On Monday, March 20, 2023, the Town will begin preparing for the emergency berm project by stockpiling sand on the property of the Wyndham Garden Inn at 6890 Estero Boulevard.
The sand will be trucked onto the island from the Stewart Mine in Immokalee and stockpiled at the Wyndham until construction can begin. Approximately 100 to 200 trucks are expected to deliver sand daily. Residents and visitors should be aware of changing traffic conditions around the Wyndham on the south end of the island.
This project is designed to add elevation to the beach areas impacted by Hurricane Ian. This elevation helps protect upland properties from storm surge. It also has the added benefit of giving nesting sea turtles elevated beach to lay their eggs.
The emergency berm project had previously been scheduled to begin in early March. However, delays in approvals from FEMA and consulting agencies have pushed the project timeline into the critical nesting season for turtles and shorebirds.
To make sure that the project does not impact nesting turtles and shorebirds as well as the environment in general, the Town is committed to continuing to stay in close consultation with Turtle Time, Inc., the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) shorebird biologist, and the Audubon Society.
To learn more about this project, visit the Town’s Beach Recovery webpage.