COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Some of the most important issues all of us are dealing with in Southwest Florida are on the agenda for Tuesday's Collier County Commissioners meeting.
Commissioners will talk about what they can do to create more affordable housing, meet the need for more first responders, and controlling the amount of noise at the Naples Airport.
But this isn't just about noise, this issue has to do with how much the area has grown.
It’s been more than 20 years since a noise study was done at the airport. In that time, the area around the airport has grown significantly- meaning there are more people living closer to it than they did say 20 years ago.
In most cases, the county does not have any specific regulations for noise when a commercial business is next to a residential area. So today, Commissioners will talk about changing the current noise ordinance to try and help out. And there’s a group of people who want the county to do something.
The Naples Airport is also in the middle of a $1.7 million noise study to look at noise pollution.
Commissioners will also talk about a problem that affects just about all of us in some way- the high cost of living in SWFL. They've already done some work.
Two months ago, they set aside more money and vowed to look for more land for housing projects. Since their last meeting, Commissioners found land off Immokalee Road and in Belle Meade that they think will work.
Now, they have to change some ordinances which would define what the land can be used for.
They will also be looking at changing how close homes can be together, how close neighborhoods can be together, and where multi-family homes can be built. When Commissioners adopt these new rules, they will have a year to design and set location standards so work can’t begin until that happens.
Here's more perspective on where we are and how long the process will take. Right now, there are 11 affordable housing communities in development in the county which will provide more than 3,000 living units. But, only four of those communities are scheduled to be done in the next two years.
Tuesday's meeting is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.
