The original deadline set by the town for residents and businesses with Emergency Temporary Placement Permits, for structures like trailers, to be removed by September 23, 2025 may be extended for some people. Here’s everything you need to know.
There are 158 residential permits and 51 commercial permits now on the books set to expire next month. On Monday, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council passed a resolution extending the deadline to June 1, 2027 for any resident or business owner that has an Emergency Temporary Placement Permit that can prove to Town Manager Will McKannay they are experiencing hardship.
So the first big question is; What is the town’s definition of a hardship? The resolution states that a hardship must be due to action by a third party or other circumstance out of the property or business owner’s control. There are 9 ways to fall under the hardship rule, according to the new ordinance:
1. Delay in processing Elevate Florida application
2. Delay in obtaining construction mortgage or refinancing
3. Delay based on an inability to find licensed professionals to rebuild
4. Delay due to a dispute with a licensed professional or insurance adjustor/carrier 5. Delay due to the lack of available equipment/materials to complete construction 6. Hardship due to inability to sell property
7. Hardship due to inability to secure alternative location to operate business or residence
8. Hardship due to delay in permitting process
9. Hardship due to extended family illness/death of property or business
Number 7 on the town’s list is most likely going to be used by many of the applicants. The prices for both commercial and residential properties on Fort Myers Beach are sky high and easy to prove.
The process to apply for an extension will begin on September 2nd. Residents will pay a $100 fee to be considered and businesses will pay a $200 fee. The fee can be waived if an applicant proves there’s a hardship. Again, McKannay makes the call on that. When it’s ready the application will be posted to the town’s website.
The burden is on the property or business owner to provide: 1) documentation of the hardship; and 2) a plan for resolving the hardship, to McKannay to obtain the extension. In addition, any extension for a residential permit requires that the property owner reside in the home full-time and not have a second home elsewhere. The holder of any extended permit must comply with all of the town’s floodplain regulations, which incorporate federal regulations adopted by FEMA. Every permit must also include an evacuation plan.
Structures with a permit, which is non-compliant as required by the town floodplain regulations or if the permit is not extended will be sent to the code enforcement department where the violation and potential fine process will begin. No new Emergency Temporary Placement Permits are being issued by the town.
What this means for
businesses like The Goodz, Mom’s, and other businesses on the island will be determined by this new process and whether or not they can prove hardship. The Goodz has submitted a plan to rebuild. They are operating from a piece of property across the street from where they plan to build. Can they stay open where they are now until the new building is ready?
The intent of the original ordinance was to help property owners live on their land while they put a plan in place to rebuild. It was never intended to be permanent.
If you are denied an extension you are eligible to appeal that process to the town magistrate.
The second big question is; What will FEMA say about this? The Town was notified by FEMA that several of its emergency use permits were issued to non-compliant structures in violation of the town’s floodplain regulations and the town proceeded to revoke those permits. McKannay said he’s confident FEMA is OK with this latest change by the town. The town is expected to get off probation in November and get their 25% National Flood Insurance Program discount back next April. During a 3-day visit last month FEMA identified over 200 properties that the town has been working on answering questions about.
What about the people that have parked trailers on their lot and use it as a weekend get away? How about the trailers that are just sitting empty and the owner isn’t even under contract to rebuild? If and when we have another hurricane we will have abandoned trailers smashing through our homes. The damage that was done to my home during Ian was from other people’s homes falling apart and bashing into my home. I WAS THE ONE who paid 25K to have their debris removed from my land and paying for the damage caused was even more. What is the town doing to help increase the values of the properties so they do have a chance to sell? Allowing the island to turn into a trailer park is not going to help. I travel all over Florida for my work and I visit hurricane hit areas and none of the other towns/cities look like ours. How many of the comments posted here saying it is OK for these people who have trailers parked on their lot that is not selling, are really homeowners? I think we have a lot of keyboard warriors who live in other states who voice their opinions. If you are under contract then you should be allowed to have a trailer. If you have a lot that is not selling, that is not an excuse, OR if you just park a trailer as a get away…..that is not acceptable.
What about those who are in a trailer that was issued a permit 2 years after Ian on a vacant lot? What about the trailers that have no one in them? Are you prepared to rescue said people during a hurricane? I did. They are from out of state. Excuses, excuses. 5 trailers around me, 5 of them are all non-compliant with FEMA. Why build when you can still print out a TPP form today and buy a lot. Why build when you can save thousands and thousands in insurance fees and mortgage payments while I had to jump through hoops just to get stairs. Who’s going to tow these empty trailers, yard toys, fences, etc, when another storm surge hits? FEMA and the town said this was for temporary emergency housing but they have opened it up to everyone with no end in sight. This was not what the program was designed for. 3 years and going? I have to pay more in insurance and taxes to foot the bill? Crazy talk.
Wow! Some must have a roof over there heads.
Our property was scheduled for demo (finally) on 7/7/25. The insurance company stepped in (again) and stopped it…wanting to “take another look.” LOOK AT WHAT!!!???
We’ve had legal representation from the beginning. Between bureaucracies — corporate and government; outdated government rules and regs; new ordinances; and evidently impatient neighbors, the road to rebuild is long and painful.
One knows hardship when they are experiencing it! Maybe not so much when they’re reading about it.
I’m not living in an RV or trying to maintain my livelihood out of a trailer but I GET IT!
Three years is a drop in the bucket to reach normalcy on FMB — just ask folks from Mexico Beach, and Lahaina — tho FMB will NEVER be the fishing village it was in 1976 when we bought in paradise.
Being a good neighbor is not that hard regardless of the hardship…but there’s always one who ruins it for everyone by not filing properly.
Let’s stay united FMB Strong — Peace, love, and understanding.
So, suddenly the flood insurance discount suspension has been extended another six months, from October to April. Why did that happen?
We need to show compassion for those that do have a hardship! I believe extensions are necessary for some residents. Hooray for the people that had the finances to rebuild right away, not everyone had that privilege. Hurricane IAN created a long term, long lasting devastation for many of us. Yes, we are coming up to the 3 year anniversary of this monumental tragedy, and yes…some people are still living in RV’s…..let’s see how we can “help”!
And for the people that do not apply for an extension…… How long are they gonna to be able to stay. Extensions, extensions, extensions. We are coming up on three years and there’s a lot of properties that have done nothing.
So you put a super high price tag on your vacant property and claim a hardship in selling it. Now you get to stay there in a trailer for another two years!
You absolutely have the right to sell your property at the market price and yes, that price is high. Eventually they sell, but to give it away, HELL no. The people who lost everything deserve to be able to recoup a little bit with the sale of their land or home.
I really don’t think that ishappening, living in a trailer is extremely hard.
will take you for a tour of our small trailer
It is happening, Dapper. You may be one out of the 252 that are non-compliant and we have empathy for you, if you were truly here for Ian. However, the town passed out code enforcement violations with impunity after Ian and the town said it was to be in compliance with FEMA’s Coastal Guidelines for temporary housing. They didn’t want to lose their Federal Grant Money from FEMA and the town’s 25% discount. All TPP housing is required to be approved by FEMA’s standards, such as hurricane tie-downs, proper sewage disposal, etc. Have you seen what happens to salty batteries? This TPP housing was not to designed extend beyond 6 months of a disaster. Blame your town and greedy weekenders or those who never show up to an empty trailer for our disdain. No way is it safe to leave these trailers to float around with our without anyone in them in a storm surge. I personally have seen property and debris float around during Helene for said non-complaint trailers. 3 years is a long, long time.