Last week Lee County Manager Dave Harner attended the Let’s Go FMB pier presentation made by Allen Shanosky. After the meeting we interviewed Harner and asked him where the pier was on the county’s priority list of projects.
BTR: Where do we stand with getting the pier replaced?
Harner: Right now we have to go through a process with FEMA to get reimbursement. We do paperwork, they do an inspection, then we do additional paperwork. We have a consultant that makes sure we cross all our t’s and dot our i’s when we put the paperwork in. It then gets reviewed, it comes back to the county to make sure everything is correct and then it goes back to the Fed’s. They currently have it now. Through that they determine how much they will reimburse us for that. Also we’ll be talking about resiliency when we talk about that component as well. You don’t want to have to rebuild this if there’s another event.
BTR: Is the pier 100% reimbursable?
Harner: We don’t know that yet but our assumption is that it will be.
BTR: The pier is a big deal to the people of Fort Myers Beach. When do you think it can be started?
Harner It takes a while because you have to go through the permitting process. The discussion of on average it takes 4 years. I am not sure how long this one will take. I assume it will take years because you have to deal with a number of permitting agencies, state and federal when you’re dealing with waterways. So that could take some time. Our goal is as soon as we get the reimbursement, as soon as we get the OK that we are good to move forward with this, and depending on public comment. We’ll have a workshop with our board and have that discussion. They want to move quickly. It’s an iconic piece in the community and the board wants to ensure that’s back for our community.
BTR: Four years from the storm or from some other date?
Harner: That’s hard to say. I can’t really tell you right now. Permitting takes awhile. When you build a road it takes 10 years. I don’t think it’s gonna take that long for this but you do have a lot of permitting agencies to go through. There’s two components to it; are you building the same footprint, if you’re increasing that footprint that changes and that changes with the permitting process because you’re not putting back what you originally had or where it was. That would be a consideration we all have to take into account.
BTR: The presentation you saw from Let’s Go FMB. Does the county take any of this input or do you have your own people that are putting plans together?
Harner: I took notes. It’s always good to hear what the community is saying. Typically when we build something we have community input. It depends on what the movement is to move forward. If we’re going to expand the pier you would definitely want to take public input on what that will look like as opposed to if you are going to put it back the way it was. That’s a discussion of permitting, funding, time, all those parameters you want to consider when you’re doing that.
BTR: What’s the ETA on repairing the bathrooms in Lynn Hall park?
Harner: Right now we can’t build back the restrooms the way they were so you can’t have that structure unless it’s up in the air. If you’ve been to Bunche Beach you know how high the restrooms are. Probably not going to happen out there. We would be looking at putting a nice trailer out there that you could remove. We can’t build the restroom back on the causeway that used to be there. we have to put something else there. Our goal is to have nicer than what is currently there.
The design of the Pier is also important, there should be a restaurant/ Tiki bar etc at the end of the pier. That way funds can be generated for future pier repair. There are many piers designed with food and entertainment along the Florida coast and they are very popular.
The pier was nice to see and someday it will be rebuilt. There are a lot of other things that the county is focusing on. It’s not like it was unique. Every beach town in the country has a pier. I never heard of anyone who vacationed on the beach because of the pier. Most people from town come to eat, drink, swim, or walk the beach. Naples is rebuilding their pier in the same footprint, and probably had insurance on the old one. FMB aint Naples. Four years would be fine because no new hotels will be built before then and the town apparently has no idea what to do with Times Square, so no one knows if the pier is staying where it was.
Times Square is not up to the Town — there are multiple property owners.
Bring back the Pier in a year ( or less)
How is Naples building back, similar situation but FMB pier will take 4 years and the Naples pier is already under construction. Recently read this in the local news.
“Naples City Council members voted to keep the pier’s classic look as reconstruction begins, and rebuild the construction stand at the midpoint area. Also staying the same, the location of restrooms and showers, and the length of the pier.”
The pier will be pay by itself with the sale tax generate by thousand of locals and tourists that come to visit the pier every single day.
The people of southwest florida is looking for Entertaining after going through such us difficult years with the pandemia first and now Ian… let’s
Give a happy moment to this community
I’m reading that most want it now, and that all want it 100% reimbursed from federal funds. That raises the question of how does this support wanting less government and lower taxes? Doesn’t this counter our conservative voting choices?
No Glen, we conservatives prefer to continue sending $223 million a day to Ukraine since Feb ‘22. And the feds to continue paying room/board and food along with cash stipends to non citizens who don’t pay taxes.
hahaha. Well said.
Where’s Ron De Sanctimonious? Big help as usual.
Agreed- cut ALL THE RED TAPE NONSENSE- GET PIER REBUILT ASAP-
Get the Yellow Army on it! We could raise a couple million in a couple of weeks!
I agree 100%. The Yellow Army has done amazing things and there will be $$ raised in no time. The kicker will be who will take over the pier after that. Will Lee County? Will they be reimbursed for the pier by FEMA and be able to use that money somewhere else if we raise the money to build it back?
Just keep in mind that Mexico Beach was hit by Michael in 2018. They STILL have not made it through the FEMA process.
Thanks to Let’s Go FMB – GREAT work on the Pier – well done, brilliant way to jump start the process . Hats off to Allen , the committee for getting PIER project high on priority list for Lee county
The one comment I picked up on was made of BTR. “The pier is a big deal to the people of Fort Myers Beach.” I know Ed its probably a typo, because as you know the pier was/is important to people of all of FM not just FMB. Additionally the pier is important to tourist as well. While it may not be the sole reason for their visit. It certainly enhances their visit.
I am not a resident of Florida but visit Fort Myers Beach 4 to 5 times a year for the past 22 years. The Fort Myers Beach pier is one of our favorite places to go to watch the sunset. I disagree with it only enhances the visit. My wife and I have been to Florida 5 times since Hurricane Ian but have yet to visit Fort Myers Beach. I am sure that many people feel the same way especially with Time Square, not there.
I just want to add that my wife and I did plan on moving to Florida once I retired. The problem was that my wife never expected me to retire at 50. We do still plan to move there once we no longer have to care for her father. I very much hope that Fort Myers Beach is back to some kind of normalcy. Fort Myers Beach is my happy place in life and have never thought of living anywhere else in Florida. Being there as much as we have kinds makes it already feel like home, that may very well be why we haven’t gone there for the last year. Just don’t want to see the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. I completely believe that with the proper advertising campaign across the country Fort Myers Beach could come up with the money to rebuild the pier on the same footprint as before. The bigger problem would be getting Lee county to relinquish control of the pier to Fort Myers Beach.
Permitting seems to be the “ excuse”. Keep documenting the opinions of Lee county residents and visitors!! Maybe they will see the huge benefit of rebuilding sooner than later?! Bring back the FMB PIER !
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