Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023

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REMINDER: 

Apply by Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 to serve on one of the Town's advisory boards or committees.

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We are starting to address unsafe structures 

It has almost been a full year since Hurricane Ian damaged structures in the Town. 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: 

1. 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. 

2. Mailing letters to property owners with unsafe or abandoned structures. (Here's the letter.) 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: 

1. 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.

2. 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.

   
   

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Cleaning up the beach after Hurricane Idalia 

After Hurricane Idalia brushed by us last week on its way to landfall north of Tampa, it left behind vegetation and shell fish that are continuing to wash ashore.  The Town escaped Idalia relatively unscathed otherwise!

The Town's contractor is taking this Idalia debris off the beach and storing it on the land that Newton Beach Park sat on before it was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September of 2022. Anyone who might be sensitive to the smell of rotting shell fish and Gulf vegetation might want to avoid the area. The contractor is planning to have the piles removed by the end of the week.

The contractor is also picking up sand that was displaced  by Idalia and storing it at Newton Beach Park separately from the piles of debris. This sand was sifted before it was stored, and will be used to fill in beach accesses where needed. 

If you are walking on the beach, please use caution as there has been debris washing ashore, stirred up by Idalia, and soft sand that can cause you to sink. 

Also, the Florida Department of Health-Lee County has issued a precautionary swim advisory due to Idalia.

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