1. The Red Coconut RV Park has been sold to the Marriott Corporation. Another rumor is that the Wyndham has been sold and a condo complex is being built and will eliminate the public beach access.
TRUTH: The Town is generally not involved in private or commercial property sales. Information of this nature can be found on the Lee County Property Appraiser’s website at www.leepa.org. Keep in mind that this type of information can take several weeks to be available. The Town’s official beach accesses are public property and cannot be eliminated though the Town does not have jurisdiction over beach accesses on private property.
2. Publix and CVS are not returning to FMB and only one 7-11 will reopen. Plus the Town tries to interfere with letting the public know what businesses will open.
TRUTH: Businesses do not have to keep the Town informed about when they are planning to return. Publix, CVS, and 7-11 have not yet released information about when they plan to reopen. However, as much as possible, Town officials stay in contact with businesses to encourage their return. When this information becomes available from the business, the Town does share this information through social media and/or the website.
3. The Town waived the Florida Building Code after Hurricane Ian which is why electrical and structural inspections were required before electric or water could be restored or permits for repairs and rebuilding could be given.
TRUTH: The Florida Building Code was not waived after Hurricane Ian nor is this an option under Florida law. To allow the rebuilding process to move forward after the hurricane without property owners having to wait months for Town inspections (at the time the Town had one part-time inspector and thousands of property owners wanting to find out if their homes could be occupied), the Town required electrical and structural inspections. This is a common occurrence after a storm of this magnitude.
4. The Permitting Department’s hours have been reduced during the week and there are no more Saturday hours.
TRUTH: On Wednesday of last week, the hours became Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This change was necessary because the extra personnel that had been provided by the state were released. State and federal laws limit this kind of support to exactly six months after the date of the storm. The Town requested extensions that were denied. However, the Town is in the process of hiring staff, and contracted services are in the process of being brought in-house. Property owners can still visit the Town Hall complex during office hours, call 239-765-0202, or email buildingservices@fmbgov.com.
5. Homeowners with ground enclosures that were built before 1984 are required to have an affidavit from the 1984 property owner to verify that the enclosure was built before 1984.
TRUTH: An affidavit is not mandatory but is one of the methods that Town Council approved in a joint meeting with the Local Planning Agency on March 20, 2023, to establish proof of legal existence of units built prior to 1984. The Lee County Property Appraiser can be one of the methods but a second method is required. The Town’s Comprehensive Plan (Policy 4-D-1) lists all methods that can be used – photographs, diagrams, plans, affidavits, permits, appraisals, tax records, etc.
Have you heard a rumor? PLEASE fact check it with the Town! Email publicinfo@fmbgov.com