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November 18, 2024 – The Sanibel Historical Museum & Village is celebrating the City of Sanibel’s 50th anniversary – and its own 40th anniversary – by focusing on “The Way We Were,” which will be the theme of the museum’s February 18 fundraiser.
To complement the new exhibit showcasing the city’s incorporation, the museum is working on a series of articles outlining how the city came to be.
This is Part 2, 1971-1972 Alarmed Island Residents
The Island Reporter and most island organizations (the Chamber of Commerce, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Sanibel-Captiva Planning Board, Sanibel Community Association, and others) conducted island-wide discussion meetings and issued reports to share information.
Lee County had no plan for land use in unincorporated areas of the county; meanwhile, development was coming – fast. Building permits were soaring on Sanibel. Lee County reportedly envisioned 90,000 residents on Sanibel by 1990. Citizens then formed the “Sanibel-Captiva Planning Board Inc.” to seek approval from island residents for a land-use plan. They studied advantages and disadvantages of incorporation and procedures for doing this, and they also outlined a budget for operating a city. There was a meeting of a group of 26 island residents to discuss what action, if any, would be appropriate at this time as a follow-up to the incorporation issue. That committee then named a voluntary Committee of Five to pursue the question. The members were Allen G. Ten Broek (chair), Cecil Rhodes, James Robson, Porter Goss, and Charles Thomas.
Town meetings called by this Committee of Five drew more than 300 Sanibel residents to the Sanibel Community House where virtual unanimous approval was given to a proposal to undertake a study on the merits of “home rule” and other alternatives for the governing of the island.
A date was set to poll Sanibel residents to gauge their support for possible incorporation. The vote results were 302 “yes” and 244 “no.” Captiva residents were concerned about being saddled with Captiva’s expensive erosion problems paid for by the County.
The interest in home rule was on the rise.
Residents could not get a moratorium on the building permits being issued. The Sanibel-Captiva Planning Board took the initiative and did a study about possible incorporation for Sanibel and Captiva. It was from this study and a straw vote showing a favorable response that opened the door to pursue incorporation.
An advisory committee would come next, leading to the Home Rule Study Group.
Next week: 1973– Stop Uncontrolled Growth