February 11, 2009

To All Burnt Store Marina Residents:

It has been over three years since we reported on progress in connection with Realmark’s proposed redevelopment around the Marina; the government approval process moves at a snail’s pace. Last Fall, Realmark presented a plan to the Lee County Planning Agency and Board of County Commissioners which would create a new Land Use Category, in laymen’s terms this is an ‘envelope’ which defines allowable uses, densities, heights, etc., to accommodate the redevelopment. The Board of County Commissioners will consider final adoption of the new Land Use at a Hearing scheduled for February 25.

This update is intended to give you the information you need to understand and support our efforts. We would appreciate your support with the Commissioners by way of emails and phone calls, and a personal appearance at the Hearing if at all possible. We would like to demonstrate what we believe is deep support within the community for the redevelopment of the area around the Marina.  

Many of you may recall the meeting back in December of 2005 where Realmark set out a vision for redeveloping the Marina to include shopping, dining and living, creating an attractive waterfront destination. Realmark remains steadfast in its commitment to position Burnt Store Marina for future generations as a world class destination Marina and retirement community. The proposed development is intended to better serve the needs of residents while helping to ensure that property values are enhanced and remain strong as the economy recovers, and thereafter.  

Realmark’s development plan has evolved as a result of the changing economic landscape, input from the County, and valuable feedback from the community. The original plan included four hotel buildings, outdoor boat storage and a small retail component.  The new Land Use now before the Lee County Board of County Commissioners accommodates one hotel and two smaller condominium buildings. All three buildings are in the area now being used for outdoor boat storage. The commercial component still includes shops and restaurants at the waters edge. Plans call for additional dry boat storage as well, as demand calls for it. Realmark’s plans are for Burnt Store Marina to continue as a true waterfront ‘smart growth’ community encompassing living, dining, shopping and recreating at the water’s edge.

Renderings and site plans of the proposed development are included at our website: http://www.burntstoremarina.com/pictures.htm

Of course boating remains a major focal point for both the community and our redevelopment effort. Over time, plans are to store nearly all of the boats indoors in state of the art climate controlled facilities which will eliminate problems with noisy and smelly diesel forklifts and dust bowl like conditions.

There are multiple steps left in the approval process before Realmark can proceed with plans for development of the waterfront. The first step is this request to change the current ‘Future Land Use’ designation from its present improper designation, “Rural”, to an appropriate classification that would include both the type of development at the Marina undertaken by prior developers, and allowing for the sort of development Realmark is presenting to the community.

For those who appreciate a little background or otherwise might be wondering how Burnt Store Marina ended up in it’s present ‘Rural’ development category, in 1984 Lee County placed the Burnt Store Marina community into an urban land use designation called ‘Fringe’.  The ‘Fringe’ designation included areas which were supposed to be self sufficient both fiscally, and from a utility perspective. For the years following the use of ‘Fringe’ designation, implementation problems surfaced for not only the Burnt Store community, but for others like it around the County and throughout the system.

As a result, in 1989 the County initiated another wide scale change. Most of the properties that had been designated as ‘Fringe’ were placed into ‘Suburban’ Land Use, but Burnt Store was inappropriately placed into a ‘Rural’ classification. This ‘Rural’ land use was inappropriate because it is intended for home sites of at least one acre, well and septic rather than public sewer and water utilities, no commercial uses and a height limitation of 35 feet, none of which items are consistent with the existing community. The County agrees that Burnt Store Marina is not ‘Rural’ in nature and that the community has been incorrectly designated as ‘Rural’.

Because the Burnt Store Marina community does not fit into any standard land use classification, a tailored land use that more appropriately considers what is presently in place and what is planned has been developed with Lee County, “Burnt Store Marina Village”.

The proposed category accomplishes both Realmark’s and the County’s objectives. Adoption of the new Land Use category is the subject of the upcoming Hearing. A couple weeks from now, on February 25, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners will be considering final approval for this proposed new classification.

The State Department of Community Affairs has reviewed the requested Land Use Classification after the plan was endorsed by County Staff and Lee County’s Planning Agency, and adopted by the Lee County board last Fall. The County then transmitted the request to the State for consideration. The State has made minor requests for additional information which is being supplied by the County, and the change in Land Use Classification will then be sent back to the County Board for final adoption at the February 25 Hearing.

Please Note: The change in Land Use Classification is not blanket approval to allow Realmark to build what has been proposed; it is not a Development Order. There is abundant time to comment on the specifics of the plans for development during the Development Order process. Before Realmark pursues a Development Order it would be prudent to gauge the economic circumstances before diving in – there are few among us who have not been touched, or whacked, by the challenges facing us in the present economic environment. Some critics have said Realmark is ‘just in this for the money’. I would think most of us worked our entire careers ‘for the money’, among other reasons, so Realmark’s plan is to wait for signs the real estate market is recovering before investing the very substantial capital needed.

Again, this is an ‘envelope’ along with design criteria to which a Development Order must adhere. During the Development Order process, plans would go through other public hearings wherein the details of the redevelopment plans are reviewed with County Staff planners and reviewers, environmental staff, the Lee County Planning Agency, hearing examiners and the Lee County Board of Commissioners in order for Realmark to secure development rights. During this process which will likely take an additional six to eighteen months once undertaken, residents will have several opportunities for public comment.

Because of the extensive review and approval process, the earliest reasonable time Realmark could begin the proposed redevelopment would be 2010, but of course now that’s just around the corner so that timing might be a bit ambitious.

Realmark would like to have support from the community at this time for the proposed change in Land Use Classification. If you believe the community will benefit from a redevelopment of the area around the Marina, we need your help.

It is very important that your support for the redevelopment be communicated to the powers that be. Realmark is asking that you show your support by contacting the County Commissioners by email, letter and phone calls to let them know that the community is supportive of the vision presented by Realmark.

Contact information for all of the elected officials is included below and posted at the Realmark Burnt Store Marina website, www.burntstoremarina.com, Realmark respectfully requests that your thoughts and ideas regarding the proposed development be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners as they consider approval of the change in Land Use Classification from ‘Rural’ to ‘Burnt Store Marina Village’.

We are continually in the process of updating the Realmark Burnt Store Marina website, www.burntstoremarina.com, to provide the community with current information. We would also welcome the opportunity to meet with the various associations to answer questions and address concerns as we work our way through the Development Order process, and of course we always appreciate individual input.   

Please direct any questions or comments you may have to me, Pete McGough. I live in the community and I’d be happy to answer your questions and address your concerns on an individual basis. I can be reached at the Realmark corporate offices, 239-541-1372, or by email at PMcGough@RealmarkGroup.com.

We hope to have your support with the County Commissioners, and at the Hearing February 25 in connection with the adoption of the requisite Land Use Classification.

Thanks so much for your support. See you February 25!!!

Pete McGough