Traffic and/or Beach Alerts

TRAFFIC ALERTS

Scheduled Maintenance to the Sanibel Causeway - May 28th Thru May 30th

The Lee County Department of Transportation (DOT) has notified the City of Sanibel they will be performing maintenance on A, B and C spans of the Sanibel Causeway May 28th thru May 30th, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Periodic lane closures will occur during this time. Motorists are advised to use caution while traveling this route.

If you have questions, please contact Lee County DOT at (239) 533-8109.

Lee County Electric Cooperative Resumes Sanibel-Captiva Road Electrical Upgrade

The City of Sanibel has received the following information from Lee County Electric Cooperative (L.C.E.C):

Lee County Electric Cooperative (L.C.E.C.) will resume scheduled maintenance of the electrical system on Sanibel-Captiva Road beginning Monday, May 6, 2013. Work will be suspended Thanksgiving week (November 25, 2013 thru November 29, 2013) and for season beginning December 13, 2013. A permit has yet to be applied for or approved for the 2014 re-mobilization and completion of the Project.

Construction will take place Monday through Thursday, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. beginning east of Rabbit Road and ending at the intersection of Palm Ridge and Periwinkle. Traffic along the route will be limited to single lane closures of short sections at a time with expected delays. Motorists are advised to drive with caution and heed all signage and traffic controllers. L.C.E.C. is required to utilize Sanibel Police Department personnel anytime intersections are impacted.

This maintenance is part of a ten-year plan to ensure the Lee County Electric Cooperative’s infrastructure remains stable for customers on the island.

Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Lee County Electric Cooperative at (239)656-2300 or visit them at www.lcec.net or the City of Sanibel Public Works Department at (239) 472-6397 or the Sanibel Police Department at (239) 472-3111.

Lee County Electric Cooperative Resumes Sanibel-Captiva Road Electrical Grid Upgrade - Monday, May 6, 2013

The City of Sanibel has received the following information from Lee County Electric Cooperative:

Lee County Electric Cooperative (L.C.E.C) will resume scheduled reconstruction of the electrical grid on Sanibel-Captiva Road beginning Monday, May 6th, 2013 thru April 15th, 2014. Work will be suspended Thanksgiving week (November 25th, 2013 thru November 29th, 2013) and for season (December 15th, 2013 thru April 28th, 2014).

Construction will take place Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. beginning east of Rabbit Road and ending at the intersection of Palm Ridge and Periwinkle. Traffic along the route will be limited to single lane closures of short sections at a time with expected delays. Motorists are advised to drive with caution and heed all signage and traffic controllers. L.C.E.C. is required to utilize Sanibel Police Department personnel anytime intersections are impacted.

This maintenance is part of a ten-year plan to ensure the Lee County Electric Cooperative’s infrastructure remains stable for customers on the island.

Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Lee County Electric Cooperative at (239) 656-2300 or visit them at www.lcec.net or the City of Sanibel Public Works Department at (239) 472-6397 or the Sanibel Police Department at (239) 472-3111.

The City of Sanibel Received the Following News Release from LCEC - LCEC Sanibel-Captiva Road Advisory:

In an effort to improve reliability on the Island, LCEC must perform maintenance and construction on electric facilities from time to time. This helps to ensure we can provide reliable power to customers year-round. Currently we are rebuilding the line along San-Cap Road in an effort to reduce power interruptions and strengthen the system.

In order to minimize the impact to visitors and residents, the project was scheduled in phases and is being performed with a traffic management plan. Although this has increased the duration of the project, it does decrease the impact to traffic flow. In most instances throughout the project the traffic flow has been satisfactory. However, during the present phase of the project, where a new pole is being installed at a busy intersection, traffic has been interrupted longer than usual. LCEC would like to apologize for any inconvenience this has caused residents and visitors.

In response to concerns from customers, LCEC will demobilize the project until after the busy season. However, the current phase must be completed so that the electric system is not vulnerable to power interruptions that would impact nearly 5,000 customers on the island. LCEC contract crews will work 10 hours a day Monday through Thursday to complete this phase of the project, which is estimated to be completed by February 21. During the next few weeks, LCEC will do everything we can to keep traffic flowing in an acceptable manner. Once the next phase begins, after Easter, it is estimated that the entire project will be completed by year-end. Progress will be determined by the challenges and severity of storm season. CLICK HERE to read the news release in its entirety.

Lee County Notifies City of Sanibel of Causeway Inspections

The Lee County Department of Transportation notified the City of Sanibel of the following information:

January 22, 2013, Sanibel, FL - Lee County DOT Operations has hired a contractor to conduct inspection activity for the Sanibel Bridges over the next several weeks. The work is to be done weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and is currently anticipated to finish by the end of February 2013, weather permitting. The inspection work will be done from the shoulders and should be accomplished without lane closures although there may be very short traffic disruptions during the daily set up and tear down of the Maintenance of Traffic devices. Variable message signs will be placed to alert drivers to the roadway Maintenance of Traffic. If you have any questions, please contact Lee County DOT at (239) 533-9400.

Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program Study - Formerly known as ATPPL (Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands)

The City of Sanibel is currently partnered with the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge and the Lee County Transit (LeeTran) to explore appropriate and environmentally sensitive solutions for managing alternative transportation needs within the Refuge in order to achieve a balance between visitors while minimizing the disturbance of wildlife. Please visit http://www.dingdarlingtransportation.com/ for information regarding this alternative transportation study.

