WHO IS REPRESENTING US?
On March 24th, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) will be voting on whether or NOT to re-open the 2008 Cocohatchee Bay PUD Settlement (THE PUD), an issue that should mean a great deal property owners in the Glen Eden on the Lakes (GEOTL) subdivision as well many in nearby neighborhoods.
I know that because hundreds of YOU were there on March 19, 2014 at St. John’s Church when we attended the developer’s “Neighborhood Information Meeting (NIM).”
YOU wore stickers that said, “A Deal is a Deal!” YOU spoke your opposition to the developer’s building proposal clearly then, and you need to voice your opposition again, NOW, to our BCC.
Language in the 2008 Cocohatchee Bay PUD Settlement clearly states, “if the golf course development area or golf course use is ever discontinued or abandoned for any reasons, then all of the GC Parcel including without limitation the entire golf course development area, except for those portions allowed for the two (2) residential units, shall remain forever as green open space and be limited in perpetuity to the uses expressly allowed in Paragraph 5.3 of the amended PUD Preserve Parcel. Any revisions to these restrictive covenants will require a supermajority vote of the Board of County Commissioners.”
To me, and over 100 residents of GEOTL who have signed a petition opposing reopening of “The PUD”, that settlement language gave assurance that the 175 acre preserve adjacent to us had two possible uses: golf course or green space forever. To me, that settlement language said that it would take a 4 out of 5 county commissioners to revise terms of the settlement.
Now that golf is no long as popular or profitable, LA wants the PUD opened so he can build houses on the golf course land.
On December 31, 2013 the developer, Lodge Abbott LLC (LA) submitted a proposal to build 280 dwelling units on this “golf course or green space” parcel. His plans included single-family detached and attached units as well as multi-family and senior assisted-living housing. This is the proposal we opposed at the NIM on March 19th when LA learned that he’d have to scale back his building proposal in order to open the PUD. He also learned to avoid large crowds of dissenting people in favor of small select groups of people from nearby subdivisions.
On April 15, 2014 a meeting was held at the office of District 2 County Commissioner Georgia Hiller and, in attendance were Commissioner Hiller, Joe Wood and Mike Shields representing Tarpon Cove (subdivision joining golf course/green space property on the east); Nick Casalaquida, Growth Management Division for Collier County; and Richard F. Corace representing LA. This meeting (as well as one the previous day with Joe Moreland representing the Estuary Conservation Association) outlined a number of neighborhood concerns with respect to LA’s building proposal and yielded a framework of consensus on amending LA’s plans.
On May 2, 2014 a meeting was organized and hosted by District 2 County Commissioner Hiller and held in her Orange Blossom office. In attendance were Commissioner Hiller, Richard F. Corace (representing LA), Nick Casalanguida (Collier County Growth Management Division Administrator), and 18 invited representatives of neighboring subdivisions (primarily Tarpon Cove Wiggins Pass Complex, Cove Towers, & Glen Eden on the Lakes).
The purpose of the meeting was to unveil LA’s current building
proposal to construct 62 luxury homes on !/2 acres lots east of Vanderbilt. Attendees understandably voiced approval for this plan because it is far better for the community than the first proposal. They were charmed into accepting this proposal at face value and not being opposed to opening the PUD in order to build it. There was no open-public meeting in GEOTL to react to the findings of the meeting and most residents were not duly informed that a few had given the developer blanket approval for the majority of uninformed homeowners.
So why are we voicing dissent about opening the PUD and rezoning the land to residential? We don’t trust the developer will do what he is currently proposing. . .
FACT: Developers are allowed to change building proposals as their projects evolve and economic times change. There is no legally binding document that limits LA to his most recent proposal of 62 homes on ½ acre lots. There is no guarantee that LA will not revert to his December, 2013 plans for multi-family housing on that site or submit a totally different proposal which would maximize his profitability at the time.
Why trade a legally binding document for an uncertain future determined by LA? In 2005 when Collier County refused to allow LA to begin construction of towers within 1500’ of the bald eagle’s nest until the eagles had vacated the nest, he sued the county for $287 million. The litigation cost the county over $2 million and they ultimately negotiated the settlement which LA now wants to open and rewrite.
Who is representing us, the homeowners in District 2?
YOU can help us urge the Collier County Commissioners to vote “NO” on March 24!
UPDATE: On 3/24/15 the commissioners voted NOT to open the PUD, or amend the zoning.
Commissioners Penny Taylor and Donna Fiala voted in OUR favor, with Henning, Nance and Hiller voting in favor of the developer.
The developer didn't get the 4 votes he needed, so we had VICTORY!
For a full accounting, please read articles published in NDN, and archived HERE (scroll to bottom):