Collier County Advances Major 1,299-Home Development Near Fiddler’s Creek

A significant residential development near the upscale Fiddler’s Creek community is moving forward after the Collier County Board of County Commissioners approved a zoning amendment that opens the door for up to 1,299 homes on about 227 acres north of US-41 East at Greenway and Fritchey Roads.

Balanced mix with an affordable-housing component

The plan includes roughly 260 affordable homes (about 20 % of the total), targeted for buyers earning at or below 80 % of the area median income (AMI) in Collier County (currently around $113,600). +1 The remainder of the units are slated to be market-rate, suggesting a deliberate effort to combine workforce housing with standard residential development.

Density and environmental trade-offs

Under the approved overlay, density is capped at approximately 5.72 units per acre, below the maximum of 6.2 units per acre in this zoning category. In order to facilitate the development, shoreline planting buffer requirements were reduced from 30 % to 10 % — a move that has drawn the attention of environmental advocates citing concerns over water-quality and ecological impact.

What’s next in the process

This approval marks a key step but is not the final one. The plan is subject to review by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (or a similar state-level review entity) before returning to the county for further hearings and final approval.

Why this matters for Naples-area real estate

• For buyers and investors: The inclusion of affordable units in a high-demand region may open new opportunities for residents and investors alike in a market where affordable housing is scarce.

• For existing communities: An influx of 1,299 homes will bring more traffic, infrastructure demands and possibly shifts in neighborhood dynamics — especially near upscale enclaves like Fiddler’s Creek.

• For the market outlook: The size and scale of this development signal that suburban expansion east of US-41 remains active, suggesting momentum in residential growth corridors outside Naples city proper.

Local takeaways

Residents and potential home-buyers should monitor the overlay’s final approval, infrastructure enhancements tied to the project (roads, utilities, buffers) and the exact mix of units (single-family, townhomes, multifamily). Real-estate developers and brokers may want to anticipate the pipeline of homes and strategize on pricing, marketing and timing — especially for the affordable segment.