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Council approves rezoning for Pennsylvania/Wisconsin project with conditions; neighbors raise safety and flooding concerns
Summary
The council approved a rezoning that allows up to 40 dwelling units on roughly 8 acres at the northwest corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Wisconsin Street, subject to developer-proposed conditions including tree replacement and mitigation plans.
Bonita Springs City Council approved the second reading of a zoning ordinance to rezone about 8 acres at Pennsylvania Avenue and Wisconsin Street from agricultural (AG-2) to a residential planned development (RPD) that would allow up to 40 dwelling units, subject to a set of conditions recorded in the staff report.
Community Development staff recapped the project and listed the conditions on the record, including a restriction tying the maximum 40 units to successful on-site wetland mitigation, landscaping and bollard/hedge requirements along Wisconsin Street to reduce headlight glare, replacement of heritage-size trees with specified bald cypress specimens, and submission of a wattle and mitigation plan to the Bonita Springs Fire Control and Rescue District.
Public comment included neighbors who said they were not opposed to development generally but worried about traffic, headlight glare and stormwater impacts. Erin Zapio, a nearby resident, told council the proposed southern access road would point toward the side of her home and said she worried that bollards in the easement would be unsightly and not adequately protect her property. Colleen Brady Reardon described prior storm surge flooding and said a small retention pond would not control surging river water during hurricanes.
Staff and the applicant said the conditions are tied to approvals: failure to provide required mitigation or an acceptable wattle plan could reduce permitted density or remove requested deviations and require additional hearings. Community Development noted the zoning board supported the request 5-2 at its hearing, and the applicant confirmed commitments made at first reading to remove sundecks previously proposed on the units.
Council action: After discussion, a roll-call vote approved the rezoning. The record shows the council voted in favor with a unanimous recorded roll call at the time of adoption.
Next steps: Rezoning does not guarantee building permits or local development order approval; the applicant must still satisfy wetlands mitigation, building-permit and floodplain construction requirements before receiving development authorization.
