Improvements to be made at Matanzas Pass Preserve
The Lee County Board of County Commissioners has approved spending $1.1 million in Tourist Development Tax revenues to make some improvements at Matanzas Pass Preserve.
The preserve has approximately 1.25 miles of trails, which meander through canopies of mangroves and maritime hammocks in a protected area of the island that is undeveloped providing individuals with the opportunity to see native plants and wildlife. Nearly 60 acres of the unspoiled sanctuary of Matanzas Pass Preserve is at 199 Bay Road, which is one mile south of Matanzas Pass Bridge, off Estero Boulevard
Lee County Parks and Recreation Director Jesse Lavender said last week’s Commission vote means a mile and a quarter of the trail system will undergo renovations in September to improve, and add to the area.
“There were a few stretches of the trail that were not boardwalk previously,” he said. “Those would be all new boardwalk now. At the same time, over the years, other portions of the boardwalk, trees sprouted and pushed some of the pilings out. We are straightening out all of that.”
Down towards the water, there is a pavilion and a kayak landing area. After Hurricane Irma swept through the area, as with most of the major structures, an engineering firm checked out the safety of the area.
“What they noticed, much like the Matlatcha Park fishing pier; the pilings disintegrated to nothing below the water line,” Lavender said, adding that the improvements will include a new pavilion and kayak landing area.
The plan is to finish the boardwalk out to the pavilion and kayak landing first. When that section finishes and opens, work will continue on the remaining loop that takes individuals back to the parking area.
“You get to view all the way out to the water at Matanzas Pass. You have to come back the same way you got there,” Lavender said. “The whole project takes about six months.”
Once the project is completed, he said it will be a huge improvement.
“We are putting down the right material that will last a long time. The main reason it costs so much is it is so remote,” Lavender said of getting the material back to the preserve. “You have to carry everything back there. That is a lot of lumber and pilings.”
With the improvement, it will allow the water to flow through the area better, which will probably be an improvement to the wildlife, he said.
“It’s a great place to get out of the heat on the beach and get in the shade and enjoy nature,” Lavender said. “It’s a really cool place to cool off and kind of get away from the crowds.”
For more information, visit www.leeparks.org.