by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
The Island Senior Center – to be known as “Santiva Islanders” – was unanimously granted a Conditional Use Permit by the Sanibel Planning Commission at its April 14 meeting. The meeting took place before a packed room of Santiva Islanders in their blue logo tees, there to support the application submitted by Bernard Arroyo, the group’s president, on behalf of Nancy Bass Cooke, the property owner.
The proposed use will serve as a Senior Center, promoting health and wellness and providing educational, social, and recreational opportunities for older adults on Sanibel, Captiva, and in surrounding areas.
The Santiva Islanders will be able to operate in Unit 11 of Palm Ridge Plaza (2330 Palm Ridge Road), two doors down from the Sanibel Deli. The unit has 945 square feet of commercial floor area, with 135 parking spaces and racks to accommodate 20-25 bicycles.
The commercial building is already established, and no expansion of the existing structure or its configuration was proposed.
The shell parking area will be replaced with pervious pavers, and the approved plan incorporates improved interconnectivity to the shared-use path.
Planning Department staff found the proposed use (with recommended conditions) complies with all general requirements for conditional uses and with all specific requirements of institutional uses.
Eight conditions were placed upon the approval, among them:
• Accessory uses shall be clearly incidental and subordinate to the primary use, including but not limited to:
◦ Meeting and event activities for civic, educational, and social purposes.
◦ Recreational, wellness, and educational programs.
• No on-site food preparation shall be permitted as part of this approval. Any proposal for on-site food preparation shall require additional review and approval by the Planning Commission.
• A permit shall be obtained for any proposed signage.
• The permit application shall include a floor plan demonstrating compliance with ADA requirements. (The Building Department will review the property for ADA compliance, both interior and exterior.)
• The unit shall receive approval from the Sanibel Fire Marshal prior to issuance of the certificate of occupancy.
The Senior Center has been operating for about 1 year in a different unit within Palm Ridge Plaza, so it is familiar with the traffic flow and parking needs. The group has 275 members who pay $25 per year to join.
When the Senior Center, known as the Center 4 Life, was located at the City Civic Center on Library Way, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian, about three City employees were assigned to work there. The City is no longer directly involved with the nonprofit Island Senior Center known as “Santiva Islanders.”
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