Marco planners OK Esplanade amendments

While Marco Island officials had issues with setbacks and last-minute plan changes, Planning Board members approved Antaramian's amendments.

However, the two members on the losing end of the 5-2 approval, were not happy.

Chairman Everett Van Hoesen called the entire process a "whitewash."

Board member Rich Nelson said he just couldn't give Antaramian what he wanted.

Some of it had to do with an announcement by Antaramian lawyer Bruce Anderson that instead of building an amphitheater on his premises, Antaramian was prepared to give the city $100,000 to build it elsewhere.

"We believe this is a more straightforward approach," Anderson told Planning Board members Friday. "Rather than create a host of new problems for our client and the city, we believe these proposals are responsive to your concerns."

In order to get Marco approval several years ago, Antaramian planned for a community amphitheater amidst his Esplanade, a pricey mixed-use project on Smokehouse Bay with condos selling for $1 million.

Last summer, Antaramian asked Marco planners to approve a change: Instead of an amphitheater at which locals could hear music, he wanted to build a gazebo/bar at which customers could drink. When he went to city planners with the idea, they discovered that Antaramian had already installed all the necessary electrical and plumbing work for the gazebo, not an amphitheater.

City employees hated the idea almost as much as locals did.

Because he had a development agreement with the city, Antaramian opted to bypass the Planning Board and take his disputes with city planners directly to City Council members.

Then, city planners found Antaramian's crew had violated setback requirements.

Council members sent the problem to the Planning Board. After much discussion, Planning Board members on Nov. 7 told Antaramian's lawyers that they might want to continue the session to consider some of the criticism because they were on the verge of denying his requests.

There were also numerous complaints by Marco restaurateurs that Antaramian had a parking agreement that each of them would like at their eateries.

It was continued to Friday, and that is when Antaramian first offered up the money to build an amphitheater elsewhere.

While Van Hoesen drew up a formula to address parking concerns, Anderson shrugged them off.

"Let me say this as nicely as I can. Parking is not on the table for discussion as amendment for part of this development agreement," Anderson said. "The parking requirements of the development agreement are satisfied."

Marco real estate consultant Tom Shea told Planning Board members that parking is more of an "emotional" issue than a "realistic one."

"If people find it difficult to park there, they are going to go someplace else. ... If they can't park they'll leave, it's just that simple," Shea said. While other Planning Board members let Anderson talk away the setback issue, and they debated whether the bar should be allowed to have multiple televisions, Van Hoesen and Nelson sat watching in disbelief.

Television noise in the bars was banned, but Van Hoesen and Nelson voted against the amendments anyhow.

"I am deeply concerned about parking for the site. ... I am also concerned about noise impact on neighbors. ... I am also concerned about equitable contributions," Van Hoesen said.

While Antaramian's lawyers agreed to a 10 p.m. "last call," Nelson said it still wasn't a great plan.

"Last call could be, 'I'll have six more beers,'" Nelson pointed out, laughing, but serious.

At the vote, he said, "No."

"I'm not going to vote for it. Too much is not clear," Nelson said.

However, in addition to the board's acceptance of Antaramian's amendments, something happened at the meeting that unnerved several people watching the process.

Shea stood in the back of the room, motioning to someone on the board during the vote on the TV issue.

After the meeting, Councilwoman Terri DiSciullo said she couldn't believe he actually did that.

Restaurant Association government affairs director Joseph Olivierio called Shea's hand-signals "blatant."

Planning Board member Herb Savage said after the meeting he's assuming Shea was motioning to him, but he was not influenced by Shea's hand signals.

City Council members will decide on the Antaramian's requests at their Dec. 1 meeting.