And they should be up by June 1st, according to Florida Power & Light representatives. Estero Boulevard will become much darker than it is now because of the amount of light the amber lights put out, compared to the white lights on the Boulevard now. In previous years the lights had to be completely turned off during turtle nesting season.
There are 131 light poles on Estero Boulevard. All of them suffered damage during Hurricane Ian. In the aftermath of the storm, FP&L repaired 88 of the 131 lights. White lights, which are not turtle compliant, were installed on those 88 poles. FP&L will now change out the white lights with 3,300 lumen amber lights.
According to Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers the amber lights will put out 75% less light than the white lights on Estero Boulevard now. And, there are not enough poles on Estero Boulevard so there will be dark spots between lights in certain areas. The new amber lights FP&L will be installing will also be shielded. The town has been struggling for years to find a solution to what is an extremely dark (Lee County owned) road at night, especially during turtle season, and provide an FWC compliant solution to protect the turtles from disorientation.
FP&L will cover the entire cost of changing out the lights to amber. This is a temporary solution to the Estero Boulevard lighting problem. The town wants to eventually install different amber lights that put out 12,000 lumens, compared to the 3,300 lumens from the amber lights FP&L will now be installing. However, the town doesn’t have the money to make that happen yet. A request for just under $8 million has been made to the Florida State Legislature for the money to pay for the lights and the town is waiting to see where that goes.
If the money is approved, additional light poles will be installed on Estero Boulevard so that there are no dark spots between the lights. It would be a town owned system that FP&L installs completely independent of any FPL poles now on the Boulevard. And the system would be underground so it is more resilient to future hurricanes.
The town would still buy the power from FP&L and there would be a 10-year maintenance agreement with FP&L. If the town receives the funding from the state FP&L says the new higher output amber fixtures could be installed before the 2024 turtle season.
Interim Manager Keith Wilkins said this is going to be a tough year for turtles.
“There’s a lot of light out there because so many buildings are gone. We’re in a difficult situation because of the hurricane.”
Mi Dave sez:
Leah is so highly educated, I bet she even voted for Slow Joe_____
TLM = Turtle Lives Matter 🐢
Initials worked for other movements !
Janet – Since the eniro-nazi’s on the MRTF have gotten out of control. You should go back and listen to some of their meetings – talk about wanting to regulate every single aspect of your life – from what you plant on your private property to how to can light your home, how to have to tint your windows and on and on. These people have no common sense when it comes to compromise. I am not against nature or the turtles, but I value my families and my life over all those things. These people think they are your moral superiors, and will not listen to any real scientific data that contradict there ill conceived notions of what is best for the island. They are the first to dismiss any contradiction as “silly” or “uneducated” or “not researched” – but all these people have no idea what real research is, or how to let data lead decision making, it’s all emotion and conjecture and the island is a worse place because of their extremism.
When does human life become more important than turtle life? I have witnessed a cyclist hit by a car because of the poor lighting. Luckily, it wasn’t fatal. FMB isn’t the sleepy little beach town it once was. With Margaritaville opening and whatever occupies the trailer park, we are in for a lot more vacationers. I can’t believe how much more this town cares about turtle life to human life.
BINGO! I think we have a winner. Whatever happens will happen and become reality. Safety. Brightness of the new lighting. The weak, putrid color of the new lighting. The cost of the new system. The cost to mantas n it. It will be then that people can witness it for themselves and decide it they like it or hate it. And YES, there are superior and more affordable options available. Why on earth the decision makers never had a true lighting professional involved is astonishing.
Florida Tech Online MBA – Top MBA Program
Leah – if you knew the first thing about research from your online grad school MBA, you would concede that I am 100% right about everything I have said, because I am. The lumens per watt of the fixtures being installed is abhorrent, and the fixture you MBA educated enviro-superior types want is even less efficient. But again, facts don’t matter to you online Ivy league MBA’s with no engineering background whatsoever. Lumens, wattage and ohms law is pretty simple to grasp though. Give it a Google some time.Lumens
Research is pretty simple Norman. I mastered how to research preparing my thesis in grad school. Try reading Norman, maybe you can be smart someday too 😉
And Lisa. Thank you whoever you are!! Classic!!
Why don’t they just use smart lights. They can be any color you want. Amber for turtling, white the rest of the year. Heck even red and green for Christmas. I have them in my home and love them.
Yes Leah – you are always the smartest person in the room and have thoroughly researched everything… You just spew the same nonsense over and over and hope it becomes truth. Same as all the other silly enviro-wackos on the island. The truth is these amber lights are crap, inefficient, dark and dangerous. The end solution you people are vying for are even more energy inefficient and will cost the town money is doesn’t have. There are better amber solutions out there. That’s the truth.
