Moorings Park is growing.
Naples City Council on Wednesday approved two measures that would allow the Naples retirement community to expand both now and in the future.
Council approved a site plan that would allow the community to build three more residential buildings and a wellness center. That wellness center would be located in a fourth three-story building, with two stories dedicated to parking.
The addition was allowed under the community's current zoning designation.
The addition will take place on a 9-acre parcel of land on the community's 83-acre property.
While construction on that piece of the puzzle could begin sometime in the near future, council members also took steps Wednesday to allow for future growth within the community.
City Council approved a request to rezone the property to allow for more independent living and assisted living/nursing home beds on the property.
The retirement community's planned development previously restricted buildout to 414 independent living residences and 180 assisted living/nursing home beds.
The decision on Wednesday bumps up the maximum independent living residences to 514, and maximum assisted living/nursing home beds to 220.
Richard Yovanovich, the Naples attorney that represents Moorings Park, said the community was requesting the zoning change in order to be aligned closer to city standards.
“This is an older (planned unit development) by county standards, and we're coming through to get the (planned development) as close as possible to what Naples has,” he said.
Moorings Park was annexed into the city in 2005 as a planned unit development. At the time of annexation the community had 338 independent living residences and 106 assisted-living or nursing home apartments.
The community has historically expanded every four to five years.
Yovanovich said he expected construction on the addition to begin soon, but told council members there were no immediate plans to take advantage of increased density provided for in the zoning change.
“We're preparing for the future,” he said of the zoning request.
