homes, a first time developer in Estero.

Copper Oaks Includes two Mediterranean-style housing projects containing 129 single-family homes and 163 multi-family homes for a total of 292 total units. Construction of Copper Oaks began five months ago, in December 2004. About 50 of the 129 single-family units are currently under construction. The single family part of the development is expected to be finished early in 2006. Five hundred reservations have been received on the 163 available multi-family units.

Copper Oaks amenities include a recreational clubhouse, resort-style pool, a tot lot for kids, and a basketball court.

Galleria at Corkscrew

The developers of Galleria at Corkscrew, located on the north side of Corkscrew Road just west of Sandy Lane, have sold the 4.2 acre site at the east end of their property to Empire Builders for development of their headquarters building.

Coconut Point Town Center Opening Postponed Another 6 Months

On April 6th Tom Schneider, Director of Development for the Simon Property Group met with members of the ECCL to discuss their plans for Estero’s largest retail and mixed use development. On the following day Schneider and representatives of Kosene & Kosene conducted a press conference to update the public about the Town Center development.

The following are the highlights of these two events:

• The opening of the first phase of the Town Center has been delayed until September 15, 2006 , the date when the second and final phase had long been scheduled. The first 400,000 square feet of retail stores was originally scheduled to open this fall.
• There will be three shopping districts in Coconut Point…The Village, The Lakefront and The Market.
• The Village is oriented around a Mediterranean design Main Street containing about 100 retail stores, 285 housing units and 36,000 square feet of office space; two parks and many casual gathering spots
• The Lakefront will feature entertainment and dining and numerous public areas along a boardwalk that will surround a large lake.
• The Market will contain about 40 stores to be occupied by well known national retailers and several casual food providers.
• Simon announced the names of 35 more Coconut Point Town Center retailers bringing the total announced to date to 56 stores. At present 42% of the retail space has been committed with another 32% under negotiation.
• Clearing and grading of the 150 plus acres included in the project is nearly complete; the underground utility work has been started and building construction should begin by the end of May.
• Construction of the first phase of Sandy Lane has been released and construction should begin soon. All four lanes of Sandy Lane between Corkscrew and Pelican Colony Boulevard are expected to be completed during the summer of 2006, several months before the Town Center opens.
• Two new traffic signals are planned for use commencing with the opening of the Town Center in September 2006. They will be located on US 41 at the main entrance to Coconut Point, north of the entrance to Marsh Landing and at the new Coconut Road/Sandy Lane intersection west of the railroad tracks.
• Kosene & Kosene will be developing “The Residences of Coconut Point” consisting of 285 condominiums above the stores along the east side of Main Street and in three separate buildings east of Main Street . These units will range in size from 900 to 2,000 square feet; have private lanais or rooftop decks; courtyards with water features; attached or parking garages and a swimming pool with cabanas.
• Kosene & Kosene expects to start marketing these units, priced from $250,000 to $500,000 in the fall.
   

Projects Seeking
Rezoning Approval  

Picaya Bay Surgery Center Amendment

This project was well received by the ECPP when it was presented to them on April 11th. The developers of this 3.4 acre site on the north side of Corkscrew Road just west of Arby’s restaurant are seeking to reduce the number of buildings on the site from four to two buildings with a total of 24,000 square feet. The single story building in the front of the property is reduced in size from 8,000 to 6,000 square feet. The original three buildings in the rear are being consolidated into one two story building thus increasing the amount of open space. As with all other buildings in the Corkscrew Road overlay the front building will be up close to the road and all buildings with use Mediterranean architecture.

Chevrolet Dealership at the Corkscrew Commerce Center

The developer of this project, located on the southwest corner of I-75 and Corkscrew Road , is seeking to rezone the property and obtain a comprehensive plan amendment to permit them to display automobiles on more than one acre of land. If approved by the BOCC the plan amendment will apply only to this parcel of property. The dealership will use over 20 acres in the Corkscrew Commerce Center thus reducing the number of outlots from eight to two. The Park will also be the location of the Hampton Inn recently reviewed by the EDRC

The developer has met with the neighboring communities on several occasions and has the full support of them. The dealership will front on I-75 with a substantial landscaping buffer shielding the cars from Corkscrew Road. The application also eliminates the following uses from the two outlot parcels: fast food restaurants, service stations and convenience food and beverage stores. A three foot berm will be installed around the entire perimeter of the development. The parking lot lighting will be the minimum required by the County.

