The NDN article below was published in the print version on Monday, 4/27/2020.
Stock Development tweaks controversial plans for One Naples, but project still faces opposition
Laura Layden, Naples Daily NewsPublished 8:00 a.m. ET April 22, 2020 | Updated 4:14 p.m. ET April 22, 2020
Stock Development has once again tweaked its controversial plans for One Naples near Vanderbilt Beach.The developer describes the changes as significant, saying they’ve been made with a “focus on addressing height, density and traffic considerations” based on concerns raised by vocal neighbors at community meetings. It’s the second time Stock has downsized the scope of the project. The project, however, still faces strong, organized opposition that vows to continue pushing for more changes until it’s the “right fit” for the neighborhood.Buzz Victor, one of the project’s most vocal opponents, said more than 800 people have now registered to receive and exchange information about the project through a nonprofit he’s set up — and its associated website SaveVanderbiltBeach.com.”The consensus is that it’s a step in the right direction,” he said of the latest changes to One Naples. “But it’s not enough.” The revised plan for the luxury resort-style community, planned at the northeast corner of Vanderbilt Beach Road and Gulf Shore Drive, includes reducing:
- The number of total residences from 240 to 172
- The height of the two high-rise condominiums from 16 to 14 floors over parking
- The zoned height of the three mid-rise residential buildings from 65 to 55 feet
- The maximum commercial square footage from 25,000 to 10,000 square feet
The modifications also include increasing building setbacks, so that towers and mid-rises sit farther away from the street and from their closest neighbors, who have raised concerns that the development will create an unsightly “canyon-like effect.” All of the proposed changes are detailed in a third submission to Collier County for development review. It was filed with the county last month.
Letter to neighbors
Stock Development’s CEO Brian Stock sent a letter titled “Working Together” to surrounding neighbors with a list of the latest revisions. “Together, the changes in density and commercial space create a dramatic 46% reduction in traffic generated by One Naples,” he states. The developer also continues to point out the current C-3 zoning would allow for a much more intense development, up to 100,000 square feet of commercial uses over one-story of parking, which Stock describes as a “reasonable and marketable” option at the site, similar to the Village on Venetian Bay shopping center on Gulf Shore Boulevard, which has a mix of shops, restaurants and offices.”Clearly, the proposed plan for One Naples provides significant relief of vehicular traffic over current zoning,” Stock writes.According to the developer, if what’s allowed by the existing commercial zoning gets built it would generate 491 more trips to and from the underutilized property during afternoon peak hours, while the latest plan for One Naples would add 148 trips.Some opponents have argued Stock has used the most intense alternative as a threat, when it doesn’t seem viable — a claim the developer continues to dispute, saying it is very much doable.
Stock is actively working with the county on traffic-calming solutions and has proposed many operational improvements that it’s willing to make and pay for if they’re green lighted by the county. Those improvements include everything from putting a traffic signal at Vanderbilt Beach Road and Gulf Shore Drive to making upgrades to the county’s nearby parking garage, including adding signage that would alert drivers if it’s full from blocks away and reduce back-ups.The developer has offered to make other changes to surrounding roads, sidewalks and bike lanes to improve both traffic flow and safety.Stock said he believes the newest proposal “best reflects the wishes of the majority of our neighbors.” “We believe the resubmittal reflects our sincere desire to abate those concerns with significant reductions that ensure neighborhood compatibility,” Stock said in a company statement. “Of course, we understand that not everyone will be happy with development at that location, but we have received a great deal of positive feedback since announcing the reductions.”
The vision for One Naples shows a highly amenitized destination development, with pools, fitness centers, fire pits, cabanas and its own marina. Prices for the new condos are expected to range from $1.5 million to $10 million.Stock had described the development as a “legacy project” for his company and his family. He promises to integrate the project into the Vanderbilt Beach area, with architecture and landscaping that looks and feels like it’s been part of the neighborhood for decades.Yet, critics, such as Victor, still argue it’s the wrong project in the wrong place, despite the latest changes in its scope.The neighbors Victor is hearing from aren’t “very happy yet” either — and they have differing views about what should ultimately get built at the site, he said. His group wants Stock to limit the size of high-rise towers to 12 stories, Victor said, but the developer has refused to come down that far, with a firm answer of “absolutely not” in a recent phone call.”There are three 12-story buildings that are within 500 feet of them, all north of Vanderbilt Beach Road,” Victor said. “So they are definitely part of the neighborhood. Our sense was it would be hard to ask him to do more than what existed in the neighborhood and with a direction to be compatible with the neighborhood.”His group, he said, also asked for bigger setbacks and got the same answer.”The answer again was no,” Victor said.
