Homebuilder Maronda Homes received approval Feb. 10 from the Charlotte County Planning and Zoning Board to amend a previously approved development on 1,174 acres in the area of South Gulf Cove. The development will include residential and commercial units and light industrial space, as well as a marina.
While still in the planning stage, the zoning, tax and map amendment changes will go to the Board of County Commissioners on May 27 for adoption.
The development, renamed Harbor Village from West County Town Center, was previously approved by the board under landowner Dennis J. Fullenkamp in 2009 and was made part of the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
The property is located north of Delamere Boulevard, southeast of McCall Road, east of Gasparilla Road and west of Butterford Waterway in the West County area.
Maronda Homes took over the project with new plans to decrease base density from 1,187 units to 1,790 units and reduce residential development from 3,960 units to 3,475 units. “The market demand and conditions have changed since the project was originally approved and adopted,” the company’s application states.
The approval consists of rezoning 840.30 acres to allow the development of up to 2,000 residential units, 250,000 square feet of commercial space, 150,000 square feet of miniwarehouse, 200,000 square feet of office space, 400,000 square feet of light industrial usage and up to 200 hotel rooms.
Harbor Village will be completed around 2036, project Transportation Engineer Becca Bond said.
Representing Maronda Homes, Rob Berntsson, of the Big W Law Firm in Englewood, said under the new plan, the project’s footprint was reduced, and more land was set aside for preservation.
During the public portion of the meeting, residents in the area of the proposed development expressed a number of concerns, including traffic, drainage, infrastructure, utilities, area wildlife and boat traffic.
Some of the proposed homes will have riparian rights and can have docks.
Ron Meister asked how the land that has been a conservation area could be sold, adding there are gopher tortoises and other wildlife on the land.
Area residents suggested erecting retention berms, buffer zones, fencing or a wall and protecting mangroves.
Steve Eustis, a civil engineer, asked whether more traffic lights will be installed and cited the need for more ingress and egress, utilities and ability for emergency services to navigate due to increasing traffic once the project gets underway.
Todd Rebol of Atwell Engineering and project environmental consultant Tim Hall answered many of the public’s concerns.
The gopher tortoises would be moved to another part of the state by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission if there isn’t enough habitat for them on preserved land.
Part of the amended zoning involves increasing the amount of preservation wetlands and removing exotic plantings.
Hall said other agencies would determine how to deal with other wildlife.
Mangroves are protected under the state’s Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act.
Bond said traffic studies have already been completed, and more are on the way.
Village of Holiday Lake resident Donald Rainville shared concerns that the project’s land is located on the east side of his neighborhood and drainage from his development flows onto the now-vacant land. Rebol said drainage cannot be altered.
