Estero Development Report
Volume 3, Number 4
Edited by ECCO--the Estero
Concerned Citizens Organization
For further information, to
provide information or to add names to our mailing list,
Email Don Eslick at doneslick@worldnet.att.net or call
him at 949-4050
This Report will soon be
available on the Estero Chamber of Commerce Website www.esterochamber.org and the Estero
Fire District site at www.esterofire.org
September
Opportunities for Citizen Participation
In Protecting
Estero's Quality of Life
|
Date |
Time |
Event |
Location |
|
Tuesday,
September 2nd |
|
Board of |
Commission
Chambers, |
|
Tuesday,
September 2nd |
|
Roadway Landscape
Advisory Committee Meeting |
|
|
Friday, September
5th |
|
Bonita Springs
Zoning Board Hearing on the proposed Communications Tower Adjacent to |
Bonita Springs
Utilities Board Room, |
|
Monday, September
8th |
|
Estero Community
Planning Panel Meeting |
Marsh Landing
Clubhouse |
|
Wednesday,
September 10th |
|
Estero Design
Review Committee review of Wal-Mart and Bell Terra Projects |
The |
|
Friday, September
12th |
|
ECCO Council of
Community Leaders Meeting |
Marsh Landing
Clubhouse |
|
Tuesday,
September 16th |
Evening |
County Road 951
Public Meeting |
|
|
Tuesday,
September 23rd |
|
BOCC First
Hearing on Road Impact Fee Changes |
Commission
Chambers, |
|
Thursday,
September 25th |
|
Estero Chamber Business
After Hours, speaker Rep. Carol Greene |
Fifth Third Bank;
Corkscrew and US 41 |
Roadway Improvements
This
month the Estero Development Report summarizes
Next
month we hope to report on the State/Federal road construction program for
Estero and to summarize the overall Estero road-building program.
Major
County Road Projects Programmed for Estero During the Next Five Years -- Lee County DOT has
programmed and funded nine major road projects for the Estero area during the
next five years, through September 2008. Five of them will directly benefit
Estero during that period; three will indirectly benefit Estero by providing
alternatives to Estero roadways; and one will impact Estero long term if it
eventually is constructed.
The
five projects that are scheduled to be constructed by 2008 and will directly
benefit Estero are:
·
Extension of
·
Four-laning of Three Oaks from
·
Construction of
·
Construction of
·
Four-laning of
The
estimated cost of these projects is more than $85 million.
The
three projects that will take some pressure off Estero roadways or provide
Estero residents new travel alternatives are:
The
first two projects are now underway and should be completed by 2005, while the
third is not expected to be completed until about 2009.
The
long term project is the County Road 951 Extension alignment study. This three
year study is costing Lee and
The Need for an Extended
The
extension of
Earlier
this year a group related to Coconut Point's owners acquired another 102 acres
between Williams and Corkscrew Roads from US 41 to the railroad tracks for
another major, primarily retail development called North Pointe. The owners
recently filed an application for zoning as a Development of Regional Impact in
order to construct 550,000 square feet of retail, 120,000 square feet of
office, 150 hotel rooms and 150 housing units on this property.
About
two miles north of this site Wal-Mart has recently come forward with a proposal
to build a 230,000 square foot super-center on the northeast corner of
Finally
at the southern end of the proposed
All
of these US 41 businesses are or will soon be increasing traffic on US 41 and
are the reason we need
Sandy Lane Extension
Corridor Alignment Study
As
a result of this activity on March 11th the BOCC approved an
agreement for over $200,000 with Cella & Associates to provide documented
information needed by the County to reach a decision on the type, design and
location of
Beginning
in September or October the County will conduct several community meetings in
order to receive citizen and business commentary on the alignment proposals.
This will be a great opportunity for the citizens of Estero and
Next
the consultant's Preliminary Report will be made available to the public and
will be discussed at a Public Workshop, probably in November or December.
Community participation is important at this stage of the planning process as
well.
Subsequently
there will be a public hearing on the Final Report and its recommendations
followed by a vote of the BOCC to approve or modify the recommendations. At
each of these stages there will be opportunities for public testimony. By May
Coconut Point's Plan for
From
the beginning of their zoning efforts several years ago, the developers of
Coconut Point have advocated construction of a 4 lane
The
developers correctly assumed that the southern segment of Sandy Lane between
Old 41 and their property would not be available when their project needs a
southern entrance and exit, so they plan to build a 4 lane road proceeding west
from Sandy Lane to US 41 directly across US 41 from Pelican Landing Boulevard,
the northern entrance to Pelican Landing. Right-of-way along the tracks south
of this point to the southern end of the Coconut Point property will be set aside
for
Prior
to the initial opening of Coconut Point in 2005 the developers will construct
The "Sandy Lane Gap"
Bottleneck
When
Coconut Point opens its first 800,000 square feet in the fall of 2005 the area
north of Coconut Road will be served by roads containing 18 north-south
lanes -- 6 on US 41; 4 on Sandy Lane; 4 on Three Oaks Parkway and 4 on
I-75.
