Concerned Capri Citizen Speaks Out

Most would agree that people are much like animals when it comes to choosing where they want to live. Joining a community is like joining a flock, a pod, a school, a herd based on the lifestyle and shared values it offers to the residents. When asked, “Why did you choose Isles of Capri?” most answer, “Because of its quaint laid-back lifestyle and its friendly small-town feel.” Many have left their high-powered jobs in large city settings or their homes in busy and bustling communities and are simply looking for peace and quiet.

The Isles of Capri was developed in the late 1950’s by LeLand L. “Doc” Loach by connecting four small islands by land bridges. In “Doc” Loach’s plans, he dedicated the smaller middle island as a Business Isle in hopes of attracting a few small businesses to serve the residents. In “The History of the Isles of Capri,” as told by Doc’s wife Rosanna, “this was to be a very unique development, fashioning a viable community out of dense mangrove swampland. Doc’s vision was to create a place where man and nature could live in harmony.”

A large portion of the Isles of Capri Business Isle (5.3 acres) is owned by Aubrey and Tina Ferrao. Their organizational chart shows a list of dynasties, trusts, Inc’s., Ltd.’s., LLC’s, LP’s, all pointing to Fiddler’s Creek Community, LLC. Under the FCC, LLC. There is another larger list of other LLCs, one of which is FCC Beach & Yacht, LLC.

FCC Beach & Yacht, LLC’s submitted two planning applications to the Collier County Planning Commission that will eventually be presented as a petition to the Collier County Board of Commissioners for approval. These two Planning Applications, if approved will completely annihilate the original developer’s plans for a quiet, laid-back island community by destroying the intent of the only Business Isle and severely upsetting the lives of those in the community as well as the wildlife.

The first application, PL20210002313 seeks to rezone the land, and the second application, PL20210002313 (PUD) seeks to build three 14 story condominiums that will house 108 units, along with other structures to provide amenities for the residents in the 108 units as well as those who live in Fiddler’s Creek located on Fiddlers Creek Parkway, off Collier Blvd. The applications propose a gated high-rise community within the Isles of Capri Community.

When a door-to-door petition was circulated this winter to determine how the residents of Isles of Capri felt about the two applications, 99% were opposed as evidenced by the petitions.

When asked who on Capri would benefit from this development, the question was ignored at the May 19th Neighborhood Information Meeting hosted by Grady Minor on behalf of the owners. The reasons for residents’ opposition to condo development on our Business Isle are numerous and reasonable.

I sent an email on June 8, 2022, to Heidi Ashton-Cicko, Managing Assistant County Attorney asking her to clarify FCC’s response to her pointed question under “Miscellaneous Corrections” report, where Ms. Ashton-Cicko asked the petitioner to “submit a property ownership disclosure form listing all persons with an equitable interest in the FCC Beach & Yacht LLC for the CCP and BCC conflicts checks. She stated that “the intent of this request is to determine the names of the humans that stand to gain from the petition.” The petitioner’s response truly boiled down to the owners, Aubrey and Tina Ferrao. However, it was heavily veiled in the reply by the organizational charts of their many corporations.

I am not sure how much weight will be given to such a self-serving petition as this but would hope that our Collier County Planning Commissioners and Collier County Board of Commissioners would not put themselves in the position of supporting this apparent greed, no matter the number of corrections offered.

Our residents welcome the development of our business Isle under our C-3 Zoning guidelines. They do not appreciate the request to destroy our community with such a non-conforming mass of high-rises to the detriment of those who live and visit here. I implore you to deny the petitioners’ requests, lest the self-avowed greedy couple (Aubrey and Tina Ferrao), chalk up another victory.