The
Estero Community Plan passed another test in
November when the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) returned
the plan to Lee County without comment. Thus the Board of County
Commissioners has 60 days to approve the Plan. DCA did have concerns
about two other Comprehensive Plan changes included in the package of
changes sent to them by the County, so these will have to be resolved
before the Board of County Commissioners will vote on the matter.
On November 20th the
Estero Community Plan Panel and the
residents in attendance learned about how Collier County administers its
architectural guidelines. In addition it heard a presentation from John Ezzell, Chief Executive Officer of Galloway Motors, concerning the
firm's interest in locating a car dealership on the southwest corner of
I-75 and Corkscrew. Mr. Ezzell came before the Panel because this
property is not zoned for an auto dealership and thus would also not
comply with a provision in the
Estero Community Plan which limits
outdoor display areas on all properties not already zoned to no more
than one acre.
The advantage to the community of amending the plan to
accommodate Galloway on this site is that the number of users would be
reduced from eleven to three. In addition Galloway would provide
covenants that would require all three users to use a consistent
architectural theme, landscaping and signage. The disadvantage to the
community is that such an action would be a bad precedent for future
decision-making. Galloway had met with representatives of the
neighboring residential community and had received a somewhat
encouraging response. The Panel has up to 60 days to decide the issue
and thus postponed any decision at this time.
On December 1st about 150 Esteroans participated in a
Community Planning Workshop at the
Hyatt Coconut Point Hotel. This large
turnout included representatives of many of Estero's major developers
and property owners and several Lee County development staffers. The six
hour event began with presentations concerning the planning concepts,
terminology, problems and possible solutions useful for the working
sessions that would follow. Then the participants broke up into six (6)
working groups, each one of which was assigned a problem. The problems
addressed by the groups were:
• Creating a Village Center and Mixed Use
Developments,
• Community Character--Streetscaping and Gateways
• Commercial Land Uses,
• Architectural Guidelines,
• Open Space and Greenspace, and
• Buffering
The sessions were coordinated by the Panel's consultant
for the Community Plan, Vanasse and Daylor, who will take all the
information provided by the community and translate it into Land
Development Code provisions that will be submitted to Lee County staff
and the Board of County Commissioners as amendments to the existing
code. Some of the provisions will be submitted in the spring of 2002 and
the balance in the fall. These provisions will provide detailed legal
standards for development in Estero that the County can enforce so that
the goals, objectives and policies set forth in the
Estero Community
Plan are achieved.
The Workshop visibly demonstrated the commitment that
large numbers of Estero residents have for channeling the explosive
growth of the community into a force that makes Estero a more livable,
desirable and attractive community. Hopefully this spirit will persist
throughout next year when the County will be making some very
significant decisions regarding the future of Estero.
(located midway between Williams Road and Corkscrew
Road just east of the railroad tracks)
Mark your calendars now--the first of three public
meetings regarding the design of the remaining 55 acres of this
65 acre
park will be held on January 9, 2002 at 7 p.m. in the South Lee Regional
Library. The existing 10 acres were developed earlier this year as
soccer and football fields and are located just west of Estero High
School's athletic facilities.
This first meeting is strictly a listening to the public
meeting--an effort to learn what the community wants in the park. After
that meeting the park consultants will immediately develop a conceptual
plan for a park consistent with the ideas provided at the January
meeting. That conceptual plan will be presented to the public at the
second hearing to be held about one month later. After listening to the
reactions of the public at this meeting, the design consultants will
revise the plan and present the proposed park plan at the third public
hearing. According to John Yarbrough, Lee County's Parks and Recreation
Director and an Estero resident, the whole design process should take
from six to nine months. Final approval lies with the Board of County
Commissioners.
The
Estero Community Plan includes the following policy
regarding the park:
"Lee County will work with the community to ensure
that the development of the Estero Bonita Springs Community Park is
integrated into the surrounding development and open space areas.
