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.
The Mayor is clearly frustrated with having to work with Lee County about lights, bus stops, sidewalks, crosswalks, anything related to Estero Boulevard. He’s now in negotiations with Lee County to try to get the county to contribute funding to install amber lights on Estero Boulevard (see next story).
Murphy made his plea to take ownership of the road at a joint council/public safety committee meeting on Thursday. “I’ve been saying this ever since the town incorporated. It is absurd for the town of Fort Myers Beach not to own Estero Boulevard. We wouldn’t be sitting here having all these discussions, month after month, year after year, if we owned the Boulevard. This town should own Estero Boulevard.”
Estero Boulevard traffic is also on the minds of, not only Murphy, but the entire town council. During their Tuesday meeting, when council member Jim Atterholt asked Lee County Transportation Engineer Rob Phelan about different ways to move people safely across Estero Boulevard and keep the traffic flowing, such as guardrails and walkovers, Atterholt later on in the meeting said Phelan “poo pooed a lot of the ideas.”
Mayor Murphy would prefer not to have the road just yet. “When the county is done bringing it up to the standards that it should have been so many years ago, that’s the time to take Estero Boulevard. I’m going to keep saying it and I know some people don’t agree with me but we wouldn’t be beating up ourselves over all these issues if the town owned it’s own main street. That’s my opinion and I’m sure there’s support for that amongst some other people on the beach.”
Lee County says the Estero Boulevard road reconstruction project cost an estimated $80 million.
The county also owns Lynn Hall Park, Bowdich Park and Crescent Beach where the volleyball courts are.
What Fort Myers Beach needs desperately is a competent, common sense town council! One that is made up of only property owners, not renters! I have never met a fiscally responsible renter yet!
Mayor self appointed Murphy. Meaning only five people vote to have him. Why are you townspeople not voting for your mayor? This man is a joe Biden socialist wannabe. The storm can’t afford to do any major project. This is why they borrow money. They have no money!!!!! Raise parking, give more tickets, this screams we are desperate for funds. Now he wants to own a road they couldn’t afford to pave five hundred feet, if there were a need. Get real Murphy. You are setting a bad precedence for government waste and corruption. You are the reason citizens hate government
It is unrcontionable that we taxpayers should consider buying/owning Estero Blvd. The cost of maintaining the road and the lighting requested by Council is way more than we can afford.
What is to be gained for the taxpayers? Just putting taxpayers further in debt! Seems Lee County may be protecting the taxpayers more than our own Council!
The Mayor is biting off more than he can chew with this idea
The Town Council at the time voted for wider sidewalks instead of a bicycle lane for the first mile on Estero’s reconstruction. And I don’t trust the currant or future Town Councils to make the correct choices about Estero Blvd.
without outside advise for the Lee County.
Remember a pass Town Counsel wanted to put a toll on the San Carlos Blvd/Matanza bridge until they were on informed the State of Florida owns to bridge. And the cost??? In the millions.
Tolls for Estero Blvd and more tax’s.
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