Haley Jacobs
•8/5/2026
UPPER CAPTIVA, Fla. (WINK) — A North Captiva property once covered with piles of wood, metal, household trash and construction debris looks dramatically different today.
When WINK News visited the island in June, neighbors said the debris had been accumulating since Hurricane Ian and had become one of the first things visitors saw after arriving near the ferry landing.
Now, the large pile is gone.
Crews were still working on the property on Wednesday, clearing smaller pieces of debris and cleaning the site. Property owner Mike Verona declined an on-camera interview but told WINK News by text that crews removed more than 400 tons of debris in less than a month.
“When I say I’m going to do something, I do it,” Verona wrote.
For neighbors who had spent years asking for the property to be cleaned up, the change was immediate and welcome.
“Oh, I was very happy,” neighbor Richard Gross said. “I’ve been trying to get him to remove that trash since Hurricane Ian.”
Gross said he does not know whether the cleanup was prompted by county fines, state involvement, news coverage or a combination of pressure. He said the debris had remained for years before removal work suddenly accelerated.
Neighbor Dave Wilcox said island residents were glad to see each load leave.
“We were cheering in our own hearts,” Wilcox said.
The cleanup follows an April 30 inspection by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
DEP conducted the inspection after receiving a complaint involving possible unauthorized disposal and processing at the Team Davenport Barging property at 341 Pieces of Eight.
Inspectors found construction and demolition debris, Class III waste and household solid waste being stored and processed without the required permit, registration or notification. DEP directed the operator to remove the waste, dispose of it at a permitted facility and stop storing additional solid waste until the appropriate authorization was obtained.
The report also identified several environmental and safety concerns.
DEP found that the property is within 5,000 feet of an operating airstrip used by piston-engine aircraft. State rules require solid-waste facilities in that area to demonstrate that their operation will not create a bird hazard. Inspectors said that a demonstration had not been made.
The site is also close to a public water-supply well and a canal connected to Safety Harbor.
DEP reported that the majority of the property is within 500 feet of a public water-supply well and that waste had been stored inside that setback. Inspectors also found solid waste within 200 feet of a body of water. The report said the property did not have a leachate collection system or groundwater monitoring in place.
DEP did not conclude that contamination had occurred. However, inspectors said debris piles near the canal raised concerns about potential environmental impacts and directed the operator to stop storing waste there without the appropriate permits and controls.
The report states that facility staff attributed the prolonged accumulation partly to a damaged seawall that limited barge access. Staff also told DEP they had been working with Lee County to obtain the zoning needed for the operation.
Lee County previously cited the property for nuisance accumulation and open storage without the required approvals.
County records show the owner was ordered to bring the property into compliance and was subjected to daily fines.
Verona previously told WINK News that he also wanted the debris removed, but said county restrictions involving his St. James City barging location had made the process more difficult.
Lee County disputed the claim that it was preventing the debris from leaving North Captiva. The county said it was not blocking transportation of the material and had not directed Verona to use one specific alternate location.
Although the debris has been removed, neighbors say the future use of the property remains their larger concern.
Lee County confirmed there is an active planned-development rezoning application involving the site.
The application seeks to rezone three parcels totaling approximately 3.2 acres from two separate commercial planned developments and commercial zoning into one Commercial Planned Development.
The county said the application is currently awaiting the applicant’s response to staff comments.
Earlier, Lee County described the request as an effort to authorize a solid-waste transfer station. Neighbors worry that approval could allow waste handling and storage to continue at the site.
“Our problem is that while we’re happy that it’s gone, there’s a zoning issue and a bigger picture,” Wilcox said. “We just never want it to come back.”
Wilcox said he would rather see the property used for businesses that better fit the island, such as shops or a bait shop.
Gross said his focus is on restoring some of the island’s natural appearance.
Before Hurricane Ian, he said much of the property contained mangroves and older docks. He wants to know whether the mangroves will be restored and whether the site can return to something closer to what it looked like before the debris accumulated.
“We had that whole property — a lot of it was mangroves,” Gross said. “It looked pristine before."The cleanup has changed one of the most visible areas near the ferry landing, but neighbors say they do not view the matter as finished.
The DEP case remains unresolved, the county code cases remain open, and the rezoning application is still under review.
Wilcox thanked WINK News for bringing attention to residents’ concerns.
“I would like to thank WINK for giving the islanders a voice in this matter,” he said. “It’s obviously important to us. It’s important to the environment.”
For now, residents say they are happy to see the debris gone.
Their attention has shifted to making sure it stays that way — and deciding what belongs on the property next.
