Snook Inn Passes Planning Board Review With Flying Colors

When Hurricane Ian swept through Marco Island on September 28, 2022 its wrath was hard felt throughout all of Collier County with estimates of damage in the $2.2 billion range between Collier County, City of Naples and the City of Marco Island.

The Old Marco area of the island was significantly impacted, including the iconic Snook Inn which sustained serious damage. However, after four and a half months of evaluation of the property and development of a plan to move forward, the Carvelli Group, who owns and manages that island staple, has received final approval for its plans during a special meeting of the Marco Island Planning Board this last Friday.

That process would include evaluation of every aspect of the facilities to include docks and seawalls which were significantly impacted as a result of the storm. The restaurant itself would have three to four feet of water make its way inside where customers would sit, and chefs and  servers would hustle to create the great offerings they enjoyed.

Prior to Hurricane Ian impacting the island, the Snook owners had received permits for work they were planning as part of their annual downtime which usually began after the Labor Day Holiday and extended to the beginning of October. That would normally allow them time to do those maintenance projects which would be impossible when fully occupied with clientele on property.

In their report the planning staff would write, “The Snook Inn received a building permit for the shade structure as shown on the proposed site plan prior to Hurricane Ian. The permit for shade structure provided for a height of fourteen (14) feet. The property owner commenced construction of the shade structure; however, the contractor made the shade structure much taller than the permitted height. After the hurricane, City staff met with the applicant on site in order to review what was needed to allow for the taller structure and for hurricane repair. City staff would ask the applicant to provide all aspects of the development in their request to the city so there would not be any surprises moving forward, and into the future. As submitted the Owner’s application included two new uses. (1) a marina with 25 wet slips and (2) a caretakers unit.”

In discussions during the Planning Board deliberations the issue of the word “marina” would be a bone of contention due to concerns relative to usage. Previous usages found at the early years of the Snook Inn did in fact have gas pumps with underground storage tanks, all of which were removed years ago, as were the motel units previously on the property and were demolished. Today that area is now utilized for parking.

It was later explained that the use of the term “marina” was to allow for the site-development plan and the setbacks be considered a “conforming use” under the Land Development Code. Martin Pinckney of American Engineering confirmed the rationale of the verbiage to allow for the conforming use designation and importance of it to his client. Board member Nanette Finkle also confirmed that the term “marina” had been in use to describe the property previously.

A shade structure that had previously been recommended for removal would no longer be necessary due to the setback regulations regarding the “marina” designation under the new site development plan.

David Heil, President of the Riverside Club on Bald Eagle, came forward to support the plans brought forward by the Snook Inn, but requested that the city move an expedited plan forward to deal with the parking along Bald Eagle.  “It’s great you give credits for bicycles but the infrastructure is lacking there to support safe egress through the area. The sidewalks are in deplorable conditions as well as our landscaping in the area due to the vehicle parking,” said Heil.

Charles Mangus, a resident of 1069 Bald Eagle, came forward to question the architectural compatibility of the 34 foot high “Chickee Hut Cathedral” that will be a major focal point atop the Snook Inn on the skyline of the Old Marco neighborhood. All of this while neighbors and the city struggle dealing with the desire to maintain the elusive “small town feel” of the island.

Board member Hayden Dublois moved to approve the staff’s recommendation without the removal requirement of the small shade structure previously discussed.  Board member Fahringer seconded that motion and it received a 7-0 vote of approval.

The next meeting of the Planning Advisory Board will be held on March 3 in Council Chambers at 51 Bald Eagle Drive at 9:00 AM and is open to the public.