The planned redevelopment of Myerside Resort was well received by a crowd of about 40 people Thursday who showed up at DiamondHead to hear a presentation about the boutique hotel Beverly Milligan and Rolland Weinmann hope to build on the one acre piece of land they own on Estero Boulevard next to the library.
Ken Gallandar, VP of the Neighborhood Company, made the presentation explaining in detail the plans for the new hotel which would sit over a street level commercial area. The proposal is for 42 lodging units with an additional 4 workforce units. Pre-Ian Myerside had 14 cottage units.
Currently Myerside can build 30 lodging units by right and will seek rezoning from the town to gain the additional units. At it’s highest point, the hotel would be 4 stories which would be 45 ft high ground to roof. For a comparison on height, the library, which is across the street, sits at 60 ft high.
The proposal includes 56 parking spots.
Questions from the audience last night centered on infrastructure, landscaping, and proximity to the street. The presenters assured the audience that a capacity analysis would be done to address impact.
There was also a discussion about density and the lack of beds now operational on the beach after Ian. Comments from the audience included praise for the design. Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce President Jackie Liszak complimented the developers for listening to what local residents are saying.
Roz Grady, who attended with her husband Bill, was impressed with the renderings, “We are totally in favor. I’d like to drive by it soon. I like the architectural detail.” Roz went on to say she hasn’t been in favor of others but likes this one.
Longtime local Fort Myers Beach resident Ellen Vaughn commented on the “charming, coastal design” that she says is consistent with the community.
No application has yet been submitted to the town for the Myerside proposal. The next step would be to submit plans to town staff for feedback before eventually going before the LPA and ultimately the Town Council for votes.
Work force housing. I had a duplex that I rented out to the local work force. I’m not allowed to rebuild because of the current code. Developers use the work force housing to try to get more than the code allows. EITHER FOLLOW THE CURRENT CODE OR LET US REBUILD WHAT WE HAD!
There has to be more than what you’ve shares as Post Disaster Build Back is covered in the Comp Plan. You can contact me at Johnking@fmbgov.com
Well I love it! Kudos to the owners/islanders who are doubling down on investment to help rebuild the island. You go!
I am so sorry that I missed the presentation of the planned Myerside Resort. The Neighborhood Company proposal looks amazing and it will ba a welcomed addition to FMB.
Sending my best wishes in hopes of FMB moving forward.
I don’t get a vote since I don’t live on the island. However, my opinion is that it looks very nice, fits in well. I am a little concerned how they can fit all that building. Plus it was 56 parking spots. Seems a little tight, but if they build it, they will come.
Mayor Allers is always eloquent in his responses, especially notable with some of the rudest comments. His response to “Jenny” regarding personal experience residing in subsidized housing was sharing a very personal experience to make a point that would resonate with many. He is willing to take any questions head on and is honest in his responses. He does not bully people by saying, don’t bother responding because I’m done, as if his is the only opinion that matters.
Totally agree with Joe —
No one is against teachers, firefighters, law enforcement etc.,
This is such a small little Island – 2 lane road, all these developments, hundreds of rooms, major traffic problems – no one wants to address that !
We are not some remote island in the middle of no where, there is more than enough housing in either direction – off island !!
Very nice design I can certainly see it just as good with three stories.
After all four stories will be five and so on.
Again, profit should not dictate code.
David, I don’t understand your statement, TPI-FMB is 3 stories over flood so 4 stories.
By commercial, I am speaking to the commercial zoning areas of the island, not any other district.
I say no to any development plan that includes “Work Force Housing” or any construction that requires changes to the current code.
I live on the Island and would like to see more open space and less traffic than what we experienced prior to Ian.
And why does the headliner of this article say “New Planned Myerside Hotel Gets High Marks”. It seems to me that the author of this article is attempting to influence the readers to assume that a majority of Islanders will support the proposed construction. From the comments that I am reading, it seems that the jury is still out.
Everyone at the meeting loved it. That’s why I wrote the headline the way I did. The headline matches the details of the story. There is no opinion in the story.
I’m curious, why opposed to 4 (or any) workforce units?
Al:
Quite a few persons oppose WFH due to their ignorance. Some fail to comprehend that WFH is not the same as “affordable housing” or “Section 8.”
