While Junkanoo and Fresh Catch Bistro couldn’t be saved after Hurricane Ian owner Terry Persaud is shifting his eyes to his plans for a hotel on land he owns at Times Square where the Sunset Beach Tropical Grill formerly stood Persaud is scheduled to present his plans for a boutique hotel to the Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency (LPA) at their April 29 meeting Persaud demolished the Fresh Catch Bistro building at 3400 Estero Boulevard at the site where the Junkanoo and formerly the historic Pelican Hotel once stood The Junkanoo and Fresh Catch Bistro buildings were both destroyed by Hurricane Ian Only a portion of Fresh Catch Bistro building was still standing until last week “It’s a great loss to the town,” Persaud said was sold to Persaud Properties FL Investments in October of 2014 for $8 million The land had previously been the subject of plans for residential development by Persaud Persaud said he had been close a couple times to selling the land after Hurricane Ian and has been in touch with a couple of developers regarding the parcel “It has a range of possibilities,” Persaud said Persaud said the property is zoned for both commercial and residential He had previously floated plans to build multi-million dollar homes on the property and had built two homes next to Junkanoo According to the Estero Island Historic Society That would have made it one of the oldest commercial buildings standing on Fort Myers Beach at the time of Hurricane Ian Fresh Catch Bistro and Junkanoo operator Franco Russo relocated the businesses to Snook Bright Marina Persaud said the cost to rebuild at the site wouldn’t have made it worth it for him to continue operating there considering the investment he already had in purchasing the land “We hope that whoever will be able to build in there will consider building back a restaurant,” he said Persaud wants to build a “boutique hotel” with about 50 rooms where the Sunset Beach Tropical Grill once stood before Hurricane Ian knocked it down According to renderings submitted to the town the hotel will have a maximum height of 69 feet the height is considered to be 52 feet above the flood elevation The town code allows for 30 feet above flood elevation so Persaud is seeking an additional 22 feet based on those calculations There would be a restaurant and bar on the bottom floor that would be similar to the Sunset Beach Tropical Grill Persaud said he believes the new hurricane codes justify a taller building at the site Persaud envisions having some smaller retail vendors in front of the building “We have that unique niche of small vendors to create that beach vibe,” Persaud said like every other beachfront property at Times Square was leveled to the ground by Hurricane Ian “We lost everything there.” Persaud said he was denied his claim on his wind insurance policy and said the building had no flood insurance He paid $3.15 million for the lot back in 2014 “We spent quite a bit to rehab it,” Persaud said “It was one of the nicest spots in Times Square to go to.” Persaud was in a long protracted legal battle with the town over code violations the property was cited for He earned a victory in court after challenging the amount of fines a former town magistrate had charged him as exhorbitant “We were starting to hit our stride and then Ian took us out,” he said Persaud said he is looking to “find something that works” and to make a return on his investment “We hope to be one of the first on Times Square to get rebuilt.” He believes he can complete construction on the hotel within 12-14 months once he gains approvals from the LPA and town council It wasn’t that long ago after Hurricane Ian that owners of property at Times Square were working together on new designs to redevelop Times Square and help replace the structures and businesses that were lost While the businessowners were working on their plans they were surprised to learn last year that the town had also been separately working on such plans Then two of the owners of properties at Times Square died which threw off the momentum of the project Persaud said that property owners at Times Square are now working individually on rebuilding plans but also together to help each other out on understanding codes and other issues with rebuilding after the town’s top tourist draw was decimated by Hurricane Ian There has been little public discussion since last year regarding plans the town had been working on for Times Square Persuad also owns the property that was occupied by the PierSide Grill and Famous Blowfish Bar The Pier Peddler and Dairy Queen right next to where the Fort Myers Beach Pier has laid in ruins for two and a half years He bought the prime beachfront land for $6.4 million last year is not expected to be rebuilt until 2027 and restrooms nearby at Lynn Hall Memorial Park are not expected to be rebuilt until 2028 That hasn’t helped speed up Persaud’s timeline for rebuilding there There is one parcel between the PierSide Grill and Famous Blowfish Bar property and the former Sunset Beach Tropical Grill property Persaud believes the recent approval of the plans for Arches Bayfront at Moss Marina by the LPA will help boost the likelihood his development will also be approved The Arches Bayfront project is much larger and about as big in some respects as Margaritaville The hotel will need additional deviations from the land development code for parking and for added density “It’s up to the town to see what appetite they have for redeveloping the town and getting small businesses back on our feet,” Persaud said “The need exists for (the hotel) at Times Square.” Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers did not respond to a message seeking comment on the plans Copyright © FORT MYERS - Beach Observer and Beach Bulletin | Contact | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Typical ebbs and flows of the single-family home market do not have much of an impact on the ultra Four restaurant chains and a cake shop will join seven other businesses coming this year to the new Tree Farm.. the May 5 opening of the Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH takes the health care.. Town of Fort Myers Beach has met the requirements to be removed from probation under the National Flood Insurance Program according to a letter sent April 28 to Town Manager Andy Hyatt from the Federal Emergency Management Agency The letter states that this will end the $50 surcharge added to NFIP policies within the town limits as part of the probation action on Nov FEMA officials said the town completed five action items set forth by the agency in 2024 The next step for Fort Myers Beach is to schedule a community assistance visit with FEMA by Aug This visit will ensure noncompliant structures the Lee County Department of Health issued a Red Tide warning for Fort Myers Beach as thousands of dead fish—including a hammerhead shark—lined the shores near Lovers Key State Park WATCH AS FORT MYERS BEACH COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENT ANVAR RUZIEV REPORTS FROM THE SHORELINES noted that the Red Tide has significantly disrupted marine life "I haven't caught anything since the Red Tide came in," he said The toxic algae bloom has also prompted Red Tide alerts for Bonita Beach and the Sanibel Causeway The Florida Department of Health reported that water samples collected last week detected high concentrations of Red Tide-causing bacteria less than two miles offshore from these areas But it’s not just marine life suffering the effects—humans are feeling it too It's affecting people's health too," Unfried added The Florida Department of Health advises people not to swim in Red Tide-affected waters and to avoid the area entirely if they have chronic respiratory issues They also warns pet owners not to let their animals eat dead fish keeping windows closed and running air conditioning is recommended to minimize exposure Unfried noted that cleanup efforts in his condo community will likely fall on residents as their property is not part of the state park A voyage out of Cape Coral that brings passengers to the beach is back The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village has announced the return of the Silver King Dolphin & Beach Taxi which offers a round-trip ride between the resort at Tarpon Point Marina to Fort Myer Beach’s Snug Harbor Marina Resort guests can enjoy this complimentary amenity as part of their stay while local residents can book passage for a nominal fee creating a unique opportunity to explore Southwest Florida’s coastal waters The Silver King Dolphin & Beach Taxi was a popular guest amenity before Hurricane Ian offering a scenic way to travel to Fort Myers Beach “As part of our commitment to waterfront well-being and effortless exploration our Tarpon Point Marina team has worked tirelessly to have this brand-new custom build boat created allowing guests and locals to enjoy the natural beauty of our coastal waters once again,” said Elyzabeth Spires marketing manager at The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village As part of The Westin Cape Coral’s commitment to blue space wellness the journey offers guests a connection to nature passengers can possibly catch a dolphin sighting and take in picturesque views before arriving to the shores of Fort Myers Beach “This 45-minute journey immerses passengers in the pristine waterways of Southwest Florida where they can witness dolphins playing in their natural habitat diverse birdlife soaring above the mangroves and breathtaking coastal views,” Spires said “It’s more than just transportation–it’s an experience that embodies our blue space wellness philosophy where simply being on the water enhances relaxation and well-being.” The Silver King Dolphin & Beach Taxi runs on a set schedule with multiple departures daily when at full operation (running once-per-day currently) The ride departs Westin Cape Coral Resort’s Tarpon Point Marina at 10 a.m and leaves Sung Harbor Marina to return at 2:30 p.m The Silver King can comfortably accommodate 48 passengers per trip which Spires said ensures a spacious and enjoyable ride for all guests As to why Fort Myers Beach is a great destination for guests and riders alike and why the Silver King is a great way to get there Spires said: “Fort Myers Beach offers beautiful white-sand beaches guests can avoid traffic and parking hassles while enjoying a scenic start and end to their day.” To celebrate the return of the Silver King The Westin Cape Coral Resort is launching the “Beach Within Reach!” package • Seamless access to the Silver King Dolphin & Beach Taxi Guests can book their stay by visiting www.westincapecoral.247activities.com To commemorate the return of the water taxi The Westin Cape