When the town of Fort Myers Beach staff considers whether to recommend approval or denial to the Local Planning Agency and Town Council they have no idea how to apply public benefit the developer may be offering in their recommendation. Public benefit is very subjective and the Town Council and LPA have yet to clearly define what public benefit they want.
What may have been a public benefit for a developer to negotiate with before Ian may no longer be the same after Ian. What may be a public benefit to residents on the south end of the island may not be the same as it is on the north end. What may be a public benefit to one LPA member may not jive with two members of the Town Council.
Public benefit is completely subjective. And that makes it somewhat challenging for post-Ian developers. How can they include public benefits in their proposal when they have no idea what the town expects from them? And, developers watch all the town meetings. They’ve seen the LPA vote one way and the Town Council ignore their recommendation and vote the other way.
Last month the LPA met for three hours to try to start the process of prioritizing public benefit. On November 13th, the LPA and Town Council have tentatively set a joint meeting to discuss the topic. One goal is to give town staff clear direction when looking over development proposals where public benefit needs to be considered when developers are asking for more than they are allowed by right.
Another goal is to give developers clearer direction on what they should be pitching to get more. Is it a beach access, a view corridor, a restaurant, the economic benefit , public restrooms, etc. The town will also have to decide how much value they place on each public benefit and how much weight to give each of them. Do they do it on a point system? And what does a developer get in return? Does a developer get 2 extra floors for offering public restrooms? Does a developer get 10 extra floors for donating land?
Public comment from the residents will be taken during the 8:30AM joint meeting on the 13th.
Are the words public benefit written into the LDC or is this a magic thing that is made up to get more height ?
Can’t find it in the building LDC
I know a public view corridor is written in the LDC.
Not trying to be funny but looking for that section of the LDC
We need people on the island we all agree. If the multiple condo’s sitting empty can get rebuilt as a priority over new developments, we will have thousands of ppl rushing back to live in full time in their condo, rent a unit, or vacation in their timeshare! Anything the town can do to move this along would be so appreciated. Us snowbirds are helpless to do anything especially if your board is not communicating. It has to be quicker to fix the problems of a condo already built then starting a development that could take 5 years to complete! Ppl will return to their condo and spend money happily at bars and restaurants at FMB they love.
The problem with many condos is several were contracted by companies that took on several structures at the same time without manpower and equipment to work continuously on all at the same time. This has the contractor jumping from structure to structure delaying anticipated completion of all.
When all the present condos are up and running they will support the local stores and restaurants just like they always have. Don’t use the argument that high rises are needed to support FMB! They are not wanted or needed!
I guess I am in a different mindset. If the committees want some public benefit for every property that’s asking a lot. We are owners of a timeshare that has been on FMB for many years… a not for profit. We are trying to rebuild what we had but meeting new building codes/requirements and setbacks has certainly change things. Just as many homeowners have experience the updated building codes and have had difficulties trying to rebuild we are too. We would not contribute more traffic that we did previously. We are all there for a short time spending money, enjoying the beautiful beach and the many restaurants and retailers. PLEASE allow us to retain our little slice of heaven… we hope our ownership in this beach town would be appreciated too.
Build back what you had, nothing more.
There are 10 times the number of residents posting on BTR than what showed up at the last council Q&A held at Fresh Catch. Nothing will change until you get in their face just as the developers are doing.
Totally agree, there is never going to be a public benefit. Just call it what it is, A Developer’s Benefit increasing their bottom line. The benefit homeowners will get on Ft Myers Beach is more traffic, strained infrastructure, higher taxes, more environmental concerns, less natural habitat.
The town has lost 4 vehicles now in the past couple months. 3 trucks from Milton and having staff driving through flood waters during the storms and totaling out. And one more being stolen due to mismanagement
Ok town… Has anyone seen any plans for the proposed “public parks” developers want to offer?
Infrastructure contributions are the best public benefit to me. Everyone uses the water, electricity and roads. Since Helene our water pressure has dropped significantly for all on my street. There’s a cost to make improvements and insure future water flow.