The concept would be for the park to act as a hub, connected to the
other open space/recreational opportunities through pedestrian or
bicycle linkages, tier along public rights of way or through
adjacent developments."
An issue that will be addressed at the public hearings
and by the final design is the location of a four-lane Sandy Lane
extension from Corkscrew to Williams that would greatly reduce traffic
on 41 and Three Oaks Boulevard should the Simon Corporation be
authorized to construct the proposed
Coconut Point Mall development just
south of this road segment. The proposed alignment will impact any plans
for the park because it cuts through the western end of the park site.
A major determinant of the public perception of a
community is the appearance of its major roadway corridors and the
residential developments and businesses that line those roads. While
other major roads will be important--from Coconut Road through the
Brooks in the south to Koreshan Boulevard in the north and Three Oaks
Boulevard through the middle-- the public perception of Estero will
largely be shaped by the appearance of the developments along U. S. 41
and Corkscrew Road. Thus a major focus of the
Estero Community Plan and
the related Land Development Code amendments now under development is
with appearance standards (architecture, landscaping, signage etc.) that
would apply importantly to these major thoroughfares.
Parcel Size and Vacancy
We have a unique opportunity in Estero to manage the
appearance of these roads because they are lined by a relatively small
number to large vacant parcels. For example U. S. 41 from our Community
Plan southern boundary just north of the Sanibel Steakhouse to its
northern boundary by the entrance to The
Vines, there are about 72
parcels of property. (All of the data in this report is subject to a
margin of error; probably no more than 5%, due to constant changes in
zoning maps, tax parcels etc. due to subdivisions, consolidations and
property ownership changes).
However 19 parcels, of 10 acres or more, out of those 72
parcels fronting on 41 contain about 965 acres out of almost 1,100
acreage along this segment of the road, or 88%. And 16 of the 19 parcels
are vacant-- with total area of about 850 acres or nearly 79% of the
area in all the parcels, large and small, along this section of 41.
Corkscrew Road from Estero Bay to
Wildcat Run is
similar. Along this stretch of Corkscrew there are 17 parcels of 10
acres or more out of a total of about 61 parcels. These 17 parcels
contain a little over 500 acres of vacant land out of about 635 acres
along this segment of Corkscrew, or about 80% of the total area.
Thus these two major thoroughfares contain 36 large
parcels of property with over 1,350 acres of vacant land, about 79% of
all the land (about 1,725 acres) fronting these two roadways in Estero.
It is important to note that the two vacant parcels of
land associated with the Simon Coconut Point Mall proposal contain 483
acres, or about 28% of the total area along these two major roadways.
Eighteen (18) of the thirty-six (36) large parcels along
the two roadways, containing about 490 acres of land, are already
zoned--usually with "bubble plans" that allow many, many uses. These are
the properties that present the greatest challenge to the community.
When these properties are ready for development, the
developer must submit detailed development plans to the County for
approval. The County may only approve those plans if they are consistent
with the Land Development Code in force at that time. That is what phase
two of the Community Planning effort is all about--amending the land
development code so that the appearance standards applicable to these
properties is consistent with the vision of Estero as set forth in the
Community Plan.
The other eighteen (18) large parcels, containing about
1,000 acres of land, are still zoned for agriculture and will need to be
rezoned before they can be developed for any non-agricultural use. Two
of these farm parcels contain the 483 acres that are currently being
rezoned for use in the Simon "Coconut Point Mall" development.
When these properties are rezoned they will be subject
to the more stringent zoning procedures that were recently adopted by
the county, the provisions of the Community Plan and its Land
Development Code enforcement provisions. In addition there are new
public participation procedures contained in the Community
Plan--importantly this includes a citizens public meeting with the
developer in Estero prior any consideration by a County Hearing Officer
or the Board of County Commissioners.
Eighteen (18) of the thirty six (36) large parcels are
paying almost no property taxes because the land is being used for
grazing or through other tax avoidance measures. The 940 acres of vacant
land contained in these parcels had a total 2000 tax year assessment of
$128,000--equal to the assessment of one modest home or condominium.
