Beach Living

Bay cleanup yields massive debris haul

Staff Report

Volunteers from Keep Lee County Beautiful declared a major success in their first cleanup of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve and Fort Myers Beach Yacht Basin since Hurricane Ian, with the help of dozens of Beach volunteers this past week

The cleanup, in collaboration with Moss Marina and the Mound House, netted 8,367 pounds of trash and debris removed by volunteers The volunteers used more than 30 kayaks, 10 boats, and 40 walkers and shoreline helpers Since the storm, Keep Lee County Beautiful volunteers have removed more than 42 tons of trash and hurricane debris from land across Lee County with 23 tons being from Fort Myers Beach After the cleanup the volunteers were treated to a lunch provided by Wahoo Willies Every participant was also entered into a drawing to win two round trip tickets on Key West Express

“The waterway cleanup was crucial as we continue in our recovery process and wouldn’t be possible without the support of our many community partners and our dedicated volunteers,” Executive Director Trish Fancher said “There is still much to do, and we plan on having on-going cleanups of the areas in need Keep Lee County Beautiful has been serving the county for over thirty years and will continue to do what it takes to help make the places we call home beautiful ”

Keep Lee County Beautiful would like to thank the sponsors from Seagram’s Escapes, Ocean Conservancy, Lee County Solid Waste, Sam Galloway Ford, and the Town of Fort Myers Beach for making the event possible KLCB is extremely grateful for all the hard-working volunteers and the support from Nautical Tiki Cruises, Sea Gypsy, Paradise Parasail, Adventures in Paradise, Key West Express, Moss Marina, the Mound House, the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, and WM KLCB also extends thanks to Wahoo Willies, The Calusa Blueway, Point Ybel Brewing Company, the SWFL Chapter of the Gator Club, and the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau

The mission of Keep Lee County Beautiful is to inspire, educate, and engage the Lee County community in improving, beautifying, and protecting the environment

Kiwanis donate to Bay Oaks summer camp

The Fort Myers Beach Kiwanis heard about the need for clothing and supplies for summer camp at Bay Oaks and they responded. Pictured are Nicole Berzin and Barbara MacDonald as they collect items from the Beach Kiwanis Thrift Shop e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , J u n e 2 1 ,

0 f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m F o r t M y e r s B e a c h O b s e r v e r

The Smokin’ Oyster Brewery, in an early grooving time, was sold for an undisclosed sum as part of a multiple-parcel transaction

Smokin’ Oyster Brewery

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“I would like to see if we can have somebody local They had a great business there and a lot of history,” he said

Freeland said he purchased the residential lots to open up a “main gateway” to Arches Bayfront “They can enter there or at First Street by the bar. It minimizes the effects on the residential neighborhood,” he said

I r i n a W o e l f l e , o f I W P R G r o u p Community Engagement, said the plan is to reduce traffic down residential streets at Bonita Street and Harbour Court by creating the Arches Bayfront entrance on Old San Carlos Boulevard

“Traffic on these residential streets was perhaps the biggest concern from the open house,” Woelfle said Woefle said that reopening Smokin Oyster Brewery will “reactivate Old San Carlos Boulevard ”

Freeland said he has “made some adjustments” to plans for Arches Bayfront since last month’s meeting with the public at the Pink Shell Beach Resort Freeland said he has taken into consideration more than 400 comments submitted online, and has met with town councilmembers and Local Planning Agency members He recently had a pre-planning meeting with the town's building and planning department

“We were able to incorporate a lot of the suggestions,” Freeland said

Some of the adjustments he said he has made is making the plans into "more of a Fort Myers Beach vibe" with more access for pedestrians and bicyclists in addition to an extra entry point Freeland said the feedback he has received has been “positive We feel there is a lot of opportunity there to open up the island and get the economy going ”

The next step will be for Freeland to go in front of the Local Development Agency with the new plans

