-PL* OK WEEK OF JUI_Y 14 -:20, 2005 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME:32 NUMBER 29 20 PAGES 75 CENTS City demonstrates hurricane readiness By GARY PHILLIPS updated weather forecast, reporting that [email protected] the category 4 hurricane at that time was 350 miles south of Sanibel. He said the Hurricane Dennis thankfully passed us storm was projected to pass in the gulf by, leaving us with nothing more than a approximately 150 miles west of Sanibel, weekend which was more rainy than a prediction that later proved to be true. usual. But the City of Sanibel leaders and Tomlinson advised that although a direct staff were ready if Dennis had followed hit was not predicted here, the passing the path of last August's Hurricane storm system would still bring unusually Charley. heavy rains. With Dennis still south of Cuba on "Based on that projection, we have not Friday, July 8, the Sanibel City Council recommended any mandatory evacuations held a special meeting to inform the pub- and we will continue to monitor the lic of what to expect during the following storm's progress," he said. hours. City Manager Judie Zimomra Zimomra said all city vehicles had spoke to the council. been fully fueled, utility and emergency "We're going to advise you of the cur- workers had been put on alert, heavy rent weather conditions to the best that equipment and lighter tools such as chain- we're aware of them. We're going to bring saws had been prepared for debris clear- council up to speed on the precautions the ing. She also said the city hall telephones city has taken over the past 48 hours and would be more heavily staffed than usual the steps we're taking for the next 24 to answer calls and questions from the hours in preparation for the weather that's public. Saturday's recreation activities coming our way," she said. "We're going were all cancelled, freeing up staff to help to issue an advisory for our residents and manage the phones. businesses on some precautions we think Zimomra said Tomlinson had been des- they should take." NOAA's satellite photo of Tropical Storm Emily as of 6:15 a.m.(EDT) July 12 when it Zimomra turned the meeting over to was moving west at 15 mph with maximum sustained winds of 46 mph and gusts up See READY Police Chief Bill Tomlinson who gave an to 57 mph. page 4 Rep. Connie Mack tours Lee Planning revisits above-ground pools beaches and river from the air By GARY PHILLIPS ment to the Land Development Code. ByMElTOADVINE [email protected] "The planning department supports a change that [email protected] would establish some type of a limit," he said. "The basis The Sanibel Planning Commission revisited the issue for establishing the regulation is in keeping with trying to ' After a 90-minute tour by helicopter of Lee County of height restrictions for above-ground pools at their maintain the character of the community." beaches and shorelines along the Caloosahatcb.ee River, Tuesday meeting, coming to an impasse at the end. The The planning department's recommendations present- Congressman Connie Mack, R-14, said he has ammunition subject was first discussed by the commission at their ed at Tuesday's meeting had been slightly modified from to argue for up to $3 million for beach replenishment and June 14 meeting and was continued to the July 12 meet- the original proposal. They included the original sugges- research for water management when he goes back to ing. tion of the 3 ft., 6 in. limit, but also provided an excep- Washington, D.C. At the June meeting, Acting Planning Commissioner tion that would allow the pool to be built up to half the Mack, a member of the Water Resources and Ken Pfalzer presented a recommendation for an amend- height of the living area of the home. For example, a Environment Subcommittee, spent last Thursday morning ment to the Land Development Code that would limit the home with the lower level of living area raised to eight touring Lee County from the air, along with Roland Ottolini, height of above-ground pools and their decking to a max- feet could have a pool elevated to four feet. A 10-foot director of Lee County's Division of Natural Resources. imum height of 3 ft., 6 in. above "predevelopment high living area could have a pool raised to five feet. In "I got a bird's eye view and it helps me to see the beach grade." Pfalzer said a trend toward above-ground pools is such cases the pool deck would be required to be set back being seen because flood regulations require homes to be a minimum of 25 feet from the side and rear property elevated and some homeowners want their pools to lines to help reduce the impact on