Board approves 92-unit Collier Boulevard RPUD with 30-year affordable-unit commitments

The Board of County Commissioners approved a rezoning (RPUD) and a companion growth-management amendment for a 9.49-acre site at 8928 Collier Boulevard that will allow 92 multifamily dwelling units, of which 30% are committed for 30 years to rent-restricted units distributed as 15% at 80% AMI and 15% at 100% AMI. The developer agreed to reserve 50% of the affordable units for essential public-service personnel.

Josh Philpott (Stantec) introduced the petition and described the reduced affordable-income tiers reached after staff review and negotiation. Cormac Giblin, the county's housing-policy director, told commissioners the county's apartment survey and waiting-list counts show persistent local demand for below‑market units; he cited vacancy and waiting-list data for existing affordable complexes. Petitioner representatives described high site-development costs — including an estimated $1 million bridge across a local canal and substantial mitigation and utility extensions — as constraining the developer's ability to increase the affordable share within financial feasibility limits.

Staff recommended approval, finding the proposal consistent with the growth-management plan and compatible with adjacent development; commissioners debated percentages and market conditions but concluded the project represented a feasible incremental contribution to workforce and affordable housing. The board voted to approve both the rezoning and the GMP subdistrict.

Implementation will include mapping conditions, a 30-year affordable-unit restriction in the PUD documents, and placement of the essential-worker reservation in the PUD conditions.