Attached is an analysis prepared by the Old Naples Association of the D-Downtown changes which will be discussed at the City Council’s Community Redevelopment Agency meeting tomorrow at 1:00pm at City Hall.  I am passing these comments along to the members of the Coquina Sands Association so that you are aware of the details of the proposed changes.  Anyone interested in the proceedings or in commenting about the changes is welcome to attend.  Best regards,

Bill Lutz

President

Coquina Sands Association

williamjlutz@gmail.com

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Alert: Round 2 of D-Downtown Hearings,

1:00 p.m. time certain, May 3rd, City Council Chambers

Short story: The City will continue its formal consideration of zoning changes to speed development in the D-Downtown district which may negatively impact the Old Naples neighborhood. Please spend a few minutes to become familiar with the issues, come to the City Council’s Community Redevelopment Agency meeting on Wednesday May 3rd at 1PM in City Council Chambers to register your concerns, and alert your friends and neighbors.

The Details: There is a critical meeting at 1PM on Wednesday May 3rd at City Hall during which the City Council (sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency or “CRA”) will continue to review and vote on recommendations for a multitude of zoning changes for the CRA District and D Downtown District. These Districts are overlapping zoning areas which together comprise the land south of 7th Avenue North, west of Goodlette Frank, north of 6th Avenue South, and east of 8th Street. These areas abut most of Old Naples north of 8th Avenue South as shown on the adjacent map.

These changes will have substantial and potentially negative impacts on the Old Naples neighborhood.

What is needed: What is needed at this point are several things, listed below and discussed following. Please:

Review: Read the consultant’s final recommendations

Meet: Show up at the Wednesday May 3rd CRA / City Council meeting

Speak: Express your concerns at the meeting and by contacting City Councilors directly

Vote: Consider getting involved now to elect City Councilors who are more responsive to their constituents’ concerns rather than those of developers.

Review: The slides containing the City’s consultant recommendations may be reviewed here, and the proposed mark-up of the Land Development Code is here. They have several major deficiencies. These deficiencies were expressed to the responsible City officials and consultants during last fall’s public input meetings, at the February 28 meeting with Councilor Ellen Seigel and Assistant City Manager Roger Reinke, and included in ONA’s subsequent letter to City Council and the Planning Board.

On April 5th, the CRA met and heard the consultant present the final recommendations. The CRA then heard 45 minutes of community feedback and concerns about the recommendations. The CRA then reviewed and voted as follows:

● Boundary expansions: against all expansions (North, West, Central) except partial expansion of the South boundary for the two northern parcels adjacent to Fifth Avenue only.

● Workforce Housing Floating Zone: against

● Public/Private partnerships: no consensus, CRA open to possibility

● Building Setback recommendations: retain for later discussion

The recommendations of particular concern are summarized below (with references to the linked slide # here). As you read through the slides, ask yourself if they solve any of your concerns as a resident of Old Naples.

We note that the remaining recommendations:

● Do nothing for residents: The do nothing to address the stated primary goal to “improve the quality of life for residents” (slide #3), rather they are all about facilitating large scale real estate development throughout the zone. They would likely lead to the exodus of most of the small businesses currently in this district, including resale shops, shoe repair, auto repair and the like; leaving Old Naples residents without nearby services.

● Will promote AirBnB-type transient rentals: They permit 500 square foot efficiency residences which will almost certainly be used as transient rentals rather than residences for those who work in the City (slide #15, and Sec 58-908 of the mark up.)

● May increase existing height and story limits: They appear to allow extra stories above the Charter limits for commercial zones (slide #16) and mezzanine floors (slide #28), and they alter existing Charter (Section 14.1) and land development code (Section 56.39) language limiting maximum building height to 42 feet, by deleting the phrase  “or the highest point of any appurtenance attached to the roof.” (slide #28)

● Increase density:

○ They allow residential density up to 30 units an acre by right rather than conditionally in most of the CRA area (clause (a)(1) on slide #21 and mark-up at 58-907, (12)(a))

○ They reduce building setbacks from up to 50’ in some locations to a uniform 10’ (slide #23), increasing the size of buildings and reducing the open space along streets, and require “awnings, canopies and/or arcades” over all doors and windows protruding in the remaining open frontage to the street (slide #37).

○ They eliminate side yard (slide #24)  and rear yard (slide #25) setbacks changing them from 10’ to 0’, further increasing the density of developments.

● Reduce developers’ requirements to create actual parking for their developments:

○ They allow the “sale” of existing parking spaces in the 6th Avenue South parking garage to developers to meet parking requirements for more development, without the actual creation of more parking. (slide #47) This works particularly well in season, as you may have noted!

○They codify ways for developers to further reduce their parking requirements (slides #48 - #57)

Meet: The City Council will convene as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) on Wednesday, May 3rd at City Hall at 1PM time certain to discuss and vote on these recommendations. You can watch the proceedings online here.

Appear and Speak: Filling the room with concerned residents is critical to impact the CRA’s response to these proposed zoning changes. If you feel so moved, please request to speak to the Council at the May 3rd meeting by filling out a form and handing it to the clerk when you arrive. If you can’t make it to the meeting you can email City Council (citycouncil@naplesgov.com) or schedule a meeting with one or more City Councilors (here).

If you choose to speak at the May 3rd meeting be short and to the point. Concerns you might address are:

● What is the overall vision for this area?

● Where is the evidence that zoning problems are the reason that redevelopment is being impeded in this area. After all, look at the success of Naples Square.

● The creation of 500 square foot residence units that will end up being used as transient rental units rather than solving our work force housing problems

● Elimination of front, side and rear setbacks leading to congested City districts and loss of small town charm

● Substantial increases in density leading to crowding, worsened traffic and more parking problems in an already congested area

● The failure to actually provide actual additional parking for visitors and residents, while parking requirements are being minimized

● Erosion of the height limits in commercial zones

Vote: At this meeting, make it clear that votes for these changes will impact your vote for City Councilors in the upcoming elections. This is particularly important. ONA’s advocacy efforts have not yet resulted in resolution of these problematic zoning proposals.

Please feel free to contact me with questions, advice and suggestions. I hope to see you Wednesday, May 3rd at 1PM at City Hall.

Best regards, John Lehmann

John Lehmann

President, Old Naples Association

president@oldnaplesassociation.com