Thus an average Estero residence owner pays as much or more in property
tax each year than these 18 taxpayers pay in total for the 940 acres of
valuable land that they own along U. S. 41 or Corkscrew Road in Estero.
Half of these parcels are zoned agricultural--so the use for grazing
animals is consistent with the zoning. However, the other nine are zoned
for commercial or mixed use--a fact that greatly increases their value--
but is not reflected in the taxes on the property due to their use for
grazing, etc.
The other side of this coin is that when this low-tax
land is developed the land value will increase dramatically thus greatly
expanding Estero's property tax base. Since most of this land will be
used for commercial purposes Estero will gain this tax base increase
without a commensurate increase in population.
Summary
• Because 80% of the land along Estero's two major
roadways is vacant, the citizens of Estero have a unique opportunity
to influence the appearance, perception and character of Estero, and
• Because about 80% of this land is in a small number of large
parcels--10 acres and up--most of this development will be in
planned developments and can be more readily managed than a large
number of small parcels, and
• Because two-thirds of the land has not yet been zoned -- and
zoning procedures are much improved, the Community Plan and Land
Development Code are coming online and opportunities for community
participation are greatly expanded -- the land will be developed
satisfying much higher standards than have applied anywhere in Lee
County until now, and
• When the already zoned properties are ready for development the
developer must submit detailed development plans to the County for
approval. The County may only approve those plans if they are
consistent with the Land Development Code in force at that time.
That is what phase two of the Community Planning effort is all
about--amending the land development code so that the appearance
standards applicable to these properties is consistent with the
vision of Estero as set forth in the Community Plan.
• The vast majority of the land along these roadways that has
already been zoned has not yet been developed, we have a chance
through the Community Plan and its related Land Development Code (LDC)
changes to affect the appearance of that portion of it that is
developed after the Plan and the LDC changes become effective.
(on the east side of 41 from Williams Road to Coconut
Road )
On November 26th
Estero's largest development prospect
ever took another step toward approval. The Lee County Land Planning
Agency voted to accept the following staff recommendations:
-
To change the Future Land Use designation of the 483
acre site from "Rural" to "Urban Community", and
-
To add to the Lee County Comprehensive Plan language that would permit
consideration of a Regional Commercial development on the site provided
that:
-
A minimum of one acre is donated (with impact fee credit) for use as
a fire station prior to any development taking place on the site, and
-
A minimum of 5 acres is donated (with possible impact fee credits) to
the Lee County School District for a school site prior to any
development on the site.
The staff report found that "overall road access to the
subject property from the surrounding road network is better than the
access to the other two potential regional mall sites." Although the
report noted four road segments that will operate below acceptable
levels of service once the Mall is in operation, it was far less
critical of the project's road impact than earlier reports. This change
is likely to be due to the acceleration of some road improvements that
will be serving Estero in the next several years--principally the
widening of 41 and the widening and completion of Three Oaks Parkway.
The developer is also promoting construction of a four lane extension of
Sandy Lane from Corkscrew on the north through the development and
terminating at Old 41 in Bonita Springs.
Finally the staff report reviewed the proposed project
in terms of compliance with the pending
Estero Community Plan
provisions. In particular it noted the following provision:
"Policy 19.1.4 of the new language states that the
Estero Community will work in conjunction with private developers,
public agencies and community service providers to establish one or
several town commons that encourage the location of a post office,
public meeting hall, outdoor plaza, governmental offices, medical
providers and recreational opportunities."
The report continues "…staff believes that the final
development will be a town center concept that could allow for the types
of uses listed under Policy 19.1.4. The applicant has submitted that the
proposed mall will function as a community center, in a manner that is
consistent with the vision of the
Estero Community Plan."
It is comforting to see that the
Estero Community Plan
is already being used by County staff on major decisions such as this.