BEACH ALERTS

Sanibel Protects Sea Turtles: 2013 Nesting Season Guidelines Issued

With sea turtle nesting season already underway, the City of Sanibel, in partnership with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), is asking all residents and visitors to do their part in protecting these threatened and endangered species. On Sanibel, nesting and hatchling emergence typically occur between May 1st and October 31st and the rare opportunity to witness these events on a dark summer night is both an honor and a great responsibility.

The nesting ritual of the loggerhead sea turtle is one of the most remarkable natural phenomena occurring on Sanibel’s Gulf beaches. This natural process has happened on Sanibel for centuries and our eleven miles of Gulf shoreline have more nesting activity than any other beach in Lee County. Sought by predators and susceptible to dehydration, sea turtle hatchlings have only a one in one thousand chance of survival. Human activities can further reduce that chance.

By following these simple guidelines, you can do your part to ensure the survival of these magnificent creatures:

• Turn off or shield lights near the beaches. Artificial beach lighting can inhibit female sea turtles from nesting and disorient hatchlings. Most beachfront lighting issues can be addressed by turning off all unnecessary lights, repositioning or modifying light fixtures, or closing blinds and drapes.
• Remove furniture and other items from the beach and dune area, when not in use, between the hours of 9:00 P.M. and 7:00 A.M. Items left on the beach including beach furniture, toys and trash may provide barriers to nesting or result in entanglement and predation of hatchlings.
• Level all sandcastles and fill any holes dug during play. These are fine during the day but may pose additional hazards at night. Please leave the beach as you found it, so that sea turtles and hatchlings are not hindered on their way to nest or to the water.
• Pick up all trash. Sea turtles mistakenly eat debris, especially plastic, which results in death.
• Honor the leash law. All dogs on the beach must be on a leash and not allowed to disturb nesting turtles or hatchlings.

Gulf-front property owners should make sure that their properties are in compliance with the City’s sea turtle protection ordinances and ensure that artificial lighting from the property is not illuminating the beach (Sanibel Code Section 74-181—74-183, Section 126-996—126-1002). An easy way to test if your property is in compliance is to stand on the beach on a moonless night and look seaward. If you can see your shadow cast towards the water, there is too much light behind you. This light could potentially deter female turtles from nesting or disorient hatchlings as they emerge from the nest.

We look forward to another successful sea turtle nesting season and hope to uphold Sanibel’s reputation as having one of the darkest and most “turtle friendly” beaches in the state. We ask for your continued compliance with City’s sea turtle protection ordinances and remind all residents and visitors that violations of these ordinances may be subject to City, State, and/or Federal fines and penalties. Violations should be reported immediately to the Sanibel Police Department at (239) 472-3111, Sanibel Code Enforcement (239) 472-4136, or Natural Resources at (239) 472-3700.

For more information regarding sea turtles on Sanibel, please visit the City’s website:

http://mysanibel.com/Departments/Natural-Resources/Protecting-Our-Beaches/Sea-Turtles

Blind Pass Maintenance Dredging Along Inside of Pass Begins February 15th

Beginning February 15, 2013, the Lee County Department of Natural Resources’ contractor will begin maintenance dredging along the inside of Blind Pass (north side of bridge). Beach surveys are underway and construction equipment began setting the dredge pipe this week.

Approximately 40,000 cubic yards of sand will be removed from the inside of the pass. The dredged sand will be used to re-nourish portions of eroded beach south of Blind Pass.

Beachgoers should use caution when construction equipment is present on the beach. Fishing from the Blind Pass Bridge may be intermittently restricted during the maintenance dredging project. The project is expected to last for 45 days.

For additional information regarding Lee County’s Blind Pass dredging project, please visit their website located at: http://www.lee-county.com/gov/dept/NaturalResources/Marine/Pages/BlindPass.aspx or call the Lee County Department of Natural Resources at (239) 533-8109.

2013 Sanibel Beach Parking Permits Now Available!!!

Sanibel residents and property owners can purchase their Beach Parking Permits at the Sanibel Recreation Center, 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road. Beach Parking Permits are no longer sold at the Sanibel Police Department.

In announcing the change, Sanibel City Manager Judie Zimomra stated, “Consistent with our top priorities, this change improves efficiency for the taxpayers as well as improves convenience for our citizens.” Beach Parking Permits can now be purchased 7-days a week anytime the Recreation Center is open. Payment may be made via cash, check, MasterCard or Visa.

2013 Parking Permit Decals & Fees (Permits Valid through 11/30/2013)

“A” Resident Property Owner $12
(Resident and/or Sanibel Ad Valorem taxpayer property owner)

“B” Non-Resident Permit $90
(Non-resident/Non-Sanibel Ad Valorem taxpayer property owner)

“C” Restricted Permit $90
(Resident and Non-Resdient)

“A/C” Resident Permit $102

“B/C” Non-Resident Permit $180

Decal Transfer or Reissue Fee $3 (Residential and Restricted)

General Parking Meter Rate $2 per hour or any fraction

General Parking at $2 per hour or “C” Permit required for parking at Gulfside City Park (Algier’s), Boat Ramp and the Causeway Parking Lot

“A” Permit Parking only at Beach Access Lots 1 through 7 on West Gulf Drive.

To qualify for a Beach Parking Permit, please bring a valid vehicle registration for each vehicle and a valid state issued identification or driver’s license showing a Sanibel address or proof of Sanibel property ownership.

The Sanibel Recreation Center, located at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road, is open Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Click here for a map of all locations Beach Parking Permits are valid.

Dog Leash Law Informational Educational Flyer (pdf 20.20 kB)
Please read this education flyer for regulations regarding the dog leash law on Sanibel and beaches.