Estero Development Report

Volume 3, Number 78

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.

January Opportunities for Citizen Participation

In Protecting Estero's Quality of Life

Date	Time	Event	Location
Tuesday, January 6th	3 p.m.	Conservation 2020 Criteria & Ranking Sub-committee meeting re The Boomer Property	County Community Development Building, 1^st. Floor Conf. Room, 1500 Monroe St., Ft Myers
Tuesday, January 6th	6:00 p.m.	Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee Meeting -- US 41 Design Review	County Community Development Building, Conf. Room 3A, 1500 Monroe St., Ft Myers
Monday, January 12th	2 p.m.	Estero Civic Association-- Speaker States Attorney Stephen Russell	Corkscrew Woodlands Community Clubhouse
Monday, January 12th	6 p.m.	Estero Community Planning Panel Meeting	Marsh Landing Clubhouse
Tuesday, January 13th	6:00 p.m.	Estero Fire Rescue District Board Meeting	Estero United Methodist Church -- Founder's Hall
Wednesday, January 14th	5 p.m.	Estero Design Review Committee review of Embassy Suites, Elit-USA Convenience Store and Stilwell Solar	The Perry Room of The Vines Country Club
Wednesday, January 14^th	7:30 p.m.	Sandy Lane Alignment "North end" Public Input Meeting hosted by the San Carlos Park Civic Association	Karl Drews Community Center, 18412 Lee Road, San Carlos Park
Thursday, January 15^th	5:30 p.m.	Conservation 2020 CLASAC Committee meeting re The Boomer Property	County Community Development Building, 1^st. Floor Conf. Room, 1500 Monroe St., Ft Myers
Friday, January 16th	2 p.m.	ECCO Council of Community Leaders Meeting	Marsh Landing Clubhouse
Tuesday, January 20^th	6 p.m.	Sandy Lane Alignment "South end" Public Input Meeting hosted by the City of Bonita Springs	Bonita Springs Middle School, West Terry Street in Bonita Springs
Wednesday, January 21^st	7 p.m.	Village with a Vision Presentation and Discussion	Corkscrew Woodlands Clubhouse
Thursday, January 22^nd	5:30 p.m.	Estero Chamber Business After Hours, Speaker Commissioner Bob Janes	Colonial Bank, southeast corner US 41 & Corkscrew

Index

Page	Subject
1	Calendar
2	Roadway Improvements
2	Sandy Land Alignment Study
3	US 41 from Corkscrew Road to San Carlos Park
4	Possible Boomer Property Sale to Conservation 2020
5	Estero Design Review Committee (EDRC)
5	The Estero Interstate Commerce Park and the Embassy Suites Hotel
6	The Meadows at Pelican Sound
7	Coconut Point Progress Report
8	Estero Community Park Funding and Phasing
9	Roadway Landscaping Progress
10	Wal-Mart Zoning Progress

Roadway Improvements

Sandy Lane Alignment Study --- On December 8^th the Estero Community Planning Panel sponsored a Sandy Lane Alignment presentation by Lee County DOT and its consultant, Kris Cella, followed by a discussion of the alternatives with the over 100 Estero residents who attended the session.

Chris Cella discussed five alternative routes for directly connecting Sandy Lane from its southernmost termination point in the Coconut Point development to Old 41 in Bonita Springs. The sixth alternative under consideration by the County and the City of Bonita Springs is the "no build" option that would cause all Sandy Lane traffic to use US 41 to travel north or south to or from Sandy Lane's southern termination point at Pelican Colony Road, just south of Coconut Road. This four lane road will be built for the county by the developers of Coconut Point during 2004 and 2005. Several alternative routes were also presented regarding Sandy Lane's alignment between Corkscrew Road and Koreshan Boulevard.

Andy Getch, the County's project manager, also presented traffic analysis data that summarizes the "Level of Service" expected to be achieved on state and county roads in the area using some recent traffic studies. The most recent study prepared for the proposed North Point development showed US 41 between Old 41 and Coconut Road ranked as a failing road in 2008 under all four scenarios studied by the report.

The residents attending the meeting clearly support a direct Sandy Lane connection between Coconut Point and Old 41. Other testimony encouraged the county and its consultant to identify and support the least disruptive, direct route between Coconut Point and Old 41 in order to minimize dislocation of residents and businesses and to encourage the City of Bonita Springs to support the project. Other testimony encouraged the County to support treating the southern extension as a joint County-City project with each government providing some of the project's financing. This also should help gain City of Bonita Springs support for a direct connection.