Promotional materials now being used by the developer
for the project state the following fast facts:
• With five department stores, the center will bring
upscale retailing and higher-end fashion stores to an affluent trade
area that extends from Naples to Ft. Myers.
• The total 500-acre project will encompass 1 million square feet of
retail, 1200 residential units, 300,000 square feet of office space
and 600 hotel rooms.
• A master-planned development, the site will feature a town square
and plenty of green space, with bike paths and pedestrian walkways.
• The exciting new location will incorporate the latest urban design
features.
The segment of Three Oaks now under construction between
Corkscrew and Williams Road is still scheduled for completion in early
March 2002. To date the site has been cleared, filling and utility and
drainage lines have started and box culvert installation is nearing
completion. Construction steps yet to be completed are laying the base
materials, limerock and asphalt, adding the curbs and sidewalks (both
sides of street) and sloping the area surrounding the road. Efforts are
underway to provide the Estero Fire Rescue District's new
Three Oaks
station use of the road by year end. Although funding has now been
secured for "core median landscaping" this aspect of the road design
work has not yet started. ECCO sponsored a meeting with some of the
owners along this road segment and county roadway landscaping and
public-private partnership personnel to discuss the possibility of
installing and maintaining upgraded median landscaping for this segment.
The meeting resulted in the initiation of efforts to define the kind of
upgrades that would make sense for this and other Estero road segments
that will be "core" landscaped by Lee County or the State of Florida.
The segment of Coconut Road extending from 41 to Estero
Bay and servicing the
Hyatt Coconut Pointe Resort,
The Colony,
Meadowbrook,
Coconut Shores,
Eldorado Acres and homes located at the end
of Spring Creek Road has been widened with new sidewalks and landscaping
installed. Once underground gas lines have been relocated the remaining
ditch work, final layer of paving and striping will be completed by year
end.
Bonita Bay Group reports that the two lane segment of
Williams Road from River Ranch Road to Three Oaks Parkway will be
constructed during the spring of 2002. This will improve fire service to
residents of West Bay Club,
Fountain Lakes and
Marsh Landing from the
new Three Oaks Parkway station.
from the North-end of Old 41 to Corkscrew Road
Governor Bush has signed "economic stimulus" legislation
accelerating the construction of this segment of U. S. 41 by 4 years
from 2006 to the middle of next year. Eleven million dollars has been
appropriated by the state for the design and construction of the
project. No additional right of way will be required so actual
construction of the road could begin next year. The 2002 project will
not include median landscaping but does include the installation of
sleeves that will ultimately encase the water and electric lines to the
roadway medians. $704,000 has been allocated by the State for median
landscaping and its irrigation system to be installed during the 2006-07
fiscal year.
from Ben Hill Griffin to Three Oaks Parkway
Lee County DOT is negotiating a contract with the number
one ranked consultant (PBS&J) to design this four lane road and overpass
segment. The design phase is the second phase in highway construction
after right-of-way acquisition and preceding the construction phase.
Obtaining the necessary Federal approvals for constructing a bridge over
a federal interstate highway is part of the work that will be completed
in this phase. The design phase is expected to require about one year.
Construction will also require about one year, however no date has been
set for the start of construction.
Most of the funding for this road segment is being
provided by the impact fee and Development of Regional Impact (DRI) road
payments required of the Miramar Lakes project. As of this time it is
estimated that another $4.2 million will need to be allocated to this
project for it to be fully funded.
Median landscaping and lighting will be included in the
design of this road segment due to the fact that much of the segment is
located in the University Overlay district. No funding has yet been
approved for roadway landscaping and lighting on the western end of the
project from I-75 to Three Oaks Parkway.
In mid month Lodge Construction was selected to manage
construction of this project by the Board of County Commissioners. They
will start the bidding process in January 2002 and will then manage the
project from start to finish. Construction is expected to begin by
mid-March.
