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 Published as an E-blast on 7/27/20 |
| The Time Is Now… Naples Is At A Crossroads! In recent months, the Pelican Bay Property Owners Association (PBPOA) has expressed concern over safety in Pelican Bay and the surrounding coastal communities, as frustrated drivers continue to seek alternate routes, speeding through residential neighborhoods to circumvent traffic. We have also raised concerns over the limited amount of available green space West of US41, increased use of our collector roadways, the need for additional community services and failing infrastructure throughout the County and Pelican Bay. The PBPOA believes the time has come to recognize the long-term negative impact of the overcrowding of land and the undue concentration of population in creating overdevelopment in Collier County. These problems may continue unless we say… enough is enough! On October 30, 1991, Collier County adopted the original Collier County Land Development Code and has revised it over time to the current 2014 Ordinance 14-33 (link: Collier County LDC ). The LDC’s stated purpose is to preserve, promote, protect, and improve the public health, safety, comfort, good order, appearance, convenience, and general welfare of Collier County; prevent the overcrowding of land, and avoid the undue concentration of population; and facilitate the adequate and efficient provision of transportation, water, sewerage. Why is it that our County Commissioners seem to have lost sight of that LDC? On January 28, 2020, after nearly six hours of presentations, public comments and discussions, commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a 1,000-acre Rivergrass Village along Oil Well Road, east of Golden Gate Estates, and they did it against the recommendation of the Collier County Planning Commission (CCPC). The CCPC had recommended in a vote (of 4-1) to deny approval of the proposed project to the County Commissioners! Why? Their denial was based on the conclusion that the project did not fully meet the standards established by the Rural Land Stewardship Area (RLSA) Program for environmental preservation, agricultural preservation, and smart growth development. The Collier County Planning Commission (CCPC) exists to review petition plans and County staff reports for conformance to the County’s codes and provide technical assistance to the Board of County Commissioners. In addition, they also have power and duties, as the County’s Environmental Advisory Council. Why then, would our County Commissioners turn a blind eye to the expertise and recommendation of their own advisors? On the editorial opinion page in the Naples Daily News on May 14th, The League of Women Voters Collier County attempted to set the record straight on Rivergrass Village by clearly stating their objections to the decision to approve the Rivergrass Village project. We are at a crossroad right now with the future of our beautiful city. The June 24th issue of the Naples Daily News reported a study conducted by Resonance Consultancy, specialists in the destination-branding industry. They ranked Naples at No 2 on this year’s list of Best Small Cities. Naples’ top ranking (number 1) for place came from its “life-affirming sunsets, natural beauty and impressive dining and cultural offerings. The city was praised for its strong sense of place and recognized for its efforts to protect the local environment and encouraging smart growth. Presently, the PBPOA is actively opposing Stock Development’s One Naples project on Vanderbilt Beach Rd, as proposed. This project is currently in the end stages of staff review before going to the County Planning Commission for review and recommendation to the County Commissioners. It’s proposed location, its non-conforming building heights and non-conforming density, along with its proposed 10,000 sq. ft commercial space and potential 95 slip marina, are not in keeping with, or protective of the local environment according to many local residents. In addition, many believe One Naples poses great safety concerns for pedestrians, bikers, cars, and emergency vehicles alike. If approved, as proposed, this development will negatively affect the already congested Vanderbilt Beach collector roadway, which is having difficulty handling the existing peak hour traffic. And now… to potentially further compound matters, the Collier County Parks and Recreation Dept. has recently made it known that the PB Community Park (also on Vanderbilt Beach Road) is being underutilized and is considering its redesign in order to provide additional community services. In addition, the Collier County Fiscal 2021 budget has allocated over $550,000 for a Bike Lane /Sidewalk from 111th Ave. North from Bluebill Ave, Bridge to 7th St North. Might we (again) be revisiting the Crayton Pathway? Logic suggests the County Commissioners might use that same short-sighted thinking to again ignore their own LDC guidelines with One Naples, the possible park expansion and the connector bike pathway, too. Are these decisions being made in favor of ‘development’ to increase our tax base, collect more tax dollars and reduce our long term debt at the expense of our safety, eminently failing roadways and aging infrastructure? THE TIME IS NOW! With this being an election year, the PBPOA believes it is time to let the County Commissioners know (both incumbent and candidates running) that we view these decisions as being irresponsible. Decisions being made in the East are compounding the problems for the Western corridor. We need to hold our County Commissioners accountable to preserving our local environment and get them to stop approving projects that do not fully meet the intent of the LDC code. We need them to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Every decision has consequences and those consequences affect the future of Naples. Collier County is at a Crossroad. COVID has us on an ‘uncharted course’ and we can no longer do business “as usual.” It’s time for the Collier Commissioners to re-align their policies to provide long-term economic sustainability for the safety of our families and neighborhoods, the infrastructure and our quality of life. We need to get back on the track of ‘smart growth.’ Otherwise, in years to come we are going to find ourselves singing that old song, “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”  The PBPOA is committed to protecting the property values and interests of our Pelican Bay members. This is a ‘Call to Action’ to join us in the commitment to stay informed about what is happening in and around Pelican Bay. If you are not a member, please consider joining. Help us to preserve Pelican Bay and keep Naples … a beautiful, safe, environmentally friendly, amenity rich ‘life-affirming’ place to live! Hank Rossi on behalf of your friends at the Pelican Bay Property Owners Association |
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