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Town officials to address Seafarer’s issue

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BOB PETCHER Take a close look at an aerial view of the county-purchased Gulf front properties and see where a portion of the sandy area below the road could be used for a third lane through a very congested area.

With the official Lee County purchase closings of Seafarer’s Mall and Gulf front properties at 1080 and 1130 Estero Blvd. expected to be at the end of the month, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council devised suggestions to share with county officials when its mayor and town manager meet with them at an expected upcoming meeting. The suggestions were brought out at a morning work session on Monday, Aug. 16, and a recent conversation with Mayor Larry Kiker clarified some of the points.

After speculation that the properties could be purchased with town tax money, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners appropriated Tourist Development Council funds to buy the Fort Myers Beach lots at its Aug. 10 meeting.

“The county chose to use funds made available by the TDC,” Kiker said on the arrangement of financing the purchase.

The question now is what will actually happen to the purchased parcels. A county park on the Gulf side is the overriding consensus from all respective officials, while a ground-level parking lot -after the Seafarer’s building is knocked down- is the strongest suggestion to occur across the street. The mall’s only standing business -Jimmy B’s Rooftop Bar- has since closed for business.

According to Kiker, a past meeting with many county officials and FMB Town Manager Terry Stewart left different scenarios regarding future ownership and operation of the Seafarer’s building. While there could be a town/county partnership involved, private ownership should not be ruled out. The county seems focused on Parks & Recreation, while the town is looking to improve the transportation plan of Estero Boulevard.

“If Seafarer’s Mall gets torn down and made into a parking lot, then someone owes the TDC $980,000,” said Kiker, who also added the town could purchase it for that amount. “Our main concern is to fix Estero Boulevard.”

An engineering analysis would be needed to see if that plan or any other plan may take shape. While town officials viewed an aerial map at the work session, Kiker explained how the Seafarer’s Mall property could be used to re-direct Estero Boulevard traffic and reiterated his point in a recent phone conversation.

“We’re looking for an initial analysis from the county,” said Kiker. “It focuses on whether or not to look at the feasibility in what would be involved in actually moving Estero Boulevard around the back side of the (Seafarer’s) building.”

Regarding the Gulf front purchase, there are certain conditions which county officials need to meet to make it a park including repairing the existing sea wall, making the property ADA compliant and installing bathrooms. There is also the question if dunes and vegetation or grass will be the surface of choice.

“Or, they have to put a big screen fence around it and keep everybody out,” said Kiker. “I think the estimate was around $100,000 just to secure the property and make it safe.”

In a past council meeting, the mayor was on record stating a guarantee from county officials that there would be input from town officials.

“It was our understanding, and has been, that we had a guarantee and assurance from Lee County that we were going to be able to help establish a direction for the property,” he said at the time.

There were hopes -and still are- that the 38,000 square foot building would remain standing for business use and/or a possible town hall relocation.

On a different note, the FMB mayor showed his council how an important section of the Beach’s main road could become three-lanes by cutting into some of the ‘park’ property. Currently, while driving onto the Beach, the lanes go from three to two at the Gulf front lots to three at the Crescent Street turnoff. Shaving some of the land at the ‘park’ properties would yield a third lane at the most congested part of Estero Boulevard.

“It’s feasible to go from three lanes to two lanes to three lanes to all three lanes,” Kiker said via telephone. “And, with that, comes a lot of possibilities. That’s the one we will be pushing.”

Back at the work session, Stewart heeded the council to support the ‘park idea’ with a few Beach officials’ suggestions, while Councilman Alan Mandel encouraged his fellow members to seize possession of the Seafarer’s building.

“The control and future income from this property is important,” Mandel said. “We should consider buying the building if we have a chance.”

The Beach officials will now have some direction for the upcoming meeting slated for the next week or so.

“I think county officials have demonstrated they are willing to work with the town and, so far, they have kept their word,” said Kiker. “We’re looking forward to more of the same.”