The February 13 meeting started with a presentation by District 2 Councilmember Howard Levitan reviewing the role of the Design Review Board.
Levitan stated the Land Development Code consultant will be assisting in reviewing the scope of the board, looking at having staff review and perform some of the work on smaller projects with the board reviewing and performing the major projects, adding a staff report to accompany applications, hiring experts to testify in certain cases, implementing Pattern Books for major rezonings, among other topics.
Levitan also asked the board to review and comment on the 2014 rewrite of Chapter 33.
The board then conducted a Public Information Meeting for the Sprouts Farmers Market at Estero Grande.
Sprouts is proposing a building of just less than 30,000 square feet to house what they state is a store that provides a grocery shopping experience that makes healthy living easy and affordable. They have more than 300 stores that offer fresh, natural and organic foods and products. They also donate daily to charities.
Estero Grande is located west of US 41 at the intersection of Estero Parkway and US 41. (Presentation)
The board suggested the applicant create motion in the building using the mission style as displayed in the Pattern Book and the Starbucks building. The board commented that as displayed in their presentation, the building appears as a “big box” store and the board suggested the applicant look at Walmart and other buildings in Estero.
No voting occurs during Public Information Meetings.
Additional details will be available in the minutes of this meeting. Residents may also view the archived meeting by going to the Village website http://estero-fl.gov/council/watch-meetings-online/
The next Design Review Board meeting will be at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 27, 2019.