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Code board grants Lowe's 180-day continuance while county reviews parking/site plan
Summary
Counsel for Lowe's told the Collier County Code Enforcement Board that an administrative parking reduction (APR) and SDPI revisions are pending; after debate over permits and county review times the board granted a 180‑day continuance on the imposition‑of‑fines motion (vote 3–1).
The Collier County Code Enforcement Board on May 22 granted a 180‑day continuance in a long‑running case involving a Lowe's Home Centers store while the company works with county planners to resolve parking and screening issues.
Lowe's attorney, identifying himself as Zachary Liebetrue, told the board the company had submitted an administrative parking reduction application in March and that the APR and SDPI (site development plan) review will remedy the cited outdoor storage violations. "We submitted our APR application in March ... and it has been under county review ever since," Liebetrue said, asking the board for extra time to secure the approvals and pull building and fence permits.
County staff and board members pushed back at times, questioning why routine administrative review appeared to be taking months. The chair noted the board’s authority is constrained when violations remain unabated but signaled willingness to allow a final extension with the expectation the county and respondent cooperate to finish the permitting. "If we come back on this again we’re going to impose the full fine, which continues to accrue at $500 a day," the chair warned during the discussion.
After members discussed earlier delays and whether the county or the respondent bore responsibility, the board voted 3–1 to grant Lowe's a 180‑day continuance; the motion included operational costs and a requirement to report back. The board recorded the continuance as the last on this case before fines would be strictly enforced.
The continuance gives the respondent time to obtain the APR, update the SDPI, secure permits for screening and fencing, and return with a status report. County staff said fines will continue to accrue during the extension period if the prior order requires it, and the board placed the case on a short leash to motivate timely action.