At
the same time the area south of Coconut Road to Old 41 will be served by only
10 north -south lanes -- 6 on US 41 and 4 on I-75,
And
the area from Old 41 to
Consequently,
traffic coming from the north on Sandy Lane and Three Oaks Parkway are forced
to merge into US 41 at Coconut Road or Pelican Colony Boulevard if they want to
continue south. That is 14 lanes converging into 6 lanes from
These
sections of US 41 are already congested at rush hour and during the season. Lee
county traffic studies show that north-south traffic in south
An
analysis prepared by Lee County DOT for the Coconut Point Town Center zoning
estimated that in 2006 US 41, between Old 41 and Coconut Road, would carry
25,000 more vehicles per day than US 41 just north of Coconut Road, due to the
absence of Three Oaks Parkway and Sandy Lane.
Even
after Three Oaks opens in 2007 the Bottleneck area will still be short 4 lanes
unless
According
of Coconut Point Traffic Analysis statistics the segment of US 41 from Old 41
south to Terry Street is about 20% more congested today than the ''bottleneck
area". With the opening of Coconut
Point and other developments, traffic on this segment is projected to increase
by 50% between 2002 and 2006. As a result
Design--
Although FDOT needs another loan from
Right-of-Way
Funding -- Local FDOT officials have recommended that the Regional FDOT Office
submit an application for right-of-way funding of the project to the State
Infrastructure Bank which was recently funded by the Florida Legislature for
the next two fiscal years. This application would be for $7 million to be made
available in the Fall/Winter of 2004, when the roadway design is sufficiently
completed so that right-of-way acquisition can begin. The regional
decision-makers will decide next week if they will apply for these funds. In
the past Infrastructure Bank funds have only been used to pay roadway construction
costs. The final decision regarding the projects to be funded with Infrastructure
Bank funds will be made by FDOT executives in mid-November.
If
FDOT does not provide Infrastructure Bank funding for this project, we will
continue to work with
Construction
Funding -- On August 22nd the Metropolitan Planning Organization of
Lee County approved funding $16 million for construction of this segment of US
41 in 2008-09. This is the first time that construction of this segment has
been included in the Capital Improvement Program for the county. If funding of
the right-of-way for the segment can be accelerated then we will need to find
ways to accelerate these funds as well. BOCC approval of the proposed increase
in road impact fees relevant to state roads is a possible future source of this
funding.
Recent Estero Growth
Statistics
During
the first seven months of 2003 one thousand thirty three (1,033) housing units were
permitted in Estero with a total building value (exclusive of land) of $156
million. The following table shows the pattern for the first 7 months
during last four years:
|
Year |
Number of Units Permitted |
Building Value of
Permitted Units |
|
2000 |
1,122 |
$154,418,948 |
|
2001 |
1,399 |
213,746,261 |
|
2002 |
905 |
153,144,578 |
|
2003 |
1,033 |
155,939,745 |
The
table shows the decline caused by the tragedy of
The
building value of commercial properties in Estero during each of these periods
was quite small when compared with residential development, except in 2000 when
the permit for the Hyatt Coconut Point Resort was issued.
The
building value of residential units in Estero continues to make a major
contribution to the
The Changing Pattern of
Residential Development in Estero
Since
2000 the center of residential development in Estero has moved east and north.
From 2000 through 2002 The Brooks dominated housing development in Estero,
averaging about 40% of the units permitted each year. Units permitted in The
Brooks peaked in 2001 when over 900 units were permitted in that development.
During the first half of 2003 The Brooks only accounted for 21.6% of all
housing units permitted in Estero.
Another
major residential community that has been built out during this period is
Pelican Sound. Over 500 housing units were permitted in Pelican Sound in 2000;
about 100 in 2001 and less than 30 during the last 18 months.
The
third major residential community that is approaching build-out is Stoneybrook.
Over 380 housing units were permitted in Stoneybrook in 2001, its peak year.
New
communities whose building permits have replaced these more mature developments
are Grandezza, Rookery Pointe, Colonial Oaks, Villagio, The Cascades, The
Colony in Pelican Landing, the Hyatt Timeshares and a new phase at
Breckenridge. Most of these communities will not be completed for several
years.
Residential Development
Progress
Villagio -- Since May 24th
when Villagio's sales office opened for business 70 sales contract have been
written. Since the beginning of 2003 Villagio has applied for building permits
for over 200 "Coach Home Villa" units. Eventually Villagio will
contain 36 sixteen unit buildings on a 70 acre site located on the east side of
Belle
Lago --
Toll Brothers has begun construction of ten model homes and a sales and design
center at Belle Lago, located just east of the railroad track on the north side
of
Bella
Terra (formerly The Habitat) -- U.S. Homes, the Lennar Homebuilding Division
and Dade Residential Developers have joined forces to build 1,824 Mediterranean
design single family and multi-family homes on a 999 acre site located on the
south side of Corkscrew Road three miles east of I-75. Site preparation is well
along for the initial phase of this major project. In addition to the homes,
Bella Terra will contain 20 lakes, large preserve areas and many amenities.