Tried to leave a comment early this morning reply to Mike Catanzarite but don’t see it. Nothing inappropriate. I am a full time resident. Grandparents bought here in 1950, parents built in 1968 and me since 1995 when I inherited their home. So I have seen many changes. My main concern is the feeling that full resident’s are being out-numbered by Airbnb, leases and rentals, resorts etc. Don’t get me wrong I love seeing the island alive with tourists. Happy people on vacation. But the benefits should also be considered for us also. The substantial increase in people during season makes it harder to take care of everyday living like getting to unexpected doctor appointments, time consuming lines at our one grocery store, and trips to off island like banks and big box stores. It seems like adding more tourists attractions like entertainment, shops, restaurants, resorts and bars would only add to the existing problems we have like storm drains, sewer lines low water pressure and of course traffic.
I love my FMB and know it will change but hoping it won’t become the wall to wall buildings and just another playground for tourists.
Island need more short term lodging (motel/hotel rooms), especially on the south end, not so much more condos. That is a benefit, especially for restaurants, stores and other businesses.
The town council needs to do away with the short term rental restrictions on the island. We have restrictions put in place from 22 yrs ago that limit some properties to monthly and others are weekly. Those people that demanded their street be monthly are most likely dead or have moved away and we are still living with their rules. These rules affect the value of a home as well as affect how long it sits on the market. Ask any Realtor if monthly restrictions affect the property value and they will say yes. People don’t realize this until they go to sell and no one wants to buy their home because it is on the monthly street. Town Council needs to fix this NOW. Ask Dan Allers why he won’t allow this to be changed. He is a renter so he doesn’t care that this poor decision affects the homes. values.
How about doing away with all rentals. I bet other full time residents would agree.
What a bright idea Steve! If that happens you might as well kiss all the island businesses goodbye. You must not like business and restaurant owners. Then might as well just make the island a nursing home because nursing home residents don’t go out to eat and shop at the local stores and restaurants.
Ya, like no one comes here from off the Island.
Sounds like you purchased property knowing it was in a monthly zone… or should have.
Dean I did know that it was a monthly rental street because my realtor told me that it was more desirable to not have weekly rentals. However, she failed to tell me that when you try to sell it, it will be worth less and will sit on the market longer and have less people interested. I had no idea how much it affects the price of homes. So for the people that made that decision 22 yrs ago, they have cost all future owners a lot of money. As I said earlier, most of the people that demanded this rule to be put in place are so old that they would be either dead or have moved away. Now we live with their poor decision. Town council seems to be ready to make changes to accomodate the rebuild so developers are happy but town council (especially Allers) are not interested in helping out home owners that want their home to be changed to a weekly rental. Older people tend to say they don’t want vacationers next to them but what they don’t realize is that the vacation rental owner has 3 chances of complaints and they lose their license. But if an annual renter moves in and they are bad neighbors, no one is going to lose a license and they will get to stay. Calling the Sheriff is useless because they will do nothing during the day and after 10pm they have to see it with their own eyes or they will do nothing. I would rather have a vacationer next to me than an annual renter any day.
I would rather have a more stable monthly renter than a weekly renter that only came down to party. I moved here to live as a full time resident and not to run my home as a rental business
Employees told me someone stole the mooring fields enforcement boat this week due to lack of oversight from upper management. I’ll pass it to the news if you don’t want to report on it. Just figured your the go to with beach news
Public benefit is following the comp plan!!! The so called public benefit allows the developers to ask for more height density intensity. Once you ask for more the benefit is for the developers not the residents regardless of what they offer.
Do individual home owners that have to rebuild have to provide public benefit? If I were walking down a side street and had a desperate need for a bath room, could I knock on door and ask to use the restroom?
Private enterprise is different than pubic orient. There are few public benefits that a private enterprise can offer as a public benefit. Yes, raise the building and passersby can see the gulf. But the real reason to raise the building is to attempt to beat nature to the punch and be above the storm surge and thus less damage to the building.
Public paid beach access parking is the most important public benefit to me. Similar to what Margaritaville did with the “Wastin’ Away” public paid beach access for both the town and public benefit should be a public benefit for all large developments on the beach side. Accessibility for ALL (with and without mobility issues) is important as some are not able to walk or bike the island however are able to drive. Let’s continue to focus on being INCLUSIVE rather than exclusive for ALL to enjoy our beautiful beach.
Describing a public benefit is as subjective as former Justice Potter Stewart’s answer to what is pornography: “I know it when I see it.”
