ESTERO COMMUNITY PLANNING PANEL

Minutes of Public Meeting #104 - February 16. 2009

Estero Community Park, Estero, Florida

Panel Members Present: Jack Lienesch, Chairman, Estero Civic Association; Neal Noethlich,.Estero Council of Community Leaders; Dan DeLisi, Estero Development Community; John Goodrich, ECCL. Recording Secretary: Jim Ramsburg, ECCL; Treasurer: Beverly MacNellis, ECCL.   Absent: Lin Welch, Estero Chamber of Commerce, Greg Toth , Estero Development Community, Erik Dickens, ECCL. 

Public Participation: Nine participants were present including three members of the general public.  Ramsburg reported that public notices of the meeting were distributed to the Fort Myers News-Press, the Bonita Daily News and the Bonita Banner.  Notices were posted on the Internet in the Estero Development Report and the community Web site, www.esterofl.org.  Notices of the meeting were posted in the South Regional Library, Colonial Bank, Estero Community Park and Realty World of Estero.

Secretary’s Report: Ramsburg distributed minutes of the January meeting.  DeLisi: Motion to accept minutes.  Goodrich: Second.  Report accepted unanimously. 

Treasurer’s Report::  MacNellis reported a current balance of $1,064.41in the Community Planning Panel account on deposit at Colonial Bank in Estero.  http://www.estero.org.Goodrich: Motion to accept   DeLisi: Second.  Report accepted unanimously.  MacNellis also reported that the Panel post office box has been moved to the new postal facility on Three Oaks Boulevard.  As a result, the zip code has been changed.  The ECPP address is now Box 955, Estero FL 33929.  MacNellis will also investigate the cost advantage, if any, of renting a smaller sized box.

Mid-Towne Estero Update: Lienesch reported attending a large meeting of all parties involved with the project’s development at the County Commission offices in late January.  He emailed a summary of the meeting to Panel members outlining the Panel’s primary concerns with the development proposed for the southwest corner of Corkscrew Road and Three Oaks Boulevard.   Among them are traffic congestion and safety, square-footage within the development allowed for commercial and retail, assurance that the development will be maintain the architectural design as presented in its construction, and details of landscaping and buffering specifics.   Pete Pellerito, President of Draper Technology, distributed an update of PK Studio’s Mid-Towne Estero site plan and elevations presented to the Panel in January.  Most of the changes cited dealt with pedestrian walkways and open space within the development.  Pellerito said that the development’s master concept plan has been revised to address Panel concerns.  Retail square footage has been reduced from 300,000 to 200,000 square feet with the largest, single user structure no greater than 99,999 square feet.  He also discussed the expansion of River Ranch Road to three lanes extending south from Corkscrew Road to the entrance of the development.  The Panel thanked Pellerito for his update.

Proposed Red Sox Training Facility in South Lee County: Noethlich reported that the final nine presentations for possible sites for the 80 acre development are February 25 and 26.  He said that an ECCL sub-committee focused on the situation, of which he is co-chair, has met with four of the developers in and adjacent to Estero.  He added that the sub-committee has withheld any comment on those four sites.  Noethlich said its concerns dealt with traffic congestion and environmental footprints. Noethlich continued to outline the advantages and disadvantages of three of the sites.

Chapter 33 Signage Amendments: Lienesch repeated the need for work on the signage details contained in the Lee County Land Development Code specific to Estero - Chapter 33.  He said that several volunteers knowledgeable in the area are available for committee work.  Noethlich said that the mission should be reaching a general consensus within the community regarding such amendments and then framing the resulting amendments in technical language compatible with Lee County standards.  He added that the services of a professional consultant would facilitate the latter but the Panel doesn’t have the funds to hire one.  DeLisi recommended first identifying objectionable signage that currently exists and working on the code language to prevent similar signage in the future.  Noethlich volunteered to schedule a Public Workshop for the identification and Lienesch agreed to enlist the Estero Design Review Committee’s participation in the event and it ensuing follow-up work.

Arts Estero: MacNellis, chair of the arts exposition and concerts on March 28^th at Estero Community Park, recommended that the Panel operate a table at the event to sell water with proceeds dedicated to the ECPP treasury.  She encouraged Panel members to become involved in the project.  Noethlich said a banner have been ordered for the table.

David Graham Award: DeLisi volunteered to establish a meeting with the Estero Design Review Committee to conduct the 2009 competition for design excellence in the Estero Community Planning Area.   The Panel agreed that last year’s entries who did not win should be re-entered in this year’s competition.

BOCC Support For Award: Lienesch reported that the Estero Council of Community Leaders requested the Panel to send a letter of support endorsing its nomination of the Lee County Board of County Commissioners for the annual 1000 Friends of Florida environmental award.  After discussion, the Panel decided not to send the letter.

Chevrolet Volt Plug-In Program: Lienesch presented a Lee County proposal to establish charging stations for Chevrolet battery operated cars.  The Panel discussed how this might be accomplished in Estero, but recognized that it really is a County initiative and we would wait for their input.

DeLisi: Motion to adjourn.   Goodrich:  Second.  Motion passed unanimously.   Meeting adjourned at 7:38 PM.  

NEXT MEETING: 6:00 PM, MONDAY, MARCH 16^TH, ESTERO COMMUNITY PARK.