Estero Development ReportVolume
5, Number 8 Edited by ECCL--the Estero Council of Community Leaders
This Report is available on the Estero Fire Rescue website
at
www.esterofire.org
January Opportunities for Citizen Participation
IndexEstero Community WebsiteTo learn more about Estero and its growth management efforts view the new website of:
The site is still in formation.… your suggestions for improvement are most welcome. 2006 – 2007 Roadway MonitorThe following seven roadway projects are scheduled for construction in and around Estero during the next two years. They must stay on schedule if south Lee County is to avoid even more traffic gridlock as Estero’s residential growth rate increases and our commercial growth takes off. With the help of FDOT and Lee DOT staff this and subsequent EDR reports will identify the key schedule deadlines for each project so that any delays are observed and corrected as soon as possible. State ProjectsUS 41 from Old 41 in Collier County to Bonita Beach RoadConstruction Underway…Completion Date… January 2006 US 41 from Bonita Beach Road to Old 41 by Pelican LandingConstruction Underway…Completion Date…May 2006 US
41 from Corkscrew Road to San Carlos Boulevard
|
|
Action |
Responsible Party |
Planned Date |
Actual Date |
|---|---|---|---|
|
60% Design Complete |
Regional FDOT |
|
Complete 6-05 |
|
Research Financing Alternatives |
Lee County with FDOT assistance |
February 2006 |
|
|
Community Meeting |
Regional FDOT |
November 2005 |
Still waiting |
|
90% Design Complete |
Regional FDOT |
Mid 2006 |
|
|
ROW Complete |
Regional FDOT |
Early 2007 |
|
|
Start Construction |
Regional FDOT |
|
|
County Projects
On September 16th Don DeBerry, Lee County DOT’s Manager for Road Design, Permitting and Right-of Way Acquisition phases, discussed the status and plans for the County’s five major roadway projects expected to be completed in the Estero Area during the next two years. The following sections include information from DeBerry’s monthly project reports as well.
The introductory dates in DeBerry’s report indicate the month that the project will be bid. It usually takes the County about three months to complete the bidding/contractor selection process. The abbreviation “4L” means four lanes, etc.
Three Oaks Parkway/Imperial/Livingston Corridor
“DECEMBER 05
PROJECT: Three Oaks Pkwy. South 4L Extension, E. Terry St. to The Brooks
CONSTRUCTION BUDGET: $19.2 million
PROJECT MANAGER: Nicole Maxey (479-8569)
STATUS: Advertising for bids commenced on December 23, 2005.
Thus the estimated completion month is December 2007.
“FEBRUARY 06
PROJECT: Imperial St. 4L, Bonita Beach Rd. to E. Terry St.
CONSTRUCTION BUDGET: $7.4 million
PROJECT MANAGER: Nicole Maxey (479-8569)
STATUS: Still on schedule for February bidding; anticipated construction time 15 months.
Thus the estimated completion month is August 2007.
“APRIL 06
PROJECT: Three Oaks Pkwy. 4L, Corkscrew Rd. to Alico Rd.
CONSTRUCTION BUDGET: $11.8 million
PROJECT MANAGER: Betsy Rowan (479-8511)
STATUS: This project may be delayed somewhat by the timing of approval of a permit from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) which is necessary, in turn, for Core of Engineers (USACOE) permit approval plus the time needed to obtain BOCC approval. The project can be bid after SFWMD and BOCC approval but before USACOE approval. Anticipated construction time 18 months.
Thus the estimated completion month is likely to be later than the planned January 2008 date. Timely completion of this segment is urgently needed because the adjacent I-75 widening is planned to start in early 2007 and the widening of US 41 parallel to this segment could commence in late 2006 if funding becomes available.
Estero Parkway
“JUNE 06
PROJECT: Estero Pkwy. 4L Extension, Three Oaks Pkwy. To Ben Hill Griffin Pkwy.
CONSTRUCTION BUDGET: $19.6 million
PROJECT MANAGER: Betsy Rowan (479-8511)
STATUS: Still on schedule for bidding in June 2006; anticipated construction time 21 months.”
Thus the estimated completion month is June 2008.
