Toll Brothers will have to make changes to its planned townhouse development in Estero if it wants approval from the village’s planning board. 

The homebuilder will return to the Estero Planning, Zoning and Design Board on Aug. 13 after receiving a continuance, seeking approval for Estero Townhomes, a development at the northeast corner of Corkscrew Road and Sandy Lane. 

The planning board gave Toll Brothers a continuance instead of voting against recommending approval of the project. Village Council has the final say approving zoning changes. 

Toll Brothers is seeking a zoning change to build 171 townhouses on 21.4 acres. The site originally was approved for an assisted living facility in 2015. 

There would be no access from Corkscrew Road. The development would have two entrances, one on Sandy Lane and one on Design Parc Lane.  

Toll Brothers’ presentation showed there would be a 30% reduction in traffic as a home community rather than an assisted living facility. 

The board’s staff recommended the project with a few changes, but the board unanimously disagreed. 

Board member Jim Wallace said he was expecting something more imaginative from Toll Brothers. 

“The architecture looks like subsidized housing,” he said. 

He said removing 27 units would solve most of the problems.  

“There are too many units squeezed onto the site,” Wallace said. “I don’t understand why the density is so high.” 

Other board members questioned the depth of the driveways, the lack of public open space and design of the backs of the buildings.  

The project has received little pushback from nearby residents. Mary Proctor, who lives behind the project in Estates at Estero River, was the only public speaker. She said she supports the project. 

She requested an 8-foot wall at the back of the project instead of a 6-foot wall and wanted to make sure the shared lift station has a generator. 

Toll Brothers officials weren’t available for comment.