Estero Development Report

Volume 5, Number 12
Edited by ECCL--the Estero Council of Community Leaders

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

Index

Estero Community Website

To learn more about Estero and its growth management efforts view the website of:

Estero Community Planning Panel (ECPP);
Estero Civic Association (ECA);
Estero Design Review Committee (EDRC), and
Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL)

www.esterofl.org

The site is still in formation.…
Your suggestions for improvement are most welcome.

The Bonita Springs Estero Connection

At their March meeting the Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) approved sending a letter to the Mayor and all six Council members of the City of Bonita Springs encouraging the two communities to work together to promote better communication among neighbors and to collaborate in solving common problems. Jack Lienesch, an ECCL member from Pelican Landing, agreed to serve as liaison for the ECCL and to make the initial contact with the Mayor and each of the Council members.

At the April 5th meeting of the Bonita City Council the ECCL letter was discussed favorably and some of the Council members suggested that Councilman John Joyce might serve as Liaison to the ECCL and the Estero community leadership. At its April 19th meeting the Bonita City Council voted to designate Councilman Joyce as liaison to the Estero community leadership group. Since then Councilman Joyce, Mr. Lienesch and representatives of the Estero Community organizations had a productive meeting discussing how best to proceed to develop the relationship and to identify what issues the two communities might work on together.

Arts Development in Estero

First Annual “Arts in Estero” Exhibition and Stage Performance Attracts Hundreds

On April 8th about 500 people attended Estero’s first exhibition of the arts in the Estero Ballroom and Foyer at the Coconut Point Hyatt Resort. The following ten organizations manned booths providing participants with information about their programs, facilities and membership opportunities:

Gulf Shore Playhouse
Gulf Coast Symphony
Estero Art League
Florida Gulf Coast University
Southwest Florida Symphony
Spirit of the Gulf Chorus
Friends of the South County Regional Library, Inc.
Estero High School
Estero Historical Society
Estero Community Park

Several groups reported that they had recruited more than one hundred new members and gained exposure to many, many more Estero and south Lee residents.

In addition the participants were treated to nearly three hours of top quality entertainment, all provided by the Estero oriented arts organizations. The crowd was awed by two teenage phenoms, Alexandra Tocco, a vocalist representing Gulfshore Playhouse, and Crawford Wiley, a nationally renowned classical pianist from Estero. Other groups making presentations were the Estero Historical Society, Friends of the South County Regional Library, Inc. and Spirit of the Gulf.

The event would not have been possible without major contributions by Colonial Bank and the Hyatt Coconut Point Resort.

Gulfshore Playhouse

On April 7th architectural plans for Gulfshore Playhouse were unveiled at a major fundraiser featuring Anna Maria Alberghetti. When completed Gulfshore Playhouse will contain a 550 seat main stage, a 150 seat studio theater, a learning institute, rehearsal space, offices, design shops and dressing rooms. The theater is planned as part of the “Estero on the River” project which is located between US 41 and Sandy Lane along the north side of Corkscrew Road. Land for the Theater has been donated by the developer of that property, JED Development.

A rendering of the Playhouse design can be viewed at http://www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org/index.htm .

Roadway Projects

Coconut Road I-75 Interchange Study

This controversy just doesn’t want to go away. After being turned down twice by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the road planning agency for Lee County and all its municipalities, at its March meeting the MPO Board voted 11 to 4 to approve accepting the $10 million designated by the 2005 Federal transportation authorization bill for the Coconut I-75 Interchange. After Comm. Judah had proposed a compromise that would have authorized a study of a west-only Interchange somewhere between Bonita Beach Road and Corkscrew Road, Mayor Carla Johnston of the City of Sanibel moved that the money and the study be accepted subject to seven conditions. The most significant conditions contained in the approved motion are:

• That this vote is not a commitment to the interchange, but a commitment to a study for looking at the transportation needs in that area,
• There should be an environmental component that should be given special emphasis to ensure protection for the already protected DRGR and related areas important for water supply, habitat preservation, as well as air quality. This component of the work should not be done by highway planners, but by people with appropriate expertise,
• That no dollars be committed for the design or construction of projects associated with this study that are outside the earmarked $10 million in order to protect the integrity of the projects already in the MPO’s 2030 Plan,
• That there be frequent input from the MPO on the IJR (Interstate Justification Report) project as well as the PD&E project.

