Matanzas Inn CPD project receives go-ahead
Compromise and time was needed to approve a redevelopment project for Matanzas on the Bay property at the end of Crescent Street on Fort Myers Beach.
The Fort Myers Beach Town Council unanimously decided to grant an amendment to a commercial planning development for modified site plans at a second hearing Monday afternoon, after the applicant agreed to revise its phasing plan to pacify public concern.
Matanzas on the Bay officials can now begin an expected 10-year project that will remove a parcel of land recently sold from the existing CPD, bring another parcel into the CPD, convert four existing dwelling units into motel/hotel units on the main development parcel and adopt a unified sign package.
Council spent quite a bit of time reviewing and modifying each deviation and condition that must comply with the master concept plan during the hearing. Mayor Anita Cereceda stated “substantial points for contention and consensus” included the transfer of four units across the street; accessory uses defined as retail sales and hotel support services only; outdoor music to involve three additional conditions; a 160-month project timeframe be changed to 120 months; Consumption on Premises rights limited to the restaurant only and prohibited at the pool and parking lots; and no commercial use (only ancillary usage) in the dockage area of the Primo/Crescent canal.
“We spent three hours crafting an ordinance in compromise,” said Cereceda. “This CPD has been lingering for more than two years now. The LPA cast it unanimously. Our approval was much more conservative than the LPA. We potentially limited eight units in that corridor. We put three more conditions on outdoor music.”
Matanzas Inn co-owner Douglas Speirn-Smith was willing to bend to accommodate the redevelopment. Through an agent, he submitted an amendment to the existing Matanzas Inn CPD two years ago (March 13, 2013) in accordance to the Town’s Pre-Disaster Buildback provisions.
“All I am trying to do is be a good business owner and develop the property in a reasonable way,” he said. “When you go through the development order process, you have to handle buffers, you have to satisfy parking and you have to be within the setbacks. We thought it was a reasonable plan. It’s a complex transition to go from a noncompliant situation to a compliant situation.”
Some residents who offered public comment thought the project planning should return to Local Planning Agency hearings.
“If it is less restrictive, LPA doesn’t have to hear it. But, if it is more restrictive, it should go back to LPA,” said Primo Street resident Tracey Gore.
A lot of discussion surrounded square footage deviation and the transfer of units for the nonconforming four-plex. Matanzas Inn currently has 22 guest units, is permitted to have 32 and was asking for 44, double its capacity. Since only four units are allowed to transfer (part of compromise), the total number of units was agreed to be 36.
Signage was also addressed. The applicant agreed to eliminate the third monument sign from the commercial identification sign package.
A music management plan will include the installation of a sound system controlled by the property manager. All ground-floor outdoor entertainment must cease by 9 p.m.
At the first hearing in April, potential changes were stated to include issues with setback, density transfer, hotel unit sizes, structural proposals, schedule of uses, consumption on premises, outdoor live entertainment, noise control and commercial vessels moored at the canal side of the property.
The proposed stated conditions were written to include: all improvements must meet or exceed Land Development Code commercial design standards; all outdoor entertainment must cease by 10 p.m.; any reconfiguration of the existing pool must not result in an increased elevation of the top surface of the pool deck or top edge of pool; guest unit criteria includes a 44-unit limitation, guest unit size not to exceed maximum area of 1,600 square feet or average of 1,000 square feet or total floor area of 44,000 square feet, a required Traffic Impact Statement at time of local development order, sidewalks constructed along right-of-ways along boundary of property and unified sign package should not exceed a total sign area of 210/139 square feet.
In April, Speirn-Smith said his proposed project is not a request to build higher than Town code. Building re-development was stated to include three stories of which the first story would accommodate parking as part of the parking plan.
The approval process has witnessed three public hearing continuations, dating back to mid-October.
The rezoning request was first addressed during a public hearing at Town Hall on Oct. 20. The hearing was tabled after neighborhood residents spoke in opposition during public comment and a neighborhood meeting was scheduled to show plans and hear concerns.
On Nov. 5, Speirn-Smith met with several neighbors, two attorneys, Town Manager Don Stilwell, Councilwoman Rexann Hosafros and then-Principal Planner Josh Overmyer to discuss the concerns that mainly focused on noise control. The resulting agreement involved Speirn-Smith stating he would move the jazz entertainment that was outdoors by the canal to indoors, construct a glass sound barrier at his upper deck bar and have security guard contact information available in case of complaints.
On Nov. 17, Council continued its Oct. 20 hearing and decided to continue the hearing again on Jan. 20, then to a uncertain date, which was April 6.
“I knew whatever we did was not going to satisfy certain residents,” said Cereceda. “After two years of contemplating, it was time to deal with it. I believe that we came back with an excellent compromise. We conditioned it in such a way that we hope it will be less intrusive to the neighborhood.”
Council rejects Tundo variance
A second request to approve a variance at a Tropical Shores Condominium was denied Monday morning.
The Fort Myers Beach Town Council refused to allow current acting owner Sonia Tundo at 2550 Estero Blvd. (Unit 22) a 10-foot setback for the construction of a rear deck where 20 feet is normally required.
The application was originally heard on Jan. 5, but a “previously unseen letter” was added to the documents. The letter -an approval of sorts from the condo association secretary- was not in Town records during the previous hearing.
The variance request did not include a hardship requiring approval. Town records stated the owner was looking to add the deck “to enhance the enjoyment of their property.”
“My concern is the precedence that may be set,” said Vice Mayor Dan Andre.