Less than 24 hours after 134 sandbags were put behind Building #2 of the Leonard Arms condo building, their sea wall collapsed. The area behind that building has been battered by high tides and storms and is in dire need of renourishment.
A portion of the parking lot collapsed back in March and the condo association has been putting band aids on the problem as they wait for the major beach renourisment project to begin. The problem with that is Fort Myers Beach’s $23 million beach renourishment project is not slated to begin until the Summer of 2023. That’s at least one full hurricane season, and many high tides away. And, in case you’re keeping score at home, the rainy season is officially underway.
Leonardo Arms Community Association Manager Tim Baggett told Beach Talk Radio News the association is also working through the process to get a new seawall approved.
Just to get the sandbags approved, it took six months. The permit process with the State of Florida to get the temporary fix started back in November of 2021. The sandbag project was expected to be completed by today. That was before the sea wall collapsed. The association originally requested approval for 204 sandbags but the state cut that back to 134 due to the possibility of turtles nesting in the area.
The sand and the bags cost about $160,000. There are 60 residents in building 2 of Leonardo Arms. The paid the entire amount through a special assessment.
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