Tag: Featured

The Bailey’s General Store has been a staple on Sanibel and has provided groceries, hardware, and general needs to tourists and residents, long before any bridges were built.

Recently, Bailey’s owner Richard Johnson said significant changes would occur to this much-loved store to enhance the shopping experience and match the needs of modern-day grocers. Exterior changes will include replacing the yellow and brown look with the flat roof that has remained for decades with more prominent, blue facades on top of the building, including the most significant one right at the grocery store entrance.

That’s not all, Johnson also said that the grocery store will be expanding further towards the south side of the shopping center, adding an additional 6,000 square feet in retail space.
To do so, the Island Cinema, a building located next to the grocery store in which the shopping center owns, will be demolished to create additional floor space for the store. Johnson said this decision came about during the COVID-19 pending when he and his staff decided to not to re-open the theatre.
With these expansion plans to add new spaces to the Bailey’s store, many of the much loved, old features will remain, including the liquor store, which will be relocated, and the coffee bar.

Additional changes include increasing the parking space for both cars and bikes, adding more vegetation around the parking area, adding charging point for electric vehicles to some parking spots, decrease the amount of developed property on the parcel, as well as bring the center into accordance with Sanibel’s Architectural Design Standards.
These renovations will ensure that the store represents the community aesthetics, not appear monolithic. The re-designed architecture will be more visually attractive for the shoppers, pedestrian, bicyclist and motorist, as wouldn’t permit noise, light and other impacts on the quiet and private enjoyment of adjacent residential uses.

This means that the shopping center’s renovations will be “constructed, maintained and improved in a manner that enhances the environment, visual and physical character of Sanibel consistent with the Sanibel Plan and its vision statement,” the ordinance reads.

These proposed changes are coming after the grocery store added more renewable energy to not only save money, but to improve the environment on the island as well.

Map of the Apportionment Model

CEPD Technical Policy Director, Daniel Munt, crafted an interactive map utilizing the ARCGIS system that displays the tentative apportionment model, under consideration by the CEPD Board, as would be assessed across Captiva properties. The application has been embedded on the CEPD website so that all property owners may conveniently search for their estimated assessment.

The map of the apportionment model is searchable by address or STRAP number. Please follow the below steps to take the best advantage of the map

• To view individual property data, click on the desired property and all values will be displayed in a pop-up.4
• In an instance where multiple parcels are selected, click the arrow on the pop-up to navigate to the intended selection.
• The legend can be viewed by clicking the “>>” button in the top left corner of the map.
• Zoom in and out by clicking the “+” and “-” buttons under the legend view.
• Click “View Larger Map” at the bottom of the page to open the application in a new tab

Click HERE to view the map

NEW TENTATIVE APPORTIONMENT PUBLIC HEARING

Due to a defect with the newspaper notice for the June 28 meeting, the CEPD board will be unable to vote on an apportionment model at that time. The district will take this opportunity to present the apportionment methodology that is up for a vote at the next Regular Board Meeting on August 9 and will take questions from the public.

A new notice will be published and mailed to all property owners. The public is invited to be heard, but only objections raised in the August 9 Regular Board Meeting will have legal significance.

On August 9, 2021 at 1 p.m., the CEPD Board will hear comments from interested persons regarding the project plans and specifications, cost estimates and/or the tentative cost apportionment and assessment. CEPD will be sending out additional letters to the public at that time.

For all updates to our schedule, meeting agendas, and materials, please visit us at: https://www.mycepd.com/board-meetings

SEA TURTLE NEST RELOCATION ON CAPTIVA

With the projects potential start in the next couple months, Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation has begun relocating nests that are laid in the project area. According to the SCCF June 16 newsletter update, 85 nests have been laid on Captiva and 14 have been moved out of the project areas.

SCCF has also begun a new research project to characterize the physical properties of sand along Sanibel and Captiva and evaluate how these variables affect the groundwater flow, moisture content, and temperature inside the nest cavity.

For more information on SCCF’s work, sign up for their Wednesday Updates at this link: http://www.sccf.org/our-work/wednesday-update

SEA TURTLE NEST RELOCATION ON CAPTIVA

With the projects potential start in the next couple months, Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation has begun relocating nests that are laid in the project area. According to the SCCF June 16 newsletter update, 85 nests have been laid on Captiva and 14 have been moved out of the project areas.

SCCF has also begun a new research project to characterize the physical properties of sand along Sanibel and Captiva and evaluate how these variables affect the groundwater flow, moisture content, and temperature inside the nest cavity.

For more information on SCCF’s work, sign up for their Wednesday Updates at this link: http://www.sccf.org/our-work/wednesday-update

This week, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation will begin the preliminary steps of a multi-phase restoration project on the newly acquired Periwinkle Wetlands Preserve, officials reported.

LAND CLEARING PHASE

Over the next several months, contractors will conduct the land clearing phase, which will include the removal and eradication of dense stands of large, invasive exotic trees. The work will be overseen by SCCF Habitat Management staff and vegetation debris will be mulched onsite. In addition to the tree removal, staff will conduct selective herbicide treatments to manage invasive exotic vines, groundcovers and grasses. Habitat Management also will begin to revegetate many areas throughout the property and construct hiking trails.

