Miami developer involved with south Lee project donated to Lee commissioners

Correction: An earlier headline said the project was in Estero. The project is outside of Estero and the headline has been corrected.

Two Lee County officials who received $20,000 in campaign contributions from Miami-Dade County developers said those donations will not influence their vote on the group’s controversial housing project.

The county commission on Wednesday will review a request by Pan Terra Holdings to build more than 1,400 homes in a section of rural Lee County deemed critical to the region’s drinking water supply.

“We’re only allowed to consider the evidence that is presented to us,” said Commissioner Larry Kiker, who represents District 3.

Companies tied to Pan Terra donated $9,000 to Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass’ 2018 re-election campaign on April 6, Lee County campaign treasurer reports show.

Kiker’s 2016 re-election campaign received $11,000 in contributions from companies tied to Pan Terra, reports show.

Developers connected to Pan Terra used a common practice known as “bundling” to exceed the state’s $1,000 campaign contribution limit for countywide elections.   

Major donors in Florida can legally make contributions through multiple companies and urge family members, business partners and friends to do the same. 

In 2015, Pan Terra paid about $15 million to buy more than 1,400 acres of land off Corkscrew Road in unincorporated Lee County, records show. Developers plan to build a residential community there called Verdana.

The property is in Kiker’s District 3, about 5 miles east of Estero.

State records show Miami-Dade County real estate developer Carlos Lopez-Cantera Sr. is the title manager of Pan Terra. Lopez-Cantera Sr. is the father of Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos M. Lopez-Cantera.

Several companies that maxed out contributions to both Kiker and Pendergrass are managed by Lopez-Cantera Sr., records show.

David and Victor Brown — principals of the South Miami-based Brown Development Group — visited Pendergrass to discuss the Verdana project months before both personally contributing money to his campaign, Lee County lobby logs show.

The project’s agent, Dan DeLisi, confirmed that Brown Development Group is an owner of Pan Terra.

The Browns visited Kiker to discuss Verdana two days before they visited Pendergrass, lobby logs show. David Brown personally contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign.

Since 2012, companies tied to Pan Terra have not contributed to any other Lee commissioner campaigns, records show. The developers did visit the other three Lee County Commissioners, though, to discuss Verdana: Brian Hamman, Frank Mann and John Manning.

Pendergrass said his votes are based on evidence presented by developers, staff and the Lee County Local Planning Agency.

“That’s the way to govern,” he said. Pendergrass’ district borders Corkscrew Road.

Tina Matte, a spokeswoman for Pan Terra, said Lopez-Cantera Sr. and the Browns were not trying to buy political influence.

“It’s very easy to draw a correlation that does not exist,” Matte said. Lopez-Cantera Sr. did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Brown Development Group routed all media questions to DeLisi.

Lopez-Cantera Sr. and the Browns support candidates who support “good public policy,” Matte said. When asked what exact policies the Miami-Dade County developers support in Lee County, Matte said “job creation.”

This is not the first time companies managed by Lopez-Cantera Sr. have donated thousands of dollars to a political campaign.

Companies managed by Lopez-Cantera Sr. contributed $4,500 to his son’s successful 2012 Miami-Dade Property Appraiser campaign, Miami-Dade campaign treasurer reports show.

The lieutenant governor in an email said he is not invested in Pan Terra or company partner Corkscrew West, according to a governor’s office spokeswoman.

Pan Terra’s property is in what Lee County calls the Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource area.

The DRGR includes wetlands and Florida panther habitat. The water there flows into Corkscrew Swamp, Halfway Creek, Spring Creek and the Estero River.

Lee County has limited growth in the DRGR to protect shallow aquifers and public and agricultural water supplies. Pan Terra, at present, can only build 200 homes on about 1,400 acres of land.

The company, though, has requested an amendment to the county’s comprehensive plan — a document that details land use policy in Lee — to build 1,460 homes for Verdana. Pan Terra also wants to rezone the property.

Commissioners on Wednesday will vote to approve or deny the requested comprehensive plan amendment. The LPA has recommended approval. A state agency would review the proposal if passed by commissioners.

Here’s a breakdown of the contributions to Kiker’s 2016 campaign, per Lee County campaign treasurer reports:

• Calix Holdings, managed by Lopez-Cantera Sr.’s longtime business partner Rolando Encinosa, contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign on Aug. 15. Calix Holdings was originally listed as a general partner in Pan Terra, records show, but was removed from that position in 2015.
• David Brown, a principal of Brown Development Group, personally contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign on Aug. 15.
• Pan American Sites contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign on Aug. 15. Lopez-Cantera Sr. is the company’s president, and Stephen Blumenthal, Lopez-Cantera Sr.’s longtime business partner, is a company manager. Blumenthal in 2015 was listed as the assistant title manager of Corkscrew West, Pan Terra’s partner, records show.
• Oxford Capital Group, managed by Lopez-Cantera Sr., contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign on Aug. 15.
• Pan American Group contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign on Aug. 15. Lopez-Cantera Sr. is the company’s president.
• Pan American Equity Partners 1, managed by Lopez-Cantera Sr., contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign on Aug. 15.
• D. Brown Family Investments, managed by Victor and David Brown, both principals of Brown Development Group, contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign on Aug. 15.
• Steven Brown, a principal of Brown Development Group, personally contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign on Aug. 15.
• Citrus Creek Grove, a company partially managed by Victor Brown, contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign on Aug. 15.
• Brown Development Group, managed by Victor and David Brown, contributed $1,000 to Kiker’s campaign on Aug. 15.

Here’s a breakdown of the contributions to Pendergrass’ 2018 campaign, as of Friday, according to the reports:

• Brown Development Group, managed by Victor and David Brown, contributed $1,000 to Pendergrass’ campaign on April 6.
• Oxford Capital Group, managed by Lopez-Cantera Sr., contributed $1,000 to Pendergrass’ campaign on April 6.
• Victor Brown personally contributed $1,000 to Pendergrass’ campaign on April 6.
• SAJ Holdings LLC, managed by Blumenthal, contributed $1,000 to Pendergrass’ campaign on April 6.
• Steven Brown personally contributed $1,000 to Pendergrass’ campaign on April 6.
• David Brown personally contributed $1,000 to Pendergrass’ campaign on April 6. 
• BDG Charlotte Citrus Creek, partially managed by Victor, David and Steven Brown, contributed $1,000 to Pendergrass’ campaign on April 6.
• St. Cloud Commons, managed by Lopez-Cantera Sr., contributed $1,000 to Pendergrass’ campaign on April 6.