Naples residents oppose 28-home Coconut Creek development

White signs reading “NO REZONING” line the streets of Coconut Creek as residents push back against a proposed 28-home development they fear could change the character of their neighborhood.

The Woodlands at Rock Creek would combine the roughly 12-acre property at 3720 Gail Blvd. with an adjacent 3-acre parcel for 28 homes on about 15 acres.

RV Group Development LLC, whose managing member is David Giles, purchased the Gail Boulevard property in July 2026 with investors, many of whom Giles said are past and present custom-homebuilding customers. He described the group as “neighborhood planners,” rather than developers looking to flip the property.

A plan for 28 homes

Giles first visited the property in January and said he saw its “one-of-a-kind” potential. His plans call for preserving much of its natural character, including foliage and wetlands, with the 28 homes spaced out across the property and triangular patios designed to retain vegetation.

The property is currently zoned Estates, which generally allows one dwelling per 2.25 acres. The proposed rezoning would change the property to a Residential Planned Unit Development, allowing the 28-home project and establishing specific development standards for the site. The neighborhood has varied zoning and lot sizes, Giles said, including homes on smaller lots he described as noncompliant.

Collier County allows different densities based on future land-use designations. According to Giles, the project is supported by the county’s future land-use plan but still requires rezoning.

“We have 15 acres, that is 60 homes,” Giles said. “That doesn’t mean it’s automatic — you still have to go through the process of rezoning. But we feel at 28 homes, we’re being quite conservative.”

The project team includes Boral Civil Engineering for rezoning and the design of roads, utilities and stormwater; Earth Tech Environmental for environmental permitting; Peninsula Engineering for surveying; and Michelle Thomas with Team Premier Sotheby’s International Realty for sales and marketing.

Neighbors said they knew the property could eventually be sold to an investor, but their concerns grew after it changed hands and they learned the adjacent parcel also was being acquired by the same developer. They began looking into the project and found an application seeking 24 units, they said, but little additional information was available at the time. The lack of detail and the developer’s LLC structure left residents with questions about the proposal.

Giles sent letters to neighbors, including Jennifer Fox and Doreen Vachon, inviting them to tour the property and see the plans. Some residents visited but remained opposed, returning aggravated by what they saw, Vachon said. Fox chose not to visit after hearing about their reactions.

“Personally, I have not [communicated with Giles] because I have heard a different story from four different residents,” Fox said.

Concerns over wetlands and clearing

Concerns grew after clearing began on the property. An anonymous code enforcement complaint filed through Collier County’s Growth Management Community Development portal alleged “unpermitted clearing & trucking in multiple loads of fill dirt onto a property with wetlands.”

Case inspector Neal Ashby followed up and visited the property. According to Giles, GMCD staff told him the property could be cleared of up to 1 acre of vegetation under the single-family home allowance. About 20 trees were cleared and an area was created for parking, he said.

All county-required processes have been followed so far, Giles said, and the project remains subject to the county’s review and approval process.

Vachon remains concerned about development affecting the 4.25 acres of wetlands and the area’s natural habitat, which she said is home to peacocks, bobcats and even a bear. She also wants the “virgin” foliage left undisturbed.

The peacocks are on neighboring properties, Giles said, and an endangered species survey found no protected species. A tree survey was also completed as part of the development process, he said.

Fox also raised concerns about potential flooding, saying homes near the property have flooded multiple times during hurricanes.

As part of the project’s design, Giles said, a stormwater management plan will be required. The project would direct most runoff to a lake in the center of the development rather than onto neighboring properties.

Traffic and neighborhood concerns

Traffic is another concern for residents, who say Gail Boulevard is narrow, lacks streetlights and has ditches. Vachon said the road already has traffic-calming measures, including speed bumps, but may need additional measures.

The project’s proposed access points would connect to Hazel Road rather than Gail Boulevard or North Road, Giles said. That would direct much of the traffic toward Airport Road and away from the surrounding neighborhood.

“There will be an extra 40 cars, and we’ve done a traffic study,” Giles said.

The traffic study is part of the approval process and found the project’s traffic impact acceptable under county code, according to Giles.

Developer responds

Residents have circulated a paper petition opposing the potential project. Many want the neighborhood to remain secluded.

Coconut Creek is a “piece of paradise,” Fox said, while still being close to downtown and offering residents large properties.

Neighbors want the county to consider the families who live in Coconut Creek and the investments they made when purchasing their homes.

“We made decisions to purchase those homes for a reason; to have that type of acreage,” Fox said. “We just want them to understand that we want to preserve the beauty of our neighborhood.”

Giles said he understands neighbors’ concerns about the “misinformation” surrounding the project.

“Someone tells you something that inflammatory and scary, then you get upset, and I think that’s what’s been going on,” Giles said. Giles said architects, land planners and real estate agents who visit the property often look around and say, “Wow, this is so unique,” and Giles said he intends to keep it that way.

Giles said surveying is still being done. No county neighborhood information session or zoning rehearing has been scheduled yet.