Obviously this TC could care less about public benefit…they have now set a precedent for all developments to get approved….
Agree town council could care less about residents..it’s only what is for their own good..I suspect pay offs
Agree. Only Dan really cares about the residents and providing public benefit. The others will vote for any big development. That was made clear with Myerside vote and Seagate vote.
Steve I see you post on this platform all the time and I know you always defend Dan. While I respect your opinion, I can tell you that there are a lot of people I know that do not think he is doing a good job. He was re-elected because Ed gives him a platform weekly so everyone knows him so they voted for him because he is familiar to them. I just can’t see what he has done to improve things on the beach since he was in office. The quality of life has gone down. Our homes have gone down in value by a lot. The garbage and construction debris is still piled up. Our traffic is still terrible and will only get worse. Our water is still dirty brown. The permit process is still horrible. There are still dead trees all over the island that need to be removed. Other than being a “nice guy”, I just don’t see how he has helped our quality of life. I’m hoping now that he is re-elected he spends more time on other things to actually improve the island and stop focusing on sand and turtle lights.
Do you think the Island was better off under Ray Murphy and Roger Hernstadt? After Ian they disappeared, and did nothing for the Island or the residents. Dan was here sun up to sun down picking up the pieces and helping wherever he could. He has done more to support the residents than any other town council member ever has. You can hate on him all you want. I don’t agree with him on some issues, but he has my respect.
I didn’t like Ray but I think there are more qualified people than Dan. The others were “no where to be found” because all of them lost their homes and were dealing with the damage. Dan is a renter so his landlord would be dealing with the damages. That allowed Dan to park himself at Buttonwood and accept donations. I don’t recall Dan doing anything other than sit behind the counter. Even Byron Donalds our Rep. was there working. What physical work was Dan doing “picking up the pieces” as you said??? I must have missed that. You are free to like him but I am just saying he is not qualified and we will see what he doessince the election is over. My bet is now he will now start to vote for every condo complex.
Public benefits would contribute to the infrastructure on the beach, like sewer and drainage; my storm drain is only 6 inches around
I’ve said it a million times, you can’t have “subjectivity” in govt process. It just creates litigation. There are rules in place and they were in place when these developers purchased their land.
So they either knew and didn’t care. Or they knew with enough $$ and the right connections, the rules wouldn’t be an issue for them. Council changes, LPA members change, so this BS called “a public Benefit” will also change as everyone has a different view. That’s why regulations are put in place, they stay the same no matter who’s in charge.
With that said, residence had a chance to vote change (knowing council members running for re-election views on this) and they kept it the same.
As a permanent resident of FMB, the traffic issues already are borderline unattainable and In season Estero Blvd is a parking lot. Not sure how we survive with 3 or 4 more large resorts.
And that doesn’t even bring up infrastructure issues like water, drainage, sewer and electric.
Totally agree! And, ever since Milton our water pressure has been horrible and we’re only in a little 1200 sq ft house. Can you image what water pressure and related utilities will be like with increased density?!?!
Cap building height to 4 or five stories. Reduce density and increase public transportation to reduce congestion and traffic. The free market will encourage develoburst to create benefits thus improving their properties. Strict rules will reduce Is favoritism.
Many great points made here. Speaking as a former tourist, who is now a snowbird up in Englewood, the big draw for Fort Myers Beach has always been restaurants ,bars , entertainment ,shops, and of course, the beach. Off island parking with shuttles to alleviate traffic congestion should be a priority.Being able to just walk to all these places and not drive is a huge advantage over other places. Public restrooms should be provided by new projects, especially if they’re near beach access.
Change the comprehensive plan to allow more height, say 8 stories and a slight increase in density. Then eliminate the variance process. Problem solved, developers know the code with the mafia like process gone (hey nice land ya got here, too bad you can’t build on it) and the public benefit is built in.
You must be a developer, because there isn’t a resident I know that would want 8 stories buildings on the Island. Why don’t we look at Sanibel’s plan? It works for them and it keeps the charm of their island in tact. I’ve never seen FMB look so uninviting like it does now. We are not going to be able to control the weather to our benefit, so we should be a develop at your own risk Island. The traffic alone is the problem. Especially when rebuilding. The bigger the buildings, the longer it will take to build them and that means development traffic for years to come. If you can’t build on your land then do what so many middle class and lower households have been forced to do. Sell and move on to safer land. Why should you as developers get a break when so many others have had a much harder time just trying to put their homes on stilts?
