Tim Aten Knows: Habitat breaks ground on condos

Q: I live in the Esplanade Golf & Country Club of Naples off Immokalee. I knew it was going to happen someday but the removal of all the trees on the parcel of land next to Mark Lane and right over the wall of my cul-de-sac has begun — besides being extremely upset that they’re building six sets of two-story townhouses and three four-story apartment buildings right in my backyard. Do you have any knowledge of the design? — Francesca DeAngelo, North Naples 

A: Habitat for Humanity of Collier County began clearing property in June for Las Palmas, its next affordable housing community in North Naples. 

“We’ll be building the same product that we built in our most recently completed neighborhood of Songbird at Whippoorwill,” said the Rev. Lisa B. Lefkow, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity of Collier County. “It’s a lovely stacked condominium designed by MHK [Architecture] and has been very well received by neighbors and homeowners alike.” 

Las Palmas, another low-rise condominium community by Habitat, is part of the Tree Farm master planned unit development. The multifamily buildings will be constructed with three-coat stucco and asphalt shingles. 

“The buildings are comprised of eight or 12 condos and are approximately 1,300 square feet for the three [bedroom]/two [bathroom] model. It’s an open floorplan and beautifully — and affordably — appointed,” Lefkow said. Las Palmas at Tree Farm will be built on 9.7 acres of vacant residential land on the west side of the Collier Boulevard extension north of Immokalee Road. Las Palmas will be bordered by Esplanade Golf & Country Club and Blue Landscape & Outdoor Solutions to the west, Esplanade’s maintenance building to the north, Mark Lane Apartments to the south and a future apartment community to the west.  

Future apartments

It’s named only as Tree Farm Tract “A” Apartments on site development plans approved by Collier County last summer. The future 180-unit apartment complex on the northwest corner of Collier Boulevard and Broken Back Road will have three four-story buildings. Two buildings each with 68 apartment units will flank a building with 44 units, site development plans show.   

The mid-rise development also will have three garages — two with 16 units and one with 14 units — a two-story clubhouse, swimming pool, pickleball court, dog park and tot lot, plans show. 

The community’s only entrance will line up with Mark Lane’s northern entrance off Broken Back Road. An exit-only connection also is planned on Collier Boulevard. A temporary access road for gravity sewer infrastructure improvements will be part of an initial phase of construction by Peninsula Engineering. 

With the clearing of Tree Farm Tract A for the two residential projects, only one Tree Farm MPUD parcel remains undeveloped. Tree Farm Tract E is a vacant commercial lot on the northwest corner of Collier Boulevard and Addison Place Drive. 

Although active development plans are not pending now for the 2.76 acres, 31,000 square feet of commercial development among three commercial buildings with a common seating area were proposed during a late 2021 pre-application meeting, county Growth Management plans show.  

The Tim Aten Knows weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com.