ESTERO COMMUNITY PLANNING PANEL

Minutes of Public Meeting #109 – November 16, 2009
Estero Community Park, Estero, Florida

Panel Members Present:

John Goodrich, ECCL, Acting Chairman;  Dan DeLisi, Estero Development Community; Neal Noethlich,ECCL; Greg Toth, Estero Development Community; Erik Dickens;  Treasurer: Bev MacNellis, ECCL; Recording Secretary: Bill Brown, ECCL    Absent: Lin Welch and  Jack Lienesch.

Public Participation:

Goodrich called the meeting to order at 6:04 PM. There were 34 members of the public present.  Brown reported that the meeting notice appeared in the Naples Daily News on its Website Calendar and Esterofl.org website. The notice was posted at the South County Regional Library, Realty World of Estero, the BB&T and Wachovia Banks.

Secretary’s Report:

Brown distributed minutes of the October meeting.  Toth: Motion to accept minutes.  DeLisi: Second.  Accepted unanimously. 

Treasurer’s Report:   

Bev MacNellis reported that there had been a $5 contribution during the last month bringing the October 30 balance to $770.61 in the Community Planning Panel account on deposit at the BB&T Bank.  Toth: Motion to accept the report.  Dickens: Second. Accepted unanimously.

Developer Presentation:

Southland Village Proposal:

Neale Montgomery of the Pavese Law Firm; Paul Roberts, owner of the proposed project; Jeffrey Rapson, Court Street Partners architect; Ted Thresh, Transportation Consultants, Inc.; Stacy Hewitt and Matthew DuBois of Banks Engineering. Dan DeLisi reviewed the Panel’s previous consideration of this project and indicated he had met with the developer to go over the Panel’s concerns. He indicated that the developer had made progress. He suggested that he would like to see an “Old Florida” building design model instead of the proposed Mediterranean. Jeffrey Rapson explained that they were proposing a village built around a main Street with residential blended in with a community park designed for a farmer’s market, public art fairs, etc. The owner, Paul Roberts, explained that he lives in Estero and wants to create a small town atmosphere with such things as coffee shops, a small village that sets next to big malls. All Board members thought the new concept was much improved over the old concept. Toth thought the concept is now too dense for the property. Delisi would like to see additional landscaping around the multi-level parking areas. Noethlich suggested making approval contingent upon getting the 41 cut-through to allow south bound traffic from main entrance.
 
Residents Concerns: The owner of the historical restored Soto House on the corner of Broadway and Highlands, Rusty Elferdink indicated that traffic was already much too heavy for Broadway and there was no way it could handle the additional traffic that would be generated by this project which proposes an a entrance on Broadway across from Highlands. This concern was seconded by Sis Newbery and Marlene Fernandez. Fernandez said she regularly visits her sister–in-law in Cypress Bend and the building of the Broadway shops on the corner of US41 and Broadway had greatly aggravated the flooding in Cypress Bend. It was suggested Southland Village meet with local residents to better hear and address their concerns. It was also suggested Southland Village get permission to dump excess water flow directly into RR right-of-way, not into the Broadway ditch. Goodrich suggested that the developer would need to more adequately address the concerns of the residents before they can expect support from the Panel. He also suggested that the developer might meet with representatives of the Panel to agree on conditions to be attached to the zoning. Montgomery said they would be happy to work with the community to get the County to add a turn lane at the corner of Broadway and US 41.  Goodrich agreed to represent the Panel in any meetings she might arrange.
 
Delisi reported that he had read the information sent by the County Attorney and he believes  the Estero section of the Land Development Code applies to the School Board’s construction of a new sign. It was agreed that the Panel would contact the Estero High School principal and explain that the Estero Code requires Monument, not pole signs and that LED lighting is not permitted. Goodrich reported that a new chairman for the Design Review Committee is needed.
 
Meeting adjourned at 8:00 PM.  
                                    NEXT MEETING: 6:00 PM, MONDAY, December 21, ESTERO COMMUNITY PARK