STORM INSURANCE: Leonardo Arms approved for retention wall

Nearly two years after a shoreline emergency was declared due to eroding duress at the beachfront on the southern end of Estero Island, another form of protection to a property complex adjacent to the affected area is on the way.

On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council approved a special exception with certain conditions to allow a roughly 300-foot-long upland retaining wall seaward of the 1978 Coastal Construction Control Line in the environmentally critical zoning district to be built. The wall will be buried in front of Leonardo Arms condominiums.

"I think this is a good project and much needed in that area," said Vice Mayor Joe Kosinski. "This is designed to prevent (wash outs) from happening. I imagine even in the event of a hurricane."

BOB PETCHER To protect from any type of increased tidal flow threatening the foundation of one of the condo buildings during tropical events, Leonardo Arms applied for and received a special exception for a 300-foot-long upland retaining wall that will be buried where the sand bags sit.

Back in early 2012, Leonardo Arms association officials at 7400 Estero Blvd. reported they were concerned about recession from the erosion process caused by tropical storm waves. Gulf water migration was cited as threatening the foundation of one of the condo buildings.

After Town officials were contacted to help seek relief, Council unanimously approved a resolution to issue a Declaration of Local Shoreline Emergency from the Department of Environmental Protection. Durable sand bags were then embedded in the condo building's seawall area to act as temporary emergency protective structures from any further storm, wave or tidal activity.

That measure was only allowed temporarily. After a six-month permit, authorization to keep the sand bags in place was extended, while officials at the condominium looked into a longer-term solution. Another layer of sandbags was added during a phase II implementation.

Humiston & Moore Engineers of Naples, which was first hired for consultation reasons, began working with DEP and Town officials when the erosion problem came to light. Staff engineer Marc Damon attended the Council meeting and gave a presentation to state his client's case for an upland retaining wall.

"By 2012, there was a small inlet in front of the building, causing a lot of erosion. By that time, the shoreline had receded about 650 feet," he said.

Damon mentioned there was a recovery in the summer of 2012, but tide and current influence caused another recession.

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STORM INSURANCE: Leonardo Arms approved for retention wall