County commissioners unanimously approved amending the county’s growth management plan to allow 1,299 homes, including affordable housing, on 227 acres near Fiddler’s Creek.
Before development plans can be approved by the county, the state Department of Commerce must review the amendment. If approved, the Greenway-Fritchey Residential Overlay planned-unit development will return to the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners for two more public hearings that will detail what Habitat for Humanity and a private developer plan at the northeastern intersection of Greenway and Fritchey roads, about a half mile north of U.S. 41 East.
“We would qualify for a density bonus … for 6.2 units per acre, but we’re obviously asking for less,” land-use attorney Rich Yovanovich told commissioners June 24. “… Our request is to allow for up to 5.72 units per acre on the 227 acres. Twenty percent of those units will be income restricted.”
The Board of County Commissioners amended the growth management plan, as well as a reduction from 30% to 10% in the littoral shelf, a shallow, sloping area along a lake shoreline that’s crucial for healthy aquatic ecosystems because it filters pollutants and provides a wildlife habitat.
The vote amends the county’s Future Land-Use Element, allowing up to 1,299 single- and multifamily homes, including 260 affordable houses that will be sold to those who earn at or below 80% of the county’s area median income; Collier’s AMI is $113,600.
At last month’s Planning Commission meeting, when the amendment and reduction received unanimous approval, Rev. Lisa Lefkow, Habitat for Humanity’s CEO, said 260 homes will be sold by Habitat, while developer David Torres will develop market-rate homes.
Habitat purchased those parcels long ago, she said, and has been partners with Torres for many years. Property records show Torres, as Greenway Fritchey LLC, purchased six properties in 2021 for $13.1 million.
“There was just a natural alliance there as he began to buy property in the same area, and this just was a strategic partnership,” Lefkow said, noting affordable housing margins are “very thin.” “David has long been involved in the affordable housing arena. This is not new to him. He has a heart for this. It’s just hard to do in Collier County. … There is no other developer providing access to affordable home ownership in Collier County outside of Habitat for Humanity.”
Lefkow noted the affordable and market-rate mixed development will provide numerous benefits.
“Not only do we have the strength of a united partnership here, we have a united voice, we have shared costs, and I believe we’re going to build a better development that has both market-rate and [affordable] housing available for our low-wage workforce,” she said.
The project would have separate developments with homeowner associations, and the traditional Habitat formula would be used. Low- and very low-income families would purchase Habitat homes, help build them and sign a 30-year mortgage. If a homeowner decides to sell, she said, the home generally is returned to Habitat’s stock.
No neighbors spoke out during this week’s hearing, but there was one neighbor during the Planning Commission meeting worried about traffic on Greenway and Fritchey roads, soil issues, drainage and the potential for increased flooding.
At this week’s meeting, Brad Cornell, who represents Florida Audubon and Audubon Western Everglades, cited concern about reducing littoral plantings, noting stormwater ponds are important for recharging aquifers and water quality.
“When you have more littoral planting, you have cleaner water,” Cornell said, adding plantings remove phosphorus, nitrogen and other nutrients coming from fertilized grass planted in neighborhoods. “That’s what causes algae blooms and when you get algae blooms, everybody is unhappy, so they put other things like copper sulfate and aluminum sulfate into the lake, which is a poison, to try and control the algae blooms — and it’s a vicious cycle. The way to break that cycle is to make sure you’ve got littoral plantings.”
Yovanovich noted the planting requirement in the urban area is 7% and questioned where the 30% requirement came from for that district because environmental consultants told him 30% isn’t necessary. However, he agreed to speak with Cornell.
Cornell also questioned why transfer-of-development rights credits weren’t required.
“We don’t want to be lessening the demand for TDR credits,” he said, agreeing there’s a need for affordable housing. “We just don’t want to harm the purpose of the TDR program, which is environmental protection, in the cause of affordable housing. We can have both.”
He urged commissioners not to lessen the requirement for TDRs for the homes that will be sold at market rate.
Planning and Zoning Director Mike Bosi told commissioners that in 2023, when the county’s Rural-Fringe Mixed-Use District plan was updated to allow affordable housing and increased density, the provision said TDRs could not be utilized.
The 77,000-acre Rural-Fringe Mixed-Use District, an area east of Collier Boulevard created in 2002, allows TDRs. Areas designated as “sending” are areas of higher-quality habitat to direct growth away from, and areas designated “receiving” are more suitable for development. Landowners in sending areas can voluntarily use the program to obtain and sell TDR credits to developers in receiving areas.
Commissioner Bill McDaniel asked that commissioners and staff have a future discussion on the availability of TDRs, how they can be utilized and allow for a marketplace.
Bosi noted the additional density is being allowed due to the income-restricted homes. The state Department of Commerce will disburse these plans to state agencies for approval, he said, and will provide the county with comments. The developer and county staff will then have time to address those concerns, he said, and staff will prepare a report for the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners for public hearings. A supermajority vote, four of five commissioners, will be required for approval.
