Update on Issues Impacting our Community
By Ted Raia, PBPOA Communications Committee
The Pelican Bay Property Owners Association had a SRO crowd at the February 12, 2020 meeting. Dave Galloway, President, and Kathy Robbins, Treasurer, of the Vanderbilt Beach Association brought the meeting up to date on the planned development at the western end of Vanderbilt Beach Road called One Naples. Originally 300 residential units were planned but this was reduced to 240. The development requires a zoning change and a change in the County Growth Management Plan.
Why have zoning and growth plans if they can be changed whenever a plan is submitted? Decisions made yesterday are responsible for the problems we face today. Let’s not compound them.
One Naples will occupy the northeast corner of the Vanderbilt Beach Road and Gulf Shore Drive intersection. It is zoned commercial allowing for movie theaters, gas stations, etc. This zoning would allow for a far greater increase in traffic. Armed with this, the developer is requesting a zone change for a project that it claims will create less traffic. Regardless of the zoning there is already congestion at the dead-end Vanderbilt Beach. The beach attracts and serves Naples Park, The Pavilion Club and Beach Walk developments not to mention the remaining surrounding area including Vanderbilt Beach Road east of US 41.
In addition, at the far east end of Vanderbilt Beach Road, three commissioners, including our own commissioner, have approved its extension to the 45,000-acre Rural Lands Stewardship Area that will actually double our population adding more than 300,000 automobiles. Did the developer consider these things before investing 26 million dollars buying up small lots to accommodate a five-acre development? Providing shuttle service to Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park is a ludicrous solution. To deal with this reality this project has to be scaled back significantly and begin by respecting set back requirements before considering changes in zoning and growth management.
Our problems started decades ago when the Colliers capitalized on their investment to sell off all the coastal property and not leave corridors to develop the land in the east. The original Vanderbilt Beach consisted of only 100 feet, the width of the road. What kind of foresight was that? Pelican Bay added 200 feet and two acres to accommodate parking and services. Pelican Bay also donated the Clam Pass Park. Considering these donations, providing our own infrastructure and our tax base we have been exceptionally good neighbors. The county should take a moment to listen to us.
Required Neighborhood Information Meeting (NIM) for One Naples was held on March 3 attended by 500 area residents including several PBPOA Board members to express their concern. At the time this meeting was held, and the developer knew this, the county had already rejected the plan, so there was no reason for the meeting. However, we did learn from the meeting why it was rejected. Among other reasons, it was going to add 500 more vehicles to an already overused road. Vanderbilt Beach Road already has two west lanes converging onto one lane at US 41 and the county just voted widening the two lanes to three lanes. Now we will have three lanes converging into one lane. Lots of luck. Kathy Robbins and David Galloway attended our own presentation of the One Naples Plan at our March 12 meeting and brought us up to date. The Vanderbilt Beach Association has started a fund to further support their position if necessary. It is their hope that a more compatible plan will be made agreeable to all parties.
PBPOA also had a representative of the Park Shore Association provide an update on the proposed Seagate garage and expansion of a pathway through the Clam Pass Park mangroves. The garage has been definitely rejected but there is still some concern that the pathway may come up again in the future. We share a common interest in protecting the mangroves not only for their natural beauty but the protection they afford the community.
The March 12 meeting opened with individual members expressing concern about issues that they experience. Apparently, the “right turn only” sign at Gulf Park Drive and 41 has had some unintended consequences. It forces drivers who would have made a left turn to make their left turns before they reach it increasing traffic in the local community. The intersection has been the site of fatalities. The Pelican Bay Services Division requested putting traffic lights there but it was denied by the State and the sign was the only alternative.
A member voiced concern of a lack of coordination employing the trams. At times 30 people are waiting at a tram station while empty trams are parked at the restaurant. Another comment was made that the Marker 36 bar gets extremely busy when they first open and this should be better handled. For these problems it was suggested to include them in the recent survey and to express their concerns directly to the Pelican Bay Foundation so that they are made aware of these conceived problems. Finally, another member complained that the beach attendants were setting up chairs in the seagrass. The seagrass is protected, however, the attendants claim that after the work was done at the beach buildings the replanted seagrass was mistakenly placed and exceeded where its limits were.
Board member and treasurer Mark English again reminded all of the much less costly way to manage the infrastructure projects of the PBSD. Mark will attend a meeting with the PBSD to explain how best to fund the project. The PBSD has the responsibility to make the decision.
This year we added three more exceptional board members Donna Raab, Hank Rossi and Joe Bawduniak. This was my last meeting after serving the two-term limit as a Board member, however, I will remain active on the PBPOA Communication Committee. It has been a pleasure to serve the community. Everyone should get involved in protecting the future.
The PBPOA serves the members in dealing with problems in and out of Pelican Bay. In the past few years our membership has declined. We cannot continue to support Pelican Bay owners unless more of you sign up. Please make the effort to join now by downloading your 2020 Membership Form here and sending a check for $50 to PBPOA, 1110 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 303, Naples, FL 34108. Please include your email address so that we can keep you informed of issues that concern us.
