Estero development report

The next stage of the development process for each parcel of land is the Development Order stage. That's where our Estero Design Review Committee gets involved in reviewing the design and appearance of the site plan, architecture, signage and landscaping. A good example of that was last month's report on the EDRC's review of the Wal-Mart superstore proposal. The county's Community Development department must approve each DO and the related building permit before construction can commence.

Thus in the future more and more of the community meetings required of developers in Estero will be in conjunction with the EDRC. If you want to see what Estero is going to look like in a few years, and to influence that look, you should attend the monthly meeting of the EDRC at the clubhouse at The Vines on the second Wednesday each month.

In this report we discuss some of the projects that made progress at one of the three stages of development this month. Developments seeking zoning

Wal-Mart: As reported last month, Wal-Mart presented a revised development plan to the EDRC on Sept. 10 and received numerous suggestions for improvement from the committee and the public. In response to those suggestions, Wal-Mart transmitted another revised plan to the EDRC during October. These changes will be discussed by the EDRC at their meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the clubhouse at The Vines.

The EDRC's comments and suggestions at this meeting will be used by the Estero Council of Community Leaders Wal-Mart committee as they prepare for discussions with Wal-Mart later in the rezoning process.

Bella Terra: The residential project now call Bella Terra was formerly zoned as the Habitat. The original zoning would have permitted construction of about 2,350 housing units on more than 1,000 acres along the south side of Corkscrew Road about one mile east of Wildcat Run.

The primary changes in the proposed zoning eliminates the golf course; allocates more land to open space and reduces the number of residential units by 400, with more emphasis on single family or duplex homes and less on multi-family units. The added open space will help the developer satisfy environmental limitations imposed by this property which is immediately adjacent to the Density Reduction Groundwater Recharge area. The developers are also seeking permission to dig retention lakes to a depth of 30 feet rather they 20 feet. The land extracted from these lakes will provide them the fill they will need for the site. Blasting is being used to build 23 lakes.

The existing zoning permits 100,000 square feet of retail space and 20,000 square feet of office space. The developers plan a 45-foot clock tower as the project identifier near the entrance off of Corkscrew Road adjacent to the commercial area. The clock tower height may require a deviation if it is determined to be in the Corkscrew Overlay.

Site preparation in now under way with the first model homes expected to be opened early next year.

North Point: The developers of this project, Estero's second largest commercial development, are closely related to the developers of Coconut Point Town Center. The property is located on 102 acres on the east side of U.S. 41 between Williams Road and the Corkscrew Village Shopping Center. If approved as requested it will contain 550,000 square feet of retail space, 120,000 square feet of office, a 150 room hotel and 150 housing units.

The development combines nine parcels of land with six owners into a unified project that uses many Estero Plan and Main Street Overlay principals and is designed to compliment the Coconut Point Town Center immediately to the south. Thus, almost three miles on the east side of U.S. 41 in Estero will have a consistent, attractive architectural and landscaping appearance.

The centerpiece of the project is a 15-acre lake that will be viewed from both principal entrances. The four-lane Sandy Lane extension between Corkscrew Road and Bonita Spring's northern boundary will pass through the rear of the property. Sandy Lane will link the project to the 65-acre Estero Community Park to be constructed just east of the site over the next several years.

The developers hope to obtain zoning approval for the project by next summer and to begin construction in about 3 years.

Estero Town Center: On Oct. 20, the Board of County Commissioners approved the zoning for the Estero Town Center project. This 33-acre project is located on the southeast corner of Three Oaks and Corkscrew Road and consists of a maximum of 265,000 square feet of retail space. The anchor parcel on this project could contain a big box with as much as 180,000 square foot of retail space. The zoning was approved for the property owner, Dwight S. Baird Jr. Trust, inasmuch as the prospective developer, the Courtelis Corporation, decided not to proceed with the project. The change in applicant did not change any of the provisions of the zoning that had been negotiated with the ECPP.

The former developer made a strong effort to zone the property in accordance with the Corkscrew Road Overlay which requires, among many other things, all buildings fronting on Corkscrew to be up close to the road with the parking in the rear. In addition the zoning contains an extensive set of Design Guidelines that will ensure that all the purchasers of outlot parcels will use compatible architecture and landscaping. The former developer participated extensively with the ECPP in the development of "big box standards" that, when adopted by the BOCC, will apply to all big box developments within Estero. Developments at Design Review

Estero Park Commons: The Estero Design Review Committee recently reviewed the design for Estero Park Commons, a 102,250-square-foot commercial project on the west side of the entrance to the upcoming Estero Community Park, Corkscrew Palms Boulevard. The entrance is on the south side of Corkscrew Road just west of the three Mediterranean office buildings now under construction.

