Estero Development Report
Volume 2, Number 6
Edited by ECCO--the Estero Concerned
Citizens Organization Estero Development Activities during October 2002 November Opportunities for Citizen Participation In Protecting Estero's Quality of Life
Estero Chamber of Commerce WebsiteIncludes the Estero Development Report and Other Important Estero Development DocumentsThe Estero Chamber website at www.esterochamber.org now includes the monthly Estero Development Report and many important Estero Planning documents including:
In addition the website contains much information about Estero and its public and private institutions and businesses. Visit the site often you will find it both useful and informative.
Simon Suncoast
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The Brooks |
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Estero Chamber of Commerce |
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Traffic and Roads
We believe that the proposed Coconut Point Mixed-use Planned Development is far better than piecemeal development of this 483 acre property, but the county and state road network that serves Estero needs to be expanded in time to handle the increased traffic caused by the entire project, not just the 1,800,000 square foot of retail included within it.
High Priority Concerns
Our first priorities as a community are:
accelerated construction of Sandy Lane as a four lane road with closed drainage, curb and gutter within a 120 foot right-of-way from Corkscrew Road to Williams Road and no less than a 100 foot right-of-way from Williams Road to the Bonita Springs boundary, and
- a commitment from the Developers that they will include in their contracts with all of the project’s prime or general contractors a provision to use construction routes other than Coconut Road and Three Oaks Parkway within the Brooks.. Those contracts will specify that Sandy Lane will be the approved construction route for the development as soon as it is operational. In addition the Developers agree to establish a system for receiving complaints from the public regarding contractor vehicles that are not using the contractually designated routes, for advising the contractors about these contractual violations and seeking their help in curbing those violations, and
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allocate (pipeline) $8.5 million of the $14.6 million of proportionate share funds to four-laning Sandy Lane, improvement of the I-75 Corkscrew / Road Interchange and the balance of the $8.5 million, if any, for acquisition of right-of-way for same and allocate the $6.1 million balance of the proportionate share funds to other local roadway needs including accelerating the construction of Three Oaks Parkway between Terry Street and Coconut Road.
In order to achieve these high priority concerns, the Estero Communities and Organizations and the Developers, both Simon Property Group and Oakbrook Properties, agree to seek appropriate language in the permitting documents to implement the following:
- That, assuming a Developer’s Agreement acceptable to the Developers providing for Impact Fee Credits as outlined above, Sandy Lane shall be constructed by the developer as a four lane road between Corkscrew Road and the Bonita Springs boundary on a schedule which shall begin concurrent with the commencement of construction on Tract 2A shall proceed on the fastest practical schedule so that it is substantially completed no later than the date of issuance of certificates of occupancy for the first 800,000 square feet of the regional retail facility on Tract 2A.;
- That not more than 800,000 square feet of the authorized retail space and 60% of the balance of the project, as measured by its share of total project traffic, shall be open to the public (Certificates of Occupancy for residential uses) before September 1, 2005;
- That not more than 1,200,000 square feet of the authorized retail space and 80% of the balance of the project, as measured by its share of total project traffic, shall be open to the public (Certificates of Occupancy for residential uses) before September 1, 2006;
- That the Buildout Extension provisions of the DRI Development Order be amended to extend the project buildout date from December 31, 2006 to December 31, 2008 without further analysis or any additional Proportionate Share assessment;
- That the "Pipelined Improvements" section of the DRI Development Order be amended to include 4 lane construction of Three Oaks Parkway from Terry Street to Coconut Road; 4 lane widening of Three Oaks Parkway from Alico Road to Corkscrew Road and 4 lane construction of Koreshan Boulevard from Ben Hill Griffin to Three Oaks Parkway while deleting the provision for six laning Three Oaks Parkway from Williams Road to Corkscrew Road.
Other Concerns and Objectives
The Developers have expressed their support for and willingness to cooperate with the Estero community in accomplishing the following objectives:
- That Lee County, the City of Bonita Springs, FDOT, and all other permitting and planning agencies associated with road projects essential to the Coconut Point project properly monitor and actively manage the progress of those road projects to insure their timely commencement and completion and provide ample opportunity for public participation in decisions affecting the timing of and allocation of funds for those roadway improvements.
- Obtaining a commitment from the City of Bonita Springs to extend Sandy Lane from the south end of the project to Old 41 as soon as possible after Old 41 is widened to four lanes between US 41 and Rosemary Road.
