SANIBEL, Fla. — The temporarily closed Gulfside City Park Beach on Sanibel Island is undergoing a transformation. The beach renourishment project, which began this week, is aimed at restoring the stretches of Sanibel's beaches eroded by Hurricane Ian. The large scale project involves the transportation of nearly 400,000 tons of sand and is not without its concerns from local residents.
Elizabeth Eckhardt, a Sanibel resident of 22 years, expressed a mix of anticipation and worry, "We're all looking forward to a beautiful beach again, but I hope the sand doesn't wash right into everybody's yard."
These concerns stem from the recent storm on Saturday night. The storm resulted in noticeable flooding in the area, with standing water lingering between homes days later.
"We just had a storm here this weekend, and when we did, we got a lot of water here. I'm one [house] back from the beach, but we got a lot of sand and water," said Eckhardt.
Dawn Chivington, a visitor to the beach, also noted the impact of the storm, "We did see some standing water around the area, especially before we went out to the beach. There was a lot of standing water around the homes."
The renourishment project, estimated to cost nearly $22 million, is a collaborative effort funded by FEMA and the State. It aims to restore the beaches to their pre-Hurricane Ian conditions with up to 160 trucks expected to haul the sand from Moore Haven near Lake Okeechobee.
The Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau reported a 40% decrease in visitors this year compared to last, with the beaches being the primary attraction. The completion of the beach renourishment project is expected to help revitalize the local economy and tourism.
The project is scheduled for completion by April, just in time for the turtle nesting season. This renourishment is expected to bring back the natural beauty of Sanibel's beaches and to increase the area's resilience against future storms.
