Fort Myers Beach considers building wall for storm protection

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. —

Should Fort Myers Beach build a wall before the next storm hits?

Fort Myers Beach is exploring possible test sites for a wave mitigation wall designed to help break up wave action and storm surge during future storms.

One of the main areas discussed at a planning meeting Wednesday was Times Square.

The town says the goal is to create a structure that could help reduce damage and potentially save millions of dollars if another major storm hits.

Right now, the town has a $60,000 contract with an engineering firm to study different options, including how tall the wall should be and where it should go.

Leaders say the design would not look like an older-style seawall, you might see at Daytona Beach. Instead, it could resemble the modern beachfront wall seen in Fort Lauderdale, with possible features like sidewalks, bike racks, and other public amenities.

Still, not everyone agrees it’s the right move.

"Walls don't always work," said Erin Kennedy, who works at the Beach Hut on Fort Myers Beach. "You're going to have to go up high in order to do what I think they want to do, and you're in a tourist attraction area for the beach and if you go up really high ... It's going to change the whole feeling down here."

Others say any added protection is worth exploring.

"I think so, yeah, just to keep people safe," said John Gragert, whose been visiting Fort Myers Beach for decades. "As long as the look of it doesn't appear to be unnatural. Fort Myers Beach can make the design their own."

La Ola owner Tom Houghton has also been looking into constructing a wave mitigation wall in front of his business, though that kind of added protection does not come cheap.

For now, town leaders are still in the early stages. The exact locations and overall price tag are still up in the air.

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