Planning commission backs Collier County Community Land Trust’s 36‑unit rent‑to‑own PUD with conditions

The Collier County Planning Commission on April 2 recommended approval of a companion small‑scale Growth Management Plan amendment and Residential Planned Unit Development to enable a 36‑unit, 100% income‑restricted townhome community on Golden Gate Parkway at 60th Street SW. The project would be owned by the Collier County Community Land Trust and operate a three‑year “build‑to‑rent‑to‑own” program that routes net rent toward down‑payment reserves for tenant‑beneficiaries.

The applicant team, led by Zach Lombardo, presented the project as a 4.18‑acre RPUD with a 30‑year affordability restriction measured from issuance of certificates of occupancy. Senior planner Ellen Summers described development standards: a maximum building height set by the PUD, enhanced 25‑ft landscape buffers on the south and west edges, a plan for lighting that follows dark‑skies best practices, and a transportation impact estimate of 19 PM peak‑hour trips.

Michael Puhala, executive director of the Collier County Community Land Trust, said the land trust would retain land ownership and steward long‑term affordability. Matthew Smith, a co‑founder of the build‑to‑rent‑to‑own initiative, described the program’s mechanics: eligible households are income‑tested on day one, monthly rent net of operating costs funds an individual down‑payment reserve, and a shared‑appreciation resale formula preserves affordability for subsequent buyers. “Net of operating costs, each monthly rent payment goes towards funding a down payment reserve account for that tenant beneficiary,” Smith said.

Neighbors raised infrastructure and compatibility concerns during public comment. Cindy Brown, who lives six houses from the site, asked whether sewer capacity exists after an earlier case that required a church to use septic; staff replied that connection to Collier County water and wastewater is required and the applicant must pay a proportionate share of any system expansion. Several residents and an expert witness urged denial on grounds the project is incompatible with the low‑density Golden Gate Estates character and asked for more robust buffers and movement of the primary access away from the southern property line.

In response, traffic engineer Jim Banks said the TIS followed Collier County guidelines, used average ITE trip rates appropriate for a small sample, and concluded the project would generate no more than 19 PM peak‑hour trips. Banks also noted the project accesses a segment of Golden Gate Parkway that staff reports operates at roughly 75% of capacity and that a county corridor study and median modifications are underway for the broader corridor.

After deliberation the commission approved a motion to recommend both the GMP amendment and the RPUD, adding conditions: a six‑foot wall along the southern boundary, a short (approximately 20‑ft) segment of wall on the western boundary pending survey/encroachment resolution, coordination with county transportation staff to move or align the ingress/egress where feasible (ideally aligning with the access to the church across the road), an outreach/scoring preference for essential workers during initial marketing, and restrictions against short‑term or block leasing. The chair noted the motion passed with one commissioner recorded in opposition; the exact vote count was not recorded verbatim in the public transcript. The recommendation and proposed conditions will be transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners for final action.

Staff advised that if required public‑facility improvements (water/wastewater or stormwater) cannot be met, project permits and building approvals would not be issued. The applicant said it intends to retain stewardship responsibilities through the land trust and pursue long‑term ownership arrangements consistent with community‑land‑trust practice.

The Board of County Commissioners will consider the GMP amendment and rezoning at a future public hearing; the Planning Commission’s recommendation and the record of neighborhood input will be part of that record.