Lee Planners Endorse Estero Project

By Chelsea J. Samuel
Ft. Myers News-Press
March 23, 2007

A project bringing homes, businesses and art to a sleepy corner in Estero received Lee County staff's endorsement Thursday.

The Department of Community Development recommended rezoning the northeast corner of U.S. 41 and Corkscrew Road for an 85-acre mixed-use development that will go before the hearing examiner in April.

Estero on the River, a project developed by J.E.D. of Southwest Florida, will bring 530 residences, 300,000 square feet of commercial space and a 550-seat regional theater to the area.

"It's pretty much what we expected," said Betsy D'Jamoos, president of the D'Jamoos Group. J.E.D. of Southwest Florida is a part of the D'Jamoos Group.

She said there were no big surprises in the report, which recommends rezoning low-density agricultural and commercial parcels into those intended for mixed-use projects.

"We'll obviously be working with them," she said.

The county also recommended approving 181 more units than allowed. To receive the extra units, developers must designate those units as affordable housing units or make a contribution to the county's affordable housing fund. Right now the contribution rate is $1,100 per bonus unit.

The D'Jamoos Group has pledged they will make a donation for each unit and designate 10 percent of residential units as moderate-income housing on its first sale.

The village-style development will incorporate sidewalks and on-street parking to encourage people to park their cars and walk or bike around the area. Commercial space will occupy the first floor of buildings with residential units above.

Construction, however, is not likely to begin soon.

Although county staff recommended the project, no building permits will be issued until work widening U.S. 41 from Corkscrew Road to San Carlos Boulevard has begun.

According to a traffic impact statement from Lee's Department of Transportation, the development will bring 10,475 new trips to local roads, 1,025 of them during afternoon rush hour.

D'Jamoos said they understand work on U.S. 41 could begin in 2010 or 2011 and said they have a lot of work to do in the interim.

The D'Jamoos Group entered into a contract to purchase the land from the College of Life Foundation, with the provision that the sale wouldn't close until rezoning was approved. But D'Jamoos said confidence in the project made them move the official purchase up.

They plan to close on the property within the next few days.

"This is a project whose time has come," she said.