Coral Resort will host an official christening event at Tarpon Point Marina some time in late April For more information on The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village is at 5951 Silver King Blvd Copyright © Cape Coral Breeze | Contact | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Note to audience: Reporter Chad Gillis and photographer Andrew West are on Fort Myers Beach today (Sept Fort Myers Beach was one of the hardest hit locations when Hurricane Ian ripped through Southwest Florida on Sept All traffic is being stopped at Pine Ridge Road and San Carlos Boulevard due to the current roadway flooding the Fort Myers Beach Fire District shared at 6:46 p.m The flooding along Estero Boulevard and side streets is beginning to increase significantly the Town of Fort Myers Beach shared in a press release at 5:47 p.m.The Town advised residents to shelter in place and only travel on the roads if absolutely necessary Due to the current conditions on Estero Island the Fort Myers Fire District is currently shut down for emergency runs Please continue to call 911 and report any emergencies and the Fire District will respond as soon as it can Storm surge bigger threat now for Fort Myers BeachFrom Chad Gillis: Gulf of Mexico waters were washing over Fort Myers Beach Thursday at 6 p.m. The National Weather Service predicted 3-to-5 feet of storm surge here between 8 p.m Water is expected to still be on the landscape Friday morning Construction debris and barricade sections were floating in the middle of Estero Boulevard as a handful of vehicles raced to get off the island It appears the water is too high for vehicles to get to the Matanzas Bridge at this point practically everyone on the island is staying here until at least Friday morning Bystanders had gathered near the pier earlier in the day but were gone by 5 p.m The old pier was pounded by 6-foot waves most of the day and some signage in the Times Square area was down Power has been flickering on-and-off at Margaritaville near the north end of the island who is on Fort Myers Beach with Andrew West: The pedestrian bridge over Estero Boulevard at Margaritaville swayed ever so slightly as gusty winds whipped across Fort Myers Beach The tide is incoming through Friday morning at 9:18 a.m. which means ocean water will likely be on the island for hours Several people in various types of vehicles were trying to get off the island around 4:30 p.m Sea foam washed across the beach like snow drifting on tundra and tiny beads of sand pelted onlookers during the height of Hurricane Helene’s power “We just got back from Sanibel and this is our last stop,” Bodine said Forecasters with the National Weather Service are expecting storm surge to be at its peak here between 8 p.m Onlookers are gathering near Times Square on Fort Myers Beach as Hurricane Helene plows through the Gulf of Mexico Breaking waves were pounding the old pier and nearby seawall The Category 2 storm is expected to bring 3-to-5 feet of storm surge to Fort Myers Beach later today The high tide this morning caused minor flooding near the pier Winds are expected to pick up in the next few hours approaching tropical storm force (which start at 39 miles per hour) Some cars are still trying to leave the island and many of them have stalled near the bottom of the Matanzas Bridge came to the beach with family to see the big waves and gusty winds “I’m just curious about the storm,” he said Fort Myers Beach Town Hall will open at 10 a.m Regular business hours will resume on Monday The Town apologized for any inconvenience and appreciate residents’ understanding Lower tide coming, but wind shifting to more onshore nowThe tide is going out and will be for the next several hours but the wind is also shifting and starting to blow onshore Hurricane Helene was directly off the coast of Southwest Florida this morning as people were starting to gather near the Fort Myers Beach pier Times Square was flooded earlier this morning Some swimmers were entering the rough water which was pounding what remains of the Fort Myers Beach Pier Waves on the Gulf of Mexico off Lee County were forecast to be 10 feet today Winds here are expected to be a tropical storm force this afternoon and evening which is expected to push several feet of water onto the landscape The National Weather Service said this morning that it still expects 3 to 5 feet of surge for Fort Myers Beach Fort Myers Beach Emergency Management is actively monitoring Hurricane Helene as it moves past the island, maintaining communication with Lee County and other municipal partners, according to a 10:28 a.m. press release With severe weather expected throughout the day the Town urges residents to limit travel and avoid the island if not already present Standing water on the island is unlikely to recede anytime soon High tide this morning pushed sand into Times Square and the Town advises everyone to avoid the area due to potential hidden debris Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers said Thursday that residents and visitors should stay off the island if possible at least while Hurricane Helene is still in the Gulf of Mexico Allers said it’s possible that Matanzas Bridge could be closed later today “It’s possible just to keep people who don’t need to be here off the bridge,” Allers said “We don’t want anyone stuck or who needs fire and rescue services.” Water was piled up on the Times Square area around 10 a.m “Don’t’ be fooled by the sun,” Allers said Bystanders were starting to trickle onto the Times Square area Thursday morning to get a better look at Hurricane Helene “I want to show my boys adventure,” said Matt Swan “My youngest wasn’t really sure about it but I said ‘son The National Weather Service is still calling for 3-to-5 feet of storm surge on Fort Myers Beach this afternoon and evening Water is starting to pile up on the island town now Winds seem to have already shifted to an onshore pattern as Hurricane Helene churns in the Gulf of Mexico Winds are expected to diminish late tonight and into Friday morning Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in the Big Bend area Thursday night and the winds whipped frothy spray off the sea A few cars passed along Estero Boulevard as the tide was rising and spilling into the streets Waves pounded the shore and pushed sand up and into the stormwater drains businesses and condos is covered with ocean water at this point Winds feel as though they already have an onshore component and winds are expected to force water onto the landscape this afternoon and evening Streets are floodingCurrents are swirling in Times Square on Fort Myers Beach as the tide continues to rise Street flooding is already becoming an issue and will be worse as the day progresses This area was practically destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022 and parts of the island have flooded since due to king tides Four-foot rolling waves pounded the already torn pier as a few sea gulls flew overhead Frothy waters from the Gulf were starting to pile up near the old entrance to the pier and ocean water will be pushed up and into the landscape in places The National Weather Service has forecast 3 to 5 feet of surge for this area Street signs bobbed up and down in the strong breeze along Crescent Sreet as a slow procession of cars were leaving the island Charcoal gray clouds slipped across the horizon as water continued to flood Times Square Sea water was flowing into the storm water drains early this morning although surge is expected to be at its worsts in the afternoon and evening hours Conditions are only expected to get worse today as winds shift and start to blow onshore Storm surge is expected to be the greatest danger for this region with Hurricane Helene eerie feeling on Fort Myers Beach early Thursday morning as winds from Hurricane Helene blew over the ravaged island Helene will continue north today and set its course for the Big Bend area Weather here will deteriorate throughout the day with the strongest threat of storm surge coming in the afternoon hours Fort Myers Beach Marine Operations Project Manager Chad Chustz says the $22 million beach renourishment project 300,000 cubic yards of new sand will sit on Fort Myers Beach the buried portion of the pipe at Lynn Hall park broke on Thursday and water came up bubbling through the sand The original plan was to have the project completed by the end of 2024 hurricanes Helene and Milton caused delays that pushed completion into 2025 Ahtna Marine and Construction is the contractor for the project and they’ve dealt with several equipment breakdowns that added additional time to the project Ahtna is running miles of pipe from the Gulf to the north end of the beach then on the beach to the south end to pump sand The town has also used trucks to move sand from one selection of the beach to the other as they also work around bird nesting season and turtle seasons Of course as we all know not everyone on the beach signed an easement that allowed the town to pump new sand onto their property Chustz says some of those properties have been sold and he plans to approach the new owners to see if he can get them into the program When you have two properties with sand and a dune management system and one in the middle without the one without can become a gully for the high water and storm surge The dune management system is part of the overall beach renourishment project and is expected to start in July It’s paid for in the $22 million pot which was funded After Ian we had berms built to “protect the island” yard and under my home cleaned out of much and sand each time That sand just pushed inland and we are all left to clean up the mess and destruction The berms were gone and then here we go again we never had sand pushed onto our property like we have in the last 2 yrs.The next hurricane will just push this 22 million dollars of sand inland and we will be back to square one Probably the people that are cheering the new sand are not home owners on FMB and don’t know the expense of having 4ft of sand dug out of our garages Seawalls could have been built to stop so much destruction See those photos of a huge vertical wall of sand How are those turtles you all love going to climb up that wall to lay eggs How are those hatchlings going to navigate that drop Was in Bonita beach last week in this windy weather the drop was every bit of 6-7 feet in spots Just a thought for the turtle folks to ponder and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" where the Twins of tomorrow begin their journey toward Minneapolis The epicenter of the Lee County Sports Complex and Minnesota's spring home the ballpark and surrounding area provides a change of pace for snowbirds looking to leave the harsh Midwest winter behind From the soft-as-powder white-sand shores of Fort Myers Beach to the Fort Myers River District there's a little something for everyone in the city known as the "gateway to Southwest Florida." Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Affiliate of the Minnesota Twins since 1993)Established: 1992League: Florida State LeagueBallpark: Hammond Stadium (since 1992)Championships: 2014 Ballpark Guides for EVERY Minor League team »Ballpark Guides for Twins' affiliates » Professional baseball debuted in Fort Myers nearly a century ago beginning in 1926 in the Class D Florida State League as the Fort Myers Palms kicking off a 65-year absence that ended with the creation of the Fort Myers Miracle in 1992 the Miracle became the organization's official High-A affiliate the following year Fort Myers decided to rebrand and paid homage to its Gulf Coast roots by washing ashore as the Mighty Mussels following the 2019 season Although they continue to reside in the Florida State League they do so as a Single-A affiliate after Minor League Baseball reorganized prior to 2021 Ballpark location (via Google Maps)Fort Myers Mighty Mussels scheduleFort Myers Mighty Mussels roster Capacity: Approximately 9,300 (7,500 fixed seats)Dimensions: left field Park Factors (2021-22)100 = league averageRuns: 94 | Homers: 100 | Hits: 96Florida State League environment: 4.66 runs per team per game (lowest among 11 full-season leagues) More Ballpark Guides >> Named after former Lee County Deputy Administrator William H Hammond Stadium is the primary ballpark and one of five fields on the 80-acre Lee County Sports Complex nine miles west of Southwest Florida International Airport The complex is also home to the Twins Rookie-level Florida Complex League club Minnesota's Spring Training home since it opened in 1991 sits approximately 11 miles from Fort Myers Beach and less than 10 miles from downtown Fort Myers Visitors to Hammond Stadium park in rows named after former Twins greats before embarking on a palm tree-lined sidewalk leading to a photo-worthy spot in front of the small waterfall fountain Rising beyond is a Churchill Downs-inspired facade that welcomes fans into the park While Hammond Stadium's exterior inspires thoughts of the Kentucky Derby albeit with plenty of modern-day amenities and upgrades to match its beautiful outside decor A pair of multi-million dollar renovations the first taking place in 2007 which widened the main concourse removed a majority of the aluminum bleacher seats and replaced them with a berm and party deck along the right-field line A 360-degree "boardwalk" was added from foul pole to foul pole which allows fans the opportunity to walk the length of the ballpark without missing a pitch Further renovations took place in 2014 when a second lawn area was created this time beyond the left-field fence The upgrades greatly improved the atmosphere within the ballpark which has become one of the better facilities in the Florida State League traditional fare is in abundance at Hammond Stadium but there are plenty of other options for those with a more sophisticated palate There's alos a host of other tasty edibles Mini cinnamon and sugar Churros and specialties like Kettle Corn and roasted nuts jalapeno poppers and spicy crab bites will give fans something new to chew on in 2024 brisket and pulled pork while favorites like cheese curds bratwurst and soft serve ice cream are there to be had The aptly named mascot bears no resemblance to the mollusks the club is named after Mussel Man looks the part of every popular superhero it's hard to argue that it's anything but an upgrade over the previous version a palm tree in swim trunks who represented the Miracle prior to the club's rebranding Headed to the stadium and looking for a hotel nearby? Your Wyndham is waiting. As the Official Hotel of Minor League Baseball, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts welcomes baseball fans with a portfolio of 24 trusted brands. Find Hotels by Wyndham closest to the ballpark below and book now at wyndhamhotels.com • Howard Johnson by Wyndham Fort Myers• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Fort Myers near JetBlue Park• Wyndham Garden Fort Myers Beach• La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Fort Myers Central• La Quinta Inn and Suites Fort Myers I-75• Fairfield Inn & Suits Fort Myers Cape Coral The Fort Myers River District is the historic center of the city and features an abundance of early 20th-century architecture plus restaurants and bars. The [Thomas] Edison and [Henry] Ford Winter Estates include picturesque grounds and attractions ideal for walking JetBlue Park home to the Red Sox during Grapefruit League play and the club's Rookie-level Florida Complex League squad is less than six miles away from Hammond Stadium If grabbing an after-game meal or snack is on the agenda, there are plenty of choices to choose from. Potts Sports Cafe is a long home run away from the ballpark -- and doubles as a bar -- as is Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant so there are no issues if staying out late is on the agenda 3 Pepper Burrito Company, Trattoria Mia and Patinella's Chicken Grill are all located in the same area and shopping center as Potts A trip downtown provides even more options -- upscale or otherwise -- and a host of after-hours establishments to finish out the night If your plan is to move up the Twins ladder Hammond Stadium is a hefty 1,716 miles from Target Field Double-A and Triple-A affiliates which all reside in the Midwest there is no shortage of baseball in Florida so a trip around the circuit offers myriad opportunities to catch a game -- or perhaps more -- per day future Twins will make stops in Cedar Rapids Paul on their way to Target Field in downtown Minneapolis Single-A: Fort Myers Mighty MusselsHigh-A: Cedar Rapids KernelsDouble-A: Wichita Wind SurgeTriple-A: St. Paul Saints As beachgoers were enjoying another day in paradise at Lynn Hall Memorial Park this past Thursday during spring break week on Fort Myers Beach the serene atmosphere was abruptly upended when a sand dredge pipe burst open in the middle of the beach opening a large hole with quicksand and gushing water the town announced that its beach renourishment project will be further delayed to May 31 as it works to pump sand to the southern section of the island The town’s efforts have been concentrated lately around Leonardo Arms which has been in need of  renourishment around its depleted shoreline for years The new delays means that the town’s beleaguered beach renourishment project which was supposed to have been completed in January will now extend into sea turtle nesting season The state’s sea turtle nesting season for Fort Myers Beach begins May 1 and could cause complications for threatened sea turtles who will now have to navigate around large sand dredging pipes that are stretched along approximately four miles of the beach and pose safety risks to the turtles The town’s sand renourishment and sand dredging project has already interfered with the first two months of the shorebird nesting season for Southwest Florida The town has four threatened shorebirds that nest on the island the town’s sand haul project also interfered with shorebird nesting season The town has received waivers from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to continue its project through the shorebird nesting season Officials with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) did not respond to questions about the latest delays and extension of the town’s project into sea turtle nesting season Town of Fort Myers Beach Environmental Projects Manager Chadd Chustz said the DEP just issued an extension and modification to the town’s beach renourishment permit Contractors from Ahtna Marine and Construction Company worked this past Thursday to fix the water leak at Lynn Hall Memorial Park after a sand dredging pipe split early in the afternoon causing water to shoot up from underneath the sand in a large swath of the town’s busiest section of beach at Lynn Hall Memorial Park Mike Case was on the beach with his family when the incident occurred “All the sudden it made a big hole,” Case said “It started saucing up and down,” Case said He advised people around the developing hole to get out of the way I told those people you need to clear out.” picking up their belongings to get out of the way and commenting on the smell “It looks like a volcano fixing to blow,” Case said while watching a sinkhole emerge in the middle of the beach after the pipe burst and quicksand quickly opened up in the hole as water gushed Chustz urged the public on Thursday to avoid the area until the repair was completed You want to avoid that area while equipment is on the way to repair the pipe,” Chustz said Fort Myers Beach Communications Director Nicole Berzin said Saturday that the leak was fixed Fort Myers Beach Councilmember John King said Thursday he had been informed that the hole that developed was acting like quicksand A video taken of the sputtering water and hole by an onlooker showed the water circling and gushing out The smell from the sand-mixed seawater initially led some to wonder if what they were witnessing was something different though Chris Hill a superintendent from Ahtna Marine and Construction Company said he believed it was purely a water leak that was caused by sand wearing out the pipe you have sand wearing out the pipes which caused a split in the pipe sand slides over the pipe and the bottom half Contractors worked to dig out the pipe and make repairs which lasted to late afternoon and early evening as a section of the park was closed off to allow for the equipment from the contractors to be transported on the beach to make the repairs The pipe was then buried again under the sand we try to dig it out immediately,” Hill said Hill said this was the second time such a leak occurred in the project The first time was near the beginning of the sand dredging project Hill blamed it on the type of sand being used He said the sand has been blowing around due to the high winds in the area over the last several months which included two hurricanes – Milton and Helene Hill said there is about four miles of pipe for the dredging and sand renourishment work This is the longest dredging project he said he has worked on The pipe stretches for miles up the beach and is currently situated near Leonardo Arms which has faced the largest erosion of its shoreline Instead of starting the beach renourishment project at Leonardo Arms last year after shorebird nesting season began the town and its contractors started the project on the northern end of the island last summer The contractors only began on the