By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — The rules are very strict near bodies of water, and rightfully so. However, it can be frustrating for a business owner to be limited in what he or she can offer and comply with the rules. For businesses on the Naples Causeway, something as simple as adding a retail use that does not increase water-septic use can be forbidden because it is already at its limit.

In the Town of Naples, steps are being taken to allowing businesses on the Causeway to increase or changes uses with the blessing of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This step will face the approval of voters at a special town meeting to be scheduled sometime in February.

It’s a matter of redrawing the map. The proposed change, which would appear in the Land Use Ordinance is: to include some land in the Village District to create a new Causeway Overlay District. The proposed Causeway District will lay the foundation for the Town of Naples, working with the DEP, to relax some of the Shoreland Zoning Rules and thus allow businesses to increase uses during the short summer season. (The choices will be exponential if the town decides to put in public water and septic. But that proposal is way down the road.)

A public hearing on the Proposed Causeway District was held on Monday in the Naples Gymnasium.

“We are trying to work with the DEP to do some things with the Causeway. We are taking the Village District and creating and Causeway Overlay District to have more uses on the Causeway,” according to Jim Grattelo, the chairman of the Naples Board of Selectmen.

Naples Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) Renee Carter said that two properties in the Village District, Marie’s Kitchen and the Augustus Bove House, were added to the overlay map. “We are taking this in small steps. We are able to work with DEP on the waterfront properties,” Carter said.