As previously reported, South Seas’ final rezoning proposal has buildings more than 20 feet taller than existing structures on South Seas or Captiva, new condominiums at the north end of the resort where two areas of open space presently exist, a Disney World-type waterpark immediately adjacent to existing condos owned by others, a 175-room hotel along Captiva Drive at the south end where no hotel ever existed, another 260-room hotel at the north end where only a 107-room hotel existed before, a restaurant with outdoor seating within earshot of someone’s home, and possibly 76 to 150 new boat slips by the T-Dock along the channel to Redfish Pass.
The applicant purchased its 120 acres of the resort with 107 hotel units, 140 employee housing units and the right to build another 25 units. It is replacing its allowable 272 units with 628 units (193 condos and 435 hotel units) – and County staff is going along with it even though community witnesses credibly testified that our constrained evacuation roadway cannot handle the development, there is insufficient parking for the project or its employees, and the sewer treatment plant does not have sufficient capacity for this growth in development.
The Lee Plan requires the Hearing Examiner to “maintain” and “enforce” development regulations that “continue” the well-defined “historic development pattern” on Captiva, including the historic development pattern on South Seas. Integral to that historic development pattern, South Seas was limited to three units per acre for both hotel and residential dwelling units, with building heights no greater than 45 feet above grade. As noted in the past, the Captiva Fire Department does not even have the ground ladders, fire flows, or a ladder truck able to reach the upper floors of the proposed taller buildings on the resort. Recommending approval would not only violate the Plan, it would be irresponsible.
Once the Hearing Examiner makes her recommendation, the application then goes to the Board of County Commissioners for a hearing and final approval or denial. We will keep everyone advised of the timetable.