To say, “the rainy season has begun”, is an understatement. With off-&-on showers, sometimes heavy, both day and night all week, Florida has reported flooding in many areas. Luckily the sandy soil here usually makes standing water disappear quickly, even so, it looked like a moat around my home by Wednesday afternoon with the street remaining flooded this morning.

The rains are expected to return to what we call “summer normal” by tomorrow which typically means an occasional afternoon downpour that passes quickly, cools things down, and may set the stage for a beautiful sunset.

With many reports of flooding off-island, I was determined to see how the island fared, so with my driveway finally down a few inches this afternoon, I did a short drive-around. Probably should not have gone down West Gulf Dr where there is a significant amount of water over the roadway in-&-around East Rocks, but once you start, it is tough to stop.

• ·        More standing water than I remember after past storms.
• ·        More hurricane-damaged homes have come down, more yards being cleared, more properties getting new roofs, windows, and landscaping.
• ·        Progress at the new Shalimar where buildings already are going up.
• ·        New lighter exterior color scheme at Somerset where the new landscaping also looks great.
• ·        New exterior painting also underway at Sand Pointe and Sundial East.
• ·        Workers on roof at several buildings at Pointe Santo and Shell Island Beach Club,
• ·        New clubhouse about done at Seagull Estates.
• ·        Sun finally peeking out by the time drove by Gramma Dot’s & The Sanibel Marina.

Gramma Dot’s 06-14-2024 at 3 p.m.

Sanibel Workshop – City Council & Planning Commission

It was with interest that I attended this 4-hour workshop on Tuesday at BIG ARTS. Held at the suggestion of Sanibel City Manager, Dana Souza, the purpose was to discuss ways for City staff to expedite island recovery efforts, both commercial and residential, and bring to the attention of elected officials some of the hurdles brought to light by post-Ian, both from the storm and from new processes and personnel.

The workshop was a cooperative effort between Sanibel City Council members and Planning Commissioners on stage. Agenda and presentations were by City Manage Souza, City Attorney John Agnew, Planning Director Paula McMichael, and Deputy Planning Director Craig Chandler. Public comment was open to anyone in attendance.

Recorded videos of the meeting are on the City of Sanibel Facebook page. Some of the experiences described by home and business owners in trying to get permits were surprising. Many were complimentary, a few highlighted areas where attention or direction is needed. All-in-all, the event resulted in good suggestions for improvement. It was so productive, that another may be held before year-end.

One news tidbit also is that Director McMichaels announced that a new City Planner has been hired and recently began work. A new administrative employee also is coming on board soon, with a second new Planner starting in a few weeks.

It really is unbelievable the volume of work that these City Departments (Planning & Building) have and continue to process from this storm. Thanks to them and our elected officials for always looking for ways to improve!

Sanibel & Captiva Announcements Re: Flooding

Captiva Library – Closed yesterday at 12:30 p.m. due to impacts from the weather.

F.I.S.H. – Today, the food pantry is closed and their furniture distribution event canceled due to the weather.

Public Parking – The City of Sanibel posted midweek that the public parking lots at Blind Pass and Lighthouse Beach were temporarily closed due to flooding. No word yet on them reopening. Still closed this afternoon.

Looking for Things to Do on Rainy Days?

Vacationers and residents often look for activities for children during stormy days. Below are examples of some of the offerings that were/are available at the Sanibel Library this week. View full online calendar with times at www.sanlib.org/calendar.

Dinosaur Fun with children from babies to teens invited to participate in a prehistoric adventure and hear stories about dinosaurs, ride the Dinosaur Roller Coaster through Virtual Reality, create hands-on crafts, and more. (Tues morning)

Toni Bennett Trick Dog Performance with story time. (Tues afternoon)

Crafternoon with bookmark making. Craft supplies available and staff guide the program, ages four and up, including adults. (Wed afternoon)

Family Storytime for ages five and under and their caregiver. Kids will get to sing, read, question, and move around during Storytime with a literacy craft center after (Fri morning)

Family Film Friday with movie in the Teen Area. Snacks provided. (Fri afternoon)

Strength & Stretch session for ages 4-10 with Yoga instructor. The program combines energetic movements, playful stretches, and calming breathwork to feel strong, flexible, and focused. (Sat morning)

Crafterday hosted by professional artist and coloring book creator. Participants will create a shorebird drawing they can take home. (Sat)

SCCF Announcement Re: Sea Turtles

Wed, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation posted: “SCCF has documented 371 loggerhead nests and 1 leatherback nest on Sanibel and Captiva since April 24. Heavy rains and flooding this week due to the wet season’s first tropical system don’t necessarily mean trouble for the nests – sea turtle eggs are permeable, so a little extra water shouldn’t be an issue and may have a beneficial cooling effect.