Corkscrew Road
“AUGUST 06
PROJECT: Corkscrew Rd. 4L, Ben Hill Griffin Pkwy. To East of Bella Terra
CONSTRUCTION BUDGET: $12.4 million
PROJECT MANAGER: Don DeBerry (479-8503)
STATUS: Still on schedule for bidding in August 2006; anticipated construction time 18 months.”
Thus the estimated completion month is May 2008.
Financing the Widening of US 41
from Corkscrew Road to San Carlos Park
On November 30th the State Infrastructure Bank loan intended to accelerate the construction of this segment was not approved by Headquarters in Tallahassee in spite of the support it had received by our Regional FDOT office. Shortly thereafter the BOCC discussed alternative funding mechanisms and asked Lee DOT staff to research the options and report back to it at the Board’s February Management and Planning Meeting. Some of the options under consideration involve a loan in the amount of $24 million, the FDOT estimated construction cost that would permit construction to begin in late 2006, with repayment of the loan from the funds that FDOT has budgeted for the project in late 2010. Thus the term of the loan is at least 4 years.
In August 2004 Wal-Mart, developers of a superstore on the northeast corner of US 41 and Estero Parkway, committed $1 million to pay interest on a loan that would accelerate the widening of this segment of US 41 to late 2006, when the design, permitting and right-of-way phases of the project are expected to be completed. Wal-Mart’s zoning on this property prevents them from beginning construction on this store until construction on the widening of US 41 is underway. In early December Hunt Development, developers of Santorini, a 30 acre mixed use project on the west side of US 41 at Estero Parkway, committed another $500,000 for interest on such a loan if it results in the widening beginning in 2006. Developers of two other major proposed projects along this route are likely candidates for this kind of support. County staff will include analysis of this option in their report to the BOCC in February.
The design and right of way is not yet complete due to the State’s need for a detention pond along the route. Efforts are underway to acquire some land on the southwest corner of Broadway and US 41for this purpose. The acquisition has been slowed by the County and State joint purchase of this 100 acre site for expansion of the Koreshan Historic Site. Now that this transaction has been closed, FDOT is negotiating with the County to acquire the needed land. Once this has been completed FDOT plans to conduct a long delayed community meeting regarding the design of the road.
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Once Again Rejects Coconut Road/ I-75 Interchange
On December 7th the MPO voted to remove the following projects from the 2030 Plan:
· a proposed Interchange at Coconut Road and I-75;
· an extension of Coconut Road connecting to the Interchange from the west;
· an I-75 flyover and Coconut Road extension to the proposed CR 951; and
· an intersection at Coconut Road and CR 951.
The same approved motion restores funding for six-laning Corkscrew Road between Ben Hill Griffin and Three Oaks Parkway.
In addition the vote eliminated a provision that would have opened up for development the property east of I-75 by allowing access to that land from the proposed Coconut Road extension. The County’s approval of CR 951 limits access to and from that road in order to prevent further residential or commercial development on the environmentally sensitive and water supply essential land along this route east of I-75. Finally the MPO voted to send a letter to our Congressman and Senators asking that the $10 million authorized for the Interchange be used instead for widening I-75.
Earlier, on September 23rd the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) voted to reject an amendment to the 2020 Plan that would add a Coconut Road/I-75 Interchange in spite of support for the interchange by the City of Bonita Springs and the Southwest Florida Transportation Initiative (SWFTI), a private sector transportation lobby group.
On December 21st the City of Bonita Springs voted unanimously to hire a consultant to study what traffic conditions will be like under the 2030 plan; how the traffic conditions would differ if the Coconut Road/I-75 Interchange were constructed and how they would differ if the Interchange and the flyover to CR 951 were also constructed.
In addition City Manager Gary Price suggested that City staff make a presentation to the Ft Myers City Council to request that one or more of their members who voted in opposition to the Interchange ask the MPO to vote for a third time on the issue. Only members who opposed the decision can make such a request. The City is taking all these actions in spite of the fact that the 2030 Plan will be thoroughly reviewed and revised in just five years.
The proponents of the Coconut Road/I-75 Interchange fail to appreciate the improvements that are in the pipeline for the next few years designed to improve traffic conditions in and around the Bonita Beach and Corkscrew Road Interchanges with I-75.
At present 10 lanes service east-west traffic in and around these two I-75 Interchanges…Bonita Beach Road and Corkscrew Road...they are 4 lanes on Bonita Beach Road, two on the East Terry Street Flyover and 4 at Corkscrew Road.
