Public able to weigh in on Sanibel building heights

An island city wrecked by Hurricane Ian is considering a rule change that would make it look very different.

On Wednesday night, the people of Sanibel will tell the town how they feel about amending the ordinance to adjust building heights.

As rebuilding continues on Sanibel, these condos, hotels, homes, and businesses may have a new lease on height.

These adjustments are being made so properties on the island can combat the parallel flood of a natural disaster.

Sanibel city council is holding a “special meeting” at the Big Arts to go over these changes,
but these changes are not drastic and are different than those that are in the works just a dozen miles down Sanibel Captiva Road.

“A lot has taken place in the last 50 years, but we want to remain true to the code,” said Mayor Richard Johnson.

Height on Sanibel is regulated by the Sanibel plan, charter, and code. Sanibel City Council is working on what they have to improve for the future.

“We can adjust the language in the code so that we can bring that code up to date because that code is almost 50 years old,” Johnson said.

Now the code is not created equal, it depends on the type of property it is and where it is located on the island. The mayor said it was all about the angle of light on the buildings that’s up for discussion during Wednesday’s meeting.

“It’s a measure we use to allow people to go a little bit higher because we measure the angle of light a little differently than we do overall building height,” Johnson said.

This is another step towards building back the island back.