“The biggest threats to incubating eggs from storms include prolonged inundation or beach erosion and accretion, which can wash out nests or change nest conditions. Luckily, sea turtles lay multiple nests per season at different times so that even if one nest washes away, there’s a high likelihood that others produce hatchlings.

“It won’t be long before we see our first hatchlings! Help as protect nesting females and hatchlings by turning off beach-front lights after dark, filling in holes, flattening sandcastles, and removing beach furniture and trash.

“To report a suspected new nest or issues with nests/turtles, beach lighting, or beach furniture, please call the SCCF Sea Turtle Hotline at 978-728-3663.”

Ring the School Bell

Posted this week by the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village: “Children 12 and under are invited to test the remounted school bell at the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village. Now that the City of Sanibel has repaired the historic schoolhouse, the Sanibel Fire Department on Tues, June 18, at 9 a.m. will install the bell that was blown off the roof during Hurricane Ian. Once the bell is installed, one child, chosen at random, will get the chance to be the first to ring the bell. Later, after the official ceremonies, all children of all ages (even if over 65) will be allowed to ring the bell once. This is a classic example of how our community works together. The City repaired the building, Michael Gallloway, a volunteer, restored the bell, and now our Fire Department comes to the final rescue”, said Ty Symroski, President of the SHMV.

The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village is located at 950 Dunlop Road (next to BIG ARTS). It is open now through July 31, Tues to Sat 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Village will be closed August and September and re-open for season October 15.”

Tax Roll Values on Sanibel Drop Again Post-Ian

From www.SanibelCaptiva.com on June 11: “Initial property tax valuations for Sanibel have decreased over 2023 for the second consecutive year. The Lee County Property Appraiser’s Office released its preliminary estimated tax roll values last week, which indicate a 1.8% drop for the city of Sanibel, but a 9.65% increase for Captiva as part of unincorporated Lee County. Initial valuations for the fire districts also varied depending on island…

“”The value estimates provide a starting point to taxing authorities for their annual budget and property tax rate process,” Matt Caldwell (Lee County Property Appraiser) said. “The office will continue refining the values and will certify the official values.” The final numbers will come out before July 1, then be sent to Tallahassee for approval.”

Sanibel & Captiva Association of Realtors® Scoop

Because of the weather, most Professional Development Committee members attended the Association’s Wednesday meeting by Zoom. Now that the educational events, speakers and classes are scheduled for most of the year, the Committee won’t meet again until August. In the interim, members will continue to be notified about the forms being prepared by Florida Realtors® covering the new national requirements on buyer brokerage.

Yesterday, there was a Caravan Meeting at the Association office. Again, thanks to rain and lightning, attendance was light with Open Houses postponed until the monthly membership meeting in two weeks.

Below, with data from the islands Multiple Listing Service (MLS) are summary tables of the residential sales statistics, followed by the Sanibel/Captiva MLS action reported this week.

The SanibelSusan Team is thankful to have a new listing on Anchor Dr and appreciate that JMA Photography quickly filmed it last Sunday before the major rain events. Those photos, including drone shots, were used to prepare a streaming video that is now posted and syndicated to real estate sites worldwide. It is a wonderful home and now like-new thanks to a complete renovation last year. Easy to show and rescheduled for Realtor® Caravan on June 27, noon until 3 p.m.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Jun 7-14

Sanibel

CONDOS

1 new listing: Donax Village #2 2/2 $599K,

3 price changes: Beach Rd Villas #104 2/2 now $560K, Sanibel Arms West #I7 2/2 now $789K, Compass Point #191 3/2 now $1.795M.

1 new sale: Sandalfoot #5A2 2/2 listed at $929K.

No closed sales.

HOMES

668 Anchor Dr

5 new sales: 9003 Mockingbird Dr 5/4 listed at $959K, 3343 Saint Kilda Rd 3/2 listed at $1.087M, 3708 Agate Ct 3/3.5 listed at $1.37M, 4573 Bowen Bayou Rd 3/2 listed at $1.384M, 902 Kings Crown Dr 5/4.4 listed at $1.695M.

4 closed sales: 3025 Poinciana Cir 3/2 $750K, 5827 Pine Tree Dr 3/2 $M, 1720 Dixie Beach Blvd 3/3 $1.467M, 1318 Seaspray Ln 5/3.5 $2.15M.

LOTS

No new listings

1 price change: 2486 Wulfert Rd now $349K.

No new or closed sales.

Captiva

No price changes, new sales, or closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings.

1 price change: 11521 Paige Ct 4/3.5 now $10M.

No new or closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

This representation is based in part on data supplied by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service. Neither the association nor its MLS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy.  Data maintained by the association, or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.  The information provided represents the general real estate activity in the community and does not imply that SanibelSusan Realty Associates is participating or participated in these transactions.

Enjoy your weekend with best wishes for a Happy Fathers’ Day!