Other opportunities for citizen input are scheduled for:

• Wednesday, January 14^th at 7:30 p.m. at the Karl Drews Community Center, 18412 Lee Road, San Carlos Park. This meeting will focus upon the alternative routes between Corkscrew Road and the connection to existing roads in San Carlos Park.
• Tuesday, January 20^th at 6 p.m. at the Bonita Springs Middle School, West Terry Street in Bonita Springs. The meeting will concentrate upon the alternative routes between the Coconut Point development and Old 41 in Bonita Springs.

All Estero and San Carlos Park residents are encouraged to attend the meeting on the 14^th and all Bonita Springs residents are encouraged to attend the meeting on the 20th to let the County and the City know what you think about the best route for Sandy Lane.

Cella and Associates, the County's Alignment Study consultant, will use this public input to prepare their draft recommendations for the County. In February when these recommendations are complete, the County and its consultant will conduct a workshop for further public review before finalizing their report. The final report and recommendations will then be considered and voted upon by the Bonita Springs City Council and the Board of County Commissioners. These meetings are expected to occur in April or May, 2004.

US 41 from Corkscrew Road to San Carlos Park --- The Wal-Mart Corporation has been exploring ways to accelerate the six laning of this segment of US 41 with FDOT and Lee County DOT, now that the design and right-of-way phases have been accelerated by two years.

Wal-Mart has offered to pay the interest cost if the County would use its credit power to borrow the estimated $16 million necessary to construct the road so that those funds could be lent to FDOT when needed for the construction phase. If the three parties, Wal-Mart, Lee County and FDOT, are able to implement this transaction this 6-lane segment of US 41 would be available for public use in the summer or fall of 2008, instead of mid-2010.

All of US 41 between Naples and Ft. Myers will be 6-laned by the end of 2005 except for this segment. Present plans call for this segment to be open as a 6-lane road five and one-half years later. This five and one-half year "bottleneck" will create a traffic logjam previously unseen in southwest Florida, especially while Three Oaks Parkway is being widened in 2006-2008 and I-75 is being widened in 2008-2010.

Since planning, permitting, property acquisition and construction timelines do not permit the "bottleneck" to be entirely eliminated; the Estero community must prevail upon all the involved governmental bodies to do everything in their power to shorten the "bottleneck". The design and right-of-way phase have been accelerated by two years. We must not stop there. We must find a way to accelerate the construction phase by two years as well, thus shortening the "bottleneck' from 5 and one-half years to 3 and one-half.

Three Oaks Parkway from Coconut Road to E. Terry Street --- This $33.2 million project is 60% designed and the permit applications have now been filed. Thirty seven (37) properties have been acquired through the voluntary acquisition program. Construction has been funded in the County's 2006 fiscal year starting in October 2005. Unless this schedule can be accelerated the road will not be open to traffic until 2007. The county will be addressing this issue in March when its Capital Improvement Program will be updated by the BOCC.

Three Oaks Parkway from Corkscrew Road to Alico Road--- This $15.6 million project also has been designed to the 60% level and the permit applications have been filed. County DOT staff is now responding to the Corp of Engineers' supplemental information needs. Construction funding would permit this road segment to begin in October 2006, with completion about two years later.

Koreshan Flyover between Three Oaks Parkway and Ben Hill Griffin --- This $18.7 million project has also reached the 60% design stage. The permit applications are expected to be filed shortly while right-of-way discussions with the property owners are now underway. Funding would permit construction to begin in October 2004. However, right-of-way acquisition and permitting may not allow construction to start at that time.

Possible Boomer Property Sale to Conservation 2020

Opportunities like this come along once in a generation if a community is lucky…we need to do everything we can to help make it happen.

The "Boomer" property is the 100 acre site on the southwest corner of Broadway and US 41. It wraps around Campbell's Auto Repair, Sunny Grove Park and the other properties north of the Estero River that front US 41. Behind Sunny Grove it connects to the Estero River and the Koreshan State Park for a considerable distance.

According to Lynda Riley, the Conservation 2020 Program Coordinator, all of the Boomer family members who share an interest in this large property have nominated the property for acquisition by the County through the Conservation 2020 program. The asking price for the property is $14.5 million.

About 26 acres next to the Estero River and the Koreshan State Park is a "life estate" that includes the Boomer House. This parcel is an outstanding candidate for purchase by the State of Florida. If the property ultimately becomes part of the Koreshan State Park the park would increase by about 50%.