Subsequent to March 17th MPO meeting members of the ECCL Transportation Committee and several leaders of regional environmental organizations met with MPO and FDOT staffs to discuss how and when they planned to satisfy these conditions. We were informed that FDOT would begin the process of advancing the funds necessary to begin the Interchange Justification Report study by year end. The basic requirements for such a study are prescribed by the Federal Highway Administration and by an FDOT Handbook and other documents that implement the Federal requirements. FDOT indicated that the environmental part of the study would be implemented as part of the PD&E study that would follow if the Interchange were found to be justified. They further indicated that the Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) tool, which would be implemented while the IJR was underway, would provide some environmental results prior to the interchange justification decision by the Federal Highway Administration. ETDM is a tool whereby various agencies can raise concerns based upon a brief description of the project and its location. It is not clear if this information is available to and used by the Federal Highway Administration in making its Interchange decisions.

In early April the Fort Myers News Press reported on an engineering study prepared for Edison Farms, the owners of 2,500 acres just east of I-75 at this location that concluded that 8,300 homes could be constructed on this property without impairing the wetlands on the site, up for the 250 homes that present zoning would permit. In response to this information Comm. Judah asked that the MPO add an agenda item to its April meeting to consider adding the traffic impact of this development to the IJR study. MPO staff agreed to add the item to the agenda.

At the April 21st meeting of the MPO members of the ECCL Transportation Committee and leaders of the region’s environmental community were able to present our concerns about MPO and FDOT staffs’ approach to satisfying the seven conditions of Mayor Johnston’s motion approving the interchange study. After considerable discussion, the MPO voted unanimously to ask staff to present at the May MPO meeting a detailed schedule/chart that would lay out the time frame when all the elements of the motion, including the environmental component, would be undertaken and satisfied.

US 41 from Corkscrew to San Carlos Park

On April 4th FDOT hosted a public meeting to display and discuss their plans for six-laning US 41 from Corkscrew north to San Carlos Park. FDOT staff states that this segment will be ready for construction during the first quarter 2007 if it is able to acquire two acres of land along the route for a detention pond from the owner of the land, Lee County. The State’s preference for the needed detention pond is on the southwest corner of Broadway and US 41 (the former Boomer property). The problem is that the County bought this land using funds from its “Conservation 2020” program. That program prohibits use of land acquired with these funds from being used for such a pond. Thus FDOT is considering condemning the land from the County. If this is a “friendly” suit the FDOT is likely to be able to obtain the land in time for a spring 2007 construction start.

At present FDOT has budgeting funding for this project in its 2010-11 fiscal year, three years after it will be ready for construction. Unbelievably, in each of the last two years FDOT has amended its budget to delay funding this much needed project by one year each time. These delays have increased the difficultly of the most likely financial plan for advancing the construction of the segment by three years to 2007. For three year Lee County DOT and FDOT have been discussing the idea that Lee County would use its low interest loan fund to borrow the necessary funds, now $25 million, and loan them to FDOT so that the road could be accelerated, with the interest on the loan being paid by Wal-Mart and other aspiring developers along the segment. Since the loan is repaid using the funds FDOT has budgeted for widening the road, every budget delay increases the amount of interest that must be paid by the developers, thus reducing the likelihood that such a proposal will succeed.

The latest suggestion would have Lee County build the segment for FDOT thus reducing the size of the borrowing. Under FDOT rules for state construction of the road all $25 million must be available before construction can begin. Lee County does not have such a requirement. Thus, if Lee County builds the road not all the $25 million needs to borrowed so soon, thus reducing the borrowing and the interest cost.

The final State/County financing issue concerns who will pay for any cost overrun on the project, should one occur. FDOT contends that, under its rules, it cannot pay more than is in its budget for constructing the road in 2010. Thus FDOT will not accept responsibility for any costs above the budget amount if the County builds the road for them three years earlier than they could build it. Naturally the County does not want to accept this responsibility inasmuch as US 41 is a state road….its completion is a state responsibility. The two governments must resolve these issues soon so that construction of this bottleneck can be broken starting next spring.

