Collier weighs buying grove site planned for 423 homes

Four months after delaying a decision on a 423-home development in East Naples, Collier County commissioners on May 12 agreed to conduct appraisals and negotiations to consider a possible purchase of the property using Conservation Collier funds. 

Residents and conservationists had pushed for that approach, and the property owners applied for Conservation Collier consideration in March. South Naples Citrus Grove had operated since 1979, but due to citrus greening, the grove was no longer productive, and the Smits family decided to sell. 

Commission Chair Dan Kowal and Commissioner Chris Hall were adamantly against placing 166.63 acres at 341 Sabal Palm Road on the conservation program’s A-List, the first step in considering a purchase. Kowal said he didn’t want to set a precedent. 

“If somebody’s passionate about a piece of property and they’re loud enough, that we’re going to pay up front to make it an A-list,” Kowal said of opponents’ tactics, adding making it an A-List property could harm the Conservation Collier program’s integrity. 

County officials estimated it would cost $2,200 to $2,500 to conduct appraisals and about $2,000 more for a Phase 1 environmental assessment, which identifies a property’s history, conditions and potential contaminants. 

The Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee recommended prioritizing the property, about 1.4 miles east of Collier Boulevard, for purchase on the A-List. However, county staff placed it on the C-List, noting 107.3 acres is citrus groves, only 22.09 acres comprises native plants, and about 75% is covered in invasive, exotic vegetation. Staff said full restoration wouldn’t be economically feasible for Conservation Collier, and environmental soil cleanup would likely be necessary prior to restoration. 

Commissioner Rick LoCastro, whose district covers the property, agreed the small cost is worth it to “do our homework” and “get hard answers,” instead of relying on rumors about the price the family would accept. He noted if there was future litigation, commissioners’ position would be weakened if they hadn’t done their due diligence and considered the advisory board’s recommendation. 

“We still have a lot of discussion to happen, but I think it’s worth the investment to at least bring us back hard answers,” LoCastro said. 

In ranking it on the A-List, the advisory board noted the property is surrounded by sensitive conservation land and endangered wildlife and cited the possibility of restoration. It suggested exploring partnerships to restore the flowway. However, the advisory board expressed concerns over whether the acquisition would affect Conservation Collier’s budget and whether managing such a large restoration project would strain current program staff. 

The change in direction followed a six-hour hearing in January, when commissioners voted 3-2, with Hall and Commissioner Burt Saunders opposing, to continue a decision on a 169-acre development that included 85 affordable townhouses. They asked the developer, landowner, residents and conservationists to work on a compromise. The continuance meant the developer and landowners wouldn’t lose years of work or have to start anew. 

Residents, Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Audubon were among those pushing for A-List consideration this week. 

“It’s all in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which the Legislature has been investing heavily in,” said Brad Cornell, policy associate for Audubon Western Everglades and Audubon Florida. “It’s all wetlands. It’s entirely hydric soils and it would be worth a small effort to find out what the appraised value was and see what the landowner offers or responds to a negotiation.” 

Although Vice Chair Bill McDaniel Jr. agreed with Kowal, he said the board could not make a decision without solid data, noting a significant gap between what the seller might seek or accept and what the Conservation Collier program could determine through an appraisal. 

Staff rankings usually aren’t presented to commissioners, but the county’s development review director, Jaime Cook, told commissioners the staff’s C-ranking was provided because commissioners sought more transparency. That helped sway Kowal and Hall. 

“I feel in no way, in no shape, in no form that it’s our responsibility to save this property for the seller,” Hall said. “If we move forward with this, it has to benefit us, period, and what happens with them, that’s their business.” 

Saunders initially said he was against considering a purchase but was swayed after County Attorney Jeff Klatzkow said that continuing negotiations wouldn’t create legal issues. 

Cook said the environmental assessment will determine if remediation is required or if further study is needed to assess the extent of cleanup after years of agricultural use. She said remediation is usually conducted by the seller prior to closing. 

Verona Walk resident Chris Briggs, whose Change.org petition to fight the development garnered more than 2,700 signatures, praised commissioners. She contended staff opposed a purchase because it would be very expensive to restore the orange grove, and it was unlikely appraisals would “come close to the $21 million the builders supposedly offered.” She suggested Collier follow California’s lead and turn it into an educational citrus-grove park, noting the Department of Agriculture found it was possible to create orange trees resistant to citrus greening. 

“It is time for Naples billionaires and millionaires to partner with the commissioners and Conservation Collier to buy the Sabal Palm orange grove,” Briggs said, adding an educational facility could become a major tourist attraction. “This is a perfect opportunity to keep Naples primarily as a tourist destination, not simply the West Coast equivalent of Miami.”