Estero Community Planning Panel Minutes of
Public Meeting # 67September 12, 2005
Approved 10/10/05
Marsh Landing Clubhouse, Estero, Florida Panel Members Present
Neal Noethlich, Chairman, Don Eslick, Vice Chairman, Estero Council of Community
Leaders; Greg Toth, Estero Development Community; Mike Cato, Estero Fire &
Rescue, Carl A, Barraco, Estero Chamber of Commerce, Dan DeLisi, Estero
Development Community, Treasurer: Frann Wagner, Estero Civic Association.
Recording Secretary: Bill Brown, ECCL. Chairman Noethlich called the
meeting to order at 6:00 PM. Public ParticipantsFifty-four
participants were present including about 45 members of the general public.
Brown reported that there were news stories in the News-Press on September 12
and the Bonita Banner on September 7. The South Lee Messenger included the
notice in its South Lee Calendar on September 7. The agenda was posted and the
meeting was listed in the Calendar of our new joint Web Page – www.esterofl.org.
The notice was posted in the Library, Realty World and the Wachovia and Colonial
Banks. Also the Estero Fire & Rescue web page had it through a link to the
Estero Development Report. The Minutes were approved upon the motion of
Greg Toth and second of Carl Barraco. Treasurer’s ReportTreasurer
Frann Wagner reported that as of September 12th the Panel had a balance of
$7,302.28. The Treasurer’s Report was approved on the motion of Greg Toth and
second of Dan DeLisi.
Chuck Basinait, Esq., Henderson Franklin & Ron Nino, Vanasse Daylor made the
presentation for the developers of
Estero Crossing, a mixed- use commercial development on 41.74 acres with a
proposed 310,000 square feet of gross floor area. Two areas for smaller
buildings (maximum 62,000 square feet) would be in the front along Corkscrew
Road, this area is called the Village Square. The larger buildings would be in
the back and could include two big boxes or one big box and a hotel. The panel
and the public made the following suggestions for change in the plan:
- free standing bars or cocktail lounges are not permitted in Estero, they
must be connected to a Group III restaurant
- asked the developer to join a coalition of other developers to help
finance the widening of Corkscrew Road between Three Oaks and I-75
- suggested that the zoning include appearance standards for the
development that are at least as good as those adopted by the developers of
Plaza del Sol and
Estero Town Commons,
developments immediately adjacent to the property. Such standards would
ensure that all the projects on the property would be compatible with one
another.
- suggested the developer meet with surrounding communities to discuss
buffering, sidewalks and landscaping.
- expressed desire that when there are specific proposals for big boxes,
the Panel will like to review them.
- expressed concern about the impact of the project upon the proposed
residential property to the southwest.
- expressed concern about the flow of traffic from such a large project at
this location, in conjunction with the adjacent large projects, and the
County’s planned configuration of Corkscrew Road.
- suggested that drive-throughs not be permitted for the small shops in
the front of the property
- agreed with the developer that if a hotel was built on the site that the
authorized retail space would be reduced by 650 square feet per hotel room.
- expressed concern about the height of the hotel if it were located in
area B or C.
located on the northwest corner of Pelican Sound Drive on the west side of
US 41
Shellie Johnson, Barraco and Associates, Inc. made the presentation along
with the developer, Chris Bundschu. Four major revisions have been made to
comply with Panel suggestions made in April, 2005. They are:
- Improved visual aesthetics along U.S. 41 by eliminating parking along
U.S. 41, placement of a pond along U.S. 41, prohibition of drive-throughs
along U.S.41 and the addition of a parking deck.
- Created an Urban Village Atmosphere by having less surface parking due
to the addition of a parking garage, improving pedestrian scale/walkability
and outdoor plazas and sitting areas.
- Addressed Height and buffers concerns by limiting height along north and
west property boundary to 2 stories and adding a proposed 8-foot wall along
the north property boundary, and
- Made changes in proposed uses by removing gas pumps, auto service
stations and adding a prohibition on outdoor sales, displays and storage; no
drive-throughs along U.S.41 or Pelican Sound Drive, limiting the car wash to
freestanding use only and limiting convenience and beverage to one store and
one upscale liquor store.
The Panel commended the developer on the changes.
The presentation was made by Mark Drew, AIM Engineering and Tom Rice of
Steak n Shake. This facility is not
primarily a typical fast-food restaurant and will have 99 seats for sit down
dining. The developers are seeking an administrative variance to permit a
drive-through on the south side, with a canopy, instead of in the back as the
zoning requires. There will be a buffer and a landscape cluster to shield the
drive-through from U.S.41. After discussing why the building could not be
reoriented on the property and being assured that the drive through area would
be screened from view from US 41 the panel and the community agreed with the
proposal. The attention of the developer was called to the pending applicability
to projects in the proposed Rt 41 overlay of the Estero requirement for a
pitched roof for buildings of less than 5000 sq ft.
located on the west side of US 41 between
Marsh Landing & Fountain Lakes
Bob Thinnes, AICP, Q Grady Minor made the presentation along with the
developers. This is the second time that
this project has been brought to the ECPP. Prior to the presentation the
Panel raised concerns that it did not have sufficient information to adequately
evaluate the zoning application. The panel did not have the sections of the
zoning application that must be filed with the County that it routinely requests
of all developers including a complete site plan and detailed list of the
proposed uses on each parcel within the development. The Developer agreed that a
list of uses will be mailed to the Panel members.
The revised site plan places a small (4,388 square foot), single story
commercial (“bank”) building in the front of the property along US 41 with two
mini-storage buildings in the rear with the middle building being 3 stories high
and a one story building in the rear. The total space being requested totals
49,588 square feet
The panel and the community made the following suggestions for improving the
development:
- the proposed buffer along US 41 is not as wide as the 30 foot buffers
being provided by Coconut Trace,
immediately to the south of this project, and
Coconut Point, across the street
from the project.
- suggested that any drive-through on the building at the front of the
property should be to the rear of the building and not on the south side as
proposed.
- That the development should be divided into two parcels with a list of
uses for each parcel.
- The zoning should have a condition that would assure that all of the
buildings are compatible in architecture and landscaping.
- Questions were raised by residents of
Fountain Lakes about
the safety of any access road that would connect to the Fountain Lakes
entrance drive and the authority for the developers to gain access through
that agriculturally zoned property.
ECPP
Status of www.esterofl.org Website and Authorization of Additional
Development Funding
Don Eslick explained the need for additional funding for the webmaster to
complete the joint web site. He then moved and DeLisi seconded a motion for the
Planning Panel to contribute an additional $375 for the joint web site. The
motion was approved. The Council of Community Leaders will
be asked to approve an additional contribution of $375. The
Civic Association is not being asked for additional funds since it is using
a smaller proportion of the web site.
Status of Currently Proposed Estero LDC Amendments
Noethlich reported that the Land Development Code Advisory Committee has
approved the amendments with minor changes. The Panel approved a motion
authorizing submittal of the mixed use provisions of the Caloosahatchee Shores
Community Plan to the County for inclusion in another round of Estero LDC
amendments.
PANEL ADJOURNED AT 8:30 P.M. NEXT PANEL MEETING
OCTOBER 10th AT 6:00 P.M. AT MARSH LANDING |
