The Bay Oaks Recreational Campus Advisory Board is meeting Wednesday, September 16th at noon. Representatives from Opulent Design will be at the meeting (by zoom) to discuss the new pool proposed for Bay Oaks. The public is invited to attend. Beach Talk Radio will stream the meeting live.
The cost of the pool has not been made public. CBDG-DR grant money (from HUD), which is managed by Lee County, will cover the cost to build the pool. Vice Mayor Scott Safford told Beach Talk Radio he was told the estimate for the pool is $4.675 million.
The construction price for the pool does not include ongoing maintenance that the community will have to pay for. The town did not yet have those monthly estimates. The town is also anticipating the pool will generate some revenue. They’ve projected $60,000 in revenue in 2027. Safford says the town would also need to find an additional revenue source for tables, beach chairs, umbrellas, etc. Anything to set around the pool.
A waterpark theme with lots of cool slides and pool will attract. Also, coffee, ice cream and eatery would be huge. Plenty of parking.
Just a thought… Places like mville and diamondhead do a great business letting people use their pools for the day by adding music and service cocktails. Can services like that be added to the pool? I think it would change the arithmetic quite a bit.
How about those who want the pool agree to make up any annual deficits from the pool come from your pockets and not from those opposed? I believe those opposed will not be using the pool. Should their pocketbook be held accountable for your wants? How important is the pool to you now?
Town needs to make some tough decisions – need to sell off assets and figure out how to have amenities that are not money pits . Might consider privatizing things like community pool and mooring fields – prices will rise dramatically as they should for those who want to use them . One can’t park an RV for under $100 yet you can park your boat and have access to amenities for a fraction of that ??? Makes no sense .
Days of Big Govt and Big spending need to come under control . With 7 miles of beach , town doesn’t “need” a pool , some may “want” a pool . Needs and wants are entirely different .
Town of Fort Myers has some nice underutilized, affordable public pools if someone so desires .
After hurricane Ian, this Island will never be the same. The only way it can be “salvaged” now, unfortunately, is through BIG corporations and all those TALL buildings who can afford the FMB resurrection and yearly up keep, like the Margaritaville type major projects.
There Will Be MORE Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, and/or just typical bad weather with Storm Surge flooding because of the horrible storm drain design on Estero Blvd. It’s inevitable and Who is going to keep paying for it ? These long time residents who can’t afford it every year ? The true answer : NO, it’s the deep pockets of all those billionaire corporations of those high rise hotels and condos owners to get their businesses up and running again ! All those small town quant memories of FMB 🏝️ are over now. SO, quit whining and fighting the inevitable, and start embracing the island change of the next : MINI – MIAMI 👍, cause it WILL happen, sooner or later !
Even if the grant pays to build the pool, we can’t afford the ongoing costs. Times have changed. I appreciate those saying they want it back but the bottom line is that we already have the rest of bay oaks, the mound house and the mooring field bleeding us dry. We can’t afford to add another financially negative asset to the list.
Four years without a Ft Myers Beach community pool! I’ve been counting. I do not have a private pool. We used the previously one a lot. Bought an annual pass and will buy another one. Just build the pool please.
Being handicapped post surgical complications I am unable to climb over the dunes to get to the beach. Handicapped beach wheelchairs need someone to push them. This has been taken away from me, please give the pool back.
The new pool needs to be more amazing than what is offered at local condos and hotels. If there are slides and other interesting features, I think it will be used.
It appears the town of FMB is already broke from what I’ve read…. What do the half a million dollar consultants think about this project?
The renderings look beautiful but does the town really need this? I cannot see how this could ever be profitable, let alone break even.
I am a full time resident who has grandchildren that visit yearly. They are very excited to see the pool back. Well worth the price of admission!
We used the old pool and paid a yearly membership to do that. Many people used that facility, I believe they paid a membership as well. The proposed pool would be a great community addition.
Let’s not let this opportunity slip away.
The real question should be do we need it? Haven’t had it for four years. This is becoming a resort style town with all the new homes being built for rental and many homes have pools, I don’t think those renters go to the beach and I don’t think they would go pay to sit in a pool.
And if you want that trend to continue, so that there are NO families left on the island and none want to move back, keep advocating for not having a community pool.
Agree. That’s a whole lot of money to spend on a pool that could be wiped out with a water surge and requires more money to be fixed. It’s too bad there’s not a huge, beautiful beach close by to enjoy!
Why ask? The town has already proven that it can’t budget, can’t perform adequately under emergency conditions, and won’t thoroughly enforce restrictions. Why would anyone think the pool would ever brak even?
And another thing that can happen. Who pays for all this spending in the end. The people who want the money spent are obviously not the folks who wind up paying. The freeholders of property pay. If the debits overpower the credits and assets, the voters can vote by referendum for dissolution of the Town. If that doesn’t fly and the County or State get hold of the issue, the Town will be dissolved. The debts and liabilities are assigned to the County. The County can then start a special tax district and impose the costs and interest back on the freeholders that caused the problem. Then, we’ll all pay. If you are still wondering, read this article from the Fklorida Bar, https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/the-dissolution-of-the-town-of-cedar-grove/ . If you can’t get past the first paragraph, you probably shouldn’t be allowed to vote.
Here’s a thought…if Lee County wants to construct a pool on Fort Myers Beach, Lee County should manage it.
And if the pool does not proceed how would options be determined, not another study, I hope there is a backup plan. Lee and Charlotte County do have some nice community pools how do they make them work?