Within a few years, with the support of FDOT and Lee DOT, that number could be doubled by:
- Completing the current six-laning of Bonita Beach Road around the intersection,
- Widening East Terry Street from two to four lanes...from Old 41 to Imperial starting next year and from Imperial over I-75 to Bonita Grande starting in 2009...four laning Bonita Grande Between East Terry And Bonita Beach Road is also in the City's 5 year plan,
- Completing the Estero Parkway four lane flyover between Three Oaks Parkway and Ben Hill Griffin, scheduled to be started next year,
- Six laning of Corkscrew and rebuilding Its I-75 Interchange to facilitate the six-laning of Corkscrew Road.
The four-lane East Terry Street and Estero Parkway flyovers are designed to permit vehicles to cross I-75 without traveling through the Interchanges at Bonita Beach Road and Corkscrew Road.
The Corkscrew Road widening is the only one of these improvements that is not in the five-year Capital Improvement Plan of the related government. The expanded Corkscrew Interchange is already being designed; needs no additional right-of-way and is not in an environmentally sensitive area. Thus the improvements could be completed within five to seven years at an MPO estimated cost of only $28 million.
On the other hand the Coconut/I-75 interchange and its related projects cannot be completed for at least 8 to 10 years, and probably longer, because the evaluation, design, right of way, permitting and construction must be completed in an environmentally sensitive area and at nearly three times the cost ($79 million) of the Corkscrew improvements.
Finally completion of the three remaining segments of Imperial/Three Oaks Parkway will permit much of the east west traffic on these roads west of I-75 to use these new through roads and not have to travel all the way west to US 41 in order to reach many destinations to the north or south. This will substantially reduce traffic on Bonita Beach and Corkscrew Roads west of Imperial /Three Oaks once those segments are operational in mid-2007.
Southwest Florida Expressway Authority
In June Governor Bush signed legislation authorizing the creation of the Southwest Florida Tollway Authority with a focus on widening I-75 to ten or more lanes. Since then both Lee and Collier County have taken the necessary steps under the statute to establish the authority and to appoint some of the members of the Authority Board.
Meanwhile the Florida Turnpike Enterprise waited for the Collier and Lee County MPO’s to approve their respective 2030 plans, both of which were adopted in December, before proceeding with a study designed to determine when the additional lanes will be needed and how they might be funded. This study is now expected to be completed in April or May, 2006. Estimates prepared earlier this year forecast a cost of $780 million for expanding I-75 from six to ten lanes throughout the two county area. With the rapidly rising cost of highway construction this estimate is probably somewhat low already. On the other hand the sooner it is started the less it will cost.
Roadway Landscaping Update
US 41
from Old 41 in Bonita Springs to Corkscrew Road
Several years ago when this 3.5 mile road widening project was accelerated by the Florida legislature $704,000 was set aside to landscaping the median. Using some of these funds Lee County hired a landscape architect in 2002 to design the median landscaping for this segment. That design was approved by the Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee the following year.
About that time FDOT changed their rules reducing the size of trees that may be planted in the median of State roads designed for speeds of 50 mph or more. This new restriction prevents the use of large trees in the median of this road segment, contrary to the County’s core roadway landscaping policy. The County appealed this rule using zoning information associated with all the commercial developments planned for this road segment. The State repeatedly denied the appeal.
More recently the County authorized additional funds for US 41 landscaping and some of it was allocated to this road segment. Consequently on June 28th the BOCC approved a supplemental contract to the landscape designer of this project so that they could update the design to add the County financed plants. That design was presented to the Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee (RLAC) on December 6th. It received favorable reviews by the Committee along with several suggestions for improvement. The designers are now revising the design and plan to return to the RLAC in February for final approval. Meanwhile they have been working with FDOT to ensure that the State is satisfied with the design. Thereafter, the project can be prepared for bidding and installation, probably beginning in the summer of 2006.
Board of County Commissioners Approve Consolidated Land Development Code Changes for Estero
On December 13th the BOCC unanimously approved Estero’s most comprehensive set of Land Development Code (LDC) changes. These LDC provisions govern the layout, quality, compatibility and appearance of development in Estero. You can review all the Estero exclusive LDC provisions at http://esterofl.org/ecpp/LDC_Subdivision_V.htm.
