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The Marco Island Civic Association will soon be mailing annual surveys to its members. While we cannot anticipate all issues that will arise during the year, the MICA Board of Directors stays abreast of topics within our city and county and compiles a list of pertinent questions to pose to the members.

What is significant is that the membership survey results represent one strong, usually unified, voice on issues that impact our island community. It is an opportunity for the residents to speak up and let themselves be heard. Because a good bit of the questions relate to infrastructure and our city government, the survey results are shared with Marco Island City Council members and city staff.

One topic that has been on the survey for a number of years has to do with density.

“Density” refers to the number of residential units on the island. Figures released in the past year by the City of Marco Island show the number of residential units already constructed at 18,479. The City’s figures also list maximum units at build out at 23,828.

There is rarely just one individual with one vehicle in each of these units. Multiplying the already constructed residential units by 2.5 persons, population sits at just over 46,000. Take the build out figure of 23,828 and multiply by 2.5 persons and the population will be just short of 60,000.

When it comes to increased density, it is very clear that MICA members do not favor increased density. The Marco Island City Council has committed to decrease density by 2 percent now and an additional 2 percent in the future.

City Council and the Planning Board will meet June 2, at 3:30 p.m. in the Community Center at Police Headquarters. You are encouraged to come out and listen and make your thoughts known to those who represent you.

A topic that has been discussed for a number of years is changing the zoning in the Town Center Area from commercial and industrial to mixed use. Mixed use zoning allows commercial use on the lower level with residential living units above.

The Town Center Area is not just the Town Center shopping center. “Town Center” refers to a larger section incorporating Bald Eagle Drive, from Giralda Court and Magnolia waterway, down to Hartley Avenue. It incorporates the properties along Elkcam Circle and Collier Boulevard from the Smokehouse Bay Bridge at the Esplanade and Winn Dixie to Rose Court.

With the results tabulated after each and every survey over the past eight years, the residents of Marco Island have overwhelmingly raised their voices against increased density. Density is one of the biggest burning issues of Marco Island residents.

In MICA’s 2007 survey 249 members were in favor and 2,188 members were opposed to allowing a mixed use building, with commercial use on lower levels and residential living units above, to be constructed on commercially zoned property.

In response to the question “Under what conditions should the city grant additional density, if at all?,” 2,276 members responded that the city should never grant increased density under any condition.

A low number felt there could be conditions wherein the city could grant increased density; however, they cautioned that it would have to be done with very close scrutiny paid to all details and that increased density should only be granted when a developer supplied an immense benefit to all the residents, such as a hospital facility, affordable housing construction, or an improved park, not simply land donated for such purposes.

When asked, “Do you favor granting variances that could have the result of increasing population density?” members have consistently voted against increased density.

As a matter of fact, the percentage of votes opposed to granting such variances has actually increased since 2004, when 84 percent were against increased density. In 2005, 88 percent were against these variances and in 2007, 92.8 percent of the respondents were opposed to increased density.

Two questions which appeared on last year’s survey specifically addressed how members feel about the City of Marco Island’s decisions to grant additional density. Over the years the City has granted additional density to developers in exchange for various items, including a traffic light at an intersection, a public walkway along a bayfront property, a 15 foot wide pathway to the beach, or funds toward road improvements. Do the members of MICA think this policy should be continued? No, the great majority do not. In fact, 1,989 members felt the city should not continue the policy of granting additional density in exchange for such improvements as listed above; 288 agreed with the policy; and 165 were undecided.

Density is an issue that directly impacts the residents of Marco Island. When density is increased, infrastructure improvements or changes must be considered. The roads have to have the capacity to accept the additional thousands of vehicles; the water and sewer plants might require expansion; there must be sufficient energy, police and fire personnel. Increasing density has far reaching repercussions.