The Boomer house on the property was built in 1917 by the Koreshans for Berthaldine Boomer who was Matrona of the Koreshan Unity. She furnished the money to Cyrus Teed that enabled him to come to Estero and start the Koreshan settlement here. The house was built under the supervision of George Boomer who was Berthadine's grandson and the grandfather of the George Boomer who was the late husband of Nola Boomer who presently occupies the house. The Garcia house, also located on the property, has been donated to the Estero Historical Society and will be moved to the new Estero Community Park during 2004 or 2005.

Preservation of this heavily wooded property would not only add greatly to the historic significance of Old Estero but would also reduce the intensity of Estero's commercial/retail development and the traffic problems that accompany it.

The Conservation 2020 criteria and ranking sub-committee will consider the acquisition of this important site at its meeting at 3 p.m. on January 6^th in the first floor conference room of the County Community Development building at 1500 Monroe Street in downtown Ft. Myers. We urge all Estero residents to attend this meeting and support the project.

The full CLASAC committee will consider the project when it meets at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 15^th in the same room. Once again we encourage all interested residents to attend and support the project.

Estero Design Review Committee (EDRC)

On December 10^th the EDRC reviewed the design of two major projects:

· The Embassy Suites Hotel, and

· Meadows at Pelican Sound.

The Estero Interstate Commerce Park and the Embassy Suites Hotel --- The propose Embassy Suites hotel will be Estero's most visible building rising 7 stories high on the northwest corner of Corkscrew Road and I-75. When completed it will be the anchor tenant in the Estero Interstate Commerce Park that occupies over 47 acres just across I-75 from the Miromar Discount Mall. In addition to the Embassy Suites, the project will include a Hampton Inn, two office buildings and nine outlot projects including the existing golf cart sales facility and the controversial Tires Plus garage.

Estero Interstate Commerce Park Overview

The developer of the Estero Interstate Commerce Park property is Jim Carroll of Carroll Development. Mr. Carroll has designated Michael Sheeley of Sheeley Architects Inc. to represent him and the Park with the Estero community. At the request of the community Mr. Carroll has hired a landscape architect to design a landscape plan for the entire Estero Interstate Commerce Park so that the outlots that rim the property would have a consistent and appealing appearance. This comprehensive landscape plan will be presented to the EDRC for their review at their January or February meeting.

In addition all property sold by Carroll Development in the Park is subject to appearance approval by Carroll Development and Mr. Sheeley. This authority extends to the Tires Plus project, contrary to the statement made by their representatives to the EDRC in November. Hopefully, Carroll Development will require Tires Plus to install a barrel tile, 30 degree pitched roof instead of the flat metal roof they proposed to the EDRC. In addition we hope that Carroll will require backlit signage on this building as was discussed by the EDRC but not affirmed by Tires Plus in their report to the county.

The Embassy Suites Hotel

The proposed Embassy Suites Hotel is a 150 room, 7-story building facing southeast and situated near the rear of this property immediately in front of a large lake. Provision has been made for a restaurant to be attached to the right front of the hotel. Michael Sheeley started his presentation to the EDRC by stating that Mr. Carroll had directed him to work with the community until the hotel's design, landscaping and overall appearance satisfies all the Estero standards as interpreted by the EDRC. Mr. Sheeley and his associates presented a detailed rendering of the front of the hotel with several Mediterranean features and colors. The EDRC discussed the project with Mr. Sheeley for nearly an hour during which the following suggestions were discussed:

• Larger plant material should be used throughout the project; minimum tree size requested 14’ overall, 45-gallon material.
• Add palms in sewage easement on the west side of the property (these palms cannot count against county minimum requirements). It was further recommended that the easement be better designed to facilitate a more appropriate landscape application.
• The color rendering does not match with footprint on architectural plan. The developer indicated that he will make that change in time for the January meeting presentation.
• Suggested that a continuous tile-roof segment along front façade would better articulate the structure.
• Change the mustard-yellow color of the outside walls. Mr. Sheeley indicated that he was not satisfied with the colors of the building.
• Requested ironwork over/around the hotel windows to better articulate the Mediterranean theme.
• Verified that the future restaurant will conform with the building's design.
• Recommended better pedestrian circulation throughout parking areas.
• Need plants around the lift station (presently unbuffered). Recommended relocating the easement shown on the drawings in order to facilitate landscaping the parking areas and the site.
• Committee recommends substitutes for Dahoon Holly in the hotel entryway. Appropriated substitutes would be Mahogany or black olive shady lady trees.
• The irrigation plan is insufficient for the plantings.
• Increase the plant material in front of the building; The Committee suggested taller (and perhaps better) trees in front of the hotel in keeping with the height of the building itself. Cabbage palms as formal treatments and at the base of a large building are not appropriate.
• Suggest better-quality palms, i.e. royals, foxtails, dates, etc. instead of sabals for the entry and the medians.
• Suggest wider islands along the entry corridor and greater volume of plantings to compensate for the large size of the parking lot.
• Suggested decorative pavers rather than pavement for the main entry and the porte cochere.
• Suggest rounded windows on top floor all across front and visible sides of the building.
• Redesign the porte cochere using a more Mediterranean style such as that used on their Ft. Lauderdale hotel.