southern end of the project in January The southern end of the island is where the bulk of the town’s shorebird nesting activity takes place The project has run several months past the expected completion time When the Town of Fort Myers Beach bid out the project and awarded the bid to Ahtna in May the project was supposed to be completed in 180 days – with an allowance to 195 days The project has now far exceeded that timeframe by more than three months The Town of Fort Myers Beach Council awarded the bid to Ahtna Marine and Construction Company last May despite a bid protest from Callan Marine Callan Marine alleged that the bid by Ahtna was was more $15 million below the bid of Callan Marine as well as two other competitors who bid even hire was not responsive to the bid specifications as it could not be completed on time based on the equipment Ahtna would have on hand based on its bid response Fort Myers Beach Environmental Project Manager Chadd Chustz said the project’s timeline has now been extended to May 31 after previously been extended to April 1 and then April 15 According to a source familiar with the workings of the project the May 31 deadline announced by the town might not even be the actual timeframe for when the project is completed There is a possibility the project could extend into June or July which includes nesting for several threatened bird species that nest on the island The sea turtle nesting season technically begins on May 1 though Turtle Time begins its work identifying nests and other sea turtle activity on the beach April 15 Chustz said the town will work with Turtle Time to relocate any nests which need to be moved for safety reasons Chustz said Thursday a Wilson’s plover nest Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Andy Hyatt and Town of Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers did not return messages seeking comment The incident Thursday occurred during what is historically one of the town’s busiest weeks — A man was trauma-alerted to the hospital Monday morning after Tice firefighters say a "flash fire" may have occurred while working on a boat crews responded to a home on Pangola Drive near Luckett Road the Tice battalion chief says a "flash fire" may have occurred That's when a sudden fire sparks when a flammable substance mixes with oxygen and ignites The man was sent to the hospital as a trauma-alert though the extent of the injuries are not known who said he knows the man who owned the boat The homeowner says flames were at least 60 feet high and even caused slight damage to the home — As Fort Myers Beach continues its road to recovery one development project continues to stir up controversy among the island’s residents Fort Myers Beach Community Correspondent Anvar Ruziev has covered this development for years watch as he speaks with the petitioners against the development: A group of neighbors filed a petition challenging the town’s approval of a high-rise condo at the former Red Coconut RV Resort site They argue that the decision was biased and goes against the town’s comprehensive plan Dan Riddle has loved this neighborhood for years—long before he moved here permanently "There's still a few houses that need to be repaired." Riddle and his family used to camp at the Red Coconut and fell in love with the area But that love was put to the test when they found out that a massive condominium project was approved just a few houses away "We had no idea that anything so astronomically outside of what the covenant with the town would even have a chance of getting approved," said Riddle Riddle and a group of neighbors have now filed a legal petition asking a judge to review the town council’s decision Former council member Bill Veach says some longtime residents immediately put up “For Sale” signs as soon as the project was approved "But they can't weather through the councilmen who voted for this project." The petition claims that multiple council members were biased in their decision-making process arguing that personal opinions appeared to outweigh expert testimony "They just can't sit there and listen to testimony and then decide they think the person is nice," Veach stated they are supposed to be fresh and impartial and just listen to the evidence from qualified experts during that process And that was not done in this case," said Veach The neighbors also argue that the development does not serve a clear public benefit and violates the town’s comprehensive plan—a document meant to guide Fort Myers Beach’s growth in a way that balances development with preserving the island’s character The Town of Fort Myers Beach declined to comment has not yet responded to requests for comment Back in March Bonita and Unincorporated Lee County were all notified they would be losing their discount on National Flood insurance The main reason was allowing unpermitted work to be done by residents and businesses after Hurricane Ian That March notification started 9 months of detailed communications and extensions to the FEMA deadline between all five municipalities and FEMA including mounds of paperwork to try to prove that permits were being pulled and elected officials were doing everything by the book to get residents back in their homes without jeopardizing the discount Bonita and Unincorporated Lee County they passed the test and could keep the discount Fort Myers Beach was told they failed and would be put on probation for at least one year with residents losing their 25% flood insurance discount for that year The only reason Fort Myers Beach was given was: “unsafe structures.” The ruling from FEMA came down verbally over the phone with an official letter that will be sent “soon.” says the only thing FEMA told them was they lost the discount due to “unsafe structures in a high hazard flood zone.” They were not any more specific than that If that is in fact the official ruling from FEMA that would include a much wider swath of buildings other than what FEMA has led the town to believe was the reason; containers like La Ola and The Goodz and the connex boxes used for storage up and down the island There are a host of other unsafe structures that the town has aggressively gone after to try to get into compliance Fort Myers Beach was ground zero for Hurricane Ian 2 years ago Nearly every residential and commercial structure on the island was damaged by that storm Many residents were trapped in their homes and condo buildings for days without power and running water The local Fort Myers Beach government in place at the time was non-existent and had to be replaced by the newly elected officials including the Town Manager and Town Attorney and today residential construction can be seen on every street of Fort Myers Beach There is no rule book in place to recover from a Category 5 Hurricane many condo buildings are still closed as they fight with insurance companies and try to find reasonably priced contractors while not nailing owners with so many assessments they can no longer afford to live in their buildings FEMA is throwing salt into their wounds by eliminating their insurance discount In addition to the vagueness of the reason given to the town for dropping the discount there’s the FEMA administered Hazard Mitigation Grant Program That program grants money to homeowners to either elevate their house ($150,000) or reconstruct it ($400,000) There are about 50 Fort Myers Beach homeowners who’ve applied for this grant Over 2 years later they are still waiting for the money Not only are they still waiting for the grant money they’ve been told by FEMA not to touch their homes So you have at least 50 homes on Fort Myers Beach some of which could be determined to be unsafe because FEMA told the homeowner not to touch them If FEMA cannot figure out how to administer its own grant program in 2 years how do they expect Fort Myers Beach to clear thousands of structures So what does this mean to the thousands of Fort Myers Beach residents in the National Flood Insurance Program It’ll vary from street to street and house to house saved up for their dream home to retire in a house on Sabal Drive They were paying $3,000 per year for flood insurance Losing the discount will tack on another $750 He’s paying $4,400 just for flood insurance Losing the discount could add over $1,000 a year to have flood insurance still living in a trailer on their property as they rebuild 14 feet higher than the house they lost in the storm They were paying $2,500 per year as part of the NFIP and losing the discount will tack on another $625 Dave is actually one of the 50 homeowners still waiting for the FEMA grant so he can either elevate or rebuild his home Dave was (and still is even without a home) paying $5,000 per year for flood insurance Dave owns a house that FEMA has instructed him not to touch as he waits It’s important to note that anyone who applies for a mortgage on Fort Myers Beach must have flood insurance Banks will not approve a mortgage without it For months town staff has been reporting to the Town Council that they’ve been regularly meeting with FEMA and providing them all the documentation they’ve requested in order to keep the discount There’s also been a not-so-secret feeling amongst the town government that no matter what they did FEMA was going to drop the town’s discount that FEMA does not want to deal with barrier islands that keep getting hammered by storms What does it mean for Fort Myers Beach to be on probation According to the FEMA call to the town Thursday Perhaps the town could get the discount back after a year Does that mean every unsafe structure would need to be gone by November 18 The Mayor says it has not gotten very clear direction from FEMA on exactly what they want done and by when There’s also a possibility that Fort Myers Beach could be completely kicked out of the program leaving thousands of residents to fend for themselves to find flood insurance There’s also the possibility that the new Trump administration could make sweeping changes to FEMA and Fort Myers Beach could be looked at a little differently than it is now When the town receives their official letter from FEMA we will share it with everyone here in our newsletter and on our Facebook page Local journalism is hard work. If you appreciate the most in-depth reporting on Fort Myers Beach, please support what we do HERE by Venmo Pretty simple every house that is ONE STORY should have a Demo permit or Substantial Improvement permit on record After that dwellings should have been red tagged for demo as unsafe No permit should have been an immediate stop work posting The thought of bringing folks into compliance is a loosing battle Tag it for demo and let them get on the ball to rebuild it correctly following the law