Commissioners approve controversial One Naples development in North Naples

After a 12-hour meeting, construction on a controversial residential development in North Naples will continue. But there will be some changes after dozens of people raised concerns.

Collier County Board of County Commissioners approved the development of One Naples in North Naples during its special meeting Monday.

One Naples will sit near Vanderbilt Beach along Vanderbilt Beach Road and Gulf Shore Drive.

The building height was approved to be lowered from 14 stories to 12 stories, and there will be 140 residential units, reduced from 172.

More than 50 members of the public expressed their concerns of building on the slated piece of land, many saying the planned changes are not enough.

“We’re very disappointed that the commission voted to approve One Naples,” Ralf Brookes said.

“It’ll affect everybody’s day-to-day life,” Ken Melkus said. “It has got so much size and density to it. It’s so out of scale.”

While there are many neighbors against the resort-style community, STOCK Development feels it’s heard the complaints and compromised.

“We feel we spent a significant amount of time listening and making adjustments to our project to make it more compatible,” CEO Brian Stock said.

STOCK Development reduced the density of the original project three times, not only reducing the size of the buildings but also decreasing boat slips and residential units.

“The project is smaller in scope and scale than I originally envisioned,” Stock said. “However, I feel really good that we have worked with the community and ended where we did.”

Nonprofit Save Vanderbilt Beach was happy about the reduced height of the buildings, but group members feel more could be done to reduce the scale of the project.

“We’re happy that they brought the building height down by two more stories,” Brookes said. “We would like to see a project that reduces the height an additional two stories.”

Many still think the project doesn’t fit in the county.

“This is the beginning of what I call the ‘Miami-fication’ of Gulf Shore Drive,’ Buzz Victor said. “It’s just going to turn it into a canyon … It’s just not right. It is only the wrong place, the wrong development.”

Save Vanderbilt Beach will have a meeting Tuesday to possibly schedule an administrative hearing.

Meanwhile STOCK Development can move forward with designing its project.