Lee County approves multimillion-dollar beach improvement projects

The Lee County Commission has approved interlocal agreements to fund 14 Lee County beach and shoreline projects, using more than $5.78 million in Tourist Development Tax revenue.

The interlocal agreements are between Lee County and the Barrier Island Parks Society, Captiva Erosion Prevention District, city of Cape Coral, city of Sanibel, town of Fort Myers Beach and State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection, according to a statement. The projects primarily allow for maintenance of beach park facilities including public accesses, parking lots, restrooms and equipment at Boca Grande, Cape Coral, Captiva, Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach. Capital improvement projects include restrooms and shoreline monitoring and expansion in Cape Coral.

The Beach and Shoreline funding is an annual program, with the application deadline early in the calendar year. The applicants receiving funding this year all remain committed to the identified projects following Hurricane Ian’s landfall in September, county officials say. 

Beach and Shoreline project funding accounts for 26.4% of the proceeds from the Tourist Development Tax assessed on short-term lodging such as hotels, resorts and vacation rentals. The agreements, according to the statement, are part of more than $15 million in projects using Tourist Development Taxes, including a $4 million allocation for beach nourishment.