Proposals for a 111-room Home2 Suites and a 171-unit townhome development were heard during a Dec. 12 Estero Planning, Zoning and Design Board public information meeting.
The Home2 Suites hotel developed by Atlanta-based Peachtree Group seeks a zoning amendment for construction.
The developer proposes carving out a 2.37-acre lot for the project, which is currently being utilized as a parking lot area for Coconut Point shopping center. The existing parking lot area and interior landscape islands must be demolished and removed to accommodate the proposed development.
Peachtree Group has a national relationship with Simon Property Group, a real estate investment trust that invests in shopping malls, outlet centers and community/lifestyle centers, as well as Hilton Hotels & Resorts. “We’re primarily Hilton, Marriott developers of all their brands,” Peachtree Group Managing Principal Mitul Patel said. “Home2 is probably the most successful brand since Hampton Inn nationwide.”
The site is southeast of the former Regal Cinema building and is proposed to have a 116-space parking lot.
Planning board member Barry Jones raised concern with the number of parking spaces versus the number of hotel rooms. “That seems woefully short when you have employees and guests and mostly everybody drives here,” he said.
Jeremy Pettit, project civil engineer with MGM Enterprises, said requirements have changed in the hotel space recently with a reduction of parking spaces required.
In terms of architecture, The RBA Group architect Chris Allred said the biggest challenge with the project was finding ways to break down the mass.
“As far as the overall scales goes, we’ve worked to create what we would consider a base, middle and cap,” Allred said. “Some areas have dual caps, extended parapets and extended cornice work to highlight central features within the overall plan of the hotel.”
Additionally, the building will incorporate different masses and textures to further break up the mass and the roofline of the building.
Board member Jim Wallace criticized the building renderings in comparison to the black and white elevations provided in the hotel’s presentation, saying the renderings showed a lack of detail in comparison to what’s provided in the elevations.
Allred said the renderings were washed out during creation and the team will return with more accurate renderings. The board asked the developer to return with more accurate renderings, more awnings, a better color palette, a monument sign and something to enhance the east and west elevations of the building.
The other proposal is a 171-unit townhome development, which would need a zoning amendment from Residential Planned Development to Estero Planned Development. The 21.4-acre site is at the corner of Corkscrew Road and Sandy Lane and at one point was going to be an assisted living facility.
The assisted living facility was approved in 2015, with a maximum of 340 beds and a maximum height of 45 feet. However, the development never came to fruition.
The townhome applicant, Toll Brothers, is a national luxury builder and has built in Southwest Florida for about 20 years. The company seeks a rezoning to allow for a townhome development in the Tier 1 category, which requires a public incentive enhancement.
The height is proposed to be reduced to 35 feet, with a proposed park along Corkscrew Road and the corner of Sandy Lane. The project is planned to remove the Corkscrew Road access point and move access on Design Parc Lane to the south.
“The intent of this public park is to allow pedestrian access along Corkscrew Road and Sandy Lane,” Project Manager Josephine Medina said. “We’re imagining this to be a passive park with seating and shaded areas, as well as a view to the expansive lake along the northeastern part of the property.”
Wallace critiqued the architectural design that was presented. However, Toll Brothers Vice President Dustin Bowersett said his team is in the very early stages of the process.
“It was premature for us to have architecture designed for this specific site, but our hope was to receive feedback from the community and take that into account for our formal application,” Bowersett said.
Chairman Scotty Wood had other concerns, specifically with asking for Tier 1 status, saying he’s unsure if the proposed park rises to the level of providing specific public benefits.
The applicant and developer were asked to return with a plan that better matches the criteria for Tier 1 usage, enhanced interconnectivity and architectural enhancements.
No vote is taken at public information meetings.
