SANIBEL, Fla. — Rick Ansaldo lives in Fort Myers and is an avid windsurfer who frequently visits the Causeway Islands near Sanibel.
When he's out riding the waves along the beaches, he gets a chance to see problems with erosion that the Sanibel Island Causeway Project hopes to fix.
“The really necessary part is to stop the erosion on the second island, which really disappears every time there’s a big storm surge or every time there’s a hurricane," explains Ansaldo.
The $8.5 million project is set to finish in 2024 and will address problems with erosion along the beaches and add amenities like pavilions, restrooms, and new parking.
It was discussed at length during a Lee County Commission meeting on Tuesday morning.
“I’m sympathetic to what the windsurfers are saying, but I still haven’t heard in any of the comments that have been made yet anything practical that I can grab onto that I can say needs to be fixed about the plan," said Brian Hamman, District 4 Commissioner.
But Ansaldo says otherwise. He thinks the plan creates issues with parking.
“The parking spots that are there are going to get really really crowded and I hope they take into consideration that part of their charge is to actually increase access to the public," says Ansaldo.
Lee County has launched an interactive web tool so that you can view maps, plans, and timelines for that project.
