Estero Boulevard Lighting

Last week, disappointed by answers he was receiving from consultant Town Lighting, Councilman Dan Allers said he lost confidence in the company. Mayor Ray Murphy agreed. How much did the consultant cost you? We have the answer.

The lighting consultant town manager Roger Hernstadt brought in to help guide the council toward a lighting solution on Estero Boulevard will not be getting any additional town business. Monday was the last straw for this town council.

That discussion will take place Monday at the next Fort Myers Beach town council meeting. It will most likely come up during council member items. It's not on the 93 page council agenda that was released yesterday.

On Tuesday the Lee County Board of Commissioners sent a clear message to the Fort Myers Beach Town Council: If you want to upgrade the lighting on Estero Boulevard you need to pay for it.

This is the first time the Lee County Board of Commissioners will discuss the Estero Boulevard lighting situation since Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy began his negotiations with commissioners.

Those are the words of Fort Myers Beach town councilman Dan Allers regarding the lighting situation on Estero Boulevard. The Michigan woman killed by an alleged drunk driver on January 27th happened at the end of his street.

On Tuesday The Lee County Board of Commissioners voted to award a $2 million contract for street lighting and landscaping on the recently widened section of Alico Road from Ben Hill Griffin Parkway to Airport Haul Road. What about Estero Boulevard?

If you've been to the intersection of Old San Carlos and Estero Boulevard at night you've probably noticed the amber lights above the new traffic signal. There's a growing number of people on the beach who believe these amber lights will eventually be the lights we'll see up and down all of Estero Boulevard. Here's what we know.

Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy wants to take over Estero Boulevard from Lee County. Of course, along with that, comes the upkeep, maintenance and every other cost associated with owning one of the most traveled roads in Lee County. Here's why Murphy wants that road.

Lee County will contribute $1.4 million toward lights on Estero Boulevard. That's the dollar amount the county and the Fort Myers Beach government agreed to as part of the Estero Boulevard road construction project.

On Monday the Fort Myers Beach town council approved a resolution recommending Lee County install amber lighting along Estero Boulevard and authorized the Mayor to coordinate that implementation. Here's what the county had to say about that resolution.

At the Fort Myers Beach Town Council Management & Planning meeting Thursday it was decided that Estero Boulevard should have Amber lights year round. How that becomes a reality could be as complicated as it was to choose which light to use.

Marine Resources Task Force committee member Mary Rose Spalletta does not have rave reviews for the consultant the town hired to come up with a plan to light Estero Boulevard. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Following the 2nd stakeholder's committee meeting last week, Town Lighting, the consultant company the town council is paying to put together a lighting plan for Estero Boulevard, will be making the rounds this week.

The consulting firm charged with putting together a lighting plan for the 6 miles of roadway that make up Estero Boulevard held its second meeting this week with the stakeholders committee. Representatives from Town Lighting say they've now collected data on the current lighting setup and are formulating their plan.

According to Fort Myers Beach Public Works Director Chelsea O’Riley the next stakeholders meeting to discuss the lights on Estero Boulevard will be the second week in May. And she says recomendations from the consultant will be presented.

According to Suzanne Lansford from Town Lighting Engineers, the firm the town is paying to conduct the Estero Boulevard lighting study, their work must be completed by the end of September. And, she said, that's pretty quick for such a big project.