BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — The shuttered Bonita Springs Golf and Country Club, a key piece of land for controlling storm water flooding, could become a 500-home community near Naples, Florida.
Barron Collier Companies submitted plans to build on the 113-acre defunct golf course. The course is split by Paradise Road, creating two nearly equal north and south parcels. The plans would create two unconnected communities, according to the plans.
The development would be single-family homes, connected multi-family homes and townhouses. Nothing taller than 35 feet would be permitted.
Developers need to follow strict guidelines when redeveloping golf courses in Bonita Springs. A resolution is in place to protect existing homeowners from an encroaching development. This includes more space between homes and new construction — in this case, a 50-foot buffer.
The developer plans to ask for a reduction to 25 feet with dense landscaping and walls to limit sight lines.
A roundabout would be built on Paradise Road as part of the plans. It would be the only entrance to the north parcel. The southern parcel would have two entrances.
Several lone holes spindle around the area as part of the Bonita Springs Golf and Country Club design. These fairways are too narrow to build roads and homes on and would end up as pathways, lakes and water retention areas and make up 40 percent of the total development, the plan states.
Plans to redevelop the Bonita Springs Golf and Country Club into a 500-unit residential community were submitted to Bonita Springs Community Development.
A study done in the months after Hurricane Irma in September 2017 highlighted the golf course as an important water storage site. The city spent years searching for federal grant money to buy the land and build projects to reduce the chance of future floods.
City officials have spoken with the developers about the water issues surrounding the property. The developer plans state that the stormwater system “will result in improvements to stormwater conditions for surrounding properties.”
Submitted documents state six surrounding communities dump water into the unused fairways and lakes of the golf course, which retains the water during heavy rainfalls. However, mass storm events like Hurricane Irma can push water into the streets.
The course and surrounding areas suffered flooding for days after the heavy rains of Hurricane Irma, said Ben Hershenson, chair of the Golf and Country Club steering committee. He has asked the city for years to buy the course and use it for water retention.
“The community wants to see (the golf course) used for parks, water retention, walking trails and all that wonderful stuff,” he said. “It’s a dream, but we have to look at the dollars. We have to recognize it’s (Barron Collier Companies’) land, and they have the right to develop it.”
Nearby residents attended a meeting in September where the developer answered several questions, many focused on water and potential flooding.
Flood waters left in the wake of Hurricane Irma in 2017 filled the roads near the Bonita Springs Golf and Country Club. (Photo: Naples Daily News)
Community members also voiced concerns of increased traffic. The developer plans ask for gated entrances and state the project “will not place an undue burden on existing transportation or other infrastructure.”
Despite the Barron Collier Companies’ plan, the city is conducting a stormwater study of the property. The Federal Emergency Management Administration has granted more than $6 million toward construction of a worthwhile project, said Matt Feeney, assistant city manager.
“We are looking to utilize portions of the golf course property for drainage,” Feeney said. “We’re evaluating the need and seeing what we can do to improve stormwater conveyance through there. If it’s cost beneficial, it will be approved.”
The study will be completed by June, when projects will be presented to the City Council.