These legal requirements, along with the Community Plan, will guide the Estero Community Planning Panel (ECPP) and the Estero Design Review Committee (EDRC) in their advisory review of requested zoning and project development (DO) applications from now on.
Recently, County staff decided to create a new chapter of the Land Development Code, Chapter 33, exclusively for “Planning Community Regulations”. As a result all of Estero’s unique Land Development Code provisions will be found in one place, not scattered around the County’s voluminous Land Development Code.
Earlier rounds of Estero LDC changes accomplished the following:
-
Increased buffering requirements for all commercial projects but especially between commercial and residential projects so that residents would not be negatively impacted by noise, odors and other forms of pollution,
- Special provisions for automobile service stations and convenience food and beverage stores to reduce the intensity of their canopy lighting, upgrade their appearance and limit their numbers by establishing a minimum separation distance,
- Created the Corkscrew Main Street Overlay District and established Design Standards and Property Development Regulations that impact all developments located along Corkscrew Road,
- Created General Signage Guidelines applicable throughout the Estero community.
When it comes to managing development the “devil is in the details”. As a result this consolidated Land Development Code amendment contains eighty sections; forty five pages of detailed provisions affected every aspect of any commercial project that want to locate in the Estero Planning Community and twenty-two pages of graphics that help to explain what the provisions are seeking.
In addition to consolidating and reorganizing all Estero’s existing provisions, the amendment makes the following major changes.
- Creates extensive standards for the development of “Big Boxes”, buildings with at least 50,000 square feet of retail space for a single user or 100,000 square feet for more than one user,
- Creates new Overlay Districts for Sandy Lane and US 41 applying most of the design standards that have been applicable along Corkscrew Road these last three years along with some new ones.
The Land Development Code organizes the thirty-three sections of the Estero Design Guidelines into five categories: Basic elements, Architectural, Landscaping, Transportation and Signs. The following are some examples of how each of these categories is raising the quality of development in Estero’s Overlay Districts that now contain all of the community’s commercial corridors.
Among the “basic elements” of the Design Guidelines are requirements that:
- “all utility lines must be located underground except when located within a public street or road with-of-way”,
- “Places of public interest/open space are intended to provide for areas of public interest within commercial developments and must be provided where possible. These areas must be equipped with amenities such as seating areas, structures that provide shade, drinking fountains and other amenities”.
- “Lighting must be given a distinct architectural theme that complements the building’s exterior. Light fixtures must complement the overall building development…. Provide lighting throughout all parking areas utilizing decorative light poles/fixtures.”
Some key Architectural Design Guidelines are:
- “The preferred architectural style in the Estero Planning Community is Mediterranean, with Old Florida where appropriate, and other styles of architecture that are deemed compatible with these styles”.
- “Buildings of less than 5,000 square feet of gross floor area must be designed with roofs having a minimum pitch of 30 degrees”.
- “…all proposed commercial, industrial, public and mixed use buildings must blend with and complement existing architectural features of adjacent structures constructed under these standards”.
- “Buildings must be designed to be visually appealing from all directions”.
- “Exterior facades of out-parcel buildings must be treated as primary facades and must employ architectural, site, and landscaping design elements that are common to the theme used on the main development on site including colors and materials associated with the main building”.
A few of the important Landscaping Design Guidelines are:
- “All landscape buffer designs should complement adjacent project buffers to help aid in establishing a continuous landscape theme within the Estero Planning Community”.
- “Developments must provide separation between pedestrian and vehicular movement by using plantings as space defining elements”.
- “All required trees must be a minimum 45 gallon container, 12-14 foot planted height, 6 foot spread and 31/2 inch caliper, or field grown equivalent, at the time of planting”. These are much larger trees than is required elsewhere in Lee County.
The transportation sections focus primarily on making Estero pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Some key provisions are:
- “Pedestrian walkways must be provided for each public vehicular entrance to a project…”
- “Sidewalks or bikeways must be installed along all project frontage roads, and whenever possible must be separated from the edge of pavement by a minimum 4’ planting strip”.
- “Bicycle racks are required for all retail and office developments within overlay districts’.
- “Developments must provide street furniture and other pedestrian amenities in their design”.
