Kalea Bay developer has won the permission to construct a taller tower.

The developer of Kalea Bay was granted permission to build an even higher residential tower in North Naples following an unexpected compromise.

Commissioners in Collier County unanimously decided on Tuesday to approve Lodge Abbott & Associates, a Detroit-based company, to expand its fifth tower by three stories and ten condominium units, increasing the structure’s total height to 270 feet.

In order to stay competitive, commissioners decided to grant the developer 20 feet more than it had originally asked for, allowing the building’s ceiling heights to be raised from 9 to 10 feet, according to an article by Laura Layden of Naples Daily News.

The developer agreed to give the county an additional parcel of land for marina parking in exchange for a $1 million payment to assist with the planning and construction of the parking.

North Naples commissioner Chris Hall took the lead in negotiating the agreement, which lessened some but not all of the neighborhood’s opposition.

In order to promote the county-owned Cocohatchee River Marina, Hall met with Rich Yovanovich, the developer’s land use attorney, ahead of the hearing to inquire about the requirements for the developer to contribute the full three plus acres of the commercial tract—as opposed to just half of it—for boat trailer parking.

The adjacent commercial plot turned into a negotiating chip, even though it wasn’t included in the rezoning proposal.

The developer hosted an informational meeting last year, and based on that information, the neighbors said they were mislead and thought the developer would gift the entire parcel to the county as part of its “horse trading” to obtain what it desired.

Following the discovery of a schematic drawing that depicted a restaurant, retail stores, and offices on half of the property, a few neighboring community associations representing over a thousand homes united against it.

Situated at the intersection of Vanderbilt Drive and Wiggins Pass Road, the land is referred to as Tract 10.

Because the proposed acreage is so close to the Cocohatchee nature reserve and estuary, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico through Wiggins Pass, opponents were concerned about how the commercial development might affect the area’s noise levels, traffic patterns, and environmental quality.

Following the vote, one of the opponents of the proposed commercial development, David Cort, treasurer of the Cove Towers Preserve Condominium Association, called the conclusion a “great deal for the citizens of Collier County and our local community in the Cocohatchee/Wiggins Bay area.”

“Our group is extremely pleased with the outcome,” he stated.

He complimented Hall on his unseen work and his commercial acumen in negotiating.

The last tower will rise over the others.

Lodge Abbott consented to cede all development rights on its business property, but only if it could have the additional 20 feet for the tower on top of the 25 feet it had already asked for. Yovanovich claimed this would make the skyscraper more competitive and consistent with current standards.

It is now possible to build the last tower in Kalea Bay higher than any previous one.

The article can originally be found on News-Press.