Special events Team photos Second chance page 9A page 6B page1C JUNE 6, 1997 VOLUME 24 33957 NUMBER 30 sar V&^i± 3 SECTIONS, 44 PAGES PORTER Periwinkle Place goes retail condo By Michelle Moran Editor A Raleigh, N.C., businessman, under contract to purchase Peiiwinkle Place from its present owners, the trustees of OP&F Trust, plans to turn the Periwinkle Way complex into retail condominiums. Sanibel attorney Thomas Rizzo is fielding ques- tions regarding the condominium sales. Although purchase price was not available at press time, Rizzo said an Aug. 14 closing date has been established Above, Lazy Flamingo owner Larry with the Columbus, Ohio Thompson is recognized for his efforts in completing the Center's project. Right, wait- selleis. ing for the ceremonies are Kevin Pierce "Obviously some of with Jamie Chenciner and Chalmers Pierce. the units are going to be more expensive than oth- ers. Some of the units are in better locations," Rizzo Children's Center said. "Ihe pricing struc- ture is presently being worked on." dedicates building Theie are currently 30 By Gwenda Hiett-Clements Thomas Rizzo individual businesses Staff Writer completion of the building that had been donated leasing storefronts at the and relocated on the school grounds four years ago The building is not hot pink and it doesn't have where it sat waiting on repairs. 32-unit shopping outlet. Existing leases will be hon- flamingoes reclining on the banisters but it will be ored. known as Thompson Hall, named for Larry Thompson said, "At a parents' meeting I opened Chico's owner Marvin Gralnick, one of the larger Thompson, owner of Lazy Flamingo USA, Inc. my big mouth and said, 'I'll get that done.' A year leasees in the complex, said Wednesday he recently lestaurant enterprise. Thompson was recognized for passed and I thought I'd better get moving!" received notice from the complex management com- his efforts in completing the renovation of the new "I really want to thank all the people who helped pany of the contract negotiations. But he added he building at the Children's Education Center of the me. I called in a lot of favors that were out there. was under the impression the existing lease structure Islands at a special open-house Sunday, June 1, And I really want those people to know how much I would remain in force. Parents and children gathered to celebrate the Surprised by the condominium idea, Gralnick said •please see page 3A he would have to bring a purchase proposal before Chico's board if a purchase were to be considered. He Judge denies motion to reduce Stewart settlement did not appear optimistic that his company, or others in the Periwinkle Way complex, would be interested By Mark S. Krzos cial master (hearing officer) and then on to the or able to purchase their stores. News Editor Florida State Legislature to receive the balance of the "He has to sell a lot of condos to a lot of people The City of Sanibel's motion for a new trial to award. that don't have a lot of money. Nobody has made us reduce the $1.6 million jury award to injured motor- Stewart, a Fort Myers motorcyclist, was critically an offer. I think we'd prefer not to own real estate as cyclist Jeremy Stewart was denied Wednesday by injured in July 1995 after a speeding Sanibel police a company. We would rather invest in our product. Lee County Judge William Mclver in the 20th car operated by Officer Dustin Lynne Worth slammed The only property we own is our national headquar- Judicial Circuit Court. head on into Stewart's Kawasaki. ters in Fort Myers," Gralnick said, adding the condo Sanibel City Attorney Bob Pritt said Thursday Stewart suffered permanent damage to the radial sale success would be dependent on price. "Rents are morning that an outside insurance counsel will have nerve in his left arm in addition to a ruptured spleen fairly high in Periwinkle Place. I think it's going to be to determine if an appeal will be made. The next step and compund fracture of his left arm. difficult for 'mom and pop' and individual owners to for Stewart, Pritt said will be a hearing before a spe- buy their condos." Council refuses to Farewell, my nominate anyone to garden peas state commission Sanibel Elementary school's retiring Principal By Mark S. Krzos Barbara Ward enjoys one of the final performances News Editor of the geography song presented by fifth grade stu- Not wanting to further strain the relationship dents at the special Education Celebration Tuesday, between Lee County Commissioners and the City of June 3. During the celebration students from each Sanibel, Sanibel City Council members refused to class gave a special "farewell" performance for