Are you a home owner on the FMB? Whenever there is a comment about Work force housing I always notice you come out calling everyone ignorant that doesn’t agree with it being built on FMB and you usually point to Sanibel as your example. There used to be a woman that would post on Nextdoor as well as BTR and she would also attack anyone that wasn’t on board with building work force housing. It ended up she was just some progressive woman that lived in Georgia that always wanted to portray herself as the smartest person in the room. Meanwhile she wasn’t ever on FMB. She got called out for not being a home owner and then poof, she was gone. I was just curious is you own a home on FMB.
WFH is subsidized housing by most likely a government entity. Is they say… “I’m with the government here to help. You can trust me”.
Just ask a person of Native American Heritage what they think of that!
Looks very nice, but are we just going to build 4 story hotels everywhere on the island? What are we going to do about Newton Park, the pier, sand sculpting festival and other important parts of FMB?
LOL These proposed developments are by private property owners, not the town or county. The pier is LeeCo’s responsibility since it owns the pier.
In addition to TPI-FMB, now another real-life example that 3 stories over flood, 4 stories total, is feasible for commercial redevelopment. Containing our commercial redevelopments to no higher than that would maintain the pedestrian grade feel our founding mothers and fathers envisioned back in the late 90s and early 2000s consistent with our Comp Plan and LDC. For developers to say this height isn’t feasible, in my opinion, is just hogwash to say it politely 😉 Let’s bring on the commercial redevelopment quickly by telling developers to follow the vision our Comp Plan lays out. This would save a lot of time and anguish to right-size developers minds before having to tell them to go back to the drawing board and right-size their projects. Just a waste of precious time towards rebuilding our Town to a funky pedestrian grade beachy island.
Why just commercial Tom why not every property owner on the island, haven’t you got more than most when other through the years where denied.
The problem is it is not the 90’s or early 2000’s…..it is 2023, time to move on with new and better ideas! Modern progress is needed to keep FMB going. Moved forward not backwards…..
Live across the street and I think it’s beautiful. We need that in our area and it’s not blocking anyone’s view. The owners run a good place and never heard any noise coming from Myerside.
Hi Joe,
I did say I met with a couple of developers about housing, but did not say it was on the island. Again, from what I’ve been told by those that do this for a living, it is not a viable solution for on island due to land values. In order to make it work even off island requires financial buy in from more than just a developer.
I have mentioned many properties the town should look at, including the church, if it is available. Not for any specific reason other than to provide opportunities for public spaces. We will hopefully never see another time where so much open land is available, and we would be doing a disservice to the future of our island if we did not at least pursue it.
Dan, your comments on this thread are emotional. Hopefully someone is posting as you and they can be deleted.
It’s quite an audacious claim to suggest that not using taxpayers’ money to acquire land would be a disservice to the island, especially when you, as the Mayor, do not pay property taxes on Fort Myers Beach. This effectively removes these properties from the tax rolls, and it appears contradictory to advocate for such a move while not having any personal stake. It may be perceived as a liberal stance focused on taxing and spending other people’s money based on personal views.
As Mayor, your role is to prioritize and streamline the recovery process, which includes cleanup efforts, permitting procedures, and controlling and reducing the size of Town Hall. Instead of pursuing policies like workforce housing, beach re-nourishment, turtle lights, or the berm system that faced immediate issues, it would be more beneficial to dedicate your time to responding to constituents, ensuring the prompt processing of FOIA requests, and serving the interests of those you represent.
Hi David,
I don’t remember ever saying the funding source being discussed on potential property acquisitions. I simply stated we should explore options to preserve what we can. I’m fully aware of my responsibilities and the things you have listed are just the start of it. I’d be happy to have you spend a day with me to see what goes on every day. To claim I do not have a personal stake in this island or the money I pay to live here does not go to property taxes is ridiculous at best.
You have chosen to not state you name or if you live here or not, so I will assume you do, and based on your comments here I know exactly who you are. You are the same person that feels it necessary to come to town hall and scream and yell at the ladies at the front desk until the town manager has to come ask you to please go outside to discuss your issues. Perhaps next time you’d like to do that you can let me know when you are coming and I will gladly be here to address any concerns you have with me or any of our town staff face to face.
I hope you have a wonderful day and look forward to meeting you in person.
