Minutes of
Public Meeting # 71

January 9. 2006
Marsh Landing Clubhouse, Estero, Florida

Panel Members Present

Neal Noethlich, Chairman; Don Eslick, Estero Council of Community Leaders; Greg Toth , Estero Development Community;. Carl Barraco, Estero Chamber of Commerce; Dan DeLisi, Estero Development Community. Treasurer: Fran Wagner, ECA. Recording Secretary: Jim Ramsburg, ECCL. Absent: Mike Cato, Estero Fire Rescue; Jack Lienesch, Estero Civic Association.

Noethlich called the meeting to order at 6:07 PM.

Public Participation

Twenty-two participants were present including 16 members of the general public. Ramsburg reported that public notices of the meeting were published in the Fort Myers News-Press, the Bonita Daily News and the Bonita Banner. Notices were posted on the Internet in the Estero Development Report, news-press.com and on the esterofl.org Web site of the ECCL/ECPP/ECA/EDRC and Estero Fire Rescue. A paid advertising notice of the meeting was placed in the Bonita Banner of January 7. Meeting notices were posted in So Regional Library, Colonial Bank and the Estero office of Realty World.

Treasurer's Report

Wagner reported a current balance of $6,867.56 in the Community Planning Panel account on deposit at the Colonial Bank in Estero. Eslick: Motion to accept Barraco: Second. Report accepted unanimously.

Secretary's Report

Noethlich distributed minutes of the November meeting. Eslick: Motion to accept minutes as amended. Toth: Second. Report accepted unanimously.

Estero Civic Groups' Website

Kim Dailey of Papyrus Document & Design conducted a comprehensive Power Point presentation on www.esterofl.org, explaining its purposes as a community communications tool for information about Estero and its four major civic groups and as a repository for documents pertinent to community development and the groups' activities. The Panel congratulated Ms. Dailey for her work and encouraged members of the public attending the meeting to visit www.esterofl.org.

Status of Estero Amendments to Lee County Land Development Code (LDC Chapter 33)

Noethlich reported that the third round of amendments were adopted on December 16th by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners and thanked all those involved in the lengthy process, particularly the efforts of Barraco and DeLisi. The Panel agreed that esterofl.org should link to the Lee County Website so developers and the general public can access the latest version of the requirements.

Eslick raised the issue of the next round of proposed Estero amendments to the LDC. He reported having witnessed a discussion between a developer and county staff regarding a Mixed Use development proposal and said he understood developers' frustrations in presenting such plans with no clear county guidelines pertaining to mixed use. He said that he discussed the situation with land use attorney Matt Uhle and asked his advice regarding the next steps that the Panel should take. Uhle recommended that the ECPP initiate efforts to draft proposed LDC language to encourage mixed use projects. Eslick suggested that the Panel consider retaining Uhle to assist in this project. He recommended that the Panel seek additional funding from Lee County and earmark a portion for professional assistance to facilitate Mixed Use development in Estero.

Meetings of Importance

Eslick reported four scheduled Hearing Examiner hearings of importance in January. He said that staff reports should be obtained to learn if there are issues regarding these cases of which the Panel is unaware. He added that developers of the Camargo Eleven MPD on the northwest corner of US 41 and Pelican Sound Boulevard have asked that the Panel support its effort to created a mixed use development. DeLisi: Motion to support the proposal for the property known as Camargo Eleven. Eslick: Second. Motion passed unanimously.

Toth: Motion to adjourn. DeLisi: Second. Motion passed unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 7:31 PM.