ESTERO COMMUNITY PLANNING PANEL

Minutes of Public Meeting #135 – January 23, 2012

Estero Community Park, Estero, Florida

Panel Members Present:  Jack Lienesch, Chairman, Estero Community Association; Neal Noethlich, Emeritus Chairman; Ned Dewhirst, Estero Development Community; Jeff Maas, Estero Chamber of Commerce; John Goodrich, ECCL; Paul Roberts, Southland Group; Judy Beach, Recording Secretary, ECCL; and Bev MacNellis, Treasurer.  Absent: Greg Toth, Founding Member.

Also present, Kathie Ebaugh, Division of Planning, Lee County Department of Community Development; Daniel DeLisi, DeLisi Fitzgerald, Inc.

Public Notice:  Beach reported that the meeting notice was posted at the South County Regional Library, BB&T and Fifth Third Banks and the ECPP website.

Approval of Minutes:   Goodrich: Motion to waive the reading of the minutes of the December 19, 2011 meeting and accept them as written.  Dewhirst: Seconded.   Accepted unanimously.

Treasurer’s Report:  Treasurer MacNellis reported a balance of $1,490.67.  Goodrich: Motion to accept the report.  Maas: Seconded.   Accepted unanimously.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW PANEL MEMBER

Roger Strelow, attorney and ECCL member, was introduced as the replacement for Erik Dickens, ECCL member who resigned last month.  Roger described his broad environmental, sustainability and energy management-related experience. The Panel welcomed him aboard.

PRESENTATIONS

Ned Dewhirst, representing Oakbrook Properties and Funnel Land Investment, LLC, presented a proposed DRI Notice of Proposed Change and Zoning Amendment for the Brooks DRI/MPD.  The proposal is for a parcel of land located at the eastern terminus of Coconut Road and next to I-75, consisting of approx. 38 acres.  The request will propose to eliminate the current reservation of 150’ of ROW and additional acreage for the extension of Coconut Road east and an overpass of  I-75 due to their removal from the MPO 2035 Traffic Plan.  Other requests includes revisions to the zoning MCP, elimination of the mid-rise MF use, and the addition of up to 200 MF residential units.  When asked when these units might be constructed, he responded that at present there is not a development schedule for these 38 acres.  The majority of the Panel and one Brooks’ resident in the audience supported the change.  Panel member Maas expressed his view that the ROW should remain in place for future consideration of an interchange.

ECPP

Update on LEE PLAN (Kathie Ebaugh)

Kathie noted that this update to the Lee Plan will include a new element called “Communities”.  The objective is to use common language for all the community plans in Lee County.  Elements of the current plan date to 1984; this will be a major update.  Next month there will be a white paper on the subject of Land Use Changes which should be distributed to all panel members.

Update on Chapter 19 LDC Signage

The first official review of the recommended language changes that were presented to the county in December 2011 will be at the February 10th Land Development Code Advisory Committee (LDCAC) meeting.  Jack will attend for the panel.

Community Plan Update Project   

Our consultant team had an organizational kickoff meeting in Ft. Myers earlier this month to plan the next steps.  Dan DeLisi proposed a combined public meeting of the ECPP and EDRC for February which should get wide public participation.  After discussion of several options, it was decided that Monday, February 20, 2012 at 5:00 PM we will host a combined Planning Panel and Design Review Committee workshop at our usual location.  Dan DeLisi, Bill Prysi and others will lead an opening brainstorming session to review our past 2010 workshop results and capture all ideas for updating Lee County’s Community Plan and Land Development Codes with respect to Estero specific attributes.

Storage Space for ECPP, EDRC and ECCL files:   Negotiations with Extra Space Storage was finalized.  Currently there are some files available, but the Panel gave permission to MacNellis to purchase additional cabinets after determining the requirements.

Announcements:

Sunday, March 4, 2012 Annual  ECCL “All Play and No Work” Event

Angelino’s Restaurant will be the venue again. This year we are requesting a $20pp donation which includes wine and appetizers – no raffles will be held. Estero’s Village Visionary Award is normally presented at this meeting each year.  Reservations/tickets: Bev MacNellis, (239) 498-0678.

ADJOURNMENT

Maas: Motion to adjourn meeting. Noethlich: Seconded. Accepted unanimously.

Panel was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

NEXT REGULAR MEETING: 

Monday, February 20, 2012, 5 p.m., Estero Community Park.