Collier Planning Board rejects apartments in conservation area at Fiddler’s Creek

A developer’s proposal to build apartments in a conservation area at Fiddler’s Creek was rejected by the Collier Planning Commission last week.

“It is a recommendation and not a binding ruling, but the big thing about it is that many of the very complex issues that we needed to put out there were obviously clearly understood by the commissioners,” said John Erario.

The decision to go against the project ended with a unanimous vote, but didn’t come easily.

“I want to try and put this into perspective, this change and this 750-unit project, into the perspective of what it’s going to do to the neighborhood on Auto Ranch Road,” said Gary Oldehoff, who represents the group Protect The Preserve.

Of 750 proposed apartments, 225 would be rent-restricted to provide more affordable workforce housing, pointing to a critical shortage in the county.

“It’s two miles away from the main road. It would not be to the benefit of the community, really, to put affordable housing back there and add an extra burden on those people to get out of there and get two jobs. It just doesn’t work there,” said Sue Caglioti.

John Erario and Sue Caglioti are opposed to the project and started a group called Protect The Preserve. They told WINK News the land developers want to build on is supposed to be protected.

“It is environmental reasons and ecological reasons,” Caglioti added. “I mean, there’s wildlife but there’s also a connection of waterways that go from Rookery Bay Estuary to Picayune Strand and beyond. That’s important. And if you take this out, you’re going to break the chain. And that’s really scary.”

County commissioners will ultimately make the final decision, so the fight isn’t over yet.

“We were able to lay out an understandable and cogent case for the planning commissioners, we hope to do the same thing with the county commissioners and to give them a very good reason not to approve this,” Erario said.

Erario and Caglioti said they have raised $35,000 so far to help pay for their attorney and experts, and they need to raise more money. Collier commissioners plan to discuss the proposal at their meeting on October 8th.