Collier advances 54-townhome project near Hacienda Lakes

Collier County planning commissioners recommended approval Oct. 1 of a proposed Growth Management Plan amendment tied to a companion planned unit development rezoning that would allow Hacienda Townhomes, a 54-townhome development on 10.28 acres at 3810 Hacienda Lakes Parkway in East Naples.

The property is about a quarter-mile east of Collier Boulevard and a quarter-mile north of Rattlesnake Hammock Road.

The item was continued from the Aug. 20 Collier County Planning Commission meeting while developer M/I Homes of Ft. Myers/Naples LLC worked with the neighboring Sapphire Cove homeowners association on concerns about the shared property line. The developer agreed to provide a 15-foot enhanced landscape buffer with additional canopy trees, sabal palms, a 5-foot hedge and a berm to help screen the townhomes.

“We have been very cognizant that we do have a single-family neighbor to the east,” said Alexis Crespo, vice president with RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture.

The townhomes would have a maximum height of 35 feet and a density of about 5.3 units per acre. The project also includes a pool and private amenity area, a preserve area and on-site stormwater management.

A traffic study found the 54 townhomes would have a minimal impact on surrounding roads. The townhomes would range from about 1,300 to just under 1,900 square feet, with two- and three-bedroom configurations. Kevin Brown of M/I Homes said prices are expected to be in the mid-to-high $400,000s.

The project drew opposition over potential impacts on wildlife and continued development in the area.

Devin Welch, a wildlife biologist from Fort Lauderdale, told commissioners that development could further reduce habitat for Florida panthers and other wildlife.

“Now is the time to act to prevent that animal from going extinct,” Welch said.

Shakina Wood, who said she has family in Collier County, questioned how wildlife on the property would be displaced and whether measures such as wildlife crossings could reduce the project’s environmental impact.

“The ecological impact is much bigger than just setting aside an extra parcel of land for extra wildlife,” Wood said. “They still travel, they still interact with the population.”

The project also includes a commitment to 17 transferable development rights.

In response to questions about environmental permitting, applicant legal counsel Noel Davies said the project underwent the county’s required environmental review, including a protected species assessment. The assessment found no protected species on the property, he said.

The county is recommending a species management plan as a condition of approval, which Davies said the applicant agreed to.

Davies said the project is still in the zoning process and will need to go through the site development plan and Environmental Resource Permit processes. Any federal permits that are triggered also would need to be addressed.

“At this stage, we have not made those applications yet,” Davies said.

The Collier County Planning Commission recommended the plan amendment and companion PUD rezoning move forward.