GPICA discusses zoning, variance requests at meeting
The Greater Pine Island Civic Association discussed several zoning and variance requests during its monthly meeting on March 1. The public information session was held in person at Pine Island United Methodist Church.
Civic Association president Helen Fox reminded everyone that developers are required to hold public information sessions to inform residents about any plan to build in unincorporated communities, such as Pine Island. Responses to the proposed changes will be summarized by the Civic Association Board, and communicated to both the Lee County Department of Community Development and Lee County Commission, said Fox.
The proposals presented are an administration deviation to the 25-foot setbacks required for a proposed private use dock and boatlift on Shoreview Drive in Matlacha by Stokes Marine; re-zoning and special exception plans for Pine Island Preserve at Matlacha Pass, to be built on the land across from Flamingo Bay in St. James City by the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, and a request for rezoning on 7746 Stringfellow Road in St. James City; and to build a small lawn and garden center, also presented by the Conservation Foundation.
Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast President Christine Johnson explained the organization by saying it is a small-staffed, not-for-profit 501C-3 established in 2003, headquartered in Osprey, Fla., with a vision of the future, where the human and natural worlds of Southwest Florida flourish together.
“How we want to accomplish that is through our mission, to protect land and water in Southwest Florida, for the benefit of people and nature,” Johnson said.
The mission of the organization, she said, is to save land. Since 2003 the group has saved 51 properties, equaling over 18,877 acres, in Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. The focus is on four different areas of land conservation, she said, naming both fresh and salt waterfront imperiled wildlife, the connecting of property through linkages or widening and public access. She said the aim is to make good use of charitable funds.
“One of the ways that we’ve been successful in a short amount of time with saving land is that we’ve been able to leverage every dollar that we’ve ever earn … 3.55 times for land conservation value,” Johnson said.
It has programs, she said, for both kids and adults, such as the Next Gen Conservation program, in which the group partnered with 16 youth agencies to get kids outside. The Nature Explorers is a program for children of elementary age in the general public, which helps them to identify birds, plants and nature overall.
“We look forward to working with the citizens of Pine Island to hear what type of programming you would like on this special preserve,” Johnson said.
The Conservation Foundation, she said, is well known for community partnerships. Currently holding formal partnerships with 46 non-profit organizations, as well as for-profit, local, city, county, state and federal government agencies.
Conservation Foundation Land Stewardship Manager Lee Amos gave a presentation on the restoration work being done on the 230-acre preserve. The property, he said, was purchased with Florida Forever funds, through the Florida Community’s Trust. The organization has an endowment for the property that was required by the state, he said.
“This is a state program for acquiring properties and opening them up for public benefit,” Amos said.
The organization worked with Lee County Conservation 2020 to acquire the adjacent 190 acres, totaling 420 acres of preservation lands surrounding the area. A significant amount of restoration will have to be done, he said, to manage the land as a nature preserve. The future land use will have to be changed in order to be consistent with a preservation type use, as the land is currently zoned for agriculture. The proposed public access amenities will include a boardwalk going out to Matlacha Pass, a kayak launch and landing, nature trails with signage, a paved entrance road similar to Galt Preserve, a 48-space parking lot overlooking the storm water pond with two picnic pavilions, a single seat composting toilet and 20 acres of space for public use.
Conservation Foundation Senior Planner Veronica Martin explained that Lee County came to the organization with the proposed changes to the comprehensive plan. The word commercial, she said, is replacing the word non-residential, and they are adding the commercial Policy of 6.1.2.
“Pine Island has a master community plan … policy 24.4.4 does state that in the coastal rural future land use category, commercial development is restricted to minor commercial development as set forth in Policy 6.1.2,” Martin said.
Changing the word non-residential to commercial, she said, would allow projects such as these to develop under the current future land use designation. Another requested deviation to this project is to not provide the code-required buffer along the right-of-way, but instead to allow the restoration plantings along the road to act as the buffer.
The conclusion of a traffic study performed by the Conservation Foundation PE (Professional Engineer) found development of this project will not create any adverse traffic impacts to Stringfellow Road, she said.
The first application to amend the comprehensive plan, replacing the word non-residential with the word commercial, was passed by vote. The rezoning application, taking the project from the existing commercial and agricultural zoning to community facilities planned development to only permit a park and preserve was passed by vote. The development order to construct the parking lot, boardwalk, kayak landing, access road and make restoration plans was also passed by vote.
The request to rezone 0.57 acres from commercial general to commercial planned development, and construct 1,000 square feet of commercial uses for a lawn and garden center on the property located at 8523 Stringfellow Road, was opposed by vote. Since this was only a required public informational meeting for this particular project, there will be two public hearings scheduled in the future.
The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast welcomes any comments and questions via conservationfoundation.com
There were no oppositions to the proposed deviation for the private use dock and boatlift on Shoreview Drive in Matlacha.
To reach PAULETTE LeBLANC / pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com, please email