Causeway Gets New Lines, Fewer Lanes Red Tide Shows Up, Then Leaves
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^^& *«f ©la tS**wBii ^^IP^^lP'i Tti£< ..**J** CAR-RT SORT **R003 ,uO 3 003486 THU UOOOUO LIBRARY 33937 ,!IBEL FL _. Lots of homes for sale p. 16 Week of March 27-April 2,2003 SANIBEL&CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 30, NUMBER 13, 24 PAGES 75 CENTS Causeway gets new lines, fewer lanes Luxury homes By Kate Thompson abound Staff writer It's a buyer's market It may take less time for overweight trucks —See page 16 and vehicles to travel on and off Sanibel in the early morning hours. The Lee County Rain can't Department of Transportation has taken steps swamp pickup to speed up trips. Great Island Pickup goes Based on further analysis and consultation on with its consulting engineers, DOT has lowered the intervals between trucks and is allowing —See page 12 vehicles to travel simultaneously in both direc- tions. Visitors and employees traveling the Sanibel Causeway a week ago were told to expect delays: traffic was down to one lane in each Planning direction. Commission But the fact is that the Causeway has always *»»»«<•?' been supposed to be one lane, even when there grants variance were two lanes on the causeway islands; Gargano recommends big Now, drivers are forced to the far right lanes native vegetation buffer and the former center lanes have been re- striped, blocked and turned into a single turn —See page 2 lane. DOT officials did the re-striping Wednesday night, in anticipation of heavy trucks being weighed as they leave the islands — first The mother of all turn lanes scheduled to start three days ago but now slat- natee talk ed for March 31. The new policy was put in place because of Michael Pistella photo •"•"Tie at the Captiva suspected violations of the Sanibel Causeway Motorists drive on the newly three-laned Causeway island Club weight restrictions — particularly by trucks leaving the islands with full loads. The current Trucks without a wlid pennii or v\eight both directions. Until recently, trucks we —See page 16 weight restrictions are 17 tons for single unit ticket will not, be allowed to cross the allqwed to cross at six minute intervals but tl trucks and 24 tons for combination unit vehi^ Causeway starting March 31. "DOT has reduced the interval to one minutv, cles. Between 1 and 5 a.m., those restrictions But even- with traffic delays anticipated, However, trucks still are required to maintain a are eased for trucks with valid overweight per- traffic on the Causeway has been lighter than a 500-foot interval. mits. The three-ton limit was chosen because few weeks ago. Signs at the Causeway, however, warn dri- trucks of that size with loads can exceed the Essential services and construction vehicles 17-ton limit. now are required to travel between 1 and 4 a.m. See CAUSEWAY Cars also are allowed to mix with the trucks in page 4 Zimomra tells COTI city finances le the fun Red tide shows 6being squeezed9 by Causeway id Reporter has a rtoons this week —See page 7 up, then leaves On plus side, crime As a result, Public Works Director G: Castle, who also attended COTI's meetinfc, By Amy Fleming rate down again said islanders won't see widening of bike Staff writer paths or extensions, or major paving pro- jects with the causeway situation. He said it's the height of season on the islands, the weather By Kate Thompson Staff writer asphalt prices alone have risen 230 percent is mild, the sun shines and the beach beckons. Then and the cost of bringing materials to the you get a choking whiff of the neurotoxin producing The city's budget is in a vise, island haaiecome astronomical. algae known as Florida red tide. The stinging sensa- City Manager Judie Zimomra told The city has received a lot of suggestions tion in the eyes, the hacking cough — it's enough to the Committee of the Islands, the group's annu- on everything from vegetation to compacted send anyone running for the nearest building. What, where and al meeting March 21. garbage, but Zimomra said compacting Thankfully, the cool front and heavy weather over the "It's being squeezed on both sides," she trash won't solve the city's problem because when weekend helped to break up the nuisance algae and it would weigh more instead of less. —See page 14 clear the air and water. said. The city has lost revenue "Our approach has been we're "Red tide is a generic term given to microscopic because of the Sanibel going to walk before we run and marine algae that produces toxic chemicals," Mote Causeway situation. crawl before we walk," she said. Marine biologist Richard Pierce said