Estero on the River property

The 30-acre Estero on the River property south of the river will soon be rezoned to better match its intended use.  It currently is zoned “mixed use” and the Happehatchee property is zoned “agriculture”, so Council voted today to approve the initiation of a rezoning and Comprehensive Plan amendment to permanently preserve this property for parks and community facilities. This new zoning is specific for publicly owned property and allows for active and passive recreation, preserved lands and civic uses only.

Community Development Director Mary Gibbs will initiate the process which involves state review and approval, which may take 4 – 6 months.

Public Comment: 2 residents spoke in favor of this rezoning and Comprehensive Plan amendment. They also recommended preserving the northern portion of this property.

“River Oaks” property

Council voted to purchase the 10-acre vacant property commonly known as “River Oaks” at the east end of Broadway Avenue.

The property contains old oak hammocks, pine and palm trees and will eventually be used as a passive park with walking trails for Estero residents.   If the Village did not purchase the property, it could be developed for multi-family or single homes.

The primary purpose for acquiring this land is to create a new stormwater pond and bypass ditch going around Country Creek to prevent backups and flooding during future major storm events.

The cost is $1,200,000.  Funds of $750,000 are available for the purchase of environmentally sensitive lands from the settlement of the litigation between the Village and the developer of the Corkscrew Crossings project.  The remaining balance of $450,000 will be allocated from the Capital Improvement Fund Contingency.

The Village will need to allocate an additional amount, estimated at about $100,000, for survey, critical species assessments, removal of invasive species and other costs related to the upgrade and maintenance of the property.

Public Comment: 1 resident spoke in favor of this purchase but had concerns about the retention pond.  2 eComment cards were received from residents in favor of this purchase.

TECO franchise agreement

A natural gas franchise agreement with Peoples Gas System, a Division of Tampa Electric Company “(TECO)” was approved by Council in July 2021, Ordinance 2021- 09. The ordinance inadvertently was not sent to TECO in the allotted time required to be implemented. The Village Attorney has advised that, in order to implement the agreement, an addendum is needed.

Council approved the amendment to Ordinance 2021-09.

Sandy Lane & Broadway East Bicycle/Pedestrian Improvements Project

Sandy Lane and Broadway Avenue East do not currently have bicycle or pedestrian pathways, so residents are required to bike/walk in the roadway or along the roadway shoulder.

Council approved a contract with Atkins North America for $671,513.25 to provide design and permitting for bicycle and pedestrian improvements for both roadways.  They also approved a contingency fund amount of $67,000.  Here’s an outline of services.

Construction plans for Sandy Lane are scheduled to be completed by December 2022 and construction plans for Broadway East are scheduled to be completed by April 2023.  The project includes plans for a multi-purpose path along the east side of Sandy Lane, lighting, landscape and a pedestrian bridge over the river.

There is a community outreach program associated with this contract as well.

Workshops

Early retirement of 2019 debt

Village Manager Steve Sarkozy presented information regarding the early retirement of the Village’s 2019 debt that was used to purchase the 62.05 acres of Estero on the River property on US 41 and Corkscrew Road. This early payoff can be accomplished by using current cash on hand.

The Village could save up to $4 million in interest with an early payoff. Additionally, $2.5 million annually can be redirected to reserves, operating expenses, capital improvement or other efforts.

No voting occurs during workshops but there was a consensus among the Councilmembers to proceed with the early retirement of this debt.

Gess Family Partnership and Gulf Coast Driving Range LLC

The Gess Family Partnership and Gulf Coast Driving Range LLC-owned property is approximately 10 acres and is located on Williams Road south and west of the Estero Community Park and Estero High School, and east of Village-owned property.

This is the last remaining parcel along Williams Road contiguous to the public property owned by the Lee County School District and Lee County Parks and Recreation. This, along with the adjacent Village-owned property, has the potential to be used for public sports uses.

The purchase price is $4,250,000; the funds would come from the Capital Improvement Fund Reserve.

No voting occurs during workshops but there was a consensus among the Councilmembers to proceed with the purchase of this land.

Residents may view the archived meeting by going to the Village website here.

The next Council meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 6, 2022.