Leah, not certain how you can call other people negative when you have been leading the snitch and bitch club about the lighting for years… and now you’re calling others negative? That’s classic!
Anywho, I sure hope you and Turtle Time stand up and honestly tell everyone how great the lighting works for people after FPL installs the candles everyone is being told is a great solution, but you won’t. You will make excuses and then tell everyone that the new Amber fixtures will be better.
Great point Lisa. Evidently reading an article or two and brushing over a few internet comments makes Leah an expert on lighting. Or any other topic she regurgitates ad nauseam.
Another ignorant comment by John. Hollywood beach has had a lighting ordinance in place for decades. Goes to show ya that you can see with amber lights, as the research data states, you didn’t even know they were amber. Hollywood beach had a lighting ordinance when I lived there for 7 years in back in 2001. Here’s their ordinance, look it up.
Hollywood’s turtle friendly lighting ordinance (§108, O-2011-07) requires that exterior lights be mounted as low in elevation as possible, shielded so that the light source is not visible from the beach, directed down and away from the beach, and have a low wattage amber bulb. The mayor is instilling fear in people saying it will be dark with amber lights with zero data to back up is opinion that is completely opposite of the scientific data.
self-right·eous
/ˌselfˈrīCHəs/
adjective
having or characterized by a certainty, especially an unfounded one, that one is totally correct or morally superior.
Hurricane Ian didn’t care about nesting Turtles! Doesn’t this new Berm protect the turtles from the Light? I guess the town of FMB is willing to take the risk financially if a Person is killed by a vehicle due to the street lighting!
Another uneducated comment by John
Do your homework John, you sound silly making such completely wrong comments about Hollywood Beach. Lived there for 6 years and they are turtle friendly.
https://www.southfloridasuntimes.com/news/city-of-hollywood-launches-turtle-friendly-lighting-recognition-program#:~:text=Hollywood's%20turtle%20friendly%20lighting%20ordinance,wattage%20amber%20or%20red%20bulb.
Clearly the folks making such uneducated comments have done zero research and most likely never read a medical research study or publication on street lighting, and there’s plenty of them, all with the same conclusion. And I bet these same negative folks never stood up for anything they believe in their life, yet are the first to criticize others and call them names. Do your homework people and understand lighting and the affects on humans before you make such ignorant comments. Town did the right thing, they had no choice!! Case closed. Complain and call people names all ya want.
Oh, okay Leah.
Everyone stands corrected because you know so much and are always the smartest person in the conversation.
Norman is 100% correct and I couldn’t agree more. The Town is being badgered by a handful of opinionated, incessantly loud environ-nazi’s into installing inadequate lights with no regard for our safety. There are superior options available but the loons are hellbent on having their dimly lit, dreary yellow lights of their choice. Reason, logic, common sense, human safety and fiscal responsibility are nowhere to be seen.
These comments look like a lot of whining with no proposed alternate solutions. I’m glad we’re actually thinking about more than just ourselves. The turtles deserve it. I grew up in an area where none of the roads were ever lit. I’m still alive and well.
Wake up people the turtle lobby is the third most powerful lobby in Florida. Only the citrus and sugar lobby is stronger (red tide). The money spending residents and tourists don’t count.
Why didn’t your so-called leaders check with Hollywood Beach. They-have white lighting along the beach for years with no harm to the turtles. Another brain storm on the beach. It’s a nightmare to drive on Estero at night. Worry about the people. Just saying.
Norman, as usual you are not wrong. There are other, better options, which the Town Council, Turtle Time, and even FWC have been unwilling to even consider as alternatives. That’s an indisputable fact. The taxpayers and residents deserve better.
This is what happens when you have ill-educated environmentalists running boards like MRTF and yelling in the council’s ear every chance they get. There are better solutions out there, and with the amount of buildings gone on the island, the trespass of light on the beach will be impossible to stop – but these wacko’s don’t care. They just want their amber lights. Your safety doesn’t matter. Workers safety doesn’t matter. Only the turtles that **might** get disoriented matter. I love the turtles too don’t get me wrong, but this is out of control.
I agree with Peter. The Town has failed its #1 obligation, which is to serve and protect its citizens.
These new lights are not something to celebrate because they will be so dim, you may as well turn them all off and at least save the energy.
TLM = Turtle Lives Matter 🐢
Follow the protest movement and buy the T-Shirts now !!
Please remember the safety factor for people walking on Estero after dark,I understand the turtle issue, we need a compromise allowing for the turtles to be safe and people. This solution doesn’t address that