The Signage Design Guidelines include the following important provisions:
- Prohibit animated, emitting electronic changing message, figure structure, poll, pylon and off-site directional signs as well as the use of balloons, banners, pennants and other flying paraphernalia.
- Limits the use of temporary signs
- Extensively regulates all signage in all commercial and industrial areas so that all identification signs are monument signs that are wider than they are tall; may be no more than 17 feet in height; must use at least 25% of the sign for architectural design; must be lighted attractively; must match the architectural style of the building or development.
ECPP True Mixed Use Hearing
On December 12th the Estero Community Planning Panel (ECPP) sponsored a discussion of True Mixed Use development with a panel of County Officials and Developers with an interest in this type of development. Mixed use developments are projects that integrate retail, office, residential and sometimes industrial development in a way that permits residents of the community to live, work, shop and play in the community without driving from on location to another. The ECPP and Estero residents attending their community meetings have heard several presentations for developers over the last year or two seeking to develop mixed use developments in Estero and expressing some concern about limitations that the Lee County Land Development Code places on such developments. There is considerable support for such developments if it can be shown that their increased density will not produce more traffic congestion than the more specialized developments that they would replace.
Members of the panel included County Commissioner Ray Judah, County Smart Growth Director Wayne Daltry, County Planning Director Paul O’Connor, Andy D’Jamoos of JED Development, Jim Wallace, developer of Lighthouse Bay and Rapallo and Jerry Schmoyer of Miromar Development.
The Discussion indicated that none of the County’s many development categories specifically authorized this type of development. Several discussants on the panel and from the community argued that the County should amend the County’s Comprehensive Plan and/or the Land Development Code to provide some encouragement for this kind of development. On the other hand Paul O’Connor argued that the existing codes are flexible enough to accommodate such projects. He further indicated that the County would prefer that developers proposing such projects should submit them to the County to be negotiated with County staff using the existing codes. Several developers questioned this approach because of the high cost of developing such plans and the substantial risk that their proposal would not be financially feasible as approved by the County.
November Continues Estero Housing Expansion
During November Lee County issued building permits for another 138 housing units in Estero worth $27,312,894 excluding the increased value of the land under those units. The record increase in monthly residential permit value was set in September at nearly $92 million. The major contributor to this month’s permitted units was The Meadows of Estero with 74 units.
The following table shows how the first eleven months of 2005 compares with the same period during the prior five years.
|
Year |
Total January- December Housing Units |
Building Value of Units |
Average Building Value Per Unit |
Percentage of Single Family Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2000 |
1,956 |
$274,917,477 |
$140.551 |
41.5 |
|
2001 |
2,070 |
$318,309,650 |
$153,773 |
46.7 |
|
2002 |
1,418 |
$265,574,765 |
$187,288 |
50.2 |
|
2003 |
1,365 |
$219,137,397 |
$161,540 |
45.6 |
|
2004 |
1,485 |
$328,019,837 |
$220,889 |
61.8 |
|
2005 |
2,699 |
$600,971,677 |
$222,646 |
47.3 |
The 2,699 housing units permitted during the first eleven months of 2005 exceeds the total units permitted in any prior year by almost 630 housing units, or 37.5 percent. This year’s permitted units are up 82% from last year.
The total permitted value of these units, excluding land, exceeds the prior record set last year by over $273 million, an 83% increase, and is $54 million more than the total for the last two years combined.
The average building value during 2004 and 2005 of $222,034 (excluding land) is 43% higher than the average for the prior four years. This increase is due to the rapid increase in the cost of construction materials, the changing mix in the type of housing units being constructed (more single family and high rise units) along with many other factors.
The total value of permitted commercial buildings, exclusive of land, during the first 11 months of 2005 equals $83 million, the highest amount during this six year period. It is expected that the value of commercial permits will continue to grow in Estero over the next several years. Once again in November, Coconut Point was the major contributor with building shell and interior outfitting permits totaling $6.7 million.
The City of Bonita Spring’s housing development has been growing more rapidly during the last two years but has slowed in recent months and trails Estero on a year to date basis by 69% in housing unit value and 65% in the total value of permitted development during 2005.
REMINDER: The residential building value understates the cost of each residence because it excludes the value of the underlying land.