The flood insurance costs alone makes it almost impossible for them. So be grateful you can afford it and hope the company doesn’t drop you when it’s time to pay up. Like so many still not able to rebuild since Ian.
Plenty of residents are pro development and have no issues with height. It’s an emotional response and nothing else.
It’s gonna happen and discussions like this are simply for entertainment purposes only.
Enjoy the ride!
Dave and K, Yes, height and density is an emotional issue, but the Town became a Town to keep height and density to a minimum and the Comp Plan was developed for that reason.
Did it happen in sanibel or Captiva? No. The only way it can happen is if 3 council members vote yes. People have an emotional response due to council members not holding their ground, not negotiating, and allowing way more than what the towns original goal is, not the size of a building. Are you a resident homeowner full time?
Some would argue that coming to Christ is an emotional response and those discussions are for entertainment purposes only. I believe differently.
Shawn, there are plenty of residents that do have issues with height and your response was emotional.
Speak for yourself please
NO!!!
Free airport shuttles from the major airports for all residents, other visitors, and resort goers. Promote no car needed, and support local bike and golf cart rentals. The free trolley should go from Santini plaza to Times Square. Like Dean said the biggest public benefit would be to alleviate traffic.
I was told the free tram cannot go any further south due to a speed limit increase.
Who and why would they increase the speed limit,? That’s just crazy. In reality speed is 2-5 mph. If we are going to be pedestrian/bike friendly, it should be 25 island wide
We come and visit the island we love it and stay at the lighthouse. And love walking up and down the streets but if I need to stop and use the bathroom I have to find one right away.
So I hope there will be public bathrooms in the area.
Am I worried about the high rises places yes we don’t need a Miami or Naples Beach. But I do think houses should be on stilts too.
Do you have any idea how much maintenance public bathrooms in a hotel or store entail? I worked in a store in Santini Plaza years ago, and because the law said we had to open the bathroom up to the public, I was abhorred at what I had to clean up almost everyday as a saleslady. It was disgusting. Also, being a part of a town committee in the past, we tried to put bathrooms on beach accesses and the homeowners on the Island would not have it. Maybe it’s time for the town to revisit the idea, since most of those homeowners unfortunately lost those homes. Just like the politicians of Florida do, the developer’s promises will be ignored for years. I’m still waiting for Margaritaville to show us how they have helped the public. A crossover that people fail to use, a pool that costs too much to spend a day at or even an hour at, a traffic light that causes more problems with traffic than it’s worth? Screw them and what they say they are going to do for the public. Keep the plan at Fema’s requirements, invest in good insurance and enjoy the profits you will make. Why the greed?
Well said.
Like this last election, the people in charge are, (not all) not listening to the people. We own a time share next to Diamond Head, and it looks like we might have to sell. We live in Fort Myers, and this is true. We are not going to support F. M. beach or anything to do with it. Have no fear FM beach people, our taxes are paid and a tough road to our piece of the beach is getting out of reach. Careful what you ask for.
Would you want a bunch of public restaurants around your neighborhood? People forget FMB is also a neighborhood and a town people call home, all year.
One of the most important public benefits today, ( as you mentioned “Public Benefit” a moving target,) is getting the businesses of the island up and running again and bringing revenue so that the island does not die. Residents need not only a place to call home but a community of business and resources that will support the island. We are two years from Ian and only two small but important new business builds. A project like the red coconut will take years to build and start bringing in the much needed revenue.
Public benefit has a voice not just naysayers. Let them build higher, new beach new rules. Time for CHANGE
I didn’t hear public benefit say anything, only you.
And even with the public benefits they may offer, they should not be allowed higher than any build ing that is within a certain distance.
Shellmound man. Totally agree with above comment by Dean. Also I dont care If they overpaid for the red coconut, no on these super highrises.
Totally agree! Plus, it’s not the residents of FMB problem to make sure the developers have a quick ROI on their investment.
NOTHING that benefits a resort, its employees or patrons is a public benefit to the rest of the island. The greatest public benefit is alleviating traffic congestion… but that’s just my opinion.
Totally agree!