I I I ' 'j - , C. S k^pOOO 10041 ?k £5J **ROO3 |£ENIBELL LIBPALIB R ..! ''" DUMLOP RD J SAM I BEX. FL and 33957 Week of Aug. 16-22, 2001 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 28, NUMBER 32, 24 PAGES 75 CENTS ME County buys Mariner president balks at city's offer Bunche Beach 9 Lee commissioners agree Pavelka 'disappointed to purchase 733 acres BACK TO SCHOOL of land surrounding by $4.5 million proposal Bunche Beach. By Pete Bishop faith offer," according to the letter, News editor and the city's interest in the land —See page 2 and the threat of possible condem- A letter from Mariner nation makes the land unmar- Properties President Ray Pavelka ketable to other buyers. According Ackley speaks to Interim City Manager Sam to Pavelka, a recent appraisal of Interim City Manager Sam Ackley indicates that Sanibel Land the land, contracted by Sanibel Ackley speaks to the Company Ltd. and the city of Land Company, places its value at Sanibel-Captiva Chamber Sanibel have a long way to go $6.25 million. Pavelka stressed of Commerce luncheon before negotiations concerning last week that the appraisal figure crowd about being a city commercial property along is not a counter-offer. manager and how a city Periwinkle Way result in the city's The city's $4.5 million offer can work hand-in-hand acquisition of the land. was for two parcels containing just with business. Representing Sanibel Land over seven acres near the intersec- Company, Pavelka writes that he tion of Bailey' Road and —Seepage 2. and his associates were "perplexed Periwinkle, lying on either side of and disappointed" by a tentative Dairy Queen, the Lazy Flamingo Sposcst© rally offer of $4.5 million Ackley for- warded to Pavelka in July. The > See Offer The Fraternal Order of 'Witbn I offer "does not qualify as a good Police held a rally to sup- Sanibel School students headed back to school this week. page 3 port fired Sanibel Police Officer Patsy Sposato Saturday. Also, Sposato speaks out, in his defense. Council to get Australian pines removed —See page 3 By Pete Bishop tive in removing the trees and News editor agreeing to replace them with city manager native vegetation including palms u aajrjEbi It seemed like tourist season in and sea grape, as suggested by August last week as about one Natural Resources Director Rob Run to North Cap dozen Australian pine trees were Loflin. applicants soon removed from an area along "Aquagenix has been working There's big goings-on on Periwinkle Way, causing bumper^ with the utility department for Upper Captiva at the By Pete Bishop to-bumper traffic congestion on several years and it was just an North Captiva Island Club, News editor Sanibel's busiest road. accident," said Lewis. "There including a new upper Although Aquagenix Land- was a new crew that didn't under- island cruise with Captiva Interim City Manager Sam Water Technologies Inc. still has stand about our sacred pines. Cruises. Ackley reported Tuesday he has work to complete —- grinding Most places want pines —See page 7 in mind several viable candi- down some stumps, removing a destroyed. dates for the city's open city few leftover logs and replacing "They've been very coopera- manager position, and he hopes the trees with native vegetation to narrow the field by next week. tive. - Replacement of vegetation — larger tasks that delay traffic and grinding (of stumps) was "I'm trying to find the best were finished on Saturday, added to our initial notification, Ackley commentary five out of the 10 or 12 on my according to Rick Schrier, •• the which prompted the request for a list," said Ackley, "the man- firm's branch manager. couple more weeks to get it done." Interim City Manager agers most compatible with The city demanded Aquagenix Sanibel." A July 24 letter from Utilities comments on a letter from remove the trees after it was dis- Director John Hefty to Schrier Fraternal Order of Police Ackley said he would brief covered workers from the contrac- states that Aquagenix had two union negotiator Paul individual council members tor mistakenly killed the pines weeks to remove the trees, bu.t did Michael Pistella Noeske. Wednesday on the potential with herbicide while eradicating not mention replacement. Schrier —See page 9 candidates he has spoken to so exotics at the city's sewer retention said he was not aware his firm A portion of an Australian Lu, and council members could pond site off Periwinkle. Five trees pine next to the Matzaluna then separately call the potential would have to replace the" trees restaurant parking lot is lining Periwinkle were destroyed. until more recently, but should be removed after being cut applicants and begin w consider The city has used