Rehabilitation of Collier’s Farm Worker Village moving forward

Soon, Emilo Moreno’s grandson, Fabian, will have a sidewalk where he can ride his tricycle at Alexander Circle in Farm Worker Village.

The improvement is part of a $9.2 million rehabilitation to 150 low-income units in Section A of Farm Worker Village. The units are in an area that saw some of the most devastating floods during Hurricane Wilma almost three years ago.

Along with a sidewalk, Moreno and others will get central air conditioning to replace their window units and some extra space when washers and dryers are moved to the outside of the two-, three- and four-bedroom units. In Moreno’s case, the move will free up needed space in his living room, where he has to keep his washer now.

Moreno, 64, a farmworker who has lived for four years in a two-bedroom house on Alexander Circle with his son, daughter-in-law and grandchild, was thrilled with the renovation plans.

The Collier County Housing Authority is moving forward with plans to rehabilitate the oldest section of Farm Worker Village as progress continues to meet new codes on the 34-year-old buildings.

In February, members of the housing authority — which oversees the village — were told to work with the county zoning and planning departments. The goal was to develop a plan with flexibility from the county’s Land Development Code so work can begin on the renovations.

The group returned to county leaders last week with requests for deviations from the county’s Land Development Code. The deviations ensure that the community is maintained and health, safety and welfare standards are upheld.

Collier County commissioners unanimously approved several deviations during their commission meeting.

“This was great,” said Essie Serrata, executive director of the Collier County Housing Authority. “I think this will really push it along.”

Serrata said the agency requested the deviations “up front” to get it out of the way before submitting a site development plan, which they plan to do within a couple months. It would be about six months before the rehab project is put up for bid.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the $9.2 million for renovations in December 2006. The federal agency won’t release the money until the Housing Authority has everything in place for the project.

The rehabilitations are expected to be complete in December 2010.

During the commission meeting, county Zoning Director Susan Istenes presented a “conceptual review” of the Housing Authority’s plans to retrofit the units, which would still need to be addressed in the future.

Rehabilitating 150 of the 611 units in Farm Worker Village includes demolishing 60 one-bedroom units and 44 two-bedroom units and taking 46 three- and four-bedroom units to shell and rehabilitating the insides — repairing floors, cabinets and replacing plumbing fixtures.

Among several requested deviations was a request not to provide irrigation. Instead, the village agreed to maintain existing planted and new landscaping without the need for an irrigation system.

Other deviations were for landscaping, parking spaces and allowable uses of the site, which currently has three day-care facilities, a laundry facility, a post office and a community center.

Istenes suggested that the commission impose a three-year time limit on deviations to rezone the property, which is currently zoned residential multi-family. She recommended that the agency could file for a PUD.

Recommendations also suggested that the village come to code with street lighting at intersections and pedestrian sidewalks.

During the meeting, Commissioner Donna Fiala asked if there would be trees.

Serrata said plans are in place to plant trees “partial from code” and that there is no need for more canopy trees in the neighborhood.

Fiala also was concerned about sidewalks.

“No neighborhood should be without sidewalks,” Fiala said.

Plans call for the neighborhood to have sidewalks on one side of the street on Farm Worker Way and Alexander Circle.

Plenita Lafortune, 61, who has been living in a one-bedroom unit in the village for the past 8 years, was excited about possible upgrades to her home.

Lafortune opens her windows and relies on a white-box fan for additional fresh air. On one hot day last week, she placed the fan beside a television in front of where she sat.

“It gets hot at times,” Lafortune, who speaks Creole, said through a translator, Rosaline Jocurin, a clerk at the village. “I’ll be very happy if the (air-conditioning) units are installed.”

She covers her washing machine with a blue cloth, which is behind her unit, so that it’s not damaged by the weather.

Lafortune, a retired farmworker, said she was thankful for the changes that the Housing Authority plans to do.