Land use Kayaking Scuba diving page 2A page 1C OCTOBER 4, 1996 VOLUME24 NUMBER 40 3 SECTIONS, 32 PAGES REPORTER Causeway repairs begin stopping traffic By Michelle Moran Beginning on the bridge nearest »> Staff Writer Sanibel, the project will proceed easter- |] While it will be a headache to com- ly to the drawbridge. Work will contin- muters and a surprise to some tourists, ue, using waterborne craft, until March local business and city officials see the 1997, but will not affect traffic opera- Sanibel causeway construction as sim- tions past Dec. 20, 1996. i ply a necessary inconvenience. DOT project manager Bruce "By the time the visitor reaches the McAuliffe said the county hopes the bridge I seriously doubt they're going impact to local traffic patterns will be to park and go back," Sanibel-Captiva complete by Thanksgiving, but added Chamber of Commerce Executive the contractor Kelly Brothers of Fort Director David Besse said. "You have Myers has until the middle of to fix the bridge. I can tell you what December to complete the portion of impact no bridge would have. We just maintenance which will affect traffic have to work with it." operations. The work on the bridge >s-\ Besse said his understanding of the deck will require one lane traffic opera- I. i project is that bridge traffic will be tions between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily. stopped in a staggered fashion, periodi- "We're going to try to develop a pat- cally throughout the day. He added he tern. If he thinks he can make it with- believes the impact to the islands won't out working on the weekends, then we be significant. won't," McAuliffe said: "We're going The Lee County Department of to try and get off that deck as soon as Transportation began the $1 million The great escape, leaving the island may be a hit tedious for com- maintenance project yesterday. •please see page 2A muters over the next two months as construction on the causway will limit traffic flow. Preventing crime Public input M to be limited f •< Council cuts back public comment to eliminate delays ,1 By Mark S. Krzos News Editor '. In an attempt to eliminate delays during City Council meetings, council members on Tuesday decided to cut back on public comment during meet- ings. "_'•'" t * - Changes include, no rebuttals or second arguments during the public comment period, limiting Planning Commission appeals to 15 minutes and "using the gavel mercilessly" to limit citizen filibusters. In addi- tion, council members chose to revise the procedure for public hearings. Council member Wally Kain suggested the first public reading should outline the city's plan for a proposed project and only allow council members to ask staff questions on the issue at hand. Kain said at the second public hearing, the public would then be allowed to participate. Planning Commission Chairman Dick Downes, who along with the City Attorney Bob Pritt have been examining ways to shorten meetings, said he agrees with Kain's suggestions. "I think something has to be done," Downes said, noting the first reading should be just that, and. the second reading should be open for public debate. Kain said using a timing device to allow council to limit long speeches by the public and reducing the scheduled public comment period from five minutes per speaker to three. "If we do this we can squeeze an hour out of these meetings," Kain said. , City Manager Gary Price said citizens often speak Sanibel Police Chief Lewis Phillips welcomed law enforcement agencies from around on subjects they do not intend to and said a possibili- the state Monday at the annual Florida Crime Prevention conference at Sheraton ty to prohibit such delays would be to require an Harborplace. The week-long conference concludes today. •please see page 3A #=51 Of EH 2A Q 0©!TC)BEB4pra9e O Sanibel's land use future riddled with question marks Notes front the city desk: Campaign 1 failing...The impact of this trend has driven this seg- Bermuda tackling forniida food issue Westall to manage d 1995 By Mark S. Krzos an - , • , A > A fnr- ment of the retail community into a back cycle News Editor Single-family housing located inland accounted for decline with the highest turnover, vacancy and fore- Madison's campaign A real estate analyst told the Sanibel City Council 65 percent of total sales in 1995, while all gulf and closure in recent history." By Mark S. Krzos a group attempting to ban fprmu- officially resigned from the: Code The George Madison for Sanibel City Council Tuesday the island's tourism is at or near its peak, bay front accounted for 13 percent of total sales. Mayor Bob Janes said Sanibel has done a complete News Editor • la food;. : I. \ •Enforcement. Board, City campaign announced that Mark "Bird" Westall retail shopping centers are