FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Rick Joyce, Lee County Planning Division
                479-8182

FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 26, 2001) – The Board of Lee County Commissioners today recognized the first ever recipients of its "Award of Excellence" for Outstanding Achievement in Project Design, Environmental Quality and Innovative Technology.

The three recipients are Town Center at The Brooks (The Bonita Bay Group, developer), Page Field Commons (Starwood Wasserman, LLC, developer, and Burner & Company, landscape architects), and Island Woods (duPont Builders, developer).

A five-member panel of judges selected the winners from nine nominations. This is the first year of the award, established by the County Commission to acknowledge the efforts of private-sector projects within Lee County that further the goal of maintaining or improving the quality of life by going above and beyond the minimum development code and regulatory requirements. The projects can be judged on a variety of criteria, including Architectural Design, Connection to Community, Energy Efficient Design, Historic Preservation, Landscape Design, Native Plants, Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities, Recycling, Technology Advancement, Restoration of Plant Communities, Roadway Design, Water Conservation and Design, Water Quality Improvements, or Wildlife Habitat Value.

Town Center at The Brooks – The Brooks is a 2,532-acre master-planned community being developed by The Bonita Bay Group at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Coconut Road in Bonita Springs. Town Center at The Brooks is the pedestrian-friendly gathering place for residents of the four communities that make up the development and includes facilities such as a children’s playground, an interactive water feature, a large gazebo for concerts, and a sprawling village green surrounded by pedestrian paths. All this overlooks The Brooks’ flow way, a major restoration and enhancement project completed during the community’s development. (Contact: Cheryl Garn, 390-1183).

Page Field Commons – This is the mixed-use office, retail and entertainment complex on U.S. 41 next to Page Field in Fort Myers. Exciting architecture and a predominantly native plant palette that has been continued by the city further along U.S. 41 makes this project noteworthy. (Contact: Theresa Artuso, 693-8090).

Island Woods – This is a 38-residence subdivision on Sanibel Island along Periwinkle Way west of its intersection with Casa Ybel Road. One-third of the site has been set aside as a preserve and the development was planned to preserve existing native vegetation and use it extensively around homesites and as buffer. (Contact: Victor duPont, Jr., 472-6779).

The judges were Win Everham, chairman of FGCU’s Environmental Studies Program; Jake Slot, chairman of the county’s Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee; Randy Mercer, president, CB Richard Ellis Fort Myers-Naples; Rick Joyce, Deputy Planning Director; and Pete Winton, County Administration. Judges comments as follows:

Judges Comments

Page Field Commons

Page Field Commons is an excellent example of attention to landscape design in a commercial project. The extensive use of native plants helps separate an otherwise paved urban landscape and accentuates the unique architecture of the storefronts. Use of canopy trees for shade and accent palms throughout the parking lot, medians and roadside helps "connect" the project to Fort Myers’ reputation as the "City of Palms."

The project was planned and completed with the restrictions associated with being located next to a general aviation airport. Creativity in landscape and architectural design resulted in an aesthetically pleasing site in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements. Page Field Commons shows how attention to landscaping can enhance an urban commercial corridor while maintaining visibility to customers.

Island Woods

Island Woods is cited for being a beautiful example of what can be done with a small residential project, especially by incorporating existing elements and using natural vegetation. About one-third of the site has been set aside as a preserve and much effort was made to properly site structures to avoid impacts to existing native vegetation on homesites. The project developers also incorporated a preserve area within the subdivision to accommodate gopher tortoises that inhabit the site.

This project exemplifies what smaller developers with more limited resources can do to make their developments environmentally friendly, desirable and livable.

Town Center at The Brooks

Town Center at The Brooks took essentially a cow pasture and turned it into a village center that integrates a major restoration and enhancement of an historical flow way. The developer has placed a high priority on the use of native plants, both in ecological restoration and ornamental landscaping, throughout the project. A variety of innovative designs and technologies have been incorporated, including pedestrian paths, fiber optic cabling, and a dual water system. These are just a few examples of the effort made to create a high quality community.

Town Center at The Brooks is a classic example of environmental sensitivity in a major residential development that incorporates public-private partnerships and many of the amenities that are key to sustainable communities.