This Mediterranean office project with up to 28,000 square feet of neighborhood retail is being developed by the McGarvey Corporation, developer of the attractive Riverside Park, located in front of Bonita Bay just north of the Imperial River. The EDRC generally approved the appearance of the project but made the following suggestions for improvement:

The existing oaks and sabal palms need to be preserved/relocated per the approved zoning resolution; the plan should allow greater pedestrian access into and throughout the site; use larger-than-code-minimum trees along the property access drive, and create naturalistic "clumps" on the berm along Corkscrew Road (rather than a straight row of trees) and use them to compliment and enhance the preservation of the existing oaks.

Approved projects making progress

Coconut Point: This project was formerly known as the Simon Suncoast Mall. It is Estero's largest mixed-use project, potentially consisting of 1.9 million square feet of retail space, 300,000 square feet of office space, 600 hotel rooms, 200 assisted living units and 1,000 housing units located along the east side of U.S. 41 from the Bonita Springs northern border to Williams Road, more than two miles to the north. Oakbrook Properties, the developer of this 483 acre mixed use project, and its major partner, the Simon Property Group, have been making considerable progress in the year since the property was zoned. Throughout the year they have been negotiating a development agreement with the county that would specify when and how the road impact fees paid by the developers will be used.

Oakbrook has agreed to sell a significant amount of additional land to Simon. As a result, the Simon Property Group will own a large area extending north from Coconut Road.

During November, the developers will begin to publicize the designs that will be used on some of the properties that are further along in the planning process. The Simon Property Group will make two presentations regarding their project during November:

On Nov. 13, they will make a presentation to the Estero Real Estate Review sponsored by Stephanie Miller Select Real Estate and FGCU.

On Nov. 20, Tom Schneider, Simon's Senior VP of Development will address the Estero Chamber of Commerce' Business After Hours.

It should not be too much longer before the developers will be ready to disclose some of their future retail tenants.

Oakbrook Properties has been focusing most its attention on developing the area north of the Simon property and extending up to Williams Road. The majority of this land will be one or more residential developments. Some announcements about this area should be forthcoming soon, with site preparation expected to start next spring.

The Cascades: According to press reports since sales efforts began 16 months ago The Cascades has sold 300 of 603 housing units planned for the community. The Cascades is located on the south side of Koreshan Boulevard midway between U.S. 41 and Three Oaks Parkway. The project is in the process of acquiring another 34.3 acres adjacent to the property for construction of up to 120 additional homes.

Vilagio: According to press reports, 94 housing units have been sold in the five months since the Mediterranean style project's sales office opened in late May. Villagio is a 514-unit multi-family housing development located along the east side of Three Oaks Parkway just south of Koreshan Boulevard.

Colonial Oaks: According to recent press reports, Colonial Homes, developer of Colonial Oaks, sold 90 of the 99 homes planned for the development in 14 months. Colonial Oaks is located on the west side of Three Oaks between Corkscrew Road and Williams Road.

Koreshan 36 Partnership: This partnership recently paid $5 million for the commercially zoned 36 acre site on the northwest corner of Koreshan Boulevard and Three Oaks Parkway. The partnership plans to develop a mixed use entertainment/retail complex on the property. The development will likely get underway after the Koreshan "flyway," the extension of Koreshan over I-75 to Ben Hill Griffin, is complete in 2005 or 2006. The flyway will provide a short, direct link from the area to Florida Gulf Coast University.

Lee School District site acquisition: Last month we reported that Lee County School District's plan to acquire a 76 acre site for several schools on the east side of Three Oaks Parkway just east of the Villages of Country Creek community was in jeopardy due to a legal dispute between the property owner and his former real estate broker. Fortunately the problem has been resolved and the District has now closed on the purchase of the property. The School District will soon begin the permitting process with the Army Corps of Engineers. After that is complete the district will decide what grades will be served by schools located on the site. It is anticipated that the schools constructed on the site will open for class in time for the 2007-08 school year.

The Estero Development Report is authored by Don Eslick, a member of several Estero organizations. The report will appear monthly in the Banner. To receive the unabridged report by e-mail, contact Eslick at doneslick@worldnet.att.net