Estero Parkway Flyover

Early in April Lee DOT announced that their latest estimate of the cost of constructing the Estero Parkway Flyover from Ben Hill Griffin to Three Oaks Parkway had increased by $17.5 million, from $31 million to $48.5 million, an incredible 56% increase in one year. As a result Lee DOT staff is recommending that the start of construction of this vital reliever for the Corkscrew I-75 Interchange will be delayed from this summer to late next year.

As anyone who travels in Estero knows traffic around the I-75 Corkscrew Road Interchange is already congested and dangerous. With the opening of the International Design Center, the Coconut Point Town Center and many other businesses in the area these conditions are likely to get far worse before the Estero Parkway flyover is completed. The County needs to review all its funding alternatives to find a way to begin this badly needed project on its earlier schedule later this summer so that it can be completed prior to the 2007-08 “season”.

Roadway Landscaping Progress Report

Estero Parkway

Landscaping the median midway between US 41 and Three Oaks Parkway has been held up pending completion of the model homes in The Reserve at Estero so that they can replace the development’s temporary sales office. During April Toll Brothers closed the sales office and began to remove it from the property, thus eliminating the need for the median cut by its entrance. Toll Brothers has notified the contractor to schedule closing this median and expects the median closure to be completed in about 30 days. Once the median has been closed the second and final phase of the median landscaping program can be installed under the existing contact.

US 41 South of Corkscrew Road

On April 7th Bryan Traylor, a landscape designer with Wilson Miller Engineering, gave a power point presentation to the Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) on the latest plans for landscaping the medians of US 41 between Old 41 in Bonita Springs and Corkscrew Road.

The project has been long delayed because of new State rules limiting the size of trees planted in the median of roads that are designed for 50 miles per hour or more. The County appealed these provisions several times to no avail. In addition, however, the County decided to supplemental state funding for the project, thus allowing a significantly different look for this segment of Lee County roadways.

The County’s intensified core landscaping program consists of large trees and sod, like those installed along Corkscrew Road. In contrast, this segment of US 41 will be characterized by smaller, multi-trunk trees surrounded by low growing shrubs and groundcover. Finally, the design will include faux-finished bricks around the intersections instead of the usual cement.

Now that the design has been completed and the bidding process has begun landscape installation should begin sometime this summer and be completed about the time that the Coconut Point Town Center opens for business the fall.

Other Infrastructure Projects In Process

Possible Sheriff’s Office

The Lee County Sheriff’s Department is considering locating its south Lee County Headquarters on five acres now owned by the County immediately adjacent to the South County Regional Library on the west side of Three Oaks Parkway just north of Corkscrew Road. In order to shorten the facility’s construction time the Sheriff is considering the use of an 8,000 square foot modular building to house the 61 employees who will serve this area. It would appear from aerial photographs of the site that the entrance would be north of the Library with the building constructed west of the Library. The proposal must be approved by the BOCC before it can be started.

This proposal would not eliminate the small Sheriff’s office now planned to open this fall in the Coconut Point Town Center near the Muvico Theater and close to the middle of the Town Center.

Possible Small Post Office in Coconut Point Town Center

Press reports indicate that the US Postal Service is considering a small, 300 square foot, post office in the Coconut Point Town Center. The Post Office would lease and operate the facility that is now in the planning stages. The Post Office has not yet leased any property for the facility.

This facility would not eliminate the need for a full post office for Estero. The U.S. Post Office’s plans for this facility have now been approved by the regional office and are now in Washington for final approval. The regional office cannot estimate when final approval will be forthcoming.

Residences of Coconut Point & Rapallo Restart Housing Permit Growth

During March a total of 404 housing units were permitted in Estero with a building value of $82.3 million. Of that total 207 units with a building value of $45.2 million will be constructed in the Residences of Coconut Point and 132 with a building value of $19 million will be constructed in Rapallo. This explosion increases Estero’s first quarter totals to 569 housing units and a total building value of $119.7 million.

