After a Hurricane delay followed a confusing September 23rd meeting about whether they should be on the agenda, owners of the Estero Island Beach Club will finally get their first public hearing to rebuild on Monday. The two EIBC buildings were destroyed by Hurricane Ian and eventually demolished. The property is right next door to DiamaondHead Resort.
The Monday Town Council meeting will include the first of two public hearings for EIBC and it is expected to be a well-attended meeting and somewhat controversial.
The Local Planning Agency approved the project by a vote of 5-2 last month. Why will the meeting be controversial? If the 10-story building is approved, it will be the tallest building built on Fort Myers Beach since incorporation back in 1995. And, while EIBC is not asking for more units than it had before, some residents on Fort Myers Beach will object to the height of the building.
LPA Chair, former Mayor Anita Cereceda was one of the no votes. “I don’t feel like we have truly vetted this concept of going 10 stories. These concepts need to be more fully vetted. Everyone is going to come in now and request this height deviation” LPA member Doug Eckmann also voted against. “The public is not ready for these higher buildings just yet.”
Estero Island Beach Club was built in 1981. It’s a time-share building with 75 units with approximately 2,200 to 2,300 owners, some having multiple weeks of ownership in the building. Being a timeshare with thousands of owners means 75 units have to be built back or the property would have to be sold off. Prior to Ian, EIBC was 2 buildings. One building was 2 stories, the other was 3 stories. However, 10 units in one of the buildings were built over the 1978 Coastal Construction Control Line which means EIBC has less buildable property than they had before September 28, 2022. They say they also have to rebuild more spacious units to comply with ADA requirements. Some in the community have argued that the units do not have to be as big as they are now proposing and that may slice off some of the height. You may hear that argument during public comment on Monday.
EIBC is not asking for more density.
During their first visit to the LPA, the EIBC team presented an unflattering looking building that LPA members felt was too close to Estero Boulevard. They were sent back to the drawing board and came forward with a 10-story building backed away from Estero and eliminated two sidewalk cuts on Estero. EIBC requested 5 deviations, the biggest one being going from 40 feet, which is what the Land Development Code allows, to 102 feet in height. The new building is 10 stories, 9 over parking. If EIBC presented two smaller buildings, they would have used up much more of the property and eliminated the view corridor the LPA and Town Council always seems to want as public benefit.
The new EIBC building is expected to cost an estimated $34 million to build. Insurance will not come close to covering the cost so owners are expected to be hit with assessments if the building is approved.
In all likelihood EIBC does have enough Town Council votes to pass. The project has to go through two public hearings before a final vote by the Council.
Dependable, Accurate, Investigative Journalism take time. To support our work, become a BTR Monthly Member HERE.
They are asking for same number of units however, they are more than doubling the size if units which will increase density. Originally all units except for 1 were either efficiencies or 1 bedroom. They are now asking for all to be 1 and 2 beds. More beds = more density.
The original building was under 50,000 Sq ft. Now they are asking for 120,000. How does that not increase density?
They can build within code and keep to 3 over parking. Anthony Ashford presented a perfectly acceptable concept that’s beautiful. I do not believe anyone on the island would oppose what he presented.
9 stories over parking is absurd.
LPA should not have passed this and Town Council needs to listen to residents. If this passes the floodgates will open and our code will no longer be valid.
Stop the nonsense and keep to why the town incorporated in the 1st place.
Not sure where the compelling case for height and size has been made/ I would suggest about the same size and enough height variance to solve the proximity to the beach but that’s just one floor.