Charlotte County homeowners frustrated by new hotel, residential project

Homeowners in one Charlotte County neighborhood say an Extended Stay complex will make areas near their homes more dangerous.

The complex—named Charlotte Commons—would move into a 50-acre vacant lot bordering Peachland, Loveland and Veterans Boulevards.

“Nobody wants it there. A lot of people are just really disappointed,” said homeowner Samantha Astrologo. “I feel like our houses aren’t going to have the same value as before.”

Many were already upset with the original plans for the development, which included 256 apartments and 119 town home villas to be built along three main artery roads in the county.

But now neighbors are even more frustrated to learn the hotel has also been added to the plans.

“I’m more concerned about the traffic than anything else because it’s getting worse and worse and that isn’t going to help,” said homeowner David Swartz.

Charlotte County commissioners approved the change to swap out a portion of the developer’s land originally dedicated for retail space, and instead use it to build a 120-room Extended Stay hotel.

“You don’t know how many people are going to be over there and what kind of people it’s going to attract,” Astrologo said.

It’s a move commissioners say will actually cut down on some of the traffic in the area, but neighbors aren’t buying it.

“People are fed up with it and some of them are moving out,” Swartz said.

“With buildings and all that going in, it’s not going to be a nice quiet neighborhood anymore,” Astrologo added.

The developer of the project already contributed more than $6 million for road improvements, including additional turning lanes and traffic lights at the major intersections nearby.