- To obtain a commitment from the County, Florida DOT, the Metropolitan Planning Agency and all other interested public and private entities and groups to accelerate the 6-laning construction of US 41 between Corkscrew Road and San Carlos Boulevard to the earliest feasible date.
- To obtain from the county and state commitments for all traffic control projects in the surrounding area including entries into the various Brooks communities from Coconut Road and Three Oaks Parkway. The Developers have agreed to support the efforts of The Brooks residents regarding the installation of traffic lights at the corner of Coconut Road and Sandy Lane.
Project Appearance
The entire Coconut Point Project will conform to the architectural and other guidelines presented in the “Beauty Book”.
The Developers agree to use shielded lighting fixtures in parking areas and in street lighting applications (if acceptable to the County) to minimize impacts on the neighboring residential communities.
The Estero Community Planning Panel has submitted to the County provisions for an "Overlay District" for US 41 including this site. The Panel expects these provisions to be adopted, with some amendment, early next year. An agreement with the Developer that would ensure that the Developer will work with the Estero Community Planning Panel to craft "Overlay District" provisions that will apply to the project and all the other development in Estero along both US 41 and Sandy Lane.
The "Overlay District" standards are expected to apply to the following features: architectural theme, landscaping, graphic design theme, signage, lighting, streetscaping, enhanced building architectural features, open space, public places, sidewalks and bike paths, parking, property interconnections, building colors, compatibility with adjacent buildings, façade treatments, window treatments, bicycle racks, mechanical screening, paving, pond design, and service areas.
Buffering Surrounding Properties
Housing units along the western boundary of the Brooks will be most affected by the approved zoning and site layout of the Coconut Point project. The Master Concept Plan for the project locates long segments of Sandy Lane along the eastern boundary of the site. The Developers have agreed to provide an 8 foot high visual barrier which may be a berm, wall or combination thereof, with appropriate landscaping, along the eastern side of Sandy Lane whenever any existing or proposed residences in The Brooks are or would be within 250 feet of the eastern edge of the pavement of Sandy Lane. Such visual barrier may be constructed, in part, or in whole, within the right-of-way of Sandy Lane.
Estero Road Improvement Progress
County Three
Oaks Parkway
Construction Status Report
On September 3rd the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted to delay for two years the construction of Three Oaks Parkway from Terry Street to Coconut Road due to the increased cost of constructing the road on the route finally selected by the City of Bonita Springs.
At the October 1st BOCC meeting Commissioners Coy and Judah expressed concern about the two year delay. Commissioner Judah asked that the Department prepare a report for the Board's November 4th Management and Planning meeting assessing how soon the road can be permitted, right of way acquired, constructed and funded.
The DOT Report summarizes "the status of all the segments of the Three Oaks/Imperial/Livingston projects from Daniels Parkway to the Collier County line, providing a realistic estimate of the production schedules of each phase)….In order to maintain a balanced CIP (Capital Improvement Plan), an advancement of the construction phase back to FY 2003/04 (which would be necessary to complete the project in 2005) would have to fit within available revenues (both City and County), or some other already-programmed project phase would have to be delayed to free up funds. As demonstrated in the attachments, however, the advancement of the Three Oaks South construction phase is not really a matter of money – it is limited by production constraints." (Underline added for emphasis)
The Report projects a pretty gloomy picture in terms of construction completion dates for some road segments important to Estero, most of it due to the long permitting periods included in the forecast.
The report's forecast can be summarized as follows:
- Daniels to Alico---completion from now = 68 months (June 2008) of which permitting is 34 months or 50% of the time;
- Alico to Corkscrew -- completion from now = 44 months (June 2006) of which permitting is 26 months or 59% of the time;
- The Brooks to Terry Street -- completion from now = 56 months (June 2007) of which permitting is 24-26 months or 46% of the time;
- Terry to Bonita Beach Road -- completion from now = 44 months (June 2006) of which permitting is 26 months or 59% of the time;
Importantly the report states that "The County is currently pursuing an area wide mitigation strategy with the environmental permitting agencies." In a subsequent email Dave Loveland, Director of Planning for the Department, explains this strategy as follows: "…we are working with the permitting agencies to see if we can define the overall mitigation scheme needs for all the roads in our CIP (Capital Improvement Plan), and ultimately in our long range plan -- then as each individual road project comes in, they would simply do their share of the overall scheme. Hopefully that would make the permitting process much shorter. We envision this also being expanded to other public works projects, and we are working with other County Departments such as Natural Resources and Planning, and other agencies such as FDOT and the Regional Planning Council. Our preliminary discussions with the permitting agencies have been somewhat positive, but the key is we need them to quantify the appropriate mitigation (which varies for different issues like wildlife or water quality) and we don't know how long it will take."