Opposition gaining steam
Through his website, Victor’s online petition against the project continues to gain steam. “It’s very active and people are signing up in big numbers,” he said.More than 350 people have signed the petition and the nonprofit has raised just under $42,000 for a war chest, nearing a goal of $50,000.What opponents want and Brian Stock should deliver is a development that is “in context with the neighborhood,” he said.”What he has designed is not,” Victor said. “It continues to be overreaching.”Victor said he and other opponents have nothing against Stock or his company, just the scale of the project.”We have a lot of respect for him and we would love to have him do something at that corner,” he said. His group recently sent a letter to Stock, outlining its demands once again, and its plans to fight the project as currently proposed, which could include filing a lawsuit to block it.If Stock doesn’t budge, Victor said, his group is preparing to widen its reach to the community and to “move this more into a political discussion.” Those efforts will involve hiring a public relations firm and setting up advisory groups to spread its message to voters — and to county commissioners, who will have the final say on the project.”Our feeling is that times have changed a bit in Naples and Collier County — and the county commissioners must be aware that the more normal or typical position of supporting developers puts them at risk in terms of their positions on the board,” Victor said.He used this as a case in point: The city of Naples recently voted for a new mayor, Teresa Heitmann, who had a platform that included the “density” and “intensity” of new developments having a negative impact on the city.Another example he offers up: A recent lawsuit filed by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida against Collier County over commissioners’ decision to approve Rivergrass Village, a 1,000-acre village along Oil Well Road, east of Golden Gate Estates. Up to 2,500 homes, most of them single-family houses, could be part of the rural development, along with a golf course and village center.
Concerns and questions linger
Elizabeth Pircio said she and many of her neighbors at Barefoot Pelican, a neighboring gated mid-rise community close to Vanderbilt Beach, still have concerns about One Naples, despite the changes. One of her community’s biggest concerns has been the loss of their cherished water and sunset views. After reviewing the letter from Stock, Pircio said she had unanswered questions and some new concerns, including language that referred to changing the zoned height of the mid-rise buildings. By using zoned height, instead of actual height, she said it may appear the buildings will be much shorter than they’ll end up, which could be deceptive.”It’s not as clear,'” she said. “It’s even cloudier than it was in the past.”Asked to explain zoned height, Stock said it generally refers to the distance from the first floor of living to the roof, not including parking. The first floor starts at 21 feet above ground level. The maximum height listed in the latest submission for the mid-rises is 87 feet. The high-rises are now shown at 208 feet based on the latest plans, with 14 floors over two floors of parking.”They are playing games. They are not being forthright,” Pircio said. Pircio also questioned how Stock will ensure the protection of manatees swimming in the Vanderbilt Lagoon where it plans to operate a marina and charter service and how close the new five-story mid-rises will really sit to her community if they end up cantilevering, or hanging over, the parking below.Unease has also surfaced about the possibility of a hotel being “back in play,” as a back-up if there’s a shift in market demands for the high-rise condos.In response to those concerns, Stock said: “The hotel use has always been included as a permitted use in our zoning applications. However, as we committed to the project neighbors, our intent is to develop the property as a luxury resort-destination community of for-sale condominiums.”Barefoot Pelican’s One Naples Committee has sent a lengthy list of questions and comments to county planners and awaits responses. The committee has been in close contact with county staff since the project was first proposed in 2017.”Basically, it’s a fight between David and Goliath here,” Pircio said. “We are trying to protect our neighborhood. We are trying to protect our beach.”In response to one of the concerns Barefoot Pelican’s committee has raised, Stock said the Manatee Protection Plan includes a formula for boat slips based on the linear feet of shoreline that allows a maximum of 99 boat slips for One Naples, but the actual number of slips will be determined later — based on market demand.Stock has pledged to sell or lease most of the marina slips to One Naples residents, which would help limit the number of outsiders coming into the development. Up to four slips could be leased to charter boats, however, decisions about who will be allowed to use those services have yet to be made. The mid-rises have been designed with architectural relief and embellishments to ensure architectural character, Stock said.In Pircio’s mind, many more modifications and assurances are needed for Brian Stock to make good on his promises to be a good neighbor.The bottom line, she said, is that Stock is putting “as much concrete as he can” on a little less than 6 acres, which is going to change the site “into a street like Manhattan,” which isn’t right.In an impassioned letter to the Naples Daily News, fellow Barefoot Pelican resident Steve Valdivia, who also owns two condos at nearby Vanderbilt Palms as investments, said there’s much more at stake than meets the eye.”The outcome will affect everyone, as decisions made now will set precedent for future development and have permanent repercussions on the entire region,” he said. “These conflicts are almost always won by the Goliaths of the world, but this time it must be different.”
Under review
County staff is still reviewing the latest submittal from Stock, which is requesting a rezoning and growth plan amendment.Adoption of the amendment will require a supermajority vote of four county commissioners. Previously, county staff found Stock’s application for a small-scale amendment insufficient, asking for more information to justify it. According to a letter sent to the developer, the property is eligible for a conversion that would allow a maximum density of 16 dwelling units an acre and the petition lacked an explanation for seeking or proposing so much more.After the last review, county staff encouraged the developer to redesign the project to reduce the mass and scale of the project and placement of the buildings to “make it more compatible” with the surrounding neighborhood. Stock has argued the project wouldn’t be out of character for the neighborhood.