What’s up with the new staff Carl Thomas for flood director Did we let Kristin go finally and thankfully Bill Stout is gone who has zero experience in construction Stop blaming FEMA and everyone else for the lack of leadership in our city government Myers Beach is behind all of the other cities around here It seems the city leadership cannot support the desires the local residents want and requested for the future of Ft So it’s now going to cost us more and take longer to move forward thanks for looking out for your constituents At what point do we start holding the town management accountable and now the residents on the island flood insurance… As some one posted recently that Mayor Allers is always busy “grinding” for the people Allers will not miss the opportunity to get in front of a camera but now he is silent Let’s see how he dances around this one when Ed holds his feet to the fire No more excused for “the grinder” He should have never been selected as mayor again The home owners should sue the town council and mayor for the extra money this is going to cost us because of their negligence Maybe Ed will ask Allers that question and don’t let him squirm out of the answer Who is going to pay for the trucks and stolen boat He will say insurance but we all know that will now go up How will the owners be compensated for the loss they have suffered for these failures by the town and let’s also not hold the sheriff accountable as well Have they solved the murder at Lani Kai that there were witnesses and videos Sure makes us feel like our tax dollars are paying wages of people who are not looking out for us Maybe the mayor should actually get to work and DO SOMETHING instead of doing photo ops and driving up and down streets staring at houses (We see you on our ring doorbell) Y’all created this now FIX IT I think it’s town staff as in Andy Hyatt and Frankie. they are hiding information to the town council to save their own behinds I’ve heard rumors they talk bad about the council behind their backs. FMB was only governmental put on the naughty list by FEMA All the other surrounding communities are ok High level it seems the Town Staff and elected officials are working very hard but need to become nastier over the next few months As Ed’s article states unfortunately our island still has way too many structures that need to be demolished I am optimistic that the town staff and elected officials who have been very accommodating will act quickly to get all those unsafe structures removed as soon as possible There is only one blanket flood policy for everyone and its administered by FEMA… All of the flood premiums go into a national pool FEMA sets the rules for all of the carriers Can we please stop all this conspiracy nonsense about FEMA and focus on the issue here – the loss of the discount and the town’s complicity in it It’s either FEMA’s fault or the town council’s fault I know I have been stalked over gravel in my yard (by the town) yet for some reason the town has allowed dilapitated buildings/homes to stand for over 2 yrs They have ignored the fact that we have dead trees (from Ian) still standing and no one is doing anything to clean up this island There are way too many outsiders on BTR that sit behind their keyboards and praise Allers so it comes across that town council are doing a great job now we have this….so how good of a job have they done I really don’t know what it will take The residents who thought they could beat the system Now that we have run most of the locals off the beach and the neighborhoods have become short term rentals and investment properties is FEMA even necessary The only ones that seem to be receiving FEMA funding is Town Hall Hasn’t Rick Scott been your senator all along What would make you think he’s coming to your rescue now And if Trump treats you like he treated Puerto Rico I too wish FMB was not singled out and got the support and funding it deserves but hoping some politician on either side of the isle is coming to your rescue is I applied for that $400k FEMA rebuild money I was told I did not qualify because I had an insurance policy The FEMA money can ONLY be granted if you are self-insured My Insurance paid out about a third of what my total rebuild cost is totaling to with the high costs of contractors Don’t forget about the “elephant on the south end” …… Currently owned by ELS ( publicly traded compant with a market capitalization of over $14 billion) and they let it rot since the storm Maybe a good investigative piece on this property is needed I contacted ELS on their website last month about the 2+yrs of banging from aluminum hanging unsafely They did cut some down the next day & put it in a pile & it is still sitting there and it’s past the time to keep blaming others The town has said for over a year that they are going to take down buildings…so why haven’t they but clearing out and cleaning up is long o er due Banks own most of those properties and will not allow demolition but that’s the hold up with a majority of those eyesores It has been 2 yrs and plenty of time for inspections broken fences,etc and loads of dangerous dead trees that are not being addressed We have lived for 26 months with lies and excuses I am disgusted with the town council and the mayor and all his excuses At this point it is just embarrassing the way the island still looks and now we have to pay 25% more for insurance We are the ONLY town in the county that lost its discount But we have lots of turtle lights and mountains of sand I post comments about how slow things are moving and how our mayor is not doing his job and I am blocked This is proof he has not done his job and he was re-elected Now we have to live with yet another failure Someone tell me what he has done to stop this from happening FEMA needs the money after spending it on illegal aliens and not expecting all the hurricanes Yes we should have taken what they said more seriously but I am sure they will use this to fill up their depleted funds Now I will have to spend even more on what is already a YUGE tax and insurance bill Notwithstanding what you are saying about Frankie There was also a process that FEMA gave them it would cost the town an unthinkable amount of money to tear them down and clean up those cites everyone blames FEMA and how the town got singled out The other 4 towns followed FEMAs direction and didnt lose their discount or go on probation FMB didn’t follow FEMAs direction and lost the discount and is on probation that will surely help get the discount back Oh my gosh don’t forget the old Fresh Catch/Junkanoo on the Beach Absolutely terrible that it is still standing or should I say barely standing They must have an equal number of unsafe structures Probably not as many trailer businesses operate there Seems like FEMA was pretty clear about the trailers Very worried about what this means for condo associations It’s was only 5 municipalities including FMB All met FEMAs rules and deadline except FMB I was in the Federal Government for 32 years and agree with all of the comments about FEMA You can bet your last money that once Elon and Vivek get settled FEMA is out for a major overhaul or elimination I would hope Governor DeSantis will get involved and Rick Scott We will have a new President Trump soon.and a Congress and Senate.Also it’s time to take all of these big buildings on the island that have not demolished their buildings Sue them their Banks and Insurance companies..Let’s get Tough Ft.myers Beach Since Pandemic FEMA is like every other business looking to hire qualified help but have to settle for just a warm body to fill a position It’s a crap shoot everywhere not just FEMA People don’t want to work and the ones that do want big bucks We own our own company and this is just facts Don’t hold your breath on getting your grant money FEMA is the most incompetent organization with a lot of power I hope this changes with the next administration If there were any common sense used for their threats to Lee county and the individual municipalities FMB should have a longer timeframe to be in their “compliance” since it was ground zero The other areas didn’t have the damage to structures that we had on the island they should be eliminated as they do more harm than good especially making the people wait to be able to touch their destroyed homes all this time They are a bunch of monkeys behind the desks there We’re learning lots about FEMA of late and it’s become another politically biased agency Has the town been in touch with our Congressman on this If you currently pay $3,000 you will pay $4,000 after losing the 25% discount The 25% is applied to the un-discounted (higher) amount but there is also no way that you can argue with them when they say that there are “unsafe structures” all over the island that should have been cleared a loooooong time ago including communities no longer being eligible for disaster assistance (think of the millions FMB got for debris clean up and suspension would impact the ability to obtain a mortgage on FMB This is the list as of June of communities that failed probation and are on the verge of suspension https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_fi-suspensionnotice_06-20-24.pdf Condominiums will face a flood insurance premium increase in the tens of thousands of dollars All while still battling FEMA to pay us for repaired damages from Ian They have been delaying payments by continuing to move the “required” information goalposts or the invoices are not in the “correct” format needed for payment It has been a shell game for the last two years That’s your insurance not wanting to make payments The savings from FEMA are not worth the hassle Still waiting for a claim on them after sooooo long Educate yourself before making such foolish comments ‘ you can say there have always been 100s of Trump-supporting flags on the beach for many years why is that a stretch when it’s been documented FEMA had a bias against Trump supporters during a natural disaster There’s already a task force looking into the FEMA reps that treated the Carolina/Tennessee Milton victims with Trump flags negatively the trail of public records recording their failure to act The FEMA employee who was fired for instructing her employees to avoid picking up hurricane debris from homes with Trump signs in their yard showed her text message from her boss that said exactly that This was discussed during a recent congressional meeting where the Director of FEMA testified it was true this firing the employee The whistleblower employee said it’s widespread across FEMA three of Lee County's most popular beaches fell under a Health Alert due to the presence of Red Tide The warning from the Lee County branch of the state health