moving toward profession- Adler said although gulf front housing accounted for about-face from 20 years ago regarding the commer- Bermuda under a burger In another similarity1 : to Attorney Bob Pritt said new will be its campaign manager. Madison has long al offices and that more upper income families are only 9.3 percent of sales in 1995, it represented the cialization of the community. attack—^-Bermuda is waging its Sanibel, the Bahamas are follow- appointments will take place in admired Westall's philosophy and commitment to purchasing older gulf and bay front homes to demol- most dramatic financial recovery of all housing clas- "Twenty years ago they were writing plays called own war on • formula foods, ing SanibeFs lead in taking ion December and since the board preserving Sanibel Island as a sanctuary for people ish in favor of multi-million dollar vacation homes. sifications over the past three years with average 'Blow Up the Bridge'. We didn't want commercial- Saaibel City Council member Australian pines. Two groups, has not met in months, council and wildlife. The purpose of Real Estate Analytical Services, sales prices climbing 19.5 percent from $1,005,000 in ization. But now I think we recognize that it's impor- Walfy Kain said Tuesday, ; "Their the "Friends of the Environment" might as well hold off. They did. Westall has served on City Council since 1988 Inc. president John Adler's study called the Land Use 1993 to $1,201,000 in 1995. tant," he said. experience is -very much like and "Hope Town Association" Appointed—The Sanibel City and has chosen not to seek re-election this Data Base, Market Analysis and Recommendations, The market value of single family homes peaked in Adler believes that resort housing is also entering a ours," he said. According to are making residents and prdper- Council appointed Steve Walters November. according to Adler is to contribute to a broader under- 1994 with an average sales price of $418,000 and transition stage, where most resort housing will Kain, an American restaurant ty owners aware of the "terrible to the Sanibel Board of Trustees standing of Sanibel and Captiva land uses, its cycles, declined by 9.8 percent in 1995. become functionally and economically obsolete and chain has purchased a historic damage" that casuarinas causes to of the Municipal Police Officer's • trends and provide insights from which island leaders Demand for professional office space, Adler said is building on the island and the island's environment," Retirement Trust Fund, or in sim- National Women's Political can draw educated and appropriate conclusions. should eventually be replaced with modern, upscale weak due to dated facilities, the relatively high cost condominium development. intends on making it one of their reports the Bahamas newspaper pler terms, the: police pension "The islands are in their third phase of gentrifica- Caucus endorses Reding of office rentals and the growing technology that According to Adler, the growing trend toward restaurants. "They're attempting The Abaconian. board. : :• tion," Adler said of the change in resident population The National Women's Political caucus of Lee makes home offices an attractive option for Sanibel shorter vacations, wealthier visitors and more couples to follow our lead," Kain said of Resigned—Bill Hillebrandt to a higher economic class. County announced its endorsement of Andrew business executives. represent recent changes in vacation patterns. According to Adler, the gentrification process Reding for election to the Sanibel City Council. "Commercial build-out of Sanibel is less pre- "The estimated 30 to 40 percent increase in the began in the mid to late 1970s after rapid appreciation dictable than residential build-out because the retail Reding, 43, is one of four candidates for the three drove up taxes as well as the cost of living. In this room night cost has further altered our islands vaca- open seats on the five-seat council. and business communities, particularly retail are tion patterns, replacing many traditional vacationers —PUBLIC INPUT phase, Adler said the lower and middle income near- The National Women's Political Caucus of Lee experiencing a significant downturn in this current with a wealthier, younger vacationer," Adler said. •from page 1A retirees could no longer afford to hold on to their sec- refusing to answer questions directed at council from County is a chapter of the Florida Women's business cycle," Adler said. The average household income of vacationers in advance written request on a card identifying the per- ond or retirement homes. some sort of public platform. Political Caucus, which is a state affiliate of the According to Adler; Sanibel should explore more 1991 was $48,470. In 1995 that number skyrocketed son's name and subject.