neighbors whose view match the level of their living quarters. might be reduced by the above-ground pool. The reported purpose for proposing height limits for During the discussion, Planning Commissioner Patty the pools is to maintain the unique "rural character" of Sprankle said the "rural character" of Sanibel is ever Sanibel. In a Planning Department Staff Report dated changing. July 8 and presented to the commission at Tuesday's "If you have lots on the Gulf of Mexico that are sell- meeting, an explanation was offered. ing for three or four or five million dollars, it seems that "A swimming pool basin and deck, when significant- the houses that are being built already are not what I ly elevated above the ground, can inappropriately con- would call rural," she said. "We are referring back to a tribute to the bulk and mass of the principal structure. plan that was written back in the '70s when it was rural." Furthermore, a swimming pool basin and deck that is sig- Sprankle also said terms like rural character are nificantly elevated above the ground may not be in keep- abstract and open to interpretation. ing with the rural character of the community prescribed "The definitions that we have, rural character and in the Vision Statement of the Sanibel Plan," the report keeping Sanibel Sanibel and many things are based on stated. Pfalzer said the planning department favors an amend- See POOLS page 3 S MEMO C.S.I. DlLONlGE' | Photo by Mel Toadvine Rep. Connie Mack, R-14, talks about his aerial tour of • LETTERS..., page 6 Keeping Forensics at the A documentary ! Southwest Florida Thursday where he viewed the • Vox POPULI page 9 Sanibel Sanibel Library looks at drilling j beaches of the Gulf and the shorelines of the and wildlife Caloosahatchee River. • DATELINE page 12 fronts and what the water coming from Lake Okeechobee is « PERMITS & DEEDS....page 13 Mayor Carla Johnston Sanibel P.D. teaches iThe Island Reporter! doing to the estuaries," Mack said. stresses importance of \island kids about crime reviews the film. The two rode in a four-seat helicopter piloted by Lee s TV LISTINGS page 14 attitude. lab techniques. County Mosquito Control. Mack left by helicopter at around 8:45 a.m. Thursday from the air strip at the county's mos- • POLICE BEAT page 14 quito control complex at Buckingham. • OBITUARIES page 16 — See page 5 — Sec page 3 - Sec page 2 See MACK • CLASSIFIEDS page 18 page 3 2 a Week of July 14-20, 2005 • ISLAND REPORTER 'Oil on Ice' takes a hard look at drilling in the wild By GARY PHILLIPS "The trouble is the media is easily bought off by the [email protected] oil companies," she said. "The thing we can do, monetar- ily on an individual basis, is consume less oil." More than 35 people attended a showing of the docu- Theiss said she has reduced her dependence on gaso- mentary film "Oil on Ice," Wednesday, July 6 at the line by purchasing a hybrid gasoline/electric car and feels Sanibel Library. The film was shown by ECO Sanibel the fuel savings have been worth the initial cost of the and addresses the subject of drilling for oil in the Arctic vehicle. National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in northeast Alaska. More information on "Oil on Ice" and the cause it sup- Sue Denham welcomed the group to the meeting. ports can be found on the internet at www.oilonice.org. "This is for education. This is not in terms of taking a political stand, but taking a stand that is pro-environment and pro the lifestyle of the people in that part of the world," she said. "This is a Sierra Club production, so obviously it's been put together by people who are inter- Animal signs at ested in the environment." Denham introduced ECO Sanibel board member Chip Hoffman, who brought the subject and the film to the club's attention. Hoffman said what happens in Alaska the Library can have effects as far reaching as southwest Florida. ulation, creating hardship for the native people, the By JENNY BURNHAM "If we think anymore that it's not in my backyard and : it doesn't matter, it's in somebody else's back yard and Gwich'in Indians. Sweeping aerial camera shots help [email protected] demonstrate the vastness of the unspoiled area. I'm just going to worry about mine," he said, "Well, our Kindergarten through fourth graders in the Sanibel back yard is the entire world." Gwich'ins fish and hunt with oil derricks in the nearby background to demonstrate how close the oil industry is Public Library Summer Reading Program learned all Hoffman said if drilling is allowed in Alaska it will about animal tracks and signs from Park Ranger Toni open the door for drilling off the Florida coast.