It has almost been a full year since Hurricane Ian damaged structures in the Town and the Code Compliance Division is starting to address unsafe structures that have not been repaired or demolished.
“As the Town moves forward with the rebuilding of Fort Myers Beach, we are starting to address the properties that have become unsafe structures or that have been abandoned,” said Town Manager Andy Hyatt. “We are sympathetic to the loss of properties and challenges with insurance though we must now address some areas of the Town for the common good and to prevent further losses and harm.”
In the interest of public and community safety, the Town’s Code Compliance Division is embarking on the following:
- Surveying the current status of the remaining structures on Estero Island to photograph buildings which are unsafe, do not provide adequate egress, constitute a fire hazard, or which, in relation to existing use, constitute a hazard to safety or health. The plan will be to require unsafe structures to be repaired or demolished by certain dates in accordance with the Unsafe Building Abatement Code.
- Mailing letters to property owners with unsafe or abandoned structures. A code compliance case will be created for each building to require the property owner(s) to receive a building permit prior to Oct. 31, 2023, to either demolish or repair the structure. The Code Compliance Division will monitor the permit status of the buildings on this list to ensure that the property owners are complying with the property maintenance requirements and deadlines.
To be as consistent as possible in this process, the following time limits will be followed:
- Property owners receiving an unsafe building notice must acquire an issued building permit prior to October 31, 2023, to either demolish or repair the structure.
- Property owners must demolish or repair their structures and close their permits by requesting and passing all required inspections within 180 days of permit issuance.