Friday. Overweight trucks that for- City officials are being faced Last week, our area experienced moderate-to-high merly paid a fee to drive on with tough decisions. At its concentrations of the algae, leading to fish kills and Sanibel streets are currently March 18 meeting, the council cut respiratory irritation. The Public Works Department not allowed to cross the $789,000 from the city budget but was out cleaning up the larger species from island Causeway. The city also is even more is likely to need to be beaches, leaving the smaller fry for scavengers. losing revenue from the coun- cut as a result of the causeway. "We picked up grouper, a tarpon, and rays," said ty's surplus account for the April 1 marks the halfway point Public Works Director Gates Castle. Compared to last Causeway. in the city's budget year. At that August's massive fish kill, Gates said this time point, Zimomra said she expects On top of that, the city is /•'• around, things were "not nearly that bad." the city will have a clearer picture seeing increased costs for Zimomra • ENVIRONMENT page 16 Researchers at Mote Marine in Sarasota are taking construction and major of what else will need to be cut. a good, long look at red tide, including why it occurs, On the good news side, •LOOKING BACK page 22 garbage issues. its ecological significance, and its effect on humans. City officials hope to have at least one Zimomra told COTI that the city's crime While swimming in it probably won't hurt you except rate has dropped even further. A year ago, • OPINION page 6 proposal for barge service to the island in for the possibility of itchy skin, airborne particles can time for the Sanibel City Council meeting the city reported 11 percent fewer crimes to be problematic. • BUSINESS page 16 Tuesday. That will help by making it easier the U.S. Department of Justice and this year, "The toxin is aerosolized through bubbles forced to get construction equipment and supplies Crime has dropped another 8 percent, she • DATELINE ..page u into the water through wave action. The bubbles are a to the island, as well as getting heavy items, said. very effective way of concentrating the toxins and possibly including septic trucks, off the Zimomra told COTI members she would ••TV-LISTINGS page 18 island. not discuss island politics but fielded ques- See RED TIDE tions on a number of issues ranging from page 3 "We have tried to put our emphasis on •CLASSIFIEDS ....page 23 maintaining basic services," Zimomra said. garbage to sewers. ISLAND REPORTER • Week of March 27 - April 2, 2003 Q 3 2 • Week of March 27-April 2, 2003 Q ISLAND REPORTER Women's Guild's Islands on Sunday, April 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Congregational Church CAUSEWAY last meeting of sea- Fellowship Hall, Periwinkle Way. RED TIDE In addition to his ministerial experi- From page 1 son ence, Hurto has served in a variety of From page 1 The Women's Guild of St. Isabel is teaching roles, most notably, family vers of delays between 1 and 6 a.m., but that's just temporary, said Paul Wingard, Commission grants variance for having its last meeting of the season relations, prejudice reductions and anti- bringing them to the surface. When the bubbles burst, they release droplets into the deputy director of the Lee County DOT. April 8. It will be a spring luncheon racism work. He is the father of two air, and the droplets have 50 times the concentration of toxin," Pierce said. "It was taking us longer to clear the trucks off the island," he said. "One morning, Hurricane Lane home an third try and installation of officers, to be held at sons, now living in Virginia. His topic Mote Marine Laboratory is working with various state and national health agen- we didn't get the last ones off til 6:30 a.m. so we changed the message boards to warn The Beachview Restaurant at noon. The on April 6 will be "Soul Congruency, cies to determine how people with upper and lower respiratory ailments are affect- drivers, mostly those trying to get off the island, that they might be delayed." luncheon is $15 payable at the door. The Inside and the Outside You." Hurto ed by red tide blooms. In fact, Mote is currently looking for human test subjects Starting March 31, all trucks weighing more than three tons empty or with three By Kate Thompson current regulations." Reservations are necessary by April 4, is the candidate for the position of who are willing to walk red-tide-infested beaches and provide information to the axles or more will be required to have six-month renewable "restricted load" permits Staff writer John Carsi of the Palledium Design please callBea at 472-2687.