department identified high concentrations of the "toxin-producing dinoflagellate called Karenia brevis (K Officials are reacting to water samples taken on February 5 The health department went on to say that "Red tide typically forms naturally offshore and is carried into coastal waters by winds and currents." brevis can also discolor water and give it a red or brown hue The state health department advised that residents and visitors take the following precautions if they are spending any time near affected areas: According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) brevis produces potent neurotoxins (brevotoxins) that can be harmful to the humans brevis cells and release toxins into the air This is why you should monitor conditions and use caution when visiting affected water bodies People can experience varying degrees of eye and respiratory irritation from red tide and those who have chronic respiratory conditions) may be at risk of experiencing more severe symptoms." FWC says it routinely collects and analyzes red tide samples from around the state. Current information about Florida’s water quality status and public health notifications for harmful algae blooms and beach conditions is available online. Support local journalism with a digital subscription for as low as $1 a month for the first 12 months Note: This is Sunday's live coverage and updates for Hurricane Milton headed toward Lee County. For the latest Monday updates, go here Lee County is bracing for any impact from Hurricane Milton. Milton strengthened into a hurricane Sunday afternoon Landfall somewhere along Florida's west coast although it is too early to tell if that will mean SW FL or elsewhere The expectations are significant storm surge in coastal areas rain and along with it flooding and power outages in the region This is continues to be developing story and our reporters and photographers are providing coverage from different locations in Lee County again today contributing the latest updates on flooding WATCHING THE TROPICS: Here's the latest information on Hurricane Milton's track Helpful linksGo HERE for Lee County weather watches Go HERE for latest forecast from AccuWeather POWER OUTAGES: LCEC power map is HERE POWER OUTAGES: FPL's tracker is HERE POWER OUTAGES: HERE for United States power outage tracker AIRPORT: RSW's flight tracker for delays Charlotte County ordered residents in Zones A and B to evacuate Monday which includes the northernmost portion of Gasparilla Island The evacuation also includes residents in any zone living in mobile and manufactured homes Charlotte County Fire and EMS Station 10 staff are required to evacuate as well No helicopters are available during the storm Residents of the village of Boca Grande were ordered Monday by Lee County to evacuate by Tuesday evening which is a barrier island like Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach is at risk of seeing betwen five and ten feet of storm surge Charlotte County urged residents to secure their homes before leaving and to take all essential items for family members such as medicine important papers and identifying documents the Gasparilla Inn and all of its outlets in Boca Grande has been closed since Hurricane Helene swept through Florida last week significantly damaging the inn and the island the most important factor is that our team is safe and well," the inn's website reads "We will take the next few days to continue the assessment of the property and understand where our resources are needed We appreciate the outpouring of support and know that we will return as soon as possible." Lee County ordered mandatory evacuations for anyone living in Zones A and B thanks to Hurricane Milton –– and the county's animal shelter is located within Zone B According to county Public Information Officer Betsy Clayton many of the pets will be going to foster homes for the duration of the storm "we have staff that will be onsite for their everyday care while we are closed due to Hurricane Milton." Bonita Springs city manager Arleen Hunter urged residents to heed mandatory evacuation orders in zones A and B at a news conference Monday afternoon which business journalist Laura Layden covered "We urge residents to finalize your preparedness plans Hunter also urged that all building materials be secured and that residents continue monitoring updates on Milton Collection of debris from Hurricane Helene will continue Monday and Tuesday (as weather permits) but residents are encouraged not to put more of it at the curb Re-entry passes for Estero Island Residents only will be available 8 a.m.-noon Tuesday FGCU students told to evacuate dorms by TuesdayFrom reporter Laura Layden: FGCU students received an email Sunday afternoon saying all residence halls must be evacuated by 2 p.m Students will not be allowed to return to their rooms "until further notice." The university urged students to return home Fort Myers Beach announced evacuations and declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Milton bore down on Estero Island It’s the fifth such order since 2022 when Hurricane Ian smashed the town Councilors met Sunday afternoon to discuss the storm which is expected to arrive as a dangerous Category 3 residents should be off the island by 3 p.m Sandbags will be available for Estero Island residents only until Monday afternoon at a pile across from town hall “This storm has a lot of unknowns … right now the cone is still the entire west coast of Florida (and) we don’t know what we don’t know.” FGCU will move to remote operations Monday FGCU will be closed (all events and classes) Tuesday and Wednesday Amy Williams reports that Sanibel Mayor Richard Johnson placed Sanibel under a local state of emergency in addition to one already in place for Hurricane Ian and another issued Saturday by Florida Gov City Manager Dana Souza said the storm’s current track has it making landfall “somewhere near or north of Sanibel (with) 6-8 inches or more of rainfall.” The island also will see tropical storm-force wind and storm surge “The severity … will be affected by the tide level and wind-driven rains,” Souza said but he urged residents to be ready for conditions as bad or worse than Helene City has been moving water as fast as it can but Sunday’s steady rain has been a challenge Souza anticipates power and cell service outages if the storm hits the island and once tropical storm-force winds arrive first responders can’t answer calls for help so residents should consider a “plan to evacuate the island if you’re in a low-lying area or concerned about (your) personal safety.” Sand and sandbags will be available Monday at the fire station via the Library Way entrance and city offices will be open Monday Read the full story HERE The Lee County School District announced that all schools and before- and after-school program and activities are canceled through Thursday and other critical personnel as outlined in the District’s Hurricane Preparedness Plan are expected to report to their school location on Monday to make the appropriate preparations for the incoming storm Read the full story HERE Reporter Kate Cimini filed this report on where sandbags remain available in Lee and Collier counities As sand and bag supplies dwindle in Southwest Florida people are coming to Pine Island from Fort Myers and Napes to fill up “We’re not turning anybody away,” said Shane Oake at Station 1 in Pine Island Center “We’ve already filled thousands and thousands of bags,” Oake said All three of the island’s stations are still supplied sand is at Station 1: 5700 Pine Island Road Lee County Public Safety Director Ben Abes said at a Tropical Storm Milton briefing Sunday And while general population shelters aren’t open yet either special needs shelters begin opening Monday afternoon creeks and waterways and sandbags are available at area fire stations Regular waste pickup will continue “as long as conditions allow,” but please More: Tropical Storm Milton prep: Gas, water, groceries, sand. There's a run on supplies in SW FL site improvements are about an 8-to 10-month affair with a vertical construction goal of about a year for a spot that has a lot of fun history The "luxurious" Neptune rose out of the sands almost 65 years ago with "features of an anti-hurricane nature," according to newspaper archives Hoosier Frank Odle opened it the year after 1960's Hurricane Donna billing it as "island paradise (on) the world's safest" beach then the sidekick on NBC's The Tonight Show Almost exactly a year before Ian's stunning strike on Southwest Florida Ohio-based Continental Hospitality Group bought it for $27 million Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker residents across Lee County got some good news.. The majority of communities got the green light from FEMA that their discount on national flood insurance will be staying in place The discounts allow residents to save up to 25% on premiums with the National Flood Insurance Program FEMA has been putting the county and various communities through their paces in terms of their compliance with rebuilding and permiting requirements after the widespread devastation dealt by Hurricane Ian in September 2022 Lee County announced they had received notice the discount would be revoked near the end of the year At the time FEMA claimed a large amount of unpermitted work and a failure to monitor activity in special flood hazard areas since Ian struck are some of the reasons why the discount was discontinued At the time it impacted 700 thousand residents living in Bonita Springs The county alone had more than 51,000 policies out of a population of 388,000 All of those local governments appealed the decision and went to work with FEMA to provide the information and documentation the federal agency required FEMA had reinstated the discount to all of the communities listed above and promised to continue working toward a November checkpoint where a final decision would be made Fast-forward to Thursday afternoon: Lee County held a news conference to announce their success in completing the work to retain this critical discount All of the other communities listed also kept theirs.. “I am disappointed that FEMA has made the decision to put the Town on probation Town staff is committed to following our FEMA approved plan and will continue to collaborate with FEMA and FDEM to regain our NFIP discount and CRS classification.” Fort Myers Beach Community Correspondent Anvar Ruziev is working to get more comment and reaction to the decision regarding Fort Myers Beach and will update you tonight on FOX 4 News at 10:00 and online right here at fox4now.com Watch FOX 4's Community Correspondents cover the discount dispute in some of your communities below — The Florida Highway Patrol