Charlotte County commissioners approved zoning changes July 22 for Harbor Village, a 1,174-acre development by Maronda Homes LLC of Florida, but only after attaching conditions aimed at protecting sensitive environmental areas — especially mangroves.
The project, located in West County north of Delamere Boulevard and near South Gulf Cove and the Village of Holiday Lake, drew an overflow crowd at the county’s land-use meeting. Residents expressed concerns about mangrove preservation along waterways adjacent to the proposed site, which abuts a natural preserve.
The Planning and Zoning Board on Feb. 10 approved Maronda Homes’ amended changes reducing the number of residential units and commercial and light industrial square footage while increasing preservation acreage.
The updated site plan includes 3,475 residential units, down from 3,960 previously proposed. Commercial and light industrial space was trimmed to 1.4 million square feet. The number of preserved acres rose from 92 to 163.
“The market demand and conditions have changed since the project was originally approved and adopted,” the company’s application states.
Among plans for Harbor Village is a 200-room hotel and boat docks within a marina near the Myakka River.
Jim Krause, a resident of Harbor West serving on the South Gulf Cove Waterway Benefit Unit, said residents in the neighboring community of Harbor East tore out mangroves and he was concerned Harbor Village would give residents riparian rights with the same situation occuring.
Attorney Rob Berntsson, of the Big W Law Firm, who represents Maronda Homes, said, “We forfeited our riparian rights by saying ‘no boat docks.’”
The company’s application states all boat docks will be located within the marina boat basin and are prohibited along the Interconnector Waterway and Butterford Waterway.
The final slip count for the project will be determined based on review by state and federal agencies.
Roland Coderre of South Gulf Cove asked commissioners how the county would monitor the mangroves and prevent them from being illegally trimmed or removed. Meanwhile, Mary Ann Wise, a South Gulf Cove resident, cited the 1996 Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act and asked how Charlotte County would implement the policy.
County Principal Planner Jie Shao referred to several conditions needed before the project could proceed, including results from traffic and environmental studies.
Berntsson offered to add language to one of the county’s conditions, and Assistant County Attorney Kimlyn Walker read the changes. “Except for the kayak cut-through and marina basin entrance, all mangroves along the canal shall be preserved and only trimmed in accordance with Florida Department of Environmental Protection rules,” she read. “No lot shall be platted to the property line along the Interceptor or Butterford waterways.”
The third sentence reads, “This condition shall be insured through a deed restriction approved at the time of platting.”
The Harbor Village site was previously approved by the board under landowner Dennis J. Fullenkamp in 2009 and is part of the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
Conservation advocate Nicole Killian told commissioners the land was once donated to the state for perpetual conservation but reentered private hands due to deed mismanagement and back taxes.
Maronda Homes officials met with residents of Village of Holiday Lake in March and with South Gulf Cove residents in June and July to listen to their concerns. The development plan now includes enhanced buffers near Village of Holiday Lake.
