Council gives nod to Estero Boulevard improvements
Fort Myers Beach Town Council members unanimously approved recommended improvements to Estero Boulevard that could began later this year and funded by Lee County. The improvements could include new trolley pullouts; sidewalks segments and drainage “hot spots” along the town’s main thoroughfare.
R. Trent Ebersole, an engineer with McHahon Transportation Engineers and Planners, presented recommendations to council members at the Feb. 2 council meeting.
Ebersole said Lee County Department of Transportation has earmarked $1.5 million for the repairs and could continue the program the following year.
But after the meeting, Scott Gilbertson, Director of Lee County Department of Transportation, said the funding has not been approved.
“The short answer is no,” Gilbertson said in a e-mail. “County DOT staff is working with the town staff to identify improvements for Estero Blvd around this dollar amount ($1.5 million).”
Gilbertson said once the county evaluates the request from the town, county commisioners will decide if they will be funded.
Ebersole recommended burying some utilities in some areas of the road but council members agreed that undergrounding would be a low priority.
Town manager Scott Janke said funding for the improvements was a result of discussions between the town and Lee County commissioners at a joint meeting in January.
“The intent was that the town would formally nominate up to $1.5 million in what we call, ‘Short term improvements,'” Janke said.
The list of projects was originally scheduled to be submitted to the county in March, Janke said, but county officials asked for the recommendations this week.”
The improvements are above and beyond of the county’s plan to resurface approximately 2-miles of Estero Boulevard, Janke said.
Councilman Bob Raymond said he was concerned that some of the work could be completed before a right-of-way study, currently underway, could be complete.
Janke said none of the improvements would begin until right-of-ways for each specific project are identified.
“The coordination with the right-of-way study has just started,” Janke said. “None of these (projects) would be completed until the right-of-way segment was also completed.”
The improvement recommendations were finalized by town staff members, including public works director Jack Green and engineers from McMahon, Janke said.
Vice Mayor Herb Acken said council members should trust their judgment and approve the recommendations.
“I’m going to trust our staff with this one,” Acken said.
Mayor Larry Kiker agreed.
“I am willing to let them loose and do their jobs,” he said.
Council members did agree that a priority should be placed on what segment of Estero Island would begin first.
“Most of our improvement needs, at least in staff’s estimation, the greatest impact tends to be on the north end of the island,” Green said. “That’s where the traffic is and that’s where the pedestrians are.”
Janke said council officials also asked if the town would be willing to help fund the projects for next year.
Councilwoman Jo List she would not support cost sharing.
“It’s absolutely the county’s road and the work is long overdue,” List said. “Somebody would have to really lobby me hard to get me to agree to cost share on any of these projects – ever.”
List did say she could support the town funding some amenities for the improvements such as trolley shelters at new pull offs and some landscaping.
“That’s where if we want to tweak the work after it’s done – that’s where we’re going to see our money go,” she said. “But these projects here, in my humble opinion, are separate things – county projects that need to be funded exactly the way we discussed in the joint meeting with not one dime of the town’s money going toward that work.”
For a look at the complete Estero Boulevard improvement plan go to www.fortmyersbeachtalk.com.