found a vehicle wanted in a fatal weekend hit-and-run out of Lee County troopers said it found the impounded vehicle on Lee Boulevard and Hanna Avenue in Lee County.Troopers said the driver hit someone walking on Lee Boulevard It's the "day after" Hurricane Helene threw a couple of punches at Lee County Here's what to know about the "hot spot" areas: What to know after Helene: Fort Myers BeachFrom Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno’s latest update at 6:55 a.m the roadway is open on San Carlos Boulevard He warned residents to proceed with caution and to not park along the roadway as crews move about Deputies were present at San Carlos Boulevard and Pine Ridge Road early Friday at 5:48 a.m. the roadway is open from Hickory Island onto Fort Myers Beach Fort Myers Beach Emergency Management conducted an assessment of Hurricane Helene's impact early Friday morning press release.Estero Boulevard and North Estero Boulevard are littered with sand mulch and debris.Bay Oaks Recreation Center and the new Town Hall experienced water and silt intrusion Bay Oaks will remain closed today for clean-up; the Club Rec After School Program is canceled.Town staff will begin cleanup at Times Square and Town Hall at 8:00 a.m. while contractors work on North Estero Boulevard.Residents are encouraged to return to the island but should limit travel this morning and the Town advises those who don’t require immediate access to wait until cleanup is completed Deputies remain on scene as motorists pass through What to know after Helene: SanibelAs of 5:30 a.m the Sanibel Causeway is closed to through traffic The contractors are working to remove debris from the roadway and anticipate safely opening the roadway around noon today What to know after Helene: South Lee CountyIn South Lee County water has receded on Hickory and Imperial Shores the roads are still unsafe due to downed power lines and debris he added.Flooding is also present on West Terry and Harbor Drive Halfway down Harbor Drive and most side streets have roughly 1 foot of standing water and is impassable 05:26 Fort Myers Beach becomes 'ghost town' ahead of Hurricane Milton Fort Myers Beach Town Manager Andy Hyatt said residents have listened to evacuation orders and it's a "ghost town." Hurricane Milton is a reminder for residents of what happened with Hurricane Ian just two years ago The curfew was put in place for Hurricane Milton officials declared hurricane reentry passes were no longer needed to re-enter the island "Now that most of the sand and debris have been cleared from the roads and power has been restored to majority of the island we feel comfortable lifting the (pass program)," wrote town spokeswoman Nicole Berzin in a release not everything is back to normal in the town affectionately known to locals as 'The Beach.' Milton hit Florida as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday evening and barreled east across the state, wreaking havoc Pine Island and the village of Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island –– took the worst of it The island saw roughly 6 feet of storm surge which left behind tons of sand covering streets and filling some homes businesses as the water receded Crews have been working to remove the sand Fort Myers Beach Elementary School is one of just two Lee County Public Schools that will not reopen Monday Milton's wind and water damaged the elementary school and the Sanibel School both of which will need more time before students can return assistant district communications director Rob Spicker said Saturday there are 10,750 without power in Lee County Some who do have power have noted power surges in the past few days Florida Power & Light Company estimates 95% will see their electricity restored by end of day The city of Bonita Springs also lifted its 10-7 a.m while Fort Myers Beach will still need to do the work to clean up after Milton business owners' and residents' outlooks were positive part-owner of Erickson & Jensen Seafood Packers said his Beach dock and business had weathered the storm well and remembering the punishment Ian doled out to the shrimp fleet in the waters off Lee County he sent all his boats away – some up the river Sunday he said the docks held together very well and all four boats sent up the river survived as did those riding out the storm on the 200-ton steel beasts power was restored to most of Sanibel Island and its sewer system was back online Earlier it had opened its recreation center as a comfort station with showers and toilets for residents from noon to 7 p.m Sanibel Councilmember Holly Smith had returned to Sanibel with the first wave of residents late Thursday she was surprised at how good her island looked The water had receded even faster than it had after Hurricane Helene brushed by but our citizens know how to live post-Ian," Smith said "They know how to come check their property and make sure it’s okay.” There was no water intrusion in the homes she checked on She rolled down her car window and took a deep breath Reporters Amy Bennett Williams and Jake Allen contributed to this story (This story was updated to add new information) — The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to increase funding to address beach erosion The board changed a grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to accept more funding for beach and dune erosion on Bonita Beach and Lovers Key The amendment increases the total grant to more than $20.6 million The project includes restoration on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach Both shorelines were negatively impacted by Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Nicole in 2022 The additional funding is coming from the Florida Hurricane Restoration Reimbursement Grant Program resorts are submitting plans to come back bigger than before just got approval from the Local Planning Agency to rebuild They plan to more than double their rooms and triple most of their floors WATCH THE FULL COVERAGE BY FOX 4'S FORT MYERS BEACH COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENT ANVAR RUZIEV: The proposed building will be six stories tall The resort will also include a tiki bar and a public restaurant maybe you'll have more tourists," said Jamen Janzen Next-door neighbors are worried about the noise They spoke at the Local Planning Agency meeting to share their concerns entertainment," said resident Susan Bonfigli I like going to those places too; I just don't want it at my home." The town staff recommended denying the project The resort needs seven deviations from the town's Land Development Code Staff are worried that cutting 55 parking spaces could strain local infrastructure "Anybody that thinks I'm turning my back on the town of Fort Myers Beach you can come see me at the Islander on Thursday," she said "I'll explain to you in more detail why I think this is a good idea." They will vote on the project after two more hearings — Reconstruction efforts on Fort Myers Beach have hit a new roadblock because a recent FEMA mandate requires the removal of hundreds of temporary structures leaving contractors and local businesses to find solutions WATCH THE FULL COVERAGE BY FORT MYERS BEACH COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENT ANVAR RUZIEV: the mandate is causing significant concern for people who are working to rebuild the beach community after Hurricane Ian Contractors have been using storage containers along Estero Boulevard to house tools and materials essential to their rebuilding efforts a federal law now mandates that these containers This sudden change is expected to slow down the progress of reconstruction “We reached out to FEMA again this morning for clarification They made it clear that everything on the gulf side needs to be removed including containers two lots north of Estero,” said Frankie Kropacek the Operations & Compliance Director for the town of Fort Myers Beach The timing of the mandate couldn't be worse for contractors like Travis Albert who oversees part of the Estero Beach Club rebuild He expressed concern about how this will impact their work as they try to complete projects ahead of the busy season “It’s going to slow it down tremendously,” said Albert “We’ll have to figure out how to store materials on the island especially with the season coming in and more traffic.” The town is working with contractors to identify possible storage alternatives including utilizing empty floors in buildings under construction Kropacek suggested that supplies could be moved into the lower levels of unfinished buildings to clear the containers from the area some of these buildings are empty,” said Kropacek “So you could maybe take these supplies and put them on the first floor to get those containers out of here.” Albert said that many contractors are working on finishing those first-floor units to make them habitable “We’re trying to finish these units so people can move into them,” he explained I don’t know what we’re going to do,” Albert said more than two-thirds of the condos on Fort Myers Beach remain unfinished and contractors initially believed they had until July 2025 with FEMA’s new deadline set for November 18 A FEMA representative explained that the two-year timeframe for temporary structures is standard and aims to prioritize the safety of surrounding neighbors in the event of another storm It’s not just condos being affected by the changes a popular Times Square restaurant operating out of a temporary structure in a flood zone will also need to vacate its current location The town believes the decision is final and intends to enforce the mandate fully On Monday the Fort Myers Beach Town Council voted 4-1 to approve a new 71-unit resort hotel at 2310 Estero Boulevard Mayor Dan Allers voted against the new Neptune project because it increases the density of the hotel by 100% The Neptune was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September of 2022 Continental Hospitality Group purchased the Neptune one year before Ian with a plan to operate the resort and give it a few upgrades Since the 1960’s the resort had been a magnet for families visiting Fort Myers Beach despite the fact it didn’t have a restaurant on the property The pre-Ian Neptune had 3 buildings that were between 2 and 3 stories and 2 pools The new Neptune will have 148 units and the building will be 6 floors (4 over two levels of parking) There will be a restaurant that is open to the public that seats 150 people with indoor and outdoor seating the resort will include a restroom that is open to the public (or contribute $30,000 toward a town owned public bathroom) and a 20% discount for residents on food and beverage The height of the building will be 51 feet from base flood elevation The