The following table shows how the first quarter of 2006 compares with the same period during the prior six years:

As the above table shows, the first quarter of 2006 ranks third in number of permitted housing units and second in total building value during this seven year period. The 2006 average building value is the considerably higher than any other year in spite of it’s small percentage (14.9%) of single family homes.

Year to Date Commercial Building Value Continues Highest on Record

The value of commercial buildings permitted in Estero during the first quarter of 2006 totaled $68.4 million. The 2006 total is more than 5 times the second highest first quarter commercial permit building value, $12.7 million, recorded in 2001. The major projects that contributed to the 2006 total are:

• $46.4 million in the Coconut Point Town Center;
• $9.6 million in Phase 5 of the Miromar Outlets Center
• $950 thousand for the Walgreens Drug Store in Paradise Shoppes (northwest corner of US 41 and Williams Road)
• $1.06 million for the Lee County Utilities facility on the south side of Corkscrew Road east of I-75; and
• $1.4 million for the Barkis Car Wash south of the Corkscrew Village Shopping Center on US 41.
  

REMINDER: The building values understate the cost of each residence or commercial building because it excludes the value of the underlying land.

Estero Crossing CPD

On September 12, 2005 the developers of Estero Crossing CPD presented their plans for this large retail site on the south side of Corkscrew Road just west of the Island Club and Corkscrew Woodlands residential communities and immediately east of Estero Town Commons. The developers are Boston based JTAD Estero LLC. Their plan for the 41.74 acre site provides for a maximum of 310,000 square feet of gross floor area of retail space.

Two areas for smaller buildings (maximum 62,000 square feet) would be up front along Corkscrew Road with parking in the rear; this area is called the Village Square. The larger stores would be in the rear of the property and could include two big box stores.

On April 6th the developers presented their development to the Lee County Hearing Examiner. The County staff report recommended that “approval of local development order(s) for vertical commercial development on this site are tied to the construction of Estero Parkway extension or as an alternative, to a capacity improvement on Corkscrew Road from Three Oaks Parkway to I-75.” This is similar to the provision that was imposed upon Wal-Mart a couple of years ago when it sought zoning approval for the store it plans to build at US 41 and Estero Parkway. The attorney representing the developers asked the Hearing Examiner to except the Village Square part of the project from this limitation. The Hearing Examiner indicated an interest in the recommended condition, but did express concern about these limitations being imposed upon developers by the County Board in an inconsistent manner.

The neighbors from Corkscrew Woodlands and the Island Club spoke in support of the development because they are satisfied with the buffering along their property and because the project will permit them a better west bound access to Corkscrew Road by using an access road through Estero Crossings and Estero Town Commons, the next commercial development to the west.

Estero Community Planning Panel Zoning Reviews

Estero Palms II

On April 10th the ECPP and about 75 Estero residents heard a proposal for a second Estero Palms residential development on Block Lane west of River Ranch Road. Sean Weeks of SRW Engineering presented two possibilities for development by Estero Palms II. The first proposes 32 single family homes on ten acres; the second proposes 48 single family homes on 15 acres with the addition of five adjacent acres.

Taylor Woodrow, a major housing developer, recently purchased Estero Palms and has begun an aggressive advertising program. Site work including a large lake in the middle of the property and two model homes had been completed by the original developers of this site.

The developer’s representative said that a traffic impact study had not yet been completed but one is scheduled for the property. Residents of nearby homes to the north raised questions about the distance between these two story homes and their homes and the adequacy of the buffering between their properties. Noethlich reminded the residents of their opportunities to question and challenge provisions of the proposal during the upcoming County review process. The developers distributed their business cards and assured the Panel that they would make themselves available to meet with residents who may consider their properties to be affected by the proposed development.

Estero on the River Mixed Use Development

At the April 10th ECPP meeting the developers of this 85 acre proposed mixed-use development at the northeast corner of US 41 and Corkscrew Road presented an informational update from the original presentation of March, 2005.

The developer’s representative stated that questions raised during the earlier presentation have been addressed in the interim. The proposed development would now contain 530 single and multi-family residential units, approximately 34,500 square feet of medical office space, 52,500 square feet of general office space, 177,000 square feet of retail space including a 100 room “boutique” hotel and 36,000 square feet of “civic” space designated to be the site of Gulfshore Playhouse.

