Council approves Naples Community Church redevelopment with off‑site parking agreement

Naples City Council unanimously approved a conditional use amendment on Wednesday allowing Naples Community Church to redevelop its property at 849 Seventh Avenue South and expand the sanctuary to 316 seats.

The church will provide 35 parking spaces on site, add 29 spaces at a church‑owned off‑site lot at 950 Sixth Avenue South, and continue a recorded agreement to use 15 spaces in a City lot south of Fire Station 1 on Sunday mornings. Council recorded a suite of conditions, including final design review and a stormwater maintenance certification every three years.

The church’s petitioner, Clay Brooker of Chaffey Passadomo (agent for Naples Community Church), told the council the western commercial portion of the existing building will be demolished and the entire parcel devoted to church use. Architect David Corbin described a phased plan that would keep the congregation on site during construction: the west portion (fellowship space, offices, classrooms) would be built first so the church could move there before demolishing and rebuilding the existing sanctuary. Corbin said the new sanctuary is designed to sit above parking to improve resiliency against flooding and to create usable green courtyard spaces.

Traffic and parking consultant Norman Trebilcock presented a parking needs analysis showing the 316‑seat sanctuary requires 79 spaces under city code (one space per four seats). He said the 35 on‑site spaces plus 29 satellite spaces and the 15‑space agreement with the city meet the code requirement for Sunday peak demand and exceed weekday demand. The church agreed to landscape and stormwater upgrades for the off‑site lot and to make the off‑site lot available for public parking when the church does not need it.

City staff and the Planning Advisory Board recommended approval with nine conditions. Staff noted the redevelopment will eliminate a restaurant and office uses now on the site, reducing weekday parking demand despite the larger sanctuary. Conditions adopted by council include final DRB approval, execution and recordation of the off‑site parking agreement, a right‑of‑way permit for alley and frontage work, a landscape completion certification, and a requirement that a licensed engineer certify the stormwater system every three years and after significant hydraulic events.

Vice Mayor Hutchison pressed for a recorded fallback if the 15 spaces in the city lot are no longer available; staff and the city attorney said the resolution can require the petitioner to address any future loss of off‑site parking. Councilmember Kramer moved approval with the recommended conditions and the additional language about addressing the potential loss of the 15 city spaces; the motion passed unanimously.

The project team said the proposed building will be raised above grade with an elevator access and a covered drop‑off under the superstructure; architect Corbin said the design emphasizes views to the outdoors, community fellowship space and passive resiliency so volunteers will not be required to install temporary flood protections.

The council’s action approves the conditional use amendment and the associated parking needs analysis subject to the enumerated conditions; final building permit issuance will require final DRB approval and compliance with the adopted conditions.

Ending: The council’s unanimous vote finalized the conditional‑use amendment and directed staff to record the parking agreement and enforce the conditions; the church and staff said they will continue working on final DRB materials and permitting.