Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Governor DeSantis has only days left to VETO the “Sprawl Bill”, SB 540. SB 540 would threaten ordinary Floridians with financial ruin for exercising their right to legally challenge amendments that conflict with their communities’ comprehensive plans. Floridians who lost such challenges could be forced to pay the attorney fees and costs […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
It was easy to see that the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board didn’t want to make the decision they felt they had to make on Wednesday, May 10 at their monthly meeting. The proposal was from the Boca Grande Health Clinic to demolish the old Annex building and to build a new building approximately four times the size of the old one – weighing in at 13,299 square feet. After a series of pointed questions directed to several Clinic representatives, though, they had to deny the Certificate of Appropriateness based on two criteria within the Boca Grande Historic District Design Guidelines, specifically addressing the mass and scale of the proposed building and its height.
The reasons given officially to the county were submitted as, “Although the Board did not object to the form or materials proposed for the proposed office, it found that the height of the structure is too large for the immediate block of surrounding residences. The proposal is therefore not consistent with Guideline 4.1. The Board finds that the proposed structure exceeds both the mass and scale of the block and therefore is not consistent with Guideline 4.3.”
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
On Wednesday, May 11 Gov. Ron DeSantis had a bill on his desk that could affect Gasparilla Island in a big way. House Bill 949 is all about golf cart use and the requirements needed to operate one. As of Wednesday morning DeSantis issued a statement saying he was favorably inclined toward signing it.
The bill would require a golf cart driver to be 16 with a learners permit or drivers license or 18 and up. Drivers of all ages would be required to have a government-issued ID of some sort.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
It is a common myth that librarians are quiet, dull, and living in a world of fiction most of the time. If that is the image you have, Toni Vanover, Boca Grande’s librarian for the last 20 years, will quickly dispel it. She is funny, clever, and extremely smart. She loves people even more than she loves learning and sharing knowledge, and that says a lot, because those are things that really get her going.
Toni had not intended to be a librarian. It was more like a calling. After growing up in Staten Island, New York, she decided to go to George Washington University, in Washington, D.C., to become a diplomat or work in the Peace Corps.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO Waylon, Matt and Dan took top honors in the Howl at the Moon Tournament. There were 39 releases in that three-hour tournament. TEN YEARS AGO The new “Love Thy Neighbor” plan proposed by the residents of Gilchrist Avenue seemed to be working … at least for the meeting held […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
There has been a time change for the ResilientLee meeting that is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17. The time is now from 4 to 6 p.m. The county will continue to distribute information as it becomes available. For more information, visit ResilientLee.org.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The Boca Grande streetlight MSBU, a.k.a. the “Iguana Board,” met on April 27 with only two of the three sitting members in attendance. That means there was no quorum, but Board Members Mark Masselink and Skip Branin did cover some topics with Lee County MSBU Manager Josh Malo.
There are two open seats on the committee, but at least one application is expected shortly. Applications can be found at leegov.com/budget/mstbu/committees.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, News.
I am writing to ask for your support in OPPOSING the plans the Boca Grande Clinic has submitted to Lee County to build a 13,299 square foot medical building at the cost of $35 million on the site of the current Clinic Annex on the SE corner of 3rd and Park. (You can access the plans through the Lee County link found at the bottom of this email – the relevant pages are 19 thru 37).
These plans will be discussed at the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board Meeting on May 10th at 10 a.m. in the Women’s Club Room at the Community Center. Please join me at the meeting to speak out against this plan!!
Additionally, it is vital that voices be heard – so please write a letter of opposition/concern and send to the attention of Janet Miller (JMiller@leegov.com) no later than Monday, May 8 so she may include in the record. Additionally, a copy of the letter should be sent to the attention of the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board: contact@bghpb.org.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
The Whispering Bench is gone. Early Saturday morning heavy equipment operators came and began to gouge it out of the earth, while Boca Grande residents gathered around and did their best to protest it. Some tried to block the way of the equipment. Others tried to climb on the equipment. There were epithets thrown, as well as more than one projectile.
Someone in the crowd was heard to say, “They just started a war.”
It’s not as much about the bench as it is about the mentality of those who are moving here. Many of these are people who don’t know or care about the island’s rich history and, more to the point, they don’t know about how things have been done around here for almost 150 years.
But it didn’t matter in the end; the job was done.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
At its April annual meeting, the Woman’s Club announced that 21 area organizations would receive funding through the BGWC Community Grants Program, for a total of $308,417. Grants were awarded this year to the following organizations: Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS); Boca Grande Art Center; Boca Grande Historical Society; Boca Grande Preschool; Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association; Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA); Gasparilla Island Maritime Museum; Lee County Parks and Recreation; Mote Marine Laboratory; Royal Palm Players; and The Island School. Grants will also be given to L.A. Ainger Middle School Band; Lemon Bay High School (LBHS) Band Boosters; LBHS Chorus; LBHS NJROTC; LBHS Project Graduation; LBHS Theater Guild; and Lemon Bay booster organizations for the school’s football, girls basketball and softball teams.
In addition to awarding community grants, the Club has awarded $236,856 in scholarships for postsecondary education (university, college, trade or vocational) this season. BGWC has committed to providing scholarships to 26 new scholars for the upcoming season. Scholarship recipients must qualify academically, display financial need via FAFSA, and have a verified island connection per the scholarship guidelines. The Scholarship and Community Grant Programs are funded through the Club’s annual fundraiser and proceeds from Boca Bargains.