LEE COUNTY, Fla. — County Commissioners voted today to approve multiple contracts for projects in Lee County, including trailhead facilities at John Yarbrough Linear Park, a new LeeTran station on South Cleveland Ave., and a project adjacent to Yellow Fever Creek Preserve to improve water quality and the ecosystem.
John Yarbrough Linear Park opened to the public in 2005 and stretches for 4.8 miles between Colonial Blvd. and Ben C. Pratt/Six Mile Cypress Pkwy., along the 10 Mile Canal. It is a popular spot for walking, hiking, jogging, rollerblading, bicycling, fishing, birding and picnicking. It is dog friendly for dogs on leash.
Facilities planned for the southern end of the park will be built on 1.4 acres of a roughly seven acre parcel near Ben C. Pratt /Six Mile Cypress Pkwy., purchased by commissioners in 2018.
Plans include:
· Paved parking, including ADA-compliant parking
· Restrooms
· Picnic pavilions
· Additional amenities
Construction of the facilities is expected to take about six months to complete, weather permitting.
The $1 million contract is with Lee County-based Fowler Construction and Development.
For more information on all Lee County Parks & Recreation facilities, go to www.leeparks.org.
A new LeeTran Park-and-Ride and transfer station planned for the existing parking lot at the Lee County Elections Office, 13180 S. Cleveland Ave. Commissioners approved a design and engineering contract for the station.
The project will provide seven covered bus berths, ADA accessible restrooms, custodial and electrical facilities, a technology room, as well as loading and unloading ramps with ADA accessibility that will provide a higher level of service, security and comfort for LeeTran passengers and employees.
The $537,372 design contract was awarded to Cardno Inc. A matching grant of up to $160,000 from the Florida Department of Transportation will help pay for the design. The design effort is expected to take about six months.
For schedules or to learn more about LeeTran, go to www.RideLeeTran.com
The Yellow Fever Creek project contract was approved to build adjacent to Yellow Fever Creek Preserve, a Conservation 20/20 site, located within the City of Cape Coral near Averill Blvd. and Del Prado Blvd. N.
This joint project with the City of Cape Coral is designed to improve water quality by diverting excess flow from Gator Slough Canal into a reservoir. There, it will be treated before being released into Yellow Fever Creek, a tributary to the Caloosahatchee River. This will help reduce the flow of freshwater toward Matlacha Pass and restore historic base flows to the Yellow Fever Creek watershed. The transfer of water will also enhance the rehydration of wetlands south of Del Prado Blvd., restoring the habitat.
The Caloosahatchee estuary has a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) state designation for Total Nitrogen and an adopted State of Florida Basin Management Action Plan to lower this pollutant.
Commissioners spend millions of dollars annually on projects to reduce pollutants in the estuary. The project will provide TMDL credit for Total Nitrogen and is partially funded by two grants from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) totaling $992,000.
The $1.5 million contract approved Tuesday with Fort Myers-based Cougar Contracting is for the installation of a reservoir, pumping station, water transfer main, submersible pumps and related equipment.
Construction is expected to begin in February and take about six months to complete.
For more information on Lee County Natural Resources’ efforts to protect and improve water quality, log on to http://www.leegov.com/naturalresources/WaterQuality.
