Hilton Marco Island rezoning paused after hours of debate and public split; council votes to continue

A proposed rezoning request from the Hilton to convert about 10.43 acres at 560 S. Collier Blvd. to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and increase rooms from roughly 310 to 626 drew lengthy presentations, expert testimony and a packed public comment period on Sept. 22. Planning staff recommended denial, saying the request conflicts with the comprehensive plan, the PUD intent and the city's density and scale goals. The applicant and its planners and traffic consultants argued the comprehensive plan treats hotel rooms differently from dwelling units, proposed traffic mitigation (turn lanes, signal retiming) and offered dune and beach‑access commitments.

The public record was divided: local business owners and hospitality stakeholders urged negotiation and redevelopment to keep the hotel competitive and protect local jobs; many residents and neighborhood advocates urged strict adherence to the comprehensive plan, raised concerns about doubling traffic on Collier Boulevard and the scale of beach‑front development. After the applicant requested more time to confer with staff, the council voted 6–1 (Councilor Gray opposed) to continue the item to the council's second October meeting to allow additional technical refinement and negotiation.

Why it matters: the proposal would alter the long‑term scale of a major beachfront resort and its neighborhood impacts; it also raises interpretation questions about hotel density in Marco Island's comprehensive plan. The council's decision to continue preserves the record and allowed applicant‑staff discussions without a final approval or denial on the night.