Aquagenix for done planting the new vegetation which ol the live mighi he inter- exotics removal around the ponds away Monday morning. \icwed as finalists. by the end of the month. Island Gardening since 1998. "The whole thing was an expen- But we wanted to make reparation." "1 dnn'f liuve a set time Cathy Lewis of the Sanibel In addition to hiring a tree ser- frame, but 1 hope to know ihc sive • proposition," , Schrier said. Ron Sympson on the daz- Utilities Department said she does "Those were big trees and removal vice contractor, Aquagenix had to zling beauty of floss silk not think the city has had trouble was a big job. It was tough finding a foot the bill for Bob's Barricades, trees. I> Sec Manager with Aquagenix work before, and contractor who could handle it and which subcontracted to help direct •—See page 15 page 4 the contractor has been coopera- who had worked on Sanibel before. traffic last week. • POLICE BIOTTER.™ .page 2 Commissioners: planning needs attention • ENVIRONMENT....«.-™...page 5 By Pete Bishop a letter to Sanibel City Council she mentioned the large or dispro- in a legislative session meant for • BUSINESS ...... »»™._page 6 News editor asking that planning department portionate house problem a short discussion of long-term planning staff be authorized to work on the time later and ignited a discussion concerns such as large houses, spe- • OPINION...™™ ... page 9 A lack of proj ects to discuss for large house issufe. that included the possibility of cial events permits, commercial •LOOKING BACK..™«page 10 the second consecutive legislative Although Commission Chair scheduling permit application redevelopment and revisions of the session prompted Sanibel Planning Phyllis Bogen opened the meeting hearings during meetings now set land development code. •DATELINE™. ™™pagell Commissioners to question the by stating it might be the shortest aside for legislative issues. The fourth Tuesday is set aside • TV USTlNGS.~™-....page 16 city's lack of action concerning on record, due to the absence of Currently, commissioners meet for quasi-judicial hearings concern- long-term planning, and to forward any items on the meeting agenda, the second Tuesday of each month • CLASSlflEDS .....page 20 t> See Planning, page 3 .yy i 2 • Week of Aug. 16-22, 2001 • ISLAND REPORTER r ews biieffi Lee commissioners agree to buy Bunche Beach By Pete Bishop News editor Lee County commissioners decided to approve the $6.3 million purchase of 733 acres of environmentally sensitive land surrounding Bunche Beach during Although land with- Tuesday's commission meeting. in the cross-hatched The land, which could have been devel- area of the map at oped to accommodate over 1,000 homes if left could not be left in private hands, will now be placed in developed, more the county's Conservation 2020 program. than 1,000 residen- Although U.S. Fish and Wildlife has tial units could agreed to help buy the land in a 50-50 split have been built in with the county, federal money will not be other areas of the available for the purchase until early next purchased Bunche year. In the meantime, Conservation 2020 Beach land. funds will be used to pay for approximate- ly one-half the purchase price, with com- missioners agreeing to make up the differ- ence from county reserves. Conservation 2020 will repay the coun- ty toward the end of the year and it is expected Fish and Wildlife will then replenish the 2020 funds in February or Engineers to build a similar buffer system. Ackley and City Attorney Doug Wyckoff way interlocal agreement be amended to March. It has tremendous economic value." today, Aug. 16, in the first conflict resolu- give Sanibel veto power over the possibil- During the public comment portion of "This is probably one of the most sig- tion meeting concerning the Sanibel ity that the roadways could be restriped for Tuesday's board meeting, Dr. Bill nificant acquisitions we'll be making for a Causeway. four lanes. Council members have also Hammond of Florida Gulf Coast long time to come in this county," said The meeting was initially scheduled for authorized Ackley to discuss the possibili- University called the land, "a number one Commissioner Bob Janes, who pushed for Aug. 2 but was postponed. It is open to the ty of buying the causeway with county priority" for the 2020 program since its the purchase along with Commissioner public and will be held in MacKenzie Hall staff and commissioners. inception. Ray Judah. "It truly is a landmark day and starting at 9 a.rn. Conflict resolution is a process provid- "There are so many reasons beyond just if there was some way we could declare a At issue is a county plan to rebuild the ed for in Florida Statute 164.