The following changes have been made in the development plan:

• The design of the main north-south street was changed in order to discourage use of the site as a shortcut for traffic attempting to avoid the intersection of east bound Corkscrew and northbound US 41.
• Answering earlier questions about the proposed development’s treatment of Estero River which flows through the property, the developer indicated that the river would be available for public access with restoration planned for each side of the river and no development allowed directly on the river.
• Several existing historic buildings on the site would be transferred to new locations and several structures approximately 40 to 50 years old that are not considered of historic significance would be removed. In addition four structures of historic interest would remain on the site.
• The development would “internalize” building height with its shortest buildings being located near the perimeter of the property and its tallest buildings of 60 feet located near the center of the property.

Questions raised by the Panel included:

• It was noted that a total of 300,000 square feet of commercial space on 17 acres amounts to a higher density than normal. The developer indicated that this was done to accommodate mixed use development and to add additional green space on the property.
• Would the development contain public gathering areas to encourage pedestrian use of the property? The developer said that the area along the river would be a linear park with preservation, restoration and walkways.
• Asked for the width of preserved lands along the Estero River? The developer stated that 50 foot buffers would be established on each side of the river, creating the linear park for the general public to enjoy.
• Asked about the “shared parking” concept which the developer indicated would be employed? Would the parking area of Gulfshore Playhouse, generally vacant during the daytime, be available for office and retail parking during the day?
• How would the boating public be accommodated in the development? The developer indicated that consideration would be given to that aspect of the development when detailed planning was begun.
• The Panel stated that the development would be an ideal site for some true mixed use development and such a plan would be supported by the Panel.
• Asked if the development’s calculations include the possible realignment of Sandy Lane? The developer replied that it would not greatly affect the plans.

Georgia Nelson of the Estero Historical Society questioned the Mediterranean style of design proposed for the community while itemizing the various structures of historical value on the property.

The developers representative indicated that the developer had committed to Lee County that they would advance up to $1,000,000 to expedite the widening of US 41adjacent to the west side of the proposed development.

Montecristo Residential Planned Development

Also on April 10th the ECPP and the community heard a presentation by Newport Bay Corporation, the developers of Montecristo, of their revised plans for this development, an 820 residence golf course community proposed for the south side of Corkscrew Road adjacent to the east side of Wildcat Run. The developer’s original proposal for this land included 150,000 square feet of commercial space but this was eliminated after extensive discussions with their neighbors to the west in Wildcat Run.

The revised plan call for 130 single family homes and 690 multi-family residences in buildings of four, six, eight, twelve and eighteen units. Sixty percent (60%) of the total site is designated for preserve for an existing floway and wildlife habitat passageway. The proposal includes two gated access points, its main entrance on Corkscrew Road and a secondary point connecting to Wildcat Run. The developers indicated that the purpose of this design is to provide both Montecristo and Wildcat Run with a common exit from the area to Corkscrew Road, thus increasing the likelihood of a traffic signal at that intersection. The Panel complimented the developer for creating a plan that eliminated the commercial uses and located the buildings so as to preserve the floways and wildlife areas.

Midtowne Estero Village

On April 10th representatives of the developers of Midtowne Estero Village returned to the ECPP for their second presentation regarding this property. They had presented their conceptual plans to the Panel in July, 2005.

Representatives of Ascot Development, the developers of Midtowne Estero Village and Midtowne Estero MPD across Three Oaks Parkway, presented a preliminary proposal for the 33.5 acre site located on the east side of Three Oaks Parkway approximately 1,400 feet south of Corkscrew Road. As proposed the development would contain 249 residences in 17 buildings of up to 16 units per building with none higher than two stories. The residential units are densely configured because almost 10 acres is devoted to Estero River buffer areas and adjacent indigenous preserves. Several concerns were raised about the development’s buffering from adjacent commercial developments.

Estero Design Review Committee (EDRC) Reviews

Coconut Point Progress Report

On April 10th Ned Dewhirst of Oakbrook Development, the overall developers of Coconut Point, made another presentation to the EDRC. He indicated that Coconut Point monument signs will be located along US 41 at Williams Road and Coconut Road and at the corner by the Sanibel Steakhouse. Coconut Point wall entry signs will be located at Williams Road and Sandy Lane, at the Rapallo entry, on US 41 by the Estero Fire Rescue station and at the Pelican Colony boulevard entrance.