Well said. Mr mayor. I am an off islander who absolutely loves FMB and spend time there 3 or more days a week. You have done a great job. And to say because you are an off islande that you are not invested in the good of FMB is silly. Many off islanders are invested in seeing an amazing recovery. Pay no attention to those who say otherwise.
Love the progress! Keep it coming, the entire island needs to be updated and modernized for the future! Otherwise it will end up an old village, with no tourism dollars coming in.
Looks to me to be similar in height to Margaritaville, 3 stories above “parking”.
I don’t have any problem with the height but wonder about the density on that piece of property. It is a really great beachy design!!!
Looks awesome unlike many of the other proposed projects designed to squeeze as many units as possible into a piece of land without regard for the traffic issues later. This is the type of beach vibe architecture that should be pushed for.
Love the design! Not just a dense sq box! Minimart below would be ideal. Library is just as big so won’t be out of place.
Thank you for designing something within code and making it beautiful! Good luck!
That is not within the code. Tripling the density on a less than an acre to 41 units plus retail. And the height is not allowed by right
You are right why is this being allowed is this just one more of those deals” up to the discression of the permitting department?”
Huh?? Who said this has “been allowed”??
It has to go through staff review and before the LPA, and then to Town Council. And it’s not an automatic approval.
Learn how the process works.
Thank you 🤦🏻♀️
Judy has lived on the island over 30 + years. She should be able to express her opinion… but maybe you could help her out a bit and fly in from Ohio, to teach her the process. I’ll ask her since she lives near me. I’m sure she would be receptive.
Dont know how Beverly plans on funding this when she could barely pay for help at Myerside when it was only 11-13 units. She acted like she could barely pay staff as is.
Big eye-sore in front of the school too.
Also, big question, where will people live? We can rebuild and go bigger, doesnt change the fact we need places to live for those that dont have money.
Do you know what I did when I couldn’t afford what I wanted. I got a second job. Somehow people think it’s someone else’s job to provide them a place to live. Plenty of people commute far distances to work.
You are correct. Most are looking for the easy way. Ya gotta hustle to make what you want/need happen. That’s what I was taught way back when. Shouldn’t be different now.
Instead of worrying about others money, take care of yourself! It sounds like you don’t want others to be successful, but just to give you free money.
WHAT??? People can go 3 miles either way off the island and rent homes that are reasonable. Are you talking about “work force housing”??? You know who else is pushing that??? The Gov of Hawaii and the Mayor of Maui. Ironically they were already pushing it as they walked amongst the ashes. I want to live in Port Royal in Naples but I can’t afford it. Should I demand they build work force housing for me??? When the construction was happening on Estero blvd for 7 yrs we had the workers on the island renting homes. You know what they did? They piled into the homes and when they moved out the homes were destroyed. They drove around late at night blasting rap music and started blasting it at 5:30 am. The crime went up. Stop pushing this Work Force Housing. It’s an agenda that does not belong on this island.
Roran, why does there need to be options on the island for those without money? We are talking about a 7 mile long island and peoples agendas are to have housing options on the island for people who don’t have money or are considered the “work force”. Everyone I know who lives on the island have worked hard to get where they are at and can afford to live on the beach. There are options off island that people can live in, there’s no reason for it to be on the island. I will not support any of the council members who are pushing this agenda for this small island for “work force housing”. It’s a communist government agenda working behind the scenes for this nonsense. Even the previous FMB mayor Anita, has said on Beach Talk Radio she doesn’t know where this work force housing agenda is coming from, and that this is the new buzzword. Work force housing is a rebranded term of low income housing. Go ahead and bring on the low income Coexist hippy BS. Maybe Lani Kai can open up some rooms for the “work force”.
Workforce housing is not the same as affordable housing or low income housing. All three of those types are defined by a percentage of LeeCo’s AMI.
The income cap for a single person is ~$80k. How sad you have such a negative view of schoolteachers, firefighters, law enforcement, and others who fall into that salary range.