proposed development will be a total of 129,925 square feet There are two access points on Estero Blvd and one point of only egress from Delmar The proposal includes 164 parking spaces plus an additional 16 that would be deeded over to the town as public benefit Those parking spaces could generate as much as $350,000 in annual parking revenue for the town It has become obvious that the Town Council will approve anything and call it progress I’m sure a lot of residents will contribute Everyone is trying to build higher & add more rooms for more people Our infrastructure isn’t big enough for all this maybe they should wait for Seagates’ vote, The Kahlua Beach Club received approval from the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council for a special exception permit that will allow the owners to restore part of their resort property that was damaged by Hurricane Ian The approval by the council followed unanimous recommendation of approval from the Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency The special exception permit will give the owners formally known as Kahlua Beach Club Condo Timeshare the ability to restore recreational elements for their condo association in the environmentally critical area paver pool decks and fencing along the existing seawall portions in the environmentally critical zone Jim Ink of Ink Engineering said the special exception permit was needed due to the location of the property in the town’s environmentally critical zone He said the permit should be granted due to the circumstances of Hurricane Ian and that Kahlua Beach Club is an older condo building constructed before the town incorporated Kahlua Beach Club is a private resort with rooms that are individually owned as timeshares on a weekly basis which dates back to before the incorporation of the town is located mid-island on about three-quarters of an acre at 4950 Estero Boulevard will allow us to put back what we had with some minor geometric differences,” Ink said Ink said one of the cheeky huts will be slightly larger in square footage and the pool will be slightly different in size The resort incurred major damage from Hurricane Ian and its owners have been working on repairs ever since Ink said the owners will also need permits from the state for the restoration of its pool and other work in the town’s environmentally critical zone The Kahlua Owners’ Association was formed in 1978 and the building dates back to 1969 Fox 4 has obtained new court documents about the reported sexual battery of a young girl walking to her school bus stop at a Tice park deputies say the 15-year-old girl was walking to her bus stop at Schandler Park around 5:45 a.m The girl said it led her to "slightly alter her path." The report says the next time the girl saw De Jesus placed it near her head and pulled her to the playground by her hair the victim told deputies De Jesus said "you're going to die." but was able to call her grandmother for help The grandmother told detectives she heard her granddaughter say "please do not hurt me; I haven't done anything to you." The grandmother said she tried to call back several times Deputies say when De Jesus noticed the victim with her phone Documents recall the grandmother going to the park after the victim called her The grandmother said she found her in hysterics The grandmother told deputies she usually takes the victim to the bus stop She said that was probably because the young girl knows she works long hours and may have felt bad for her The Lee County Sheriff's Office arrived at the park quickly blocked off the area and started searching for DeJesus who they later identified through "analytical research and previous law enforcement interactions unrelated to this one" the victim said she had seen De Jesus several times at the park Detectives took a cast of bicycle tracks near the area and got an impression of the tread it says they found De Jesus in his house about a half mile away from the park The Tactical Narcotics Team found him hiding in the attic and eventually arrested him See FOX 4 Miyoshi Price's Report From De Jesus' pre trial dention hearing Monday: they found a knife and bicycle - matching the description from the victim Detectives say she also identified De Jesus in a photo line-up court documents say they downloaded data from a phone at the crime scene The report says the victim's cell phone number was saved as "Mexican girl." Investigators started to interview De Jesus He later confirmed the phone at the scene was his and changed his story De Jesus said it was missing and didn't realize until he returned home in the morning When asked what De Jesus was doing that day the report says the suspect was at an unknown friend's house until 4 a.m He told deputies he left to meet his drug dealer at the park The report says De Jesus left the park at 6 a.m when parents and kids started getting there Detectives confronted De Jesus with the sexual battery allegations When asked about the "Mexican girl's" number in his phone the report says De Jesus became uncooperative LCSO arrested him for kidnapping and sexual battery of a minor De Jesus is currently being held without bond His next court date is scheduled for October 14th This article was published more than 6 months ago Fort Myers Beach is a great location for shell hunting and the soft sand is perfect for making sculptures.Supplied Looking out at the gulf waters from the top of the Pink Shell Resort’s epic outdoor staircase will likely remain the image most seared into my memory from my family’s trip down to Fort Myers Beach But as we took in that breathtaking sunset shortly after arriving it was hard not to imagine the scene of devastation that played out in that spot just 18 months before Hurricane Ian damaged or destroyed all of the buildings along the beach putting an area that relies on tourism out of commission Nineteen-foot surges of water reached as high as the second storey of the Pink Shell’s main building most of the larger hotels along the white-sand beach were not yet open and where smaller ones had been were empty lots awaiting new development Most of the Pink Shell’s rooms survived the storm and became a temporary home to relief workers and then construction crews and contractors We stayed there almost exactly a year after the hotel began welcoming guests back – and the fact that it felt like the normal snow-bird getaway it’s been for decades is a testament to the resiliency of the people in the region We were glad to see a hotel filled with tourists supporting their recovery did wonder before we left Toronto if we would be in any danger but I reassured him that the forecast was all sun What I couldn’t have predicted was encountering something else frightening on our first morning: an alligator on the beach Louis alerted me to it as he slowly backed away my son later recreated our much-missed dog The Pink Shell Hotel in Fort Myers was damaged during Hurricane Ian in 2022 but recovered quickly and was able to invite guests back only six months later.Supplied This area of Florida is also known for superior shell-hunting but since there was a lot of competition in front of our hotel one day we drove over to the nearby islands – Sanibel and Captiva The causeway that connects the mainland with them was still being rebuilt so did a pelican that flew alongside our car for at least half a kilometre We stopped at Blind Pass Beach Park where we were treated to a free lesson from an avid sheller who noticed our newbie enthusiasm One of them she called a mermaid’s slipper which did look like that – if the mermaid was about six inches tall the shape of which was exactly like my old pal Romeo’s foot If the sunset view at the top of the Pink Shell has any competition for favourite sight of the trip, it would be the moment we saw a family of three dolphins crest the water in unison during our lunch at the Mucky Duck on Captiva shouted and pointed for the benefit of everyone else on the pub’s patio they all played it cool as if they’d seen this before based on the number of dolphins we saw that day The Pink Shell's Octopool is a popular social gathering spot at the hotel and hosts activities for families all day long and into the night.Supplied After lunch, during a Captiva Cruises dolphin-spotting tour a stingray flung itself three feet above the surface of the water As the captain explained to us that the tours were back to full capacity only that week Back at the Pink Shell’s beach the next morning I noticed that if you look south you can see the remnants of the destroyed pier – now just some wooden poles of different lengths poking out of the water but the loss of that gathering spot hasn’t stopped the community from getting together (The result was that I looked like the father of two children) Our trip took place in a region beset by tragedy, but the story of our trip was, in the end, a comedy. I know this because most comedies, at least the classic ones from Shakespeare’s time, end in weddings. On the way to the airport, we visited the Edison and Ford Winter Estates where tourists can view the famous inventors’ cold-weather getaways and the lab where they endeavoured to discover a local plant or tree that would produce suitable rubber for tires moon shells and cones on our trip.Talia Rogers/Supplied Being transported back a hundred years was incredible but the real magic started when Ave Maria began playing over a loudspeaker Everyone at the museum paused their audio tours to watch as a young couple marched toward a towering banyan tree to exchange their vows it embodies how this part of Florida has carried on moving forward together through good weather and bad Shell-hunting: Blind Pass Beach Park on Sanibel Island is a favourite among avid shellers and is located on the northernmost point of the island the creation of the Ritz-Carlton’s former executive pastry chef Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following Micah Toub is a features editor at the Globe and Mail handling longform stories across all sections of the paper He’s worked as an editor and writer in magazines and newspapers for more than 20 years Previously Deputy Editor of the Globe’s weekend Toronto section and Friday arts pullout he also wrote a column for the paper about relationships and the shifting gender dynamics of the 21st century he wrote a regular advice column for families in conflict Micah has contributed stories and columns on a wide range of topics that include psychology He won a National Magazine Award for personal journalism for his feature about being raised by two psychologists Growing Up Jung: Coming of Age as the Son of Two Shrinks Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. 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