Condominium gets protective wall extension

Two years after a shoreline emergency was declared due to eroding duress at the beachfront adjacent to Leonardo Arms condominiums, another extension for a temporary sandbag wall has been given to allow more time for an upland retaining wall to be constructed in front of the 7400 Estero Blvd. property.

The Fort Myers Beach Town Council unanimously approved to extend a Town permit (issued in March 2012) until Feb. 1, 2015, so that contractors can obtain the proper state and federal permits, remove the sandbag structure that was embedded into the seawall area and anchor the retaining wall as close as practical to the building. The wall has a reported design of roughly 400 cubic yards of fill.

Back in early 2012, Gulf water migration and recession from an erosion process caused by tropical storm waves was cited as threatening the foundation of one of the condo buildings (Unit II). It was noted that tidal flow has come as close as 15 feet of the foundation of the building, which houses 60 units.

BOB PETCHER At this time, there is no eroding duress at the beachfront near the affected building at Leonardo Arms condominiums. Time and weather may change that scenario, though.

"The sand bags in place actually did protect the building from the strong surge from Tropical Storm Debby a few years ago," said Environmental Sciences Coordinator Keith Laakkonen, the first Town official to bring the erosion problem forward. "Without the protection of that wall, there might have been some erosion and potential undermining of the building."

This past January, 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. Reports say the wall will be buried in front of Leonardo Arms condominiums.

This action comes after Council unanimously approved a resolution on March 19, 2012, to issue a Declaration of Local Shoreline Emergency from the Department of Environmental Protection to allow the Town to seek a permit for temporary protective measures.

The permit granted the placement of large sand bags brought in by flatbed trucks and embedded into the seawall area at Leonardo Arms to aid in the erosion stress area caused by tidal action that has been cutting back the existing bank at the property. Protective vegetation and boulders that made up a barrier had fallen into the eroded area.

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. The original extension was to expire next week.

Officials at Leonardo Arms decided to hire a coastal engineering firm to address the deteriorated landscape. Naples-based Humiston & Moore Engineers was first hired for consultation reasons then began working with DEP and Town officials when the erosion problem came to light.

Read more:
Condominium gets protective wall extension