Council Approves Variance for Safety Issues

Since the beginning of season, inquires have been ongoing about what happened to NeNe’s Restaurant and what will take its place.

At the April 4 Marco Island City Council Meeting, it appears that the long journey towards final approval was reached on what had seemed to become a moving target over time.

Joseph and Doreen Oliverio (“applicants”) applied for a variance on the approved site development plan for property located at 297 North Collier Boulevard. The applicants are planning to develop a new Mexican restaurant at that location.

The previously approved plan required vehicles to enter and exit from North Collier Boulevard. However, that plan concerned residents and neighboring property owners due to the dangers posed by customers backing out onto Collier Boulevard to leave the establishment.

As a result, the applicants have now sought a more “common-sense” approach to the matter, with vehicles exiting into the Dunford Alleyway running behind the businesses between Amazon Court and Saturn Court.

The new plan requires eliminating some of the landscaping buffer just north of the property at 297 North Collier and narrowing the required vehicle drive width by 12 inches, as well as some other minor modifications to landscaping.

The applicant pointed out that he is allowed 76% of the property to be impervious (water cannot flow through) and that his plan is well below that, at 66.1%. The original plan called for a 10-foot-wide landscape buffer on the north side of the property that abuts a cement wall, which is being reduced to allow for the egress onto the alleyway. Applicants saw this change as a safer alternative for his customers.

Councilor Claire Babrowski confirmed her belief that the purpose of most of the buffering landscaping within the codes was to protect abutting neighbors when she questioned Director of Community Affairs Dan Smith. “As I understand this, it would be protecting a cement wall,” said Babrowski, to which Smith responded in the affirmative.

After a short discussion period between councilors and hearing from the applicant, a motion for approval was made by Councilor Greg Folley which was seconded by Councilor Becky Irwin. It passed by a vote of 6-1 with only Councilor Joe Rola in opposition.