Mirasol at Coconut Point

Representatives of Flood Properties LLC also presented their plans for a 224 unit multi-family development called “Mirasol at Coconut Point” to be located between Via Coconut Point (formerly Sandy Lane) and the railroad tracks from Coconut Road on the north to the Bonita Springs border on the south. The units will consist of condominiums, town-homes and flats with from one to three bedrooms, a one-car attached garage and average 1,300 square feet in size. The development will include 28 two-story buildings and a clubhouse and a pool. Most buildings will contain 8 units but a few will have 6 or 10 units. Mirasol will be a gated community. The sales center should be open in early May. Unit prices will range from the high $200,000’s to the low $400,000’s.

The Committee expressed the opinion that the architecture was not comparable with the rest of Coconut Point. The applicants’ indicated the renderings make the architecture difficult to appreciate but that it is comparable to Rapallo. The EDRC expressed a desire to see a landscape plan for the project. The driveways will use brick pavers. The application failed to show any rear elevations. The developers agreed to return with a landscape plan and building perspectives at the next EDRC meeting.

There will be low ground cover between the driveways. The Committee suggested using a half finger between drives with waist-high shrubs. Interior street lighting will use decorative poles. The developer agreed that there would be a wall on the east side of the development along the railroad tracks and Spring Run.

The Town Center

During April the first two stores opened in the Coconut Point Town Center. They are large stores located in The Market area which rims the north end of the Town Center. The stores opening in April were Old Navy and Sports Authority. Other “Market” stores planning on opening this summer include:

May 15…Bed Bath & Beyond
May 21…TJMaxx
June 17…PetSmart
July 14…Best Buy

There have been many complaints from throughout the community and at the April EDRC meeting about the small, atypical plants, bushes and trees being installed in the berm along US 41 and in the parking lots in the Coconut Point Market area. Much smaller and different material is being planted here as compared to the northern sections of Coconut Point. Inasmuch as the Coconut Point Appearance Standards approved by Lee County apply to the entire project, questions were asked as to why the easily observable difference.

As a result several members of the EDRC and from the surrounding communities met with representatives of the Simon Development Group to discuss this problem. Simon promised to provide the EDRC members with copies of the approved landscape plans for the development for their review and comment. As we go to press those plans have just arrived.

Estero Animal Hospital

On April 12th the developers of the Estero Animal Hospital returned to the EDRC with their revised plans for this facility to be located on the south side of Corkscrew Road just west of River Ranch Road. When the project was first presented to the EDRC in October 2005 the Committee generally liked the development but suggested that its Old Florida design was not compatible with the Mediterranean developments that surround it as required by the Corkscrew Road Overlay provisions of the Lee Land Development Code.

The project as presented now is essentially unchanged but for its new Mediterranean design. The Committee discussed the need for a wall between the Animal Hospital and an adjacent home that is being sold for use as commercial property. The Committee indicated that it would support elimination of the wall if the owners could obtain assurances that the home would be demolished and the property rezoned as commercial. The Committee also requested that the signage be channel lit rather than using internal illumination. The developer agreed to discuss this possibility with his signage supplier and to send revised plans to the Committee.

Weeks Fish Camp Property

On April 3rd the foreclosure sale of this property was cancelled by the Lee County Circuit Judge handling the case after the owners filed for reorganization under the provisions of Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy law. Thus the case will be transferred to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida.

This property is located just north of the Coconut Point Hyatt at the west end of Coconut Road. It has long been used for commercial fishing and providing public access boat storage and launching.

On February 14th the BOCC asked staff to explore the possibility of the County purchasing the former Weeks Fish Camp property. In March County staff recommended against acquisition by the County because of the high price and the limitations placed upon naval use of the site by Federal regulatory agencies. Staff indicated to representatives of several communities around the site that they would consider recommending to the BOCC County participation with a private developer of the site in order to maintain some public boat access to Estero Bay from the property. Presently Lee County has fifteen public boat ramps.