Estero's community leaders plan on working with the development community, the County and other agencies to pursue this and other strategies that will accelerate completion of Three Oaks and other important roadways.
County Advances Roadway Design Funds for US 41 From Corkscrew Road to San Carlos Boulevard
On October 8th the BOCC approved an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to advance the State $1.7 million to permit the design of this segment as a six-lane road to be advance by about two years.
This segment of US 41 is the only segment in south lee County not programmed for 6 laning by the state. Currently FDOT has programmed the design of the road for State Fiscal Year 2004-05; programmed 60% of the right of way for the 2006-07 fiscal year; the balance of the right of way for the 2007-08 fiscal year and has not programmed the construction phase for any time period.
The phases of US 41 south of this segment were advanced by special state fiscal stimulus programs and the willingness of large developers to accept water from US 41 into their drainage systems. The state's ability to take advantage of such opportunities are greatly enhanced by having the design phase completed. We expect to be working with the County and State to take advantage of any acceleration opportunities for this road segment that may arise.
Local Hearing on Widening I-75 to Six Lanes
On October 22nd FDOT held a Public Hearing in Estero to discuss their plans for widening I-75 to six lanes from Daniels Parkway to Golden Gate Parkway starting in 2007. If the Federal Highway Administration approves the plans, design work on this important improvement may begin late this year.
Estero Community Planning Panel (ECPP) Activities
The ECPP met twice during the month of October. This section summarizes all the activities of the ECPP except for the developer presentations that are discussed in the Estero Development Project Status Reports section.
October 17th Meeting
This ECPP meeting dealt primarily with the proposed name change applicable to all or part of Corkscrew Road. The presentation in support of changing the name of the segment of Corkscrew between I-75 and Ben Hill Griffin Boulevard to Corkscrew Road/Miromar Outlets Boulevard was made by Commissioner Ray Judah, Miromar President Margaret Miller, Miromar Vice President Jerry Schmoyer, Miromar Outlets Manager Jeff Stamer, and the Chairman of the Estero Chamber of Commerce, Meg Judge. Commissioner Judah apologized for getting the County Board of Commissioners to act on the name change without consulting the Panel first. Mr. Schmoyer also apologized for not consulting the community on this issue.
Schmoyer indicated that the developers goal has been to obtain signage on I-75 that would let drivers know that the Miromar Outlets Mall is at this exit. He stated that the FDOT will not permit signs near the Estero exit from I-75 that says “Miromar Outlets” because their rules require the mall to contain at least one million square foot.
The problem Miromar is addressing with its proposal is that the mall is not visible to drivers coming from the south on I-75 until they are already at the exit. Margaret Miller emphasized that the problem is a safety issue and she doesn’t want to see someone killed before something is done about the signage. Jeff Stamer said they have had numerous complaints from people who missed the exit.
Meg Judge complimented the Panel on the award recognition they have received from the Florida Planning and Zoning Association and said she thought Commissioner Judah had done the right thing. She faulted the State for not permitting the Outlets to have a highway sign like the Teco Arena as a tourist attraction.
John Davis, from the Lee County Department of Transportation, explained that Teco qualified for this sign because they have 5,000 seats with most of the attendance arriving and leaving at the same time. He also indicated that if a restaurant had Miromar Outlets in its name it might qualify for a logo sign, but there is no more room for such logo signs at that exit.
A number of Estero residents spoke in opposition to the name change and one spoke in support. There was considerable support for trying to get the State to change its position on no roadside sign for Miromar without changing the name of Corkscrew Road, even if this required State legislative action. A show of hands resulting in 13 votes in favor of the name change with most of the rest of the some 75 persons in attendance voting against a name change or expressing no opinion.
Noethlich asked for and received a promise from Miromar and Commissioner Judah to meet with a working group of Estero residents, which he will appoint to see if some kind of accommodation can be agreed upon.
