Dear Council: I just read an article advising that the Marco Island City Council might require that all swales have ground cover rather than stone. As I understand the article, the cost of the transformation ($1,500-$1,800) plus monthly water maintenance, will be borne by the property owner.
This measure will severely impact property owners, like us, because we currently have a stone covered swale (which affords us with occasional, helpful overflow parking).
Foolishly, I thought we had a severe water problem. If this is, in fact, true, why on earth would a prudent City Council take an overt action to unnecessarily increase our water usage to maintain this ground cover? Or is the water shortage simply a convenient excuse whoever conditions warrant?
I believe that this proposed measure is truly the wrong idea at the wrong time. Consider that many property owners have already had to expend $15,000 for sewering plus $1,400-plus for hookup. And now the city expects us to come up with another $1,500-$1,800, plus an increase in our monthly water bill, for a totally unnecessary ground cover? I don’t think so.
We strongly urge the City Council to consider grandfathering existing homes while, perhaps, requiring new homes to cover their swales.
I respectfully ask that the City Council immediately cease and desist from enacting this and similar legislation which will ultimately force many property owners to leave this island paradise. Please do not let this happen.
Thanks for your consideration and action.
Yale and Pat Kellman
Marco Island
Community School Graduation ceremony
Collier County arrests: 05-26-2012
Winged Foot winner Brett Clark
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 7
blogsmog writes:
Dear Kellermans,
If you really want to reach the people in charge of this city don't address your letter to the city council, address your letter to the Marco Chamber of Commerce.
KlausStoertebeker writes:
Money Talks - BS Walks!
kosherdeli writes:
It’s about time that someone from City Staff brought attention to the Laws of the ADA, or Americans Disabilities Act, standards. Thank you Mr. Pinter, I have personally tried many for years, I have even gone the as far too invite City Council Staff to spend a few hours Wheeling Around The Island In My World, in Wheelchairs I would provide at no cost, I’ve never had any takers!
Mr.Pinter we’ve had numerous conversations during the Sewer Project & Repaving of Whiteheart Ct at 1063, specifically when it came to my Accessibility going in and out of my driveway in my Wheelchair, due to the fact that the New Asphalt was going to be approximately an inch or so higher. I applaud the fact that you were interested enough to personally see that this problem was not overlooked and taken care properly.
Mr. Pinter talks about looking into Standardizing & Widening the Islands Sidewalks and how it would bring the City into the 21st Century, meet ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act, Standards, Sounds Great!!!
I ask why bother wasting time or money when it will benefit absolutely No One who is covered under the ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act, because as I’m sure you see ever day how a large majority of Islanders Continuously Break the Law by Parking Across the Sidewalk at the End of Driveways? After living here 20yrs I can tell you theses people are the same folks who think the Striped Area Next to the Handicap Parking Spaces is a Shopping Cart Return!!! Therefore unless the City plans to Seriously Enforce the Parking Laws the project would no doubt be waste money. However if the City was to directed Police Chief Don Hunter to have his Officers Increase & Enforce the Parking Laws At All Times and Not Back Down like they did last time when confronted by some ignorant, inconsiderate, angry residents, the revenue from theses Parking Tickets could be designated to help fund such a Wonderful Project!!!
In response to what Mr. Bruce Allen’s of Lido Court’s said “No one ever uses the sidewalk on our street” I would like to enlighten and educate him about a Florida Law, regarding Pedestrian’s Traveling Along a Street or Highway!!!
Florida Status Laws for Pedestrians and Drivers: [§316.130(3)].
PEDESTRIAN TRAVELING ALONG A STREET OR HIGHWAY WHERE SIDEWALKS ARE PROVIDED, NO PEDESTRIAN SHALL UNLESS REQUIRED BY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES,WALK ALONG AND UPON THE PORTION OF A ROADWAY PAVED FOR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC!!!
sailingby writes:
This is an example of an unfunded mandate brought to you by the beautification committee who might want to impose tile roofs next or fancy manatee mail boxes to improve the Island look.
They seem to have completely overlooked the fact that water conservation should be one of the highest priorities for this Island and should be encouraging folks to find other methods of landscaping rather than sod. This is a huge step backward.
The beautification committee is arguing the conservation benefits of lawn in swales as a filter for stormwater...however, storm water runs into the culverts at relatively the same pace whether over sod or rocks during heavy downpours when the rain pools up a couple of inches. What is there to filter, by the way? Our cul-de-sacs receive so little traffic that the there is no significant build-up of debris and oils. The filter argument is a red herring.
I heard that Bahia grass should be used because then no irrigation system would need to be installed. This is based on the notion that Bahia grass will go dormant in the dry season and come back in the Spring. But in the meantime, it looks terrible and becomes weed infested and will eventually become a weed patch unless fertilizers and weed poisons are added which increases the amount of pollutants running off into the canals.
This is a bad idea. And a wasteful expense forced on unwilling property owners.
ajm3s writes:
Oh, no! A committee gone astray - pretending to serve this islands' interest with safety and environmental concerns. Please refrain from the need to "fix" this island.
Recommendation: Leave this island alone, not every new idea is a good idea, especially those created from committees.
Sorry to be so negative, but this is getting nutty. Where good folks with good intentions are paving the island to mediocrity and blandness where one size fits all.
happyhorowitz34145 writes:
ajm3s: Exactlly, enough is enough already!
The swales are City property, not mine,not spending anymore of my money for as select few on this island.
After spending monies to make all these bikepaths, now Pinter wants to widen all the sidewalks, and on most of the main streets where he wants to widen the sidewalks to 6' Pinter will have to remove the new trees that he planted. Talk about a waste of money! What a joke!
ajm3s writes:
happy......,
As you exit off the island on Collier, I did notice the trees on the left and now I am beginning to understand the mindset of the some city employee's in managerial roles.
To Mr. Pinter, we are approaching 12 years into the new 21st century, and the only thing that I see is continued poor practices, from fiscal and accounting to now poor ROW standards as they apply to the elimination of gravel swales.
Please let us not pretend to be stewards of this island if we continue to offer poor rationale for elimination of rock swales based on poor storm drain management.
I thought Mr. Pinter had a PE designation after his name. If so, he should show us his acumen and quit kowtowing to the hardline beauticians. Unless, Mr. Pinter is a licensed cosmetologist.
http://www.beautyschoolsdirectory.com...
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