North Parcel in Camargo Trust

Camargo Trust is the large property on the northwest corner of Williams Road and US 41. Three parts of the 80 acre site have previously been rezoned. The most recent rezoning was the Paradise Shoppes project which is located along US 41 between Williams Road and Pelican Sound Boulevard. This application applies to an 11 acre tract on US 41 just north of Pelican Sound Boulevard. The application seeks authority to build up to 125,000 square feet of retail and office space and 42 housing units.

The property is divided into 6 parcels, five of them to be developed and the sixth for storm water detention. The property is not accessible from US 41 but rather from Pelican Sound Boulevard . The developers would like to develop some of the parcels with mixed use buildings, residences above retail or office. They agreed with the ECPP suggestion to incorporate a set of appearance standards as a condition of the zoning in order to ensure that all the buildings have compatible architecture and landscaping.

AT&T Tower Site Redevelopment
in the Colony of Pelican Landing

On April 22nd Lee County Hearing Examiner continued to hear testimony on AT&T’s rezoning request for a long established cellular site in the middle of The Colony of Pelican Landing. During this Hearing the County presented its reasons for supporting the application followed by extensive cross examination by the attorneys for WCI, the developers of The Colony and Pelican Landing, and testimony by about a dozen residents of The Colony and Pelican Landing who oppose the project. All the residents who have testified at both hearings have expressed opposition to the rezoning. Once again the Hearing was continued, this time until May 19 th at 9 a.m.

This process began on August 9, 2004 when the ECPP heard a presentation by AT&T Wireless, the owners of this landlocked communications tower parcel in the middle of The Colony/Pelican Landing community. The AT&T Wireless proposal would relocate the existing 250 foot communications tower from the middle of the parcel to its northern end and replace it with a 149 foot stealth tower and would rezone the parcel from AG-2 to Residential Planned Development for 15 single family lots with access to Pelican Colony Boulevard, the main road through the gated Pelican Landing community. The 5 acre parcel is located on the east side of Spring Creek Road south of Coconut Road . The site is currently accessed for maintenance using a narrow easement off of Spring Creek Road . Additional land would have to be purchased from WCI and the entrance design approved by Lee County DOT if the project were to be accessed from that road. This would be quite difficult because Spring Creek Road is elevated in this area in order to pass over Pelican Colony Boulevard .

At the August 9th meeting many members of the public, Pelican Landing and WCI expressed general support for the stealth tower proposal, but strong opposition to granting access to Pelican Colony Boulevard . Pelican Colony Boulevard is a private, gated road inside both The Colony and Pelican Landing. Concerns were also raised about the project’s financial obligations for the existing infrastructure; security etc. that has been paid by Pelican Landing residents and that would have to be used by the construction vehicles and owners of the proposed housing.

A few days later, in August 2004, Lee County approved a Development Order (DO) providing the project access to Pelican Colony Boulevard through land that is owned by the Bayside Community Development District. AT&T did not indicate that this application was pending when they made their presentation to the ECPP.

When ECPP members noted that a Public Hearing had been scheduled to rezone the project for February 16th, they contacted the County to schedule a meeting with the zoning staff to discuss the pending issues since AT&T had not followed up with anyone during the six months that had lapsed since the ECPP community meeting.

On February 7th representatives of the ECPP, the Pelican Landing Board, WCI and residents of The Colony met with County zoning staff and AT&T Wireless. AT&T still had no answers to the issues that these groups had raised six months earlier. As a result when the Hearing Examiner considered the matter on February 16th about 35 residents of The Colony plus the Pelican Landing Board and their attorney and WCI and their attorneys registered for the Hearing in opposition to the proposal.

Due to time constraints only a few community representatives were allowed to testify. In addition to expressing their concerns they asked the Hearing Examiner to add conditions to the zoning that would:

• Require the development to satisfy the same requirements that the surrounding properties satisfied;
• Pay their fair share of all past, present and future costs of all the surrounding community institutions whose assets they will need to utilize in order to access the site;
• Redesign the site plan so that it is compatible with the surrounding developments.

During the interval between the Hearings AT&T and WCI met at the request of County legal staff. As a result of this meeting, the Pelican Landing Community Association, The Colony Foundation and the Bayside Community Development District prepared information for AT&T indicating the infrastructure cost incurred over the years that should be shared by the proposed housing units. Once again AT&T did not follow up on this County initiative prior to the second Hearing.