| Community Character Task Force |
Greenspace Sub-Committee
| GOAL Retain and create green spaces and natural areas in URBAN AND RURAL ZONES that are accessible, enhance market values, ensure economic stability, link natural and recreational areas, provide ecological integrity and are compatible with and are incorporated in URBAN DESIGN, TRANSPORTATION AND WATER solutions OVERVIEWAlthough there is a unanimous desire to preserve greenspace, no graphic depiction of the state of greenspace in Collier County existed. As a result, public understanding of the issue was severely limited, and reaching consensus on the most appropriate direction for our community was difficult. The Greenspace Subcommittee, led by Conservancy staff, has now provided this important resource. ACHIEVEMENTS:- Comprehensive report and planning map created - allows for forecasting impacts of planned future development by demonstrating what Collier County will look like over time - Public information tool made available - specifies environmentally-sensitive areas and identifies candidate lands for preservation or mitigation RECOMMENDATION:- The Conservancy of Southwest Florida to initiate public dialogue using resource tools to develop consensus on open space needs and priorities Following are maps prepared by the Conservancy to facilitate public dialogue. Their introductory comments follow: Collier County contains one of the most unique and sensitive native ecosystems in the world. It is also one of the nation’s most rapidly growing regions. By 2010 the population of Collier County will be double its 1990 level, reaching 311,369. This 105% increase will be nearly twice the predicted state average (53%) over the same period.1 The "buildout" population of the urban area of the county alone is predicted at 458,001. There is a growing concern that unless this growth is managed carefully, the region’s native ecosystems will be severely and irreversible impacted. While the public is concerned about the health of the local environment, its ability to participate effectively in important environmental decisions has been limited by a need for information about the cumulative impacts of continued growth. This was evident during the "Greenspace Referendum" of 1996, which failed in part because the public did not understand what the cumulative impacts of development actually meant in terms of the region’s remaining natural areas of "greenspace." The County’s elected officials have also expressed the need for a greenspace inventory and forecast to form the basis of a comprehensive greenspace master plan. 1 Collier County Planning DepartmentGreenspace in Collier County In cooperation with FoCuS and supported by a grant by the James C. Penney Foundation, The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has developed a series of maps and statistical summaries to help illustrate the fate of natural areas and agricultural land in Collier County as development proceeds. Two sample maps are presented here. Map 1 illustrates the entire county at present, reflecting current zoning1 and the growth status of different areas. Major targeted growth areas of the county include Planned Urban Developments (PUDs) inside the urban boundary2, North Golden Gate Estates (NGGE), and ag lands outside but proximate to the urban boundary as well as those around the community of Immokalee. Map 2 illustrates areas of Collier County that are zoned ag/residential, lands that can be conceivably be developed based on current zoning. Areas identified as targets for conservation on Map 2 reflect priorities developed by environmental agencies and organizations, but these areas currently have limited protection and there is no guarantee that they will be fully protected. |
Chair: Bill Barnett |
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The website version of this report was designed and created by HMS Management Group, Inc, Naples, Florida