Sheeley indicated he will make these changes and others and return in January for another presentation and discussion.

The Meadows at Pelican Sound --- This 258 unit multi-family residential project will be located on both sides of the US 41 entrance to Pelican Sound and behind future commercial development fronting on US 41 between Williams Road and the Covered Wagon mobile home park. The EDRC's review focused upon the project's entrance signage and landscaping. Two large monument signs will identify the community as one leaves the commercial frontage and enters The Meadows of Pelican Sound along the existing lushly landscaped Pelican Sound entrance drive.

The EDRC made the following recommendations to the developer's representative:

• Increase the density and size of the plantings on Williams Road and along the north property line berms (minimum 14’ OA, 45-gallon oaks)
• Since live oak trees cannot be planted close to power lines; they should be planted at north edge of 20 foot buffer area.
• Use larger plant material than has been used on the adjoining Pelican Sound berm on Williams Road inasmuch as the proposed berm is not as high as the Pelican Sound berm.
• Install taller, staggered height sabal palms, and increase the number of trees planted in groups along the north property line and on the Williams Road berms in order to buffer the 2-story buildings behind them.
• Use double-row hedge of taller, 10-gallon (5’ height) material along the Williams Road berm; possibly use 10-gallon material exclusively in the back row.

The developer's representative orally accepted all of the Committee's suggestions.

Coconut Point Progress Report

On December 12^th Ron Dillon of Oakbrook Properties updated the Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) about development and approval progress on this major Estero development project.

Development Progress

In addition to the information included in last month's edition Dillon indicated that the 65 acre housing development to be built on Tract 1E across from the Fountain Lakes community will consist of 4, 8 and 12 unit buildings that will be modeled after the appearance of an Italian Village that attracted the attention of the developer.

The 21 plus acre site under consideration by the Lee Memorial Health Systems is located directly behind the existing Bonita Community Health Center. He indicated that negotiations were not complete regarding this possible purchase.

Finally, Jim Clarke of the Estero Fire Rescue District indicated that the groundbreaking for the new Coconut Point Fire Station is scheduled for next month.

Approval Progress

Year long negotiations with Lee County concerning the Development Agreement -- this agreement specifies how the $14.7 million of road fees that the developer must pay will be used -- are progressing well and are expected to be completed soon. The current schedule calls for the Board of County Commissioners to hold their first public hearing on the agreement in mid-January with the second hearing and final approval expected in early February. In spite of the delay in approval of the agreement, the developers will still make the first payment required by this agreement in the amount of $6.1 million by the end of this month.

Under the existing Development Order provisions applicable to the project, the developer must submit comprehensive appearance standards to the County for approval before being able to construct any buildings. In order to satisfy this requirement Dillon indicated that they have hired Beam Architectural, an east coast firm, to prepare the written design standards and a law firm to develop the necessary legal language to implement them. In addition they have contracted with Harris Design to help them implement their design approval authority to ensure that all projects within the large project contribute to the high quality standards that the developers seek for the entire project. Harris previously assisted the ECPP develop our "big box" standards. The design standards are expected to be available for community review about the end of January.

Finally, the agreement between the Estero community and the Coconut Point developers requires them to include in all their construction contracts a provision to require the use of construction routes other than Coconut Road and Three Oaks Parkway within the Brooks. Dillon indicated that they have added such a provision to the contract currently under negotiation and have given the developer/purchasers copies of the agreement with the community which describes the system that must be put in place.

Sandy Lane Construction within Coconut Point

At the ECCL meeting on December 12^th Ron Dillon of Oakbrook Properties indicated that they expected to complete Sandy Lane from Corkscrew Road to Pelican Colony Boulevard Extension by late 2005.

Estero Community Park Funding and Phasing

On December 12^th John Yarborough, Lee County Director of Parks and Recreation, and Jim Lavender, Lee County Public Works Director, presented the County's plans for financing and phasing the Estero Community Park to the Estero Council of Community Leaders.

