After 6 days of protesting in some of the hottest weather of the year, Rick Loughery is off his garage, vowing to continue to fight for Fort Myers Beach residents from the ground. The Loughery’s have informed us that someone from the Governor’s office will be at their house today at 9AM.
Nothing has changed in terms of his garage. The town’s ruling that the garage was attached to the house stands, therefore the garage must be calculated in the 50% FEMA rules and is subject to the latest storm codes. The garage was built in 2019 and it was built to the proper codes on the books at the time. Since the storm, the zone the Loughery’s live in has changed and the codes are more stringent.
The town has provided the Loughery’s with three options. We shared those options in a story over the we wrote about HERE. There would be no way the town could change it’s ruling now. Not only is the state watching this (and several other high profile homes) closely, but the town does not want to run afoul with FEMA’s flood insurance discount program if something were to happen down the line. And, both Rick and Amy understand that and do not want to put the community at risk.
Rick and his wife Amy are still waiting for one final decision from FEMA, the only agency that could actually overrule the town and allow the Loughery’s to keep their garage. 3 FEMA reps came out to the house last Friday and promised to get back to Rick and Amy with a decision but as of Monday night they had not heard from anyone.
Rick believes his protest highlighted changes that need to be made at Town Hall to help residents get back in their homes faster. Here’s the full statement Rick gave Monday night after coming down from the roof, in front of 50 local residents who came by to show their support.
“Amy and I moved here 22 years ago. We started a business, raised our son, involved ourselves in our community, then retired to finally enjoy the fruits of our labor.
“On Sept 28th our island wasn’t just hit by hurricane Ian, it was decimated and virtually unrecognizable. Some still today, 10 months later, find it hard to visit. We are still mourning the losses of our fellow islanders that Ian took from us.
“The reason for me living on a roof for 6 days was simple. I thought I had an issue with no answer and I deserved one. In reality it wasn’t that simple. My issue was a garage that Ian could not destroy. My team of architects, engineers, planners, and permitters all agreed there was no reason or code that they knew of to require it to be destroyed. But here we are after me spending 6 days on a roof. Like so many islanders, since Ian, Amy and I must figure out how to move forward with our lives. While we love our trailer, building a home takes time. Another year in the trailer is a tough sell.
“As I sat day to day on the roof, the outpouring of love from both islanders and complete strangers was absolutely empowering. You all have given me the strength to stay up there a lifetime. There was a never-ending supply of goodies, drinks, and gifts – like Wilson – to keep me company and helped keep me going.
“I knew when I went up there that I wasn’t the only one on this island struggling. But little did I know how many joined me in similar struggles. As the hours and days went by, the volume of fellow islanders that stopped to tell their stories one by one was nonstop. Our island and our people are still hurting. We all seem to have a battle with one thing or another.
“So how should we move forward? We need change…..
“Our building department needs to be retooled. We need to build a better bridge between our residents and them. No one should feel like they are going to the principles office when they enter Town hall. Builders and business owners should not feel alienated by staff. We should be greeted with love and support and a “can do” attitude. Staff should be helping us through the process every step of the way, not waiting for information to be received, but asking us for it. They should be guiding us through the process instead of residents guessing at what to do. Islanders and former business owners should have a fast-track system to help expedite their return to the island as fast as possible.
“Administrative variances are necessary to help residents get past a 3-6 month wait for items that were pre-existing.
“Builders, architects, and engineers should have a say in how changes are made via a committee or group. No ordinance should be written without first seeking the people most affected to include their concerns. We need a local government that is “for the people”.
“To our State and Federal governments – remember we are still here, and we need you to participate in our rebuild. We need your “can do” attitude.
“Most important is a message to my fellow islanders……Whatever your struggle is, I understand completely! It’s not fair and it hurts every single day. First the storm, then survival after, then insurance woes and then politics. We are all in a battle to find some sort of normalcy.
“We as a town must work together more often to settle our differences and learn to compromise. If we can try to meet in the middle our struggles become easier and everyone can be happy. When we work together we understand diversity and welcome different ideas. Without compromise one side feels like then won while the other side lost. In reality both sides lost. Remember this is OUR island and ALL islanders should matter, not just one group.
“Each of you are FMB! Without you our island won’t be the same! Remember, no matter how hard the struggle is, I am with you 100%. Do not give in, but dig in. This is our home, our community. We are FMBstrong!”
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