The Fort Myers Beach Town Council spent seven hours discussing a proposal for a seven-story hotel with shops and restaurants at Moss Marina, near the Matanzas Pass Bridge, focusing on its impact on the nearby neighborhood.
"So it really will transform Fort Myers Beach and open up that whole bay area to a lot more public access, which will be great for everybody," said Jim Atterholt, vice mayor of Fort Myers Beach.
Atterholt highlighted the need to balance neighborhood concerns with the benefits of the proposal, addressing issues such as drainage and privacy.
"And this is a big proposal, and it's right next to a small neighborhood," Atterholt said. "We're trying to make sure we balance the interests of those neighbors, make sure those concerns are addressed, drainage and privacy issues, but at the same time support this new proposal that will be so good for Fort Myers Beach overall."
Residents expressed concerns about traffic and access, particularly on Benita Street and Harvard College. Chris Mosteiro, a Fort Myers Beach resident, voiced opposition to a turnaround option.
"So we understand there's challenges to putting in a turnaround. If the option is open or not, we want it closed. No turnaround. We don't want access," Mosteiro said.
Developers responded by proposing gated access at Third Street and Harbour Court to block unwanted traffic and installing a larger storm drain to address drainage issues.
The council, with the exception of Mayor Dan Allers, supported moving forward with the hotel proposal.
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