The estimated total cost of the park is $13,701,000. The park will be financed exclusively with Community Park Impact Fees paid by purchasers of new residential units located within District 8, whose boundaries are quite similar to those of the Estero Fire Rescue District. About $3.5 million is currently available in this fund for the park, leaving about $10 million to be paid from future park impact fees. In recent years district park impact fees have totaled about $800,000 per year. If residential building permits continue at this rate, it will take another 12 years to generate enough revenue to pay for the park.

In order to begin construction of the park in March, 2004 these County officials will recommend that the County borrow $5.4 million from its general reserve fund so that phase 1 construction can begin in March and be completed by the summer of 2005. The BOCC will consider this proposal within the next month or two.

The total cost of Phase 1 is $9.9 million and consists of the following elements:

· All site development, utilities, landscaping and parking for the northern part of the 65 acre site;

· The 40,000 square foot recreational building and attached outdoor stage;

· The main entrance road to the park from Corkscrew Road;

· The north lake including its fountain and adjacent gazebo;

· The Boomer historic house site;

· Picnic area, playground area and pedestrian trails;

· The large Central Lawn for passive recreation, concerts etc.;

· Volleyball, Bocce Ball and Horseshoe areas;

· Large shelter and restrooms.

The recreation building will be constructed so that it can also serve as a Hurricane shelter. Finally, phases 2 and 3 of the park will not be constructed until about 2010 unless additional funding sources are identified. It is hoped that additional funds can be obtained to complete the Sandy Lane park entrance when that road is completed in late 2005.

The County will present the design of the recreation center to the Estero Design Review Committee in February.

Roadway Landscaping Progress

Corkscrew Road ---- Additional landscaping is now being installed on Corkscrew Road, especially along the northern right-of-way. Trees cannot be planted along the southern right-of-way due to underground and overhead utilities. Irrigation linkages between the northern ROW and the median are also underway. When completed additional trees will be added to the median. All of this is the result of the Estero community's efforts to increase the size and quantity of trees that the county plants in its "intensified" core landscaping program. An additional $150,000 of trees was added as a result of this effort.

Koreshan Boulevard between US 41 and Three Oaks Parkway--- The County and the Estero Community is working with Leavitt Homes and Toll Brothers to close three existing Koreshan Road medians not needed due to changes in zoning of Toll Brothers' "The Reserve of Estero" residential project. This rezoning application, when approved, would eliminate the use of some property for retail uses, thus reducing the need for so many access points.

Toll Brothers and Leavitt have agreed to share the expense of closing these median openings over the next year or two. The closure of these median openings will permit a substantial increase in the number of trees that can be planted in the median between the upscale housing projects of these large national housing developers.

It is anticipated that the Reserve of Estero zoning changes will be approved next spring. In anticipation of these changes and to minimize the delay in landscape installation, the County will revise the existing landscape design to include landscaping of the area where the medians will be closed and the elimination of the turn lanes associated with them. As a result greatly increased median landscaping will be installed on Koreshan next summer.

Three Oaks Parkway between Williams and Corkscrew Roads --- the county design consultants have completed the landscape design but the irrigation design is only 30% complete. Once the irrigation design has been completed the county can bid the project and construction can begin. It is anticipated that installation can begin next spring or summer. The landscape design of this project will be similar to that being installed on Corkscrew Road. In this case the utilities are on the west side of the road thus preventing trees from being planted along that side of the road.

US 41 between Old 41 and Corkscrew Road --- The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) presently imposes many restrictions upon the installation of large trees in the medians of state roads. Consequently, the County and its design consultants are seeking some relief from these restrictions in order for the landscaping of this segment will be comparable to our other roadways. The State has allocated $704,000 for landscaping this 3.5 mile road segment, of which about $60,000 has been committed to designing the landscaping for this segment.

At present Wilson Miller Design, the landscape designer for this road, is redesigning the landscaping to incorporate additional plantings consistent with what the State is likely to permit. That design is scheduled to be presented to the Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee in early January.

Thereafter the county and the community will meet with landowners along the road that have billboards on their property that will be removed when those properties are developed. If they agree to terminate the contracts with the billboard companies soon that will permit the county to plant trees in those areas that would otherwise be restricted due to the state's billboard clear zone rules. Negotiations with the billboard companies are also planned for those billboards that will remain in use long term.

Installation of the landscape plan for this road segment is scheduled for late summer or fall 2004 when the road widening is expected to be completed.

Wal-Mart Zoning Progress

According to County staff the Wal-Mart zoning application is still not complete. As soon as it is complete and staff has had a chance to thoroughly review it, the ECCL's Wal-Mart committee will meet with them again, meet to develop a position paper for the community and schedule a meeting between Wal-Mart and the Council of Community Leaders to negotiate the issues.