Estero Design Review Committee (EDRC) Reviews
On December 14th the EDRC reviewed several projects for consistency with the Estero Community Plan and the Lee County Land Development Code and its Estero components. The following sections summarize these reviews:
ABC Fine Wines and Spirits
The developers of Paradise Shoppes and ABC Fine Wines and Spirits met with the EDRC for the second time in December to discuss their Development Order plans for a store on Parcel 2B of the 22 acre Paradise Shoppes development located on the northwest corner of Williams Road and US 41. Paradise Shoppes had previously presented Parcel 2A to the EDRC. The ABC store would be connected to the multi use building on Parcel 2A and be compatible in appearance with it. The zoning for Paradise Shoppes contains design standards that apply to all the projects in the development. This is the fourth Paradise Shoppes project that has been presented to the EDRC in recent months. The others are a Walgreens drug store, a Steak n Shake restaurant and the building on Parcel 2A.
At the November meeting the Committee suggested that the building needed more vertical and horizontal articulation in its roof lines. With the entrance to the store on the corner of the building, the Committee suggested that the developer add some tall trees to break up the adjacent wall. The rear of the building should contain some design elements and perhaps two groups of palms surrounding it.
At the December meeting the developer presented a plan with parapets along the front roof line that were further extended than the original plan. The landscaping plan was amended to satisfy the Committee’s recommendations; some plantings were moved and some palms were added. The EDRC requested that the developer send a copy of the actual landscape plan to the committee when it is finalized.
Estero Ridge
In December the developers of Estero Ridge returned to present a revised plan for the development. Estero Ridge is a commercial development to be located on the southeast corner of Estero Parkway and US 41. The developer has commitments from three small restaurants, an insurance company and one or more hair salons. The site has two access points, one from US 41 and the other from Estero Parkway. A covered arcade lines the entrance side of the building.
When the developer made his earlier presentation he was not familiar with the Estero code requirements applicable to this site. Consequently the plans that were presented did not satisfy many of the design standards that have been established for all commercial projects in Estero.
The plans that were presented at the December meeting were greatly improved from the earlier presentation. The major changes include:
-
The design is completely different from the previous Key West submittal. The building architecture is now Mediterranean.
- The signs have been changed to the preferred channel lighting at the same elevation as before, but the tower signage has been removed,
- Plantings are clustered per the prior recommendations of the Committee,
- The parking isle end caps have been expande
- More shrubs and trees have been added to the buffers around the perimeter of the property,
- The committee reminded the applicant that the trees need to be the 45 gallon, 12 foot to 14 foot variety. The applicant agreed that the plantings would look much like the colored rendering presented to the Committee and further that he would provide the Committee JPEG copies of the renderings for the EDRC website. http://esterofl.org/edrc/index.htm
Vintage Trace
The plan for the Vintage Trace development proposes a 19,220 square foot strip shopping center including eleven small stores on 2.4 acres located just south of the entrance to The Vines behind the existing home furnishings store.
The EDRC had many comments and suggestions for this developer. They include:
- The developer should meet with The Vines Community Association to discuss the project and how it will be buffered along the rear of the property adjacent to homes in The Vines. They were assured that there would be no driveway nor loading or unloading at the rear of the building. The Committee indicated chain link fences are not allowed in Estero and the existing fence would have to be completely hidden on the development’s side. The applicant agreed to meet with the homeowner’s association of The Vines.
- The Committee raised concerns about parking near The Vines property line and suggested that the developer investigate the law regarding his parking plan,
- The applicant presented a design for a monument sign that would be located on an easement adjacent to Vintage Parkway, the entrance road to The Vines,
- The proposal includes a standing seam metal roof, not a tile roof that is common with Mediterranean designed buildings. The Committee suggested that this be discussed with The Vines Community Association at their meeting and that the EDRC be provided with a full report of the meeting,
- The Committee noted that the design did not comply with the Estero Codes because it lacked required overhangs, stepped fascia, transition of fascia to overhang, and vertical or horizontal articulation along the back roof which extended 300 feet without any changes in dimension or plane,
- The Committee also suggested that the western façade be articulated more and be broken up with additional landscaping,
The developer also agreed to do the following:
- Add some banding to the covered porte cochere,
- Verify the maximum size of the monument sign,
- Break up the west elevation façade, and
- Add some sabal palms along the rear of the property.