Later in this meeting Don Eslick, a panel member, presented a letter from Charles Basinet spelling out changes the owners of the Corlico Village project are willing to make to their zoning request in response to questions raised by the ECPP at an earlier meeting. This project will span both sides of Koreshan Blvd once it is extended from Three Oaks to Ben Hill Griffin Boulevard. The owners have agreed to eliminate nine uses and to restrict three others that the Panel found objectionable. The total retail space now being requested by the developer has been reduced from 240,000 square feet to 78,200 square feet. Eslick recommended and the Panel agreed to approve the plans for Corlico Village as modified by this request.
October 29th Meeting
Bob Stewart, Lee County Department of Community Development sign enforcement officer, led a discussion about the Estero commercial corridor signage provisions that the Panel has proposed to the County. The proposal would prohibit all billboard and pole signs and restrict the size and design of all monument signs. It was agreed by the group in attendance that exposed neon signs, electronic message signs and off-site signs should not be permitted in Estero.
Stewart asked the residents to consider what they want and don’t want in signs. The need for clearly visible addresses was cited as a need. Temporary permit signs were discussed and it was agreed that their use for commercial purposes should be banned or severely limited while the use for non-profit events such as Church bazaars and events would be permitted and regulated. Balloons and banners should be prohibited for commercial sales.
Noethlich asked for volunteers to photograph Estero signs that they liked and disliked both in daytime and after dark, to provide a basis for deciding what community sign standards should be adopted. Sis Newberry and Linda Horne agreed to undertake the photo work.
Another discussion about possible Corkscrew Road name change possibilities did not produce any agreement.
Estero's 2002 Permitted Housing Unit Growth
During September 129 housing units were permitted in Estero with a total building value of $19.4 million. Year to date 1,124 housing units have been permitted in Estero down from over 1,700 last year and in 2000.
Even with this slowdown thus far this year Estero has still produced 24% of the residential building permit value, excluding land, for all of unincorporated Lee County.
When compared to Bonita Springs the value of residential housing units permitted in Estero thus far this year is 84% higher. Estero's year to date permitted commercial building value is only 35% as large as Bonita's. Overall the building value for all kinds of properties permitted in Estero during 2002 exceeds Bonita Springs by 24%.
Estero Roadway Median Landscaping Update
US 41 from Old 41 to Corkscrew Road
On October 22nd the BOCC approved a Joint Project Agreement with Florida DOT for landscape and irrigation design on this segment of US 41 and a budget amendment providing $60,000 for this project. The State will reimburse the County for these expenditures in a few years. The landscape irrigation design will provide FDOT with the information it needs to install irrigation sleeves during roadway construction, thus reducing landscape and irrigation installation costs by eliminating the need for directional boring under the roadway for irrigation system pipe sleeves.
The total length of this road segment is 3.5 miles, of which 2.79 miles is in Estero and .71 miles in Bonita Springs. The landscaping of both segments will be designed under this agreement to provide continuity throughout the entire route.
Construction of this road segment was begun on September 16th.
Corkscrew Road
from Sandy Lane to Corkscrew Woodlands
Construction is underway on the irrigation wells and water distribution system that will support the "core" landscaping, mainly canopy trees, that will soon be installed.
Corkscrew Road and Three Oaks Parkway "Intensive" Roadway Landscaping Approved by the BOCC
On October 29th the BOCC approved the Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee's recommendation that $600,000 of the additional $2,000,000 added to the County roadway landscape program for this fiscal year to be allocated to the following Estero projects:
- Corkscrew Road from US 41 to Corkscrew Woodlands, and
- Three Oaks Parkway from Williams Road to Corkscrew Road.
The Transportation Department's Report to the BOCC described these projects as follows: "The plan is to elevate the core level to provide a continuation of the treescape concept with trees at approximately half the spacing and to elevate additional roadside opportunities…" With this action county staff can now start the landscape design process for these projects.
Estero Development
Project Status
Reports
Koreshan Boulevard, ultimately the western entrance to Florida Gulf Coast University, is rapidly becoming a beautiful parkway lined with upscale, intensively landscaped residential communities. Development of Rookery Pointe has progressed rapidly during the last year. Extensive site preparation has been proceeding for months at The Cascades and now its long roadside frontage is being enhanced by the extensive berming and planting that Levitt Homes uses for its residential projects. As discussed in the following article Toll Brothers, another well known and respected national residential developer, is seeking permission from the county to begin building another large upscale residential community along Koreshan. When completed in a few years these three upscale projects will add 1,500 housing units and about 3,000 total residents to the Estero community.