nominate any County Commissioner to the Florida Ward, The community will say "good-bye" to Constitution Revision Commission. Instead they let the appointment resolution die on the floor Tuesday. n Ward Sunday at a special gathering from 4;30 to 7 Lee County Commissioner John Manning was | p.m. at The Dunes. New Sanibel Elementary looking for a show of support from Sanibel City | School Principal Barbara Von Harten will meet Council members May 20 when they were asked to | parents and teachers June 11 from 8 to 10 a.m. nominate him to the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. Instead, Manning was blasted by the •please see page 6A 2A • JUNE 6, 1997 • ISLAND REPORTER City scraps code enforcement board, opts for hearing officers By Mark S. Krzos experienced in land use law and would ing well and with the addition of a the case, would cost the city less over News Editor be better able to present evidence rele- hearing officer, the program will work the long run, Pritt said. What a difference a year makes. vant to issues of the case. even better. "The actual time spent on the case Last year the Sanibel City Council Since late 1995, the city began issu- "Since the start of this process, I had would decrease significantly," Pritt refused to eliminate the city's code ing courtesy letters and warnings prior 463 different types of investigations said. enforcement board and replace it with a to issuing notices of violation and and only one case went to court," Pritt added that if this alternative hearing officer by a 3-2 margin. But on entered into a program of attempting to Hendzel said. "That individual was method proves unsuccessful, there is Tuesday, in a complete about-face, counsel violators verbally. Since imple- fined." nothing preventing the city from council members citing a kinder and menting this program, the city has As to the relative cost, a hearing returning to the code enforcement gentler policy regarding code violations achieved near perfect compliance. officer, because of their knowledge of board. and the fact that the code enforcement "The city is not in the code enforce- law and the pertinent facts relating to board has not met since September of ment business to build up the city's 1995, unanimously decided that a hear- coffers," Sanibel City Attorney Bob ing officer would be better suited for Pritt said noting that many island busi- Sanibel for a number of reasons. nesses have accused the city of doing Unlike a code enforcement board, so. "Staff has long believed that an Discriminating fact of the week which is made up of architects, busi- alternative code enforcement system be In the film North By Northwest, actress Jessie Royce Landis, who was 54, nessmen, engineers, general and sub set up." played the mother of Cary Grant, who was 55. contractors, and Realtors, a hearing City Code Enforcement Officer Ray officer is an attorney and trained and Hendzel said the new system is work- Notes from the City Desk: Time flows by like a 'hurriKain,,' breaking loose, sewers and a possible seizure By Mark S. Krzos three occasions and had to be secured by motor- if the city were to take property through eminent News Editor boats before it hit the causeway. Kain said a boat domain, it would have to prove a need. Although, HurriKain—Sanibel City Council member that size could cause significant damage to the Pritt said, it would be more difficult to prove a need Wally Kain said he was upset by the fact that he bridge. for a bike path than a road, he felt that it is possible. didn't get the answers he wanted to hear in regards Sewer support—Resident Bern Katchen said The Red Mosquito—City Council member to hurricane shelters at the Sanibel Hurricane Sanibel City Council member Andrew Reding's Andrew Reding wants the Mosquito Control District Conference held last week at the Sundial. Kain said suggestion for sewer financing is "unique and fair." to warn the citizens of Sanibel before they bomb the the fact that shelters will only house 20 percent of Katchen said Reding's suggestion for providing a island and its mosquito population again. the county's population by the year 2000 is disturb- discount for those going on-line with the sewer City Council member Wally Kain said in the past ing. hook-up will be advantageous for everyone in all. the district had notified the city of its intentions, but Mayor Bob Davison said he wanted to know if "All in all, it's a win-win situation and I think it for some reason, last week, it didn't. residents could be given an estimated time of a would be foolish not to implement this," Katchen "In the past the city was notified the night before, causeway closing.