Moss Marina also announced that the Rude Shrimp Co will be relocating there

Those interested in operating Smokin' Oyster Brewery can send a message of i n t e r e s t t o F r e e l a n d t h r o u g h www ARCHESBayfront com The goal would be to reopen the restaurant within the next year

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rebuild the inn, which dated to the 1940s, but said with the town’s setback rules and codes he he needs another floor since he will have to elevate his building to meet hurricane code He said the town should change its code to allow for structures with more height Safford said he also needs a Florida Department of Environmental Protection permit to rebuild on the Gulf side of Fort Myers Beach

Safford said he owns 130 vacation rentals on Fort Myers Beach, 80 of which were destroyed by Hurricane Ian Of the 50 that survived, Safford said only 12 are being used He blames the slow tourism in the town on the delays in rebuilding in town The town did not have a s u p e r m a r k e t o p e n u n t i l l a s t m o n t h w h e n P u b l i x reopened Safford lamented that the store closes at 7 p m “The last thing people want to do is grab an Uber to get a Band-Aid,” he said “There is no walk-in clinic ”

Safford would like to see certain areas of town “fasttracked” for redevelopment and wants to limit the combining of lots so that the town doesn’t become dense with more hotels He has been renting out his property to the hardware store Goodz.

While most of those who spoke Monday concentrated on town permitting and obtaining county funding and assistance, audience member and Fort Myers Beach Realtor Shawn O’Brien said more help was needed from the state

“The town doesn’t have the funds to do anything,” O’Brien said He said a plan was needed from the state to help the town recover “I haven’t seen it yet ”

Realtor Alex King said it’s a struggle to entice people to return to the island and purchase properties on the island when he brings them around town and shows them the destroyed Fort Myers Beach Pier, the shuttered Santini Plaza and Times Square “It’s nine months later and I am running out of stories,” King said

King said employee housing and a parking garage was also needed on the island King said the road leading to the beach is “an eyesore ”

O’Brien pointed to streets that still have piles of debris out front and many homes with tarps covering their roofs “If a 30-40 mph wind comes, those tarps rip to shreds ”

Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers welcomed the group’s input “It is always important to have the community involved in the progress of our island I’m looking forward to their collective suggestions and input,” he said

Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt said “any opportunity to streamline the process to get people back into their homes and businesses should be considered

There was a lot of talent at the meeting and as we are all in this together we should welcome any and all who want to assist in this time of need ”

Weber stayed on the island throughout the hurricane “I was in shock I watched houses disappear on either side of us,” she said

“We were lucky, the house is fully concrete block,” Weber said “I lost everything I own, every family picture I had.” Four days after Hurricane Ian, she left with the assistance of the National Guard “I left this island with my phone, my purse and the clothes on my back ”

Weber said she was helped by FEMA’s flood insurance program “FEMA was terrific Quick turnaround ” However, she said her wind insurance has not been as good and had to hire a lawyer

Weber started forming subcommittees for residents and businessowners for the group and said she hopes to get the message out about the group’s efforts through social media “If we don’t rebuild this fast, who is going to pick up the slack?”

Beverley Milligan, co-owner of Myerside Resort & Cottages, is on the board of Let’s Go FMB She said all of the cottages were destroyed at Myerside with only half a building left on the property across from Beach Elementary School Milligan wants to build a boutique hotel on the property, part of plans she won approval from the town in 2021

Milligan got involved in the group because “we have to work together All of us are working in isolation It’s a little scary,” she said “We get strength from our neighbors and we get strength from acts of kindness.”

Other Let’s Go FMB Board members include Terry Persaud, who has been in litigation with the Town of Fort Myers Beach over violations issued at Sunset Beach Tropical Grill, his Times Square restaurant that was washed away by Hurricane Ian Persaud said he has been trying to rebuild his business and seeking out how to rebuild Times Square He said town and county officials have been supportive but “no one has been able to give me a plan ”

Safford said the town had to do more to encourage small business redevelopment

“We don’t want this to be Mexico Beach in five years,” he said