City dazed from Landing hangover

Bonita Springs city officials and supporters were still shell-shocked Thursday as its all-or-nothing proposal to catalyze downtown revitalization went down in defeat Wednesday at a special City Council workshop.

“Now that it has been taken away, it feels like a death in the family,” Councilman Ben Nelson said. “There will be a period of mourning.”

The decision Wednesday has caused public supporters of the project to lash out at council members, with some talking recall. The dissenting council members seem dumbfounded in their attempts to understand the decision. The city staff has been quick to recover and is ready to move forward in the process, although cautiously because of lessons learned.

“What’s next?” is a question that hasn’t been this wide open in at least three years as some move on and others dwell on the decision that was made.

The city spent $3.5 million in 2003 on the 5.3-acre Bamboo Village site on the Imperial River along Old 41 in hopes of redeveloping it into a spark plug to spur further development downtown.

Through a lengthy process, the council in January selected Naples-based Antaramian Development, Inc. to reform the property into the upscale Imperial Landing, with condominiums, shops, restaurants and river access.

On Wednesday, the City Council held a five-hour workshop to discuss the plans and ultimately kicked Antaramian off the project in a 4-3 vote. The issue’s defeat came at the hands of three new council members who joined following the March 7 elections, and two-year Councilman Alex Grantt, who dissented with the January decision.

“I didn’t want to give public land over to private developers,” said Councilman Richard Ferreira, one of the new members. “It should stay in public hands.”

Because of the decision Wednesday, the city has to refund Antaramian $50,000, money the developer gave as a security deposit to negotiate on the Bamboo Village project. The mayor has to send a letter, which the council must approve next Wednesday at a meeting, officially severing ties between the government and Antaramian.

“It really felt like we were shadowboxing with a ghost because we couldn’t get our arms around what they wanted,” Antaramian attorney John Passidomo said. He added the developer would not seek any additional money from the city, even though the company spent hundreds of thousands of dollars developing the plan.

The seven council members will have to reach a consensus on what they want to see on the Bamboo Village site. The city didn’t have a back-up plan to Antaramian because the mixed-use option was the only one seriously discussed in the past few years.

“I am concerned about the future of the city because of last night’s decision,” City Manager Gary Price said. “Will I resign over last night’s decision? No .... I am disappointed, but we’ll survive.”

The city staff doesn’t want to spend more years working on a project that the council will not consent to, Price said. That is why the members’ direction now is so important.

The council will hear a presentation in August about creating a special taxing district to help revitalize downtown, but at some point the members will have to figure out what to do with Bamboo Village.

“We will have to talk with the people who were so upset with (Antaramian) to see what it will take to get them on board,” Mayor Jay Arend said.

Of the four council members who voted against the plan Wednesday, two didn’t respond to phone calls Thursday — council members Martha Simons and Alex Grantt.

Ferreira said he wants Bamboo Village turned into a government complex. Councilman Pat McCourt still wants mixed use development like Antaramian although with a different developer who will cater to young professionals and more befitting Bonita Springs.

“I really don’t have any plans. We need a little cooling off period,” McCourt said. “(Mixed use) is a good concept.”

The three councilmen who supported the Antaramian plan — Arend, Nelson and John Joyce — didn’t have anything else in mind for what they wanted to do with Bamboo Village.

“We will not get the kind of return we should be getting on Riverside Park if we don’t redevelop the area,” Joyce said. “With $6 million of taxpayer money invested in Riverside Park across the street, not doing anything would be a total waste.”

Before Wednesday’s decision, Bonita Springs resident John Bolan was planning on moving his accounting business to Old 41 and was purchasing a property near the Shangri-La Hotel & Resort. With Antaramian kicked off the Bamboo Village project, he now plans on moving it to Estero.

“There’s no way it makes sense to open anything down there now,” Bolan said. “I don’t see (downtown) becoming anything, especially if the city doesn’t want to fix it up.”

Like a number of community members, Bolan was thinking recall after the council made its decision. Several audience members shouted it as they exited the chambers.

“These four council people have ruined what many people have taken four to five years to build,” Bolan said. “I’m going to do whatever I have to do to get the four of them out of there.”

Kathy and Bob McGrath, who were in attendance Wednesday and supported Antaramian, also said they would financially support a recall movement.

“This is going to set us back five years,” Kathy McGrath said. “Can you imagine what else these people will do in the next four years?”

Under Florida state statute, city council members cannot be recalled unless they have served at least one-fourth of their terms — meaning Simons, McCourt and Ferreira wouldn’t be subject to a public ousting until April.

Grantt, who took office in 2004, could be recalled, although the process is complicated and requires some exact timing. Among other things, 250 registered voters in his District 2 would have to sign a petition saying they wanted him removed from office.

“It has only been 15 hours; recalling a councilman isn’t that easy or people would do it,” said real estate attorney John Spear. “It is meant to be complex and difficult but not impossible.”

Spear on Wednesday spoke for the Bonita Springs Redevelopment Alliance, which represented 700 people who signed a petition in favor of Antaramian. Recall is a long way from strongly disagreeing with a council decision, he said.

“To undertake something like that, I would have to be still really (upset) a month from now,” Spear said. “There will be people who will be (upset) a month from now.”

Ferreira said he voted against Antaramian because he believed it was the right move for the city. The threat of a recall election wouldn’t have changed that.

“If the people of Bonita Springs exercise their right under the charter, then I don’t have any objection,” Ferreira said. “But don’t expect me to make a vote, though, just because it’s there.”

- - -

With Naples-based Antaramian Development, Inc. kicked off the Bamboo Village project, the seven Bonita Springs City Council members will have to reach a new consensus for what they want on the land. Here’s what they said Thursday and how they voted on the Antaramian proposal:

Pat McCourt (No): Still wants a mixed-use development like the Antaramian proposal, but something with more Bonita character that caters to young professionals. “Let’s wait for the right developer to come along.”

Richard Ferreira (No): Wants to keep the Bamboo Village property in the government’s hands. Thinks it would be a good location for a city hall and other government services. “Included in there could be shops and ice cream parlors.”

Alex Grantt (No): Could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Martha Simons (No): Could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Ben Nelson (Yes): “I don’t know what to do.” “We just chased away the premier developer in the community.”

Mayor Jay Arend (Yes): “I can’t envision anything than what was proposed.”

John Joyce (Yes): “You have to have some level of residential or commercial development. I will not support a library or a park.”