Planning Commission Fails to Recommend Sabal Palm Development Plan

The hearing dragged on for hours, with expert after expert speaking for the would-be developer, explaining the benefits of their proposed Sabal Palm development. Meeting in the Collier County Commission chambers at the county government center, four of the seven members of the county’s Planning Commission sat on the dais, listening to presentations on environmental impact, stormwater and drainage flow, affordable housing, traffic patterns, brushfires, and wildlife.  

With three commissioners absent, the development team, led by Wayne Arnold of land planner Q. Grady Minor and Associates and attorney Rich Yovanovich, needed three votes for their proposal to advance to the county commission with a positive recommendation. They fell short; while chairman Joseph Schmitt and commissioner Mike Petscher voted in favor, members Paul Shea and Charles (Chap) Colucci voted no, resulting in a 2-2 tie. Also seated at the dais was Amy Lockhart, representing the school board, but she was there as a nonvoting member and did not cast a vote.  

The Sabal Palm development proposal will still go to the county commission at their November 10 meeting, and those commissioners have the final say. With the heavy hitters of the development team, the smart money is not betting against the development being approved.  

Arnold and traffic consultant Norman Trebilcock repeated several times that the developer would pay their proportional share for a traffic light on Collier Blvd., should the county determine one was needed. The team presented detailed plans for stormwater flow. Environmental consultant Tim Hall said he believed the new development would not adversely impact wildlifeand pointed out that the land is currently a citrus grove, not pristine wilderness. 

Unlike the neighborhood information meeting held in August, which saw a boisterous crowd of area residents come out to express their disapproval of the plan, only two residents, both from adjoining Verona Walk, came to the commission chambers to speak at the planning commission meeting. In addition, Brad Cornell, representing Audubon of the Western Everglades, spoke against the development, primarily on ecological grounds.  

“We object. There are some fundamental conflicts” with the project, he said, invoking Florida panthers, red cockaded woodpeckers, and wetland habitat – the proposed development site is surrounded by preserve lands, including the Picayune Strand State Forest. “This is a very sensitive area, very fire prone.”  

Cornell was cross-examined harshly by Yovanovich, asking pointedly if Cornell was a professional engineer or planner, to the point where Verona Park resident Christine Briggs, speaking after Cornell, pleaded to be spared from interrogation by “the lawyer.” Chairman Schmitt also chastised Cornell, saying, “I take objection. What you said on the record is not factually correct. I find the word ‘gifted’ is pretty inflammatory.” Schmitt also faulted Cornell for furnishing a letter of objection to the project on the morning of the hearing.  

“This will be an island of development surrounded by permanent conservation areas,” said Cornell, defending his opposition. Briggs questioned whether the would-be develpoper could be counted on to honor their environmental commitments, citing the company’s admitted 2021 destruction of 22 gopher tortoise burrows that were in the way of a development in Ocala.  

Planning commission member Shea expressed his certainty the Sabal Palm development would win approval from the Collier County Commission.  

“There’s no doubt in my mind it will go to the County Commissioners and get approved,” he said. “I’m going to vote against it – a protest vote. I’m worried we’re nibbling away at our environmental boundaries that we thought were sacred.” At the same time, he said, “The community value is tremendous.”  

“My issue is the further urbanization of the county, particularly in areas that are environmentally sensitive,” said commission member Colucci. “For that reason, I’ll be joining Paul in voting against this proposal.”  

Noting the property had been a farm for decades, and was not pristine wilderness, commission member Mike Petscher said, “I think the best alternative is for sale affordable housing,” explaining his vote for approval. 

“It’s an orange grove,” said Schmitt, expressing disappointment that nobody had approached the property owner and tried to work out a way to keep the land as a preserve. While voting for approval, he also extolled the benefits of affordable housing, particularly when home ownership was involved.  

The project in question, to be known as Sabal Palm after the road that leads from Collier Blvd. to the development, is slated to put up 423 residences on 169 acres, approximately 1.5 miles from Collier Blvd., on land that currently makes up South Florida Citrus Groves. Owned by the Smits family, it has operated since the 1970s. The Smits are looking to sell their holdings to develop the residential project. No closing date is set, according to Arnold.  

The property is currently zoned agricultural. For the development to continue, a change in the zoning is required for it to be considered a receiving area versus a sending area, which is less environmentally protected under the county’s codes. Density would be increased from one unit per 40 acres on the grove, which currently has one residential home, the grove, a popular farm stand, and farm structures. The density would increase to 2.5 homes per acre.   

The community would have what’s considered affordable housing, with 15 percent of homes to be townhomes available to people earning no more than 120 percent of Collier County area median income— so for people earning no more than about $136,320 annually for a family of four, per the Sabal Palm development’s website.  

According to Collier County Planning Director Mike Bosi, the Board of County Commissioners will likely take up the project at their November 10 meeting.