The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve two measures in support of projects restoring popular coastal destinations damaged by Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
The board voted to:
- Approve a contract that will create a 10-foot-wide dune planted with native vegetation along about 2 miles of beach at Lovers Key and Bonita Beach.
Hurricane Ian caused extensive damage to the beach segments on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach. The project will offset those impacts and provide native plants, such as sea oats and bitter panicum, which will strengthen the dune, help hold sand on the beach, and improve wildlife habitat.
The low-bid contract, with EarthBalance Corp., is for about $245,800. This planned-and-budgeted project will be funded through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund.
Work is expected to begin mid-April and be completed in May, weather permitting.
- Approve a transfer of more than $2.1 million from the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) reserves to the Beach and Shoreline Fund for the construction of the fishing pier at Lighthouse Beach Park.
At the Feb. 3 meeting, the Lee Board of County Commissioners directed staff to explore the use of bed tax funds to support tourism-related hurricane recovery efforts by assisting the City of Sanibel with construction of the fishing pier at Lighthouse Beach Park. The city’s remaining Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding is insufficient to cover project costs. FEMA funding in the amount of $145,844 also will be applied to the project.
An interlocal agreement with the City of Sanibel regarding the funding will be brought before the Board at an upcoming meeting.
In related action Tuesday:
- The Board approved a resolution in honor of the Centennial Anniversary of the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA). Since the organization’s founding in 1926, it has advanced the science, policy and collaborative leadership necessary to protect and preserve the nation's shores and beaches.
The resolution notes that Lee County has invested more than $56.2 million since 1990 in Tourist Development Tax revenue toward beach nourishment and shoreline protection projects, reinforcing the county’s long-standing commitment to coastal resilience and tourism recovery. Capital improvement projects, such as beach facilities, bring the total TDT investment to $219 million since 1990.
- Voted Tuesday to award a contract for construction engineering and inspection services (CEI) for several Lee County Department of Transportation projects to improve roads, sidewalks, bridges and drainage.
The $1.7 million contract with Hardesty & Hanover Construction Services LLC will provide construction contract administration, inspection and materials sampling and testing for:
- Stringfellow Road and Iona Community Sidewalk Repairs
- Burnt Store and Pine Island Road Resurfacing
- Bridge replacements on Hagie Drive in Harlem Heights and on Constitution Circle in San Carlos Park.
- Countywide drainage repairs
Funding for the projects comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocation to Lee County to address the disaster recovery needs of residents affected by hurricanes.
- Voted Tuesday to award a contract to oversee construction and ensure grant compliance for the Bell Boulevard sidewalk project from Sunrise Boulevard to Joel Boulevard in Lehigh Acres.
This project is the final phase of the Bell Boulevard Sidewalk that is a high priority for the Bicycle, Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and will result in a completed sidewalk along Bell Boulevard from State Road 82 to Joel Boulevard.
The project is included in the county’s budget and is being funded with federal funds. The contract with Kinard-Stone Inc. for just more than $517,000 includes managing the construction process, overseeing placement of the prefabricated pedestrian bridge, inspecting the work, testing materials to ensure county and state standards are met and compliance with federal grant rules.
The Board voted in October to approve a construction contract to complete the Bell Boulevard sidewalk project. The nearly $1.5 million construction contract with V & H Construction, Inc., consists of a new concrete sidewalk extension on the east side of Bell Boulevard from Sunrise Boulevard to Shadow Lakes Drive that then crosses Bell Boulevard at a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon intersection and continues on the west side of the road to Albemarle Circle.
The project includes a new steel pedestrian bridge crossing Jim’s Canal. The sidewalk will connect to an existing sidewalk on the north end of the project at Albemarle Circle and will connect to the recently constructed sidewalk to the south end near Sunrise Boulevard to complete the project
Construction is expected to begin later this month and be complete by October, weather permitting.
Lee DOT and BPAC continuously analyze ways to improve pedestrian connections in surrounding communities. BPAC looks for projects to fill gaps in sidewalks so that pedestrian amenities connect neighboring communities.
- Voted Tuesday to approve loan agreements to rehabilitate 484 affordable rental units at multi-family affordable housing developments.
The projects are using part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery allocation to Lee County.
Hurricane Ian made landfall in Lee County on Sept. 28, 2022. In early 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the $1.1 billion allocation of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to support Lee County’s long-term recovery efforts.
Commissioners have made affordable housing a priority for the funding and voted Tuesday to:
- Authorize execution of loan documents for Renaissance Preserve Senior and Family Apartments, 4224 Renaissance Preserve Way, Fort. Myers, to provide about $8.4 million CDBG-DR funding for the rehabilitation of 272 affordable rental housing units. Continued affordability will be maintained for 20 years.
- Authorize execution of loan documents for East Pointe Place (Phase 1), 3501-3515 Dale Street, Fort Myers, to provide about $7.1 million in CDBG-DR funding for the rehabilitation of 86 affordable rental housing units. Continued affordability will be maintained for 20 years.
- Authorize execution of loan documents for the Landings at East Point Affordable Housing Project to receive CDBG-DR funding in the amount of about $6.1 million for the rehabilitation of 126 affordable rental housing units. The housing development is located at 3701 Nelson Tillis Blvd., Fort Myers. Continued affordability will be maintained for 20 years.
Detailed information about Lee County’s CDBG-DR Action Plan, program allocations, activities and expenditures are provided on the county’s website at https://cdbgdr.leegov.com.
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