Protecting Naples’ Small Town Character

This article text was originally featured in Old Naples News, February 2020.

About a year ago – in early 2019 – the City of Naples asked residents to respond to a survey as part of a new “visioning” process. This exercise had not been carried out in more than ten years. The survey asked questions about priority issues and concerns and how well they were being addressed.

The responses yielded several important takeaways:

• First, nearly 2,000 Naples residents took the time to complete the 30-minute online questionnaire, a remarkable response rate. People showed they cared.
• Second, the responses confirmed that residents overwhelmingly wanted to protect Naples’ small town character as a first priority.
• And, third, the responses showed significant dissatisfaction with how the City was dealing with key issues that impacted our community like development, and the environment.

These results were no surprise to me based on my own recent civic experiences helping lead a citizens initiative for local government ethics reform, serving on the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board, and running last year as a candidate for City Council. I saw that residents were increasingly frustrated and concerned about the direction Naples was taking.

Many of us have visited other coastal communities in Florida (and other states) that have become over-built and lost their identity and sense of place. We know that is not yet the case in Naples but we worry what the future holds.

It also is true that some don’t share this concern. In their view, Naples is no longer the small town it was even 30 years ago.
Growth and development is inevitable. We should join much of the rest of Florida as a tourist and visitor mecca.

This kind of thinking misses the point….several points really. Certainly Naples has changed in recent decades, but we still have the ability, if we wish, to shape future growth and development to our liking through smart decision-making.. And while tourism and entertainment are important to our economy they must be balanced against the priorities and needs of those who live in our neighborhoods.

This starts with a “residents first” approach to governance. Preserving and protecting the character of Naples means addressing the quality of life issues that impact our town.

Implementing noise ordinances for leaf blowers….enforcing our building codes at construction sites….banning summer use of fertilizers that pollute our waters….and properly monitoring outdoor dining and entertainment at restaurants and bars.

These are just a few examples of quality of life issues that have come before City Council in the last six months – some acted on and some not, at least as yet.

Small town character also is shaped by how we regulate land development and enforce our building codes — how we control the built environment. For the most part, Naples has a good set of zoning and related ordinances. This is enhanced by an amendment to our city charter 20 years ago that limits height of commercial buildings to 42 feet.

But consistent enforcement of these ordinances has been sorely lacking. Providing deviations and variances has been common practice – virtually every one requested has been approved by our Planning Advisory Board (PAB) and then by City Council over the past five years. This needs to change. (As this article is being written, Council and the PAB have begun to take the first tentative steps to addressing these issues, in the face of increased public scrutiny.)

There is a saying in the business world that culture beats strategy every time. This means that every company or organization has a culture that inevitably leads to decisions of a certain type no matter what its written strategic plan may state.

The same is true with local governments. And the culture of our city government, especially in the last decade, has led to regular approval of development proposals that are inconsistent with our stated vision. One result has been a breakdown in trust between residents and city government. This trust needs to be restored.

When I ran for City Council last year, my goal was to help change that culture. The objective is not to stop development or redevelopment but to make sure its character — height, density, scale, environmental impact — is consistent with OUR comprehensive plan, OUR ordinances and OUR vision.

Naples is one of the most desirable locations in the United States. We can set high standards and expect them to be met.

As you read this, Naples is engaged in another city election cycle with three council seats and the mayor’s office being contested on March 17. I  strongly encourage all residents to participate in the electoral process – our most important civic duty. And in doing so, inform yourself of the issues being debated in these races, including those discussed in this article. Make your own determination as to which candidates can contribute best to
making Naples the town you want it to be.