Conservancy of SW Florida to redesign nature center
solar panels, native vegetation screens to shade windows, a cistern to collect rainwater, fresh-air ventilation and natural lighting
NAPLES — The CONSERVANCY OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA INC is readying the shovels to break ground on a redesigned nature center in Naples.
The project cleared a Collier County permitting hurdle Wednesday when the county’s Environmental Advisory Council voted 6-1 to approve the renovation plans.
“This was a big step,” Conservancy President Andrew McElwaine said after Wednesday’s vote.
The Conservancy, which was founded in 1964 and opened its existing nature center off Goodlette-Frank Road in 1981, unveiled the plans last January as part of a final push to raise $25 million.
The largest fundraising campaign in the organization’s history already had raised $20 million by the time of the 2008 announcement; the group expects to announce later this month that it has topped the $25 million goal, McElwaine said.
Other than standard building permits, the Conservancy needs no further plan approvals from Collier County.
The Environmental Advisory Council approval was necessary because the Conservancy plans triggered a requirement for an environmental impact statement.
McElwaine said he will know in a few weeks whether or not the Conservancy will need a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to relocate gopher tortoises to make way for a new road to access the Conservancy campus.
The road was the reason for the lone dissenting vote Wednesday by Environmental Advisory Council member Paul Lehmann. He questioned whether the new road was necessary.
“It just seems there were a few other avenues to explore,” Lehmann said.
Conservancy Chairman Nick Penniman, an Environmental Advisory Council member, recused himself from Wednesday’s vote and left the hearing room during the discussion.
Plans approved Wednesday show the new access road will impact three gopher tortoise burrows and another four burrows within 25 feet of the construction zone.
Before construction begins, crews will check to see whether the burrows are occupied and move any tortoises out of harm’s way, according to plans.
Plans show the new entrance along the border the Conservancy shares with the Naples Zoo, north of the existing entrance along 14th Avenue North.
The road will run through a gopher tortoise preserve and will be elevated for a 100-foot stretch to allow gopher tortoises to move between a north and south preserve area.
A sandy bridge will allow tortoises to cross a drainage canal along the Conservancy’s northern property line.
The canal will be reworked to filter runoff from the Coastland Center mall before it is discharged into the Gordon River.
Besides a new road, the Conservancy plans to build a more modern wildlife rehabilitation center, a new building to house updated laboratories and office space and a new auditorium.
The Discovery Center, where visitors can view displays about Southwest Florida’s environment, also will be made over with new exhibits, McElwaine said.
An existing building that houses offices and labs will be returned to its original purpose as classrooms for a new generation of students, McElwaine said.
“They were pretty good for Generation X; they really don’t do anything for Generation Xbox,” he said.
The new buildings will be built to green building standards, McElwaine said.
Plans unveiled in 2008 included solar panels, native vegetation screens to shade windows, a cistern to collect rainwater, fresh-air ventilation and natural lighting.
A different kind of green will pay for the Conservancy redo — and more.
The Conservancy has raised $9.4 million for the new buildings, $1.3 million for the new entrance road and $4 million to pay off the purchase of the eight acres through which the new entrance road will run, McElwaine said.
The fundraising campaign is about more than new buildings though.
Donors also have contributed $4 million to help the Conservancy continue litigation over new development and to support the group’s policy, science and education work, McElwaine said.
The Conservancy has fallen short, though, of its goal to double an existing endowment to raise $600,000 a year to support staff members and programs, McElwaine said.
Of its $6.5 million endowment goal, the Conservancy has raised $3.9 million, he said.
He said the campaign has raised another $1.5 million in unrestricted donations.
44The project cleared a Collier County permitting hurdle Wednesday when the county’s Environmental Advisory Council voted 6-1 to approve the renovation plans.
“This was a big step,” Conservancy President Andrew McElwaine said after Wednesday’s vote.
The Conservancy, which was founded in 1964 and opened its existing nature center off Goodlette-Frank Road in 1981, unveiled the plans last January as part of a final push to raise $25 million.
The largest fundraising campaign in the organization’s history already had raised $20 million by the time of the 2008 announcement; the group expects to announce later this month that it has topped the $25 million goal, McElwaine said.
Other than standard building permits, the Conservancy needs no further plan approvals from Collier County.
The Environmental Advisory Council approval was necessary because the Conservancy plans triggered a requirement for an environmental impact statement.
McElwaine said he will know in a few weeks whether or not the Conservancy will need a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to relocate gopher tortoises to make way for a new road to access the Conservancy campus.
The road was the reason for the lone dissenting vote Wednesday by Environmental Advisory Council member Paul Lehmann. He questioned whether the new road was necessary.
“It just seems there were a few other avenues to explore,” Lehmann said.
Conservancy Chairman Nick Penniman, an Environmental Advisory Council member, recused himself from Wednesday’s vote and left the hearing room during the discussion.
Plans approved Wednesday show the new access road will impact three gopher tortoise burrows and another four burrows within 25 feet of the construction zone.
Before construction begins, crews will check to see whether the burrows are occupied and move any tortoises out of harm’s way, according to plans.
Plans show the new entrance along the border the Conservancy shares with the Naples Zoo, north of the existing entrance along 14th Avenue North.
The road will run through a gopher tortoise preserve and will be elevated for a 100-foot stretch to allow gopher tortoises to move between a north and south preserve area.
A sandy bridge will allow tortoises to cross a drainage canal along the Conservancy’s northern property line.
The canal will be reworked to filter runoff from the Coastland Center mall before it is discharged into the Gordon River.
Besides a new road, the Conservancy plans to build a more modern wildlife rehabilitation center, a new building to house updated laboratories and office space and a new auditorium.
The Discovery Center, where visitors can view displays about Southwest Florida’s environment, also will be made over with new exhibits, McElwaine said.
An existing building that houses offices and labs will be returned to its original purpose as classrooms for a new generation of students, McElwaine said.
“They were pretty good for Generation X; they really don’t do anything for Generation Xbox,” he said.
The new buildings will be built to green building standards, McElwaine said.
Plans unveiled in 2008 included solar panels, native vegetation screens to shade windows, a cistern to collect rainwater, fresh-air ventilation and natural lighting.
A different kind of green will pay for the Conservancy redo — and more.
The Conservancy has raised $9.4 million for the new buildings, $1.3 million for the new entrance road and $4 million to pay off the purchase of the eight acres through which the new entrance road will run, McElwaine said.
The fundraising campaign is about more than new buildings though.
Donors also have contributed $4 million to help the Conservancy continue litigation over new development and to support the group’s policy, science and education work, McElwaine said.
The Conservancy has fallen short, though, of its goal to double an existing endowment to raise $600,000 a year to support staff members and programs, McElwaine said.
Of its $6.5 million endowment goal, the Conservancy has raised $3.9 million, he said.
He said the campaign has raised another $1.5 million in unrestricted donations.
Conservancy Of Sw Florida can be reached at (239) 262-5857 991 2nd Ave N Naples, FL 34102-5808
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