Saturday, March 8, 2003

By PAUL HERRERA, phherrera@naplesnews.com

Less than a year after gaining county approval to build 644 homes and a small amount of commercial space in east Bonita Springs, developer Ronto Group plans to scrap those plans in favor of another proposal to build 1,999 residences on the same property.

Lee County planning staff is reviewing the application for the city of Bonita Springs, which now has jurisdiction over the property. The 649-acre parcel, located more than two miles east of Interstate 75, was annexed into Bonita Springs last September at the owner's request. The one-square-mile marked the first time Bonita Springs had annexed land.

During the annexation, Ronto officials hinted the project may require major revisions if market conditions didn't support the approved development plan.

Representatives of Ronto Group were unavailable for comment Friday.

Chip Block, the county planner analyzing the request, said the review is still in its early stages.

At 1,999 dwelling units, the project falls a hair shy of the automatic threshhold for designation as a Development of Regional Impact, or DRI. Any development that seeks permission to build at least 2,000 residences must submit to a more extensive review process and study its impact over an area that extends beyond the immediate neighborhood and community.

However, even if a proposed development doesn't automatically trigger the DRI process, planners may still determine that such a review is necessary.

The 649 acres is adjacent to a 1,280-acre chunk of land where Ronto Group is in the process of developing a community of nearly 2,900 homes. That DRI was approved in 1990 as Parklands. The name later changed to Palmira.

Palmira sprawls south from Bonita Beach Road and across the county line. The majority of the community is on the Collier County side.

If the new master plan for the 649 acres eventually is approved, Ronto would add nearly 5,000 homes to an area formerly home to agricultural fields.

That would make it larger than the south Lee County developments of Bonita Bay, which has approximately 3,300 homes, and The Brooks, a 2,500-acre project projected to hold approximately 3,600 residences.

Across Bonita Beach Road, the South Florida Water Management District continues to acquire land in an effort to restore thousands of acres to a natural state. Residents of the area have been fighting the buyout for several years, partly arguing against the fairness of being forced to relocate while golf course communities rise across the street.

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