New Collier Boulevard Restaurant Approved by Planning Board

The Oliverio family of restaurants continues to grow along Collier Boulevard, as Joseph and Doreen Oliverio have submitted plans for the redevelopment of the former site of the Taste of Chicago and, most recently, NeNe’s Kitchen to become their third location along the Collier Boulevard thoroughfare.

At the August 6 meeting of the Marco Island Planning Board, Oliverio and his team presented his plans for the demolition of the aging present-day structure at 297 North Collier Boulevard, just north of both Doreen’s Cup of Joe and Joey’s Pizza and Pasta House, both of which are owned by Oliverio.

The most recent occupant of that address was NeNe’s Kitchen, which had been permitted for a total of 86 seats. Oliverio was proposing a total of 84 seats and would fall under the formula of one parking space per every four seats, thus requiring 21 parking spaces. However, Oliverio was requesting parking credits which would allow him to meet the minimum parking standards.

Those credits were granted by providing a pedestrian walkway, a bicycle rack and a recycling container in lieu of three spaces, therefore allowing him to meet the minimum standards for parking as detailed below.

Sec. 30-488. Minimum parking requirements

 (4) Off-street parking credits. Parking credits shall be granted for new construction, renovations, improvements, and redevelopment of commercial buildings and commercial projects developed with the following amenities. In no case shall the parking credits exceed 20 percent of the total required parking. The parking credits for each category shall only be utilized once per property.

a. Interconnection of parking lots and driveways. A 15 percent reduction in the required amount of off-street parking may be approved for projects providing vehicular interconnects and/or shared driveways to adjacent projects, subject to an off-street parking agreement as specified in this code. The shared driveway must directly access the parking lots on both properties, and the property owner must file a cross-access agreement with the city in order to be eligible for the credit. 

b. Pedestrian access. One parking space credit shall be granted to each development for providing a pedestrian walkway(s) a minimum of five feet in width from a public sidewalk to the front door(s) of a street front commercial business or building, and from the storefront walkway to the adjacent properties. 

c. Bicycle rack. One parking space credit shall be granted for providing a bicycle rack(s) and pedestrian bench(s) on-site. The bicycle rack shall be capable of storing a minimum of four bicycles and the pedestrian bench shall be a minimum of five feet in length. Bicycle racks and benches shall be placed in a visible location within 15 feet of the front building elevation(s) or along the pedestrian access path. The area around the bicycle rack and bench shall be landscaped with either one minimum 14-foot shade tree and four three-gallon shrubs or three six-foot (gray wood) palm trees and four three-gallon shrubs per every bicycle rack and bench provided. The landscaping is in addition to any other landscape requirements of this code. 

d. On-street parking provided within the right-of-way. Where approved by the city for such parking alternatives, commercial projects and developments may provide some of their off-street parking requirement to be satisfied within the public right-of-way (except alleys). The developer can achieve up to a 50 percent credit for the total amount of required parking spaces provided in the right-of-way. The on-street parking shall be limited to the area located between the intersection of the front yard property lines and the adjacent right-of-way unless otherwise approved through a public hearing by the planning advisory board and the city council. Parking provided in the right-of-way shall be reviewed through the SDP process. Parking provided in the right-of-way shall be available for public use. There shall be no signs prohibiting and/or regulating parking within the public right-of-way unless so authorized or designated by the city.

e. Recycling facilities. One parking credit shall be granted for the installation of one or more recycling containers if, in the opinion of the city manager or designee, the use of additional space previously approved for parking becomes necessary for such facilities.

As part of the plans presented to the board, the landscape buffering will be adjusted to provide for a 10-foot Type A buffer along the side yards abutting the adjacent commercial properties, a 15-foot Type C Buffer along Collier Boulevard and a five-foot landscape buffer along the back of the building abutting the alleyway.

Besides concerns regarding parking for the new facility, the issue of closing off the access for vehicular traffic to exit via the alleyway at the rear of the building caused some concern for at least one member of the board. Traffic would be required to access and exit via North Collier Boulevard. Board Chairman Jason Bailey came back to that point a number of times during the discussions. “I think we are only going to add to an already tense situation along Collier Boulevard,” said Bailey.

Senior Planner Mary Holden commented that the petitioner originally had planned to exit to the alleyway, but it put them into non-compliance with the landscaping buffering requirements of the city.

However, Vice Chair Larry Honig dismissed the concerns. “This applicant has done a tremendous amount to improve the quality of the food and service being offered here on the island. I’m happy to see this is happening and an additional restaurant is great. We are just replacing one restaurant with another. The traffic may be worse, well it will be worse. It will be worse than it is now,” he said. Honig then moved to approve the plan.

Regardless of the concerns raised by Bailey and others, the vote was 6-1 in favor, with only Chairman Bailey voting in opposition.