Sales at Bella Terra are expected to begin in January 2004.
Stoneybrook
-- U. S.
Homes, developer of this major residential community, expects to be sold out by
the end of this year. Upon completion Stoneybrook will contain 1,032 housing
units. All these residences will have been sold in a little more than 5 years.
Stoneybrook is located southeast of the I-75 Corkscrew Road intersection.
West
Bay Club
-- Lehman Brothers, Inc., the New York based real estate investment firm, has
acquired the West Bay Club, thus eliminating the "bankruptcy" cloud
that has hung over the project for several years. As a result renovations have
begun on the community's private beach club on Little Hickory Island and the
Golf Clubhouse is now being designed. West Bay is located at the west end of
Williams Road, contains 868 acres of which 509 will be preserved and will
eventually include about 1,100 housing units including three high rise
buildings.
Estero
River Heights -- This community of 94 single family homes is being constructed on 30
acres along the southern banks of the Estero River just north of Corkscrew Road
on the east side of Sandy Lane. Presently, two model homes and some of the
project's infrastructure are underway on the site.
Residential Developments
Seeking Zoning
The
following projects were presented to the Estero community at a meeting
sponsored by the Estero Community Planning Panel (ECPP) during July or August:
The Reserve at Estero -- Toll Brothers, one of
the country's largest residential developers, has acquired and will soon apply
for rezoning of 160 acres on the north side of Koreshan Boulevard directly
across from the Cascades and just east of the firm's Belle Largo residential
development. The planned rezoning would provide for 500 single family homes
instead of the currently zoned 613 residential units (single, multi-family,
townhouses and two-family attached duplexes) and would eliminate 140,000 square
feet of commercial that includes such things as auto parts, repair and service,
restaurants, bars, night clubs, vehicle and equipment dealers, building
material sales, car washes, hotels/motels, factory outlets and numerous other
commercial and retail uses. They also plan to reduce the number of access
points to the property from
Commercial Development
Progress
Miromar
Development Corporation Headquarters -- construction has started on Miromar
Development's corporate offices within the boundaries of the Miromar Outlets
Mall property just northeast of the I-75 Corkscrew Road intersection. This two
story Mediterranean style building will contain 24,000 square feet of
commercial space -- 14,000 square feet of office space and 10,000 of retail
space. Another 60,000 square feet of retail will also be underway as part of
the 4th phase of the Miromar Outlets Mall project, bringing the total
area of the project up to 460,000 square feet.
Embassy
Suites --
According to press reports and a sign on the property a seven story, 150 room
Embassy Suites Hotel with restaurant and convention center will be developed by
Carroll Property Investments in the
Coconut
Square --
International Realty Consultants reports that contracts have been signed for three
of the five commercial parcels on this property located on the southwest corner of US
41 and Coconut Road. In anticipation of the construction of these facilities
the site has recently been prepared for development with the installation of
utilities and interior roads. The developer of a three-story office building
for Coldwell Banker has presented those plans to the Estero Design Review
Committee as well as WCI's design committee. WCI formerly owned the property
and retains design approval authority on all projects built on the site. We are
informed that the other two sites under contract will house a bank and a dental
office building.
Gas
Stations/Convenience Stores -- Chevron has proposed two gas station/convenience stores with car
washes on properties long zoned for such uses.
One station would be located on
The
ECPP pointed out that Estero has very stringent requirements for gas
station/convenience stores in the Estero section of the Lee County Land
Development Code and neither of these proposals meets these requirements. The
Estero
Fourth Fire Station -- the Estero Fire Rescue District has contracted to purchase one acre
from Oakbrook Properties, the developers of
This
will permit the district to provide faster service to the following residential
communities:
Commercial Developments
Seeking Zoning
The
following projects were presented to the Estero community at a meeting
sponsored by the Estero Community Planning Panel (ECPP) during July or August:
Williams-Three Oaks CPD -- The developer of this
10 acre project, located on the northwest corner of Three Oaks and
The panel suggested that the site would make a
great office park, but it is not suitable for retail because of the two-story
homes adjacent the site, currently a citrus grove. In addition there is already
a large amount of retail zoned in the vicinity of the project. The Panel also
suggested the following:
·
the service areas should not be visible from the adjoining two-story
homes, and
·
sidewalks and landscaping should be provided adjacent to each building,
and
·
in order to avoid large traffic generators a maximum square footage
should be established for each building in the project.
There was strong objection
to any retail development on this site from adjoining residents who thought
they would be living next to a citrus grove.
Terezei CPD --This 4.3 acre project, located adjacent to the
RV Park just north of the Vines, is seeking zoning approval in order to build a
restaurant, a retail building and a general office building.
Wal-Mart -- Representatives of Wal-Mart presented their
rezoning proposal to the ECPP at their July meeting. This 228,000 square foot
super-store project would be located on the northeast corner of US 41 and