New Home Under Construction in Golden Gate Estates, Naples, FL by Nova Homes of South Florida
A large parcel of rural land in Collier County, (more than 91 square miles) has developed into a sprawling neighborhood that's now larger in area than the city limits of Boston.
County planners have reopened the master plan for the Estates area for the first time in 10 years. They are reviewing plans to see if the county should do more to spur everything from commercial growth to wetlands restoration, or if existing plans should be mostly left alone. The area is uniquely attractive. Almost an anti-Naples, where no homeowners associations are allowed and campers, boats and RVs are welcome. Homes in the Estates are more affordable than in most parts of the county. And since they are mostly built on 2.5- or 5-acre lots, they are private.
It's home to a mix of people, those who moved to the Estates to get away from everything, and those who moved there because it provides excellent value. The county's move to rethink planning for the Estates is part of the years long process of revising plans to accommodate a booming population east of Collier Boulevard. About 300,000 people are expected to move into the mostly undeveloped eastern region, nearly doubling the county's current population of 339,000 over the next two decades, according to county growth projections. With that surge will come more houses, roads, businesses, schools and everything else new communities need to thrive.
Community Planning Manager Kris Van Lengen said he doesn't expect much more to change. "There was a major review a little over 10 years ago and now you don't see a tremendous number of problems," Van Lengen said. "Because it's a pre-platted subdivision there's not much call for re-designating large areas. You might not need much in the Estates, itself, because there are areas of land nearby that could accomplish and bring the things that most people want.”
"There are large swaths of undeveloped land south and east of the homes in the Estates where the county should focus any commercial and industrial growth," said Commissioner Tim Nance, who represents the area. "If we plan this right we can have our cake and eat it too," Nance said. "We could see those areas around the Estates help out with economic development so people can work and stay in the area without having to rezone or 'densify' anything in the Estates.”
The county has two separate master plans for land south and east of the Estates. The first covers the vast fields surrounding Immokalee. That plan helped guide Ave Maria's creation. It also will govern the development known as Rural Lands West, planned for 10,000 homes east of Everglades Boulevard along Oil Well Road. The other plan, which also is undergoing revision, focuses on the Rural Fringe. "It's a development density bonus program that allows landowners to swap undeveloped land for more building rights. About nine square miles of the Rural Fringe border the southern homes in the Estates," Nance said.
For information about building in Naples' Golden Gate Estates community, please contact Nova Homes of South Florida.
As The Estates premier custom homebuilder, Nova Homes has a home design to fit all lifestyles and budgets, from the $200s to over $2 million. Call today, 239.307.6116 or visit www.novahomesbuilder.com.