The project includes the installation of landscaping and
irrigation in the median areas of Ben Hill Griffin Parkway from Alico
Road to Corkscrew Road and Corkscrew Road from Ben Hill Griffin to I-75,
a distance of over 4 miles. The landscaping consists of trees, shrubs
and groundcover. The irrigation system includes the assembly and
construction of an automatic system including seven wells and an
electrical system that covers the entire area.
(On south side of Koreshan Boulevard between 41 and
Three Oaks)
On December 4th the Board of County Commissioners will
decide if they want to accept a petition to rehear
this residential
zoning case. The staff report recommends approval of the petition for
rehearing based upon the applicant offering new evidence that the Board
did not previously consider. That new evidence is the letter of
agreement between the developer and ECCO supporting 4.0 units per acres
subject to the five commitments made by the developer to ECCO that were
detailed in last staff recommendation then the Board will consider the
substance of the developers request and the concessions of the developer
at a later meeting.
On November 14th Hearing Examiner Diana Parker approved
the Hospital's request to add a 155 bed skilled nursing facility as a
permitted use on a 9.6 acre site located at 3850 Williams Road, about
350 west of the intersection of 41 and Williams. The building could be
as high as 65 feet and therefore must satisfy county building separation
standards. According to the Hearing Examiners report the applicant has
already received a Certificate of Need from the State of Florida and
indicated their intent to begin construction on the project as soon as
the amendment receives its final approval by the Board of County
Commissioners.
Rookery Point is the first development to begin
construction on Koreshan Boulevard between U. S. 41 and Three Oaks
Parkway. This relatively new Estero residential community is located
around a commercial parcel of property on the southwest corner of
Koreshan Boulevard and Three Oaks Parkway. When completed
Rookery Point will consist of 236 single family homes and 118 two story town homes.
The project features Arthur Rutenberg homes and is being developed by
Keystone Custom Homes. Already over one-third of the single family homes
have been sold.
Keystone recently received Lee County zoning approval
for another project on Koreshan--the Estero Golf Resort. This project
will be located about one mile west of
Rookery Point on the northeast
corner of Koreshan and 41, immediately south and east of The
Vines. In
addition to an 18 hole golf course, a total of 820 housing units,
320,000 square feet of retail and 20,000 square feet of office are
planned for this large site.
Indigo Isles (see article in this report) is located
immediately adjacent to both these projects--just west of Rookery Point
and southeast of the Estero Golf Resort. In total the three projects
contain about 50% of the front footage along both sides of Koreshan
between 41 and Three Oaks. ECCO will be enlisting the support of each of
these developers, and the other landowners, to work with us and the
County Transportation Department to help finance the installation and
maintenance of upgraded median landscaping for this segment of Koreshan
Boulevard.
As the following chart shows residential building permit
activity continued to decline in Estero during October with 115 units
permitted with a building value of $17.8 million. In spite of the
slowdown in September and October the total number of residential units
permitted in Estero this year still equals the total for the same period
last year.
As the following chart indicates Unincorporated Lee
County and Bonita Springs have fared little better than Estero. The
value of Estero's residential permits still equals 40% to 50% of the
total for all the rest of unincorporated Lee County and still ranges
from 3.2 to 3.8 times the Bonita total.
On November 27th the Board of County Commissioners voted
to impose school impact fees effective four days later -- on December 1,
2001. This short deadline was intended to prevent developers from
quickly obtaining permits before the deadline and avoiding the increased
fees. However the last day for permitting under the old fee schedule
produced four times the normal rate and a surge of new permit
applications. While these applications would not avoid the school impact
fees under the ordinance establishing them, they could avoid the fees if
the Board should reconsider its deadline or the courts should so decide.
In any event Novembers permit statistics will be somewhat inflated due
to the decision to impose the new school impact fees.
If the fees result in higher prices for housing in Lee
County (as likely in most cases) housing starts may be somewhat
adversely affected. In addition an amendment to the Florida building
code strengthening several requirements (and raising the cost of new
homes) will become effective on January 1, 2002 unless delayed by the
legislature which is now meeting.