Estero Golf Resort
Recently Doug Kubik, Assistant Vice President of Toll Brothers and Richard H. McCormick, P.E., Vice President of Heidt & Associates, presented information to the ECPP regarding Toll Brothers plans for building 437 single family homes on 240 acres approximately ½ mile east of US 41 on the north side of Koreshan Blvd. The property is part of what has been known as the Estero Golf Resort project.
Toll Brothers labels themselves as "The Nation's Leading Builder of Luxury Homes". The company is:
- traded on the New York Stock Exchange;
- a Fortune 1000 firm;
- the country's 8th largest home builder;
- selling homes from 155 residential communities in 21 states;
- building over 4,000 luxury homes per year with an average price of $500,000;
- currently marketing and building Naples Lake Country Club in Naples.
The Koreshan Boulevard project, as yet unnamed, will be a gated single family home community of detached villas and estate style homes, mostly with lake and preserve views. Base prices for homes in the project will range from $300,000 to $500,000. It will be built in a Mediterranean revival style. The project will have an 8,000 square foot community center including a fitness center, card, billiard and multipurpose rooms. It will also contain 5 tennis courts, a basketball court, a pool and parks in each of several neighborhoods. The project will also contain a wetland with a boardwalk and sidewalks will connect the various neighborhoods.
The Community Center and other amenities, the Sales Center and four model homes are planned to be completed in the Spring of 2004 with initial homes being occupied later that year.
Toll Brothers is acquiring only the Estero Golf Resort property that is east of the railroad tracks. The Koreshan frontage of the Toll Brothers property will extend from the railroad tracks to the western edge of the Sandy Lane ROW extension.
The developer will fulfill the Koreshan roadway median landscaping arrangements that have been agreed to by the previous owners and the other property owners along Koreshan.
The approvals being sought at this time are for the sales centers, three residential pods and infrastructure for the entire site. The developer agreed to return to the ECPP when detailed designs and renderings are available for the entryway and the community center.
Marbella Estates
Jeffrey Jenkins, Vanasse & Daylor and Charles Basinait, Henderson, Starnes & Holt, presented Pelican Bay Development's rezoning plans for Marbella Estates, a 41 acre residential project located approximately one-half mile west of US 41 on the north side of Broadway. The proposed project would be a gated community containing a maximum of 24 single-family homes, 18 duplexes and up to 124 multi-families units. The plan would contain no more than 167 housing units or about 4 units per acre with no buildings being higher than two stories. The plan also proposes a Clubhouse and two large lakes in the center of the property. The Master Concept Plan clusters units in smaller communities to ensure that upland preserves are retained and that adequate drainage is provided.
The developer is seeking three deviations from the County Land Development Code. The only one that could be controversial is the wavier from the requirement that the project have two entrances. This is a problem for the project because the property has no access to US 41 on the north, thus all project traffic will be channeled to Broadway.
Neighboring residents pointed out that the project is located in an area that already has a serious flooding problem and that Broadway is too narrow for existing traffic, much less the added traffic of the project. Basinait promised to contact the County to encourage them to clean-out the ditch along Broadway in order to reduce the flooding problem. He further noted that the developer is prohibited by County and the Water District rules from adding any water flow above and beyond that which is already exiting the property and that the project will be four retention lakes to hold water for later release. Fear was expressed that the retention lakes will fill and discharge at a time when there is the still great potential for flooding.
It was also suggested that the developer attempt to obtain a construction road from US41 through the vacant property of adjacent commercial property owners. There will be a deceleration lane off Broadway into the project. It was suggested that the Panel should confer with the County about the construction of a connecter road between Broadway and Pine.
Pending Estero
Zoning Applications
The County Community Development Department zoning staff is helping the ECPP and the community to monitor and participate in pending Estero zoning decisions by creating a computer file containing key dates and assignments for each application and providing monthly email updates. Presently there are thirteen (13) projects at various stages of the zoning approval process. Eight of the thirteen projects are located along Corkscrew Road west of I-75; two in the vicinity of Koreshan Boulevard and Three Oaks Parkway; and two on the west side of US 41 south of Corkscrew Road. Nine of the thirteen contain some commercial development while five of the thirteen contain some residential development.
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