Developers given more time to redesign Moose Lodge

Moose Lodge members will have to wait a while longer to get city approval for their new building.

The Marco Island Planning Board decided to table the issue until at least March 24 to give developers time to find a way to build the building within height regulations for the property.

The proposed building, which would replace the present Lodge that was built more than 20 years ago as a temporary building, has two levels of parking and three other levels. They will house commercial properties, which would include the lodge and two floors of condominiums. Plans would provide 48 spaces on the ground level for the commercial properties and 30 on the second level for the residential properties.

The Inn at Marco, owners of the property the present lodge sits on, petitioned the Planning Board for a conditional use approval for the new building and a height variance that would allow a height of 60 feet rather than the 50 feet for which the property is zoned.

Because of legal entanglements over the past few years, the organization was short of money to build a stand-alone building. Now, a mixed-use building within current codes is the only way to keep a lodge on the island. Parking regulations are the biggest hindrance to the building, with developers contending that having two levels of parking is the only way the building can be built.

"I'm serious to say we stand a good chance of losing the lodge," said Moose Governor Richard Heavner. "They've already threatened to bulldoze (it). We're a big part of this community and we're asking for help at this point."

City Planner Bryan Milk, who recommended that the Planning Board approve the conditional use petition but deny the variance request, said that in order to grant a variance, the petitioner has to be faced with a special circumstance or hardship.

"Our concern is that there's no land-related difficulties in regard to height ... for that reason alone my recommendation is denial," Milk said.

Brenda Garretson, the lodge's attorney, said that because of being a victim in an alleged case of embezzlement and lengthy litigation that involved Price Court and the Inn at Marco, the lodge is not in a financial position to just raze that building and build a "beautiful new building."

But city attorney Greg Urbancic said economics alone does not justify hardship.

Milk said that although the C- 3 district in which the lodge is zoned allows builders to build up to 50 feet, he does not know of any that exceeds two stories.

Board members were concerned that, while they were concerned about the future of the Moose Lodge 1990, granting a variance such as this flies in the face of their long-term goal of preventing "canyonization" of Collier Boulevard.

Board Chairman Monte Lazarus said the lodge needs to balance the canyonization issue with its needs, " ... but the consensus here is that going over 50 feet is a real problem for us."

Instead, Planning Board members decided to continue the item until at least March 24 so developers could figure out a way to redesign the proposed building in a way to adhere to present code, although it was unclear whether this is possible.