February 2023
Thank you to our 3,000 active readers in the GSAC Community!
In this Issue:
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RED TIDE
Respiratory Forecast
Click here to view the current Red Tide conditions.
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Jeanne Seewald
Board Member
She is the current GSAC Secretary. She's been living in Naples for 23 years and is a GSAC director since 2019.
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GSAC Community
GSAC represents more than 70 condominium associations and
other entities from Doctors Pass through Naples Cay.
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Do you have a question that our board can answer? Visit the contact us page to submit. We will feature answers to questions in our upcoming newsletters.
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Dear friends and neighbors,
Another month of productivity and restoration flew by. We are excited to see more improvements around our community through the combined efforts of the City, association boards and management, and of course the supportive residents. This month’s newsletter contains a few more notable construction updates and stories that will interest you.
In early February, we conducted an online Post-Ian Insurance Survey Report to gauge and understand the state of insurance among GSAC members. The results of this survey are now available here. They indicate a significant level of concern about insurance, which is no surprise. As you read thru the report, you will no doubt come to the conclusion that the “pain” of the FEMA flood claims process is shared by almost everyone. Four months after hurricane Ian there have been few claims paid to date, and many of those are significantly less than expected. It continues to be frustrating.
Looking ahead, we are working with Councilman Ray Christman to organize a forum on water quality issues and concerns. Please stay tuned for announcements as we finalize the details.
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We appreciate your feedback and participation in GSAC. Please let me know how we can serve you better.
Regards,
David Feight
President, GSAC Board
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Delay on Start Date for Berm Project
While County Commissioners approved the expenditure of $24m tourist development tax fund dollars for the emergency berm project at their meeting on January 24, a start date on restoring the miles of berm on public beaches from North Naples to Marco Island, is far from certain.
City Councilors had been hopeful that trucks carrying the 400,000 cubic yards necessary to create the 30ft wide and 3ft high berm would begin hauling by mid-February at the latest, but the plan for dune restoration is still in the design phase.
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Two Great Blue Herons in Flight Sculpture Unveiled
Saturday, February 11, 2023, was a big day for the residents of Park Shore and GSAC. A beautiful sculpture, Two Great Blue Herons in Flight, by David H. Turner was unveiled at the intersection of Park Shore Drive and US 41 next to the monument welcoming residents and visitors to Park Shore.
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You said something,
we did something
After several GSAC residents brