A message from Save Vanderbilt Beach:
A VICTORY FOR SAVE VANDERBILT BEACH…A GREAT LOSS FOR COLLIER COUNTY
Last evening the Board of County Commissioners, with a vote of 4 – 1, the required super majority, voted to approve Stock Development’s requested change to the County’s Growth Management Plan and the Stock Development zoning request.
By the time this took place, Stock’s project devolved from a single twenty-one story tower containing 300 residential units to a development of 140 residences, less than half his original plan. The single massive tower was replaced with two smaller ones, each ten stories of residences over two stories of parking. This is a victory and reflects a development that still isn’t perfect from our point of view, but which much more closely reflects the neighborhood than did his previous designs. We should all be enormously proud of our work. The support that we had from our closest advisors and experts to the hundreds of contributors and the thousands who responded to our survey was beyond gratifying. Our sincerest thanks to every one of you. We will be discussing our future options and activities, and we will keep you informed about our continuing path.
| May 2016 | Jan 2020 | March 2020 | March 2021 |
| 300 units | 240 units | 172 units | 140 units |
| 21 stories | 18 over 2 stories
of parking |
16 over 2 stories
of parking |
10 over 2 stories
of parking |
| 235 feet towers | 208 feet towers | 165 feet towers | |
| 55.3units/acre | 44.3 units/acre | 31.7 units/acre | 25.8 units/acre
22.6 units/acre w/ addition of new property
|
For the citizens of Collier County, the news was not as good. Apart from Commissioner Penny Taylor, as chairperson of the Board, ran a truly magnificent meeting showing great courage and intelligence as she continually faced down the three “good old boys” and the one new “good old boy.” Yes, unfortunately it is business as usual in Collier County. It is beyond comprehension how Commissioner Solis could in good conscience vote to support the project over the objection of more than twenty-one hundred of his constituents who had asked him to deny the application. Commissioners McDaniel and Saunders who like Solis have a history of voting with developers, were joined by Commissioner LoCastro, the new kid on the block who, himself, had requests from over 400 of his own constituents asking him for a denial. And so it goes, developers win and the citizens of the County lose. It’s high time for us to find some of our own candidates to run for County Commissioner who will protect our neighborhoods and not the interests of developers.
As for Vanderbilt Beach, this decision, notwithstanding the reduction in the buildings’ height, will lead to the inevitable density creep north along Gulf Shore Drive until someday we have Miamified it all. The good news is that there is something we can do about it. The memories of Collier Country residents are long. Over the next several election cycles we must replace these developers’ professional-politican yes-men with individuals who are beholden to the voters, who have a public service mentality, and who support reasonable and responsible growth throughout the County.
More to follow about our future plans…
(Note: Chart courtesy of Maureen Straight, Naples Park Association)