Estero Shoppes
This 5.3 acre development is located on the northeast corner of Broadway and US 41. The developer plans to locate three buildings totaling 45,000 square feet on the site including a 5,000 square foot Rick Johnson’s tire store, a 24 bay, 35,700 square foot strip center and a 4,400 square foot storage building. The property is irregular and wraps around the present post office site.
The EDRC had many comments and suggestions for the developer: They include the following:
- Signage must meet the current LDC code,
- Applicant was informed that no spot lights or banners could be used to advertise the facility at any time,
- The three buildings need to be compatible in design in order to satisfy Estero’s overlay district compatibility requirements,
- The rear of the buildings need some vertical or horizontal articulation,
- An interconnect with the post office property is desirable,
- Building perimeter plantings should be provided,
- The applicant was reminded that not more than 25% of the required trees can be palms and the project appears to have a 50-50% ratio,
- There is a billboard on the site which the applicant inherited and contends must be retained,
- The Committee noted that there is so much parking on the site that perhaps some of the parking area could be used to change the dimension of the strip center,
- Questioned whether the tire store was Mediterranean in style,
- Suggested applicant meet with the Fire Marshall to review the plan,
- Asked developer to review the size of the islands with canopy trees.
- Encouraged applicant to vary the building height in order to make the strip center building more interesting.
Applicant agreed to return to the next meeting with his changes. In addition he agreed to:
- Provide signage for the tire store that meets the County Code,
- Provide similar, compatible designs for the three buildings,
- Undulate the rear of the strip center building,
Estero Town Center (at The Vines)
This is another conventionally zoned smaller parcel along the east side of US 41 in front of The Vines that the developer wants to develop as a strip shopping center. This one is located immediately north of the Wal-Mart site on the northeast corner of US41 and Estero Parkway. The project is proposed to contain from 10 to 15 tenants in a single 26,000 square foot building. The developer did not submit a complete package of information for the EDRC.
The EDRC had several comments and suggestion for this developer. They are summarized as follows:
- Landscaping and buffering is not shown by the documents presented and must comply with Chapter 34 of the LDC with trees of 45 gallon, 12 to 14 foot variety,
- The landscape plan needs to be prepared by a licensed landscape architect,
- The building elevations need to be undulated and articulated more than those that were presented,
- Circles are not Mediterranean,
- The columns need to be banded,
- The palms in the roadside buffer need to be clustered,
- Not more than 50 percent of the required buffer trees may be palms,
- The project may need more room around dumpsters so that dump trucks and fire engines can maneuver in that area,
- Buffers have not been provided on all sides where required,
- The proposed hedge is 100% exotic…thus it does not meet the native tree requirement of the Code,
- 50% of required general trees need to be on the front half of the property,
- The dry detention area is not planted with marsh grasses as required,
- The parking lot islands do not satisfy the minimum 18 foot wide as required by the LDC,
- Suggested that the applicant meet with the Fire Department to review the plans.
The applicant agreed to return with front façade changes, landscape plans and signage.
Corkscrew Commerce Center
Considerable activity took place in December regarding Corkscrew Commerce Center, a 20.5 acre development located on the southwest corner of I-75 and Corkscrew Road. All three projects within the development made progress in December:
- The two acre site for the five-story, 94-unit Hampton Inn has been prepared and the underground utilities have been installed. The hotel is expected to open for business next fall.
- The rezoning hearing for the Estero Chevrolet project was scheduled to be heard by the Lee County Hearing Examiner’s office on December 15th but was postponed so that the County and the developer can resolve two problems. When the project was presented to the EDRC earlier this year the EDRC recommended that the developer install “Mediterranean” style light standards in the display lots and that the amount of lighting be greatly reduced at night. It turns out that these fixtures provide much more light and therefore fewer light standards are needed in the lots. The County needs more information prior to approval of a zoning condition limiting the parking lot lighting after dark. On the other hand the County correctly points out that the design of the light fixtures is a Development Order matter and should not be part of the zoning. Secondly, the parties need to clarify how the trees will be staggered along the I-75 buffer.
- Finally, press reports indicate that the remaining two outlots have been sold to Advanced Insurance Underwriters, a large insurance agency with offices in eight Florida municipalities. Advanced is planning an office building on this site and will be the anchor tenant with the balance of the building being leased or sold to other users. The project is in the design phase at present with expected opening in 18 to 24 months.
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