You defend this and say the same talking points over and over. Do you think the best argument is to guilt people into agreeing to WFH by attacking anyone who disagrees and claiming we have low opinions of teachers, law enforcement and fire fighters? The town or the church would set the requirements. You usually use Sanibel as your example. Do you honestly think that the only people that will be allowed to live in this work-force-housing is school teachers, firefighters and law enforcement? Well, FMB has 10 teachers, how many fire fighters? 10? law enforcement? There are only a handful assigned to the island. So let’s say 5. So that would be 25 people. Do you think that all of them want to live on FMB? That baptist church’s deal was that they were going to have 35-40 units. So who would live in extra units? So IF there are income limits, that is the CAP, that is not the low end. So that means people living 100% on welfare will qualify. So it would be literally section 8 housing. There are plenty of Sec 8/affordable/low income housing complexes in Lee County. We all know them because we read about the shootings at them all the time. Clearly you have “progressive” thinking like Veach/Allers. Let’s see how many other owners on FMB find that an attractive option. Go watch videos on Youtube and listen to Gov Green in Maui literally walking around and saying “I am going to aquire the land so we can build work force housing and a memorial’. Isn’t that interesting that he is using the same language as what is being thrown around here? Luckily the Hawaiian are wise enough to realize this is a land grab and are fighting back. Please do not bother responding because I will not respond again. I find this exhausting to listen to someone trying to defend WFH when clearly they want to push an agenda.
Hi Jenny,
I’m not sure how you are concluding I’m pushing some work force housing agenda. If you have listened to anything I have said you’d know that is not true. Have I stated I believe affordable housing is needed, yes. However, I have also stated that I am no expert in making that work, but have talked to those that are, and they agree it is not feasible on the island. Land is simply to expensive to make it work. There are far better solutions throughout Lee County that can work.
You seem to demean anyone that would have to live in an affordable housing solution as section 8 and relate those living there to criminals. Do you honestly believe every person that cleans the hotel rooms you stay in (or maybe even your house), washes the dishes after you’ve dined, parked your car when you go out to eat, shoveled sand in Times Square after a Hurricane, protects our streets, puts out the fires, delivers your Amazon packages, and the list goes on and on are involved in the shootings or other crimes you referred to? Those are the income levels it would help. I’m not saying there are not bad apples, but I’ve witnessed many affluent people that are far worse criminals.
I’m going to take a wild guess and say you’ve never lived in subsidized housing. I have. I can assure you paying for something with a food stamp, or not inviting your friends over to where you live is the most demoralizing, embarrassing, humiliating, and life changing feeling I have ever had. Because people look down at you as a criminal or someone that doesn’t work hard or as poor trash. But, I can assure you the vast majority that are there are there for one reason or another, some beyond their control at the time. Maybe they are just starting their career, recently divorced and starting over with their children, special needs and that’s all they can afford because of it, or chose a profession to give back and make a difference. Whatever the reason, I can also tell you the majority living in these situations likely will out work those that are fortunate enough to not live there, and be the first ones to step up and help rather than complain when things are not going their way. All because they do not want to be there either, but will work their butts off to prove it.
I certainly respect your opinion, but do not agree with it.
For some reason I couldn’t reply to Allers reply, so I’m doing so here. The workforce housing agenda was started before Hurricane Ian. I seem to remember Allers had met with several builders about a housing project on the island. Here is an article about it. I encourage everyone to read it.
https://www.fortmyersbeachtalk.com/2022/05/12/town-council-explores-workforce-housing/
I believe Allers recently in a meeting brought up the idea of acquiring the chapel property to turn into workforce housing or was that another council member? There’s nothing against the firefighters, teachers, law enforcement, or other typical groups that liberals want to say you are against if you don’t support workforce housing. If you research areas that have the work force housing, low income, section 8 you will see it has a higher crime rate. Certainly agree with the comment there are bad apples in any group of society but you can see there are more problems in areas where these types of housing are located. Is the truth and facts being racist or biased?
The article below by Joe highlights the consistent support for workforce housing by both current and past council members, along with their stance against the 2000+ short-term rental property owners through increased fees and fines. These actions are perceived as aligning with left-leaning ideologies of redistribution. Veach had initially hoped that the revenue from these questionable fees and fines would fund liberal projects, but now that many small businesses have been negatively impacted, the council appears to prioritize larger developers. The suggestion of reducing council terms from four to two years is put forth, citing the potential for corruption and influence peddling on this relatively small, 6-mile island due to extended terms.
WOW! Looks beautiful!