Removing exotic plants — which lack any native predators or pests to keep them in check — is key to successful restoration. The timing of the restoration was planned around nature, and a firm completion date has not been established.

RESTORATION/IMPROVEMENT PHASE

Following the initial restoration, improvements will be added to the approximately two acres fronting Periwinkle Way between Purdy and Martha’s lanes. The improvements will be open to the public, while the majority of the preserve acreage will be dedicated for exclusive use as wildlife habitat.

The community space will be replanted with native landscaping. It will feature a 1,100-foot loop walking-biking trail connected to the shared use path. The trail will take bikers and walkers through a welcome plaza with a water bottle-filling station and interpretive panels. A demonstration marsh with wetlands features will include water-quality education panels, and there will be interpretative gardens with seasonal blooms and a sculpture garden.

Throughout the restoration process, SCCF Habitat Management staff will routinely conduct inspections for the reintroduction of invasive, exotic species to ensure it is a diverse healthy ecosystem.

Click here for entire article

June is peak nesting season for sea turtles, so it is an exciting month for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation as it monitors nests and addresses a few on-the-ground projects.

SCCF Sea Turtle Program staff are relocating nests on Captiva in preparation for the upcoming beach re-nourishment project by the Captiva Erosion Prevention District, officials reported. Existing nests within the project area will have hatched prior to mobilization at the end of July. The SCCF is operating under a permit issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to do the work.

Although nesting activity is rarely reported on the Sanibel Causeway Islands, the SCCF has been contracted to monitor Island B daily to document and relocate nests before construction begins on the island on Aug. 1. Additionally, the SCCF is launching a research project to study the impacts of sand quality on nest temperature, moisture and how the water moves through the sand surrounding the nest.

Three new interns joined the team to help with monitoring, relocation and research efforts. Emily Skinner, Taylor Lawrence, and Malina Baker arrived two weeks ago.

SCCF’s team had recorded 228 loggerhead nests and three green sea turtle nests as of June 2. There appears to be a high proportion of returning turtles nesting on Sanibel. Sixty-three percent of the turtles have been previously tagged by the team.

Those who come upon a female during nesting season are asked to keep their distance, be quiet, do not use a flashlight or white light, and enjoy the moment. For information, visit SanCapLifeSavers.org

Captiva ISLAND Beach Brief

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock (GLDD) has provided CEPD with both a best-case, and a worst case scenario for the Captiva Beach-Nourishment Project Timeline. The worst-case scenario accounts for unplanned delays such as storms or other inclement weather, equipment issues, or other unforeseen challenges. Below are two timelines for the project, which have been provided to CEPD by the contractor. CEPD anticipates hosting a Town Hall via zoom and in person for late July with the Project Manager from GLDD. This meeting will allow residents and members of the public to ask questions prior to the start of the project.

Project timeline

Best case scenario

• Dredging and Beachfill South ½ of Island – August 5th to 18th August
• Dredging and Beachfill North ½ of Island – August 18th to 6th September
• Demobilization – September 6th to 18th September

Worst case scenario

• Dredging and Beachfill South ½ of Island – August 5th to August 30th
• Dredging and Beachfill North ½ of Island – August 30th to September 24th
• Demobilization – September 24th to October 6th

During the Captiva Erosion Prevention District board meeting on June 7th, 2021, staff received direction from commissioners to prepare the Benefits Based Model of the beach nourishment apportionment and set the public hearing date for tentative apportionment as June 28th, 2021, at 5:01PM. The Benefits Based Model has a section for storm protection benefits applied to all gulf front properties as derived from the analysis performed by the coastal engineers at APTIM. It also separates the recreational benefits associated to each of the properties on Captiva Island into commercial, residential, and homesteaded residential properties based upon the study done by economist Dr. Stronge, commissioned by the CEPD.

This model attributes the highest millage rate to the commercial properties, followed by the residential non-homesteaded properties, and offers a 42.1% discount to the homesteaded properties. CEPD will be sending out letters to property owners explaining the apportionment by June 17th and will be placing an advertisement in the paper for the Tentative Apportionment Hearing on June 28 at 5:01 p.m. where all residents and property owners will have the opportunity for their concerns to be heard.

Click here to read the entire article

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. announced the receipt of several major dredging awards totaling $112.8 million including the $15.6 million Captiva Island Beach Renourishment Project. The Captiva Island Beach Renourishment Project involves placement of sand to improve and support five miles of sea shore along Captiva Island. This project will help protect and reinforce the island’s shoreline. Great Lakes worked on renourishment of the beach in 2013. the Captiva Erosion Prevention District and is privately funded for this project. Work is likely to commence in the third quarter with anticipated completion in October of 2021.

Source: workboat.com

Below is the list of all Captiva Island active listing for sale.

Sorry we are experiencing system issues. Please try again.