After a 7 hour meeting on the London Bay project Tuesday, no decision was made by the Local Planning Agency. London Bay CEO Mark Wilson asked for a continuance when LPA members said they wanted him to reduce his highest building from 177 feet to 158.
Being that the tallest building is London Bay’s condo building, Wilson appeared to want some extra time to go back and see where he can make up that lost revenue from 8 condo units. Those two floors would have most likely have been his best selling condos. He may want to convert those 8 condo units to 24 more hotel rooms. He could do that based on the town’s multiplier from condo units to hotel rooms. The town code allows a property owner to convert one unit to 3 hotel rooms.
Wilson would also have to decide where to add the two floors he’s losing from the tallest building. The other 4 proposed buildings are all less than the 158 feet some LPA members are indicating they are ok with.
Another reason Wilson asked for the continuance was that LPA member Doug Eckman had to leave the meeting at 3PM. It appeared Eckman was leaning toward a YES vote on the project and Wilson doesn’t want to lose that vote. With Eckman out of the room, a vote was looking more like a 3-3 tie. A tied vote is a failed vote. Of course, Wilson can also decide he doesn’t like that the LPA lopped off 2 floors and go directly to the Town Council with his original plan. That’s exactly what Seagate did for the Red Coconut property and it passed 3-2.
Several members of the LPA seem to be fine with disregarding the island’s maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) max of 2.5. Wilson says his calculations bring the F.A.R. to a 3, although there’s a question as to whether they way he’s calculated it the way the town has made other properties calculate it. The bottom line is however it’s calculated it’s not 2.5. If the town allows London Bay to create its own “Outrigger” district, the calculation becomes meaningless.
Wilson’s sales pitch has been that the island needs this project to get its mojo back and he painted bleak financial numbers for the island during his presentation. He also said this is a project the south end of the island needs with the Wyndham the only other big south end property able to add a larger scale project. The project has both support and opposition from residents.
The LPA meeting will continue on May 8th at 9AM.
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Margaritaville should be the example. They provide real public benefit and I don’t think any of those benefits are hurting Mville. The open public spaces alone are something to be emulated. The private this, private that needs to go away. And there are tons of restaurants on FMB so adding another one at this LB monstrosity, while nice, it’s just another restaurant
Specifically what “open spaces” are you referring to that Mville is providing? I am pleased to have Mville in downtown FMB but they do not offer anything more, if not less, than what London Bay’s Outrigger project is proposing. There are NOT tons of restaurants in South Fort Myers Beach, in fact, you can count them on one hand and there are no short term hotel rooms or event space. This end of Estero Island needs this development.
Literally everything but the pool.
Lower the building to requested height, make 8 condos on that top floor.
One of the things that I do not understand is why the town, when these developers come to them basically saying we’re not even taking your LDC seriously, doesn’t push back more in the way of saying, “It can’t be all take here, there has to be some give in the form of public benefit.” Now, let’s look at “Public Benefit”. Margaritaville, who for the most part complied with the LDC, made the vast majority of the property open to the public, gave land to the town and gave 25% discounts to island residents in perpetuity among other things. The developers who have followed have only put forward benefits like, “We’re going to landscape it and make it look nice.” That’s in your business interest not a public benefit. “We’re gonna have a restaurant.” That’s in your business interest, not a public benefit. “Linear Park”??? That’s a sidewalk! And the private this, and the private that. I’m sorry, if you’re asking for the island to throw their code in the garbage can because you stand to lose a ton of money because you paid a ridiculous amount of money for a property, then nothing should be non accessible to residents.
It’s one thing as a town council to completely sell your town and residents out to developer, but damn, don’t be a bunch of complete doormats!! Get the residents SOMETHING out of it!
Agree! Each of these developers that has a business should provide at least the same public benefit that Margaritaville has, especially a 25% discount to all residents.
Bless our LPA. They have such a tough job. I have to say that the way LB messed with the numbers gives me pause as to trusting them. It was a good sales pitch, for sure; but, everything needs to be planned for being behind the CCCL line, or approved by FEMA, if that’s possible, BEFORE they get Town approval. I don’t trust the plan will be approved by FEMA, and then what happens? I also don’t think that public benefit includes amenities that can change. For instance, an agreement with the marina to transport can absolutely change…then what? I also believe they must have a plan, maybe a contingency plan, that involves the land on the other side of the street. You know, if parking were to be moved over there, and some hotel units, along with a crossover (like Margaritaville), they could go down another 3 floors, and we wouldn’t have to deal with another crosswalk.
Good it ideas!
First, just because the LPA wants the height shorter, doesn’t mean LB has to remove the 8 penthouse condos. No one on this island is stupid enough to think you can’t remove lower floors to change to the lower height, keeping your 8 penthouse units.
As for the town’s “mojo”, by the time this project even starts, South Beach, Sandbar, Pinchers and the theater restaurant will all be opened. If LB would reduce the size of this project (to code, like Margaritaville), they would have to sell less pre-construction units, they could start sooner and be open sooner. It will take longer to realize their ROI, but that’s not our problem and by Mark’s own words, they can afford it. So, this property will just have to be one of their less successful from an over profit perspective. Not our problem.
Next, the only reason this meeting had a more even amount of residents in support of LB is because after last year’s LB meeting, that was overwhelming filled with opposition from residents, LB had a Town Hall meeting at their Grandview residence. At that meeting, LB had a support letter on every chair in the audience and Mark asked everyone to fill one out and leave it on the table on their way out. Without that, their support would not have been much different than last year.
Finally, no one is opposed to this project in general, just opposed to its enormity. Build it the right way.