By Ted Raia
The Conservancy is fighting a tough battle over the RLSA and is in court. The Mangrove Action Group (MAG) is supporting the Conservancy and would like share the following information with the Pelican Bay Property Owners Association.
Rural Lands Stewardship Area (RLSA)
Everyone should be allowed to develop their land to the maximum as permitted by law, but let’s look at the law. At the LWV presentation, Mark Strain revealed that the density would vary from 1 to 10 units per acre by state law. There are major considerations that must be made before deciding density. The two basic ones are adequate potable water and surface water management. You are never permitted to increase the amount of runoff that existed before development, after development including pollutants like fertilizers. To allow any development to discharge their excess runoff into the wrongfully created channels, that then brings this excess to our protected Rookery Bay and mangrove islands is endangering the mangroves and the fish hatcheries dependent on them. You are also depriving the aquifers of necessary replenishment. This is a violation of both State Law and Collier County Master Plan. Next would be adequate sewerage treatment for the population which adds to surface runoff and pollutants. Then come the other requirements – roads, recreation, schools, fire, police etc., that should be paid by the developer not the county. Once these are in place the county assumes operational responsibility as well as replacement reserves.
That is in the real world but not in Collier county. What about the sales pitch of beach access? The problem is, there is none. The owners know this; they sold the coastal properties and access years ago. Will they now petition the State to “create” the access? Nor did the Colliers leave east-west corridors for future development of the east. The only road servicing the northeast Collier County is Immokalee Road. The only county beach was the one-hundred-foot width of Vanderbilt Beach Road. Pelican Bay widened the beach to three hundred feet and donated Clam Pass Park. Finally, there is the shell game called “credits”.
The RLSA is zoned one unit per five acres regardless if it is a swamp or natural wildlife habitat which would allow for 36,466 units and 72,932 cars. However, by transfer of credits (land in Collier County has some 8 layers of credit values – development, agriculture, mining, etc.) one may develop a unit for each layer or two you give up. So, from the original 16,800 acres with 67,200 units and 134,400 cars, it morphed into 45,000 acres when finally presented. At four units per acre, you have 180,000 units and 360,000 automobiles. To cope with that number, Vanderbilt Beach Road will be extended further east. Unfortunately, there is already a proposed traffic problem at the west end of Vanderbilt Beach Road called One Naples.
The Rivergrass Village project to be built in the RLSA was voted down by the Planning Commission 4 to 1. However, our Commissioners voted approval 3 to 2. One of the three owns property there and should have recused himself. Another did not attend the public hearing and is not running for re-election. The third is the Commissioner whose district will be negatively impacted by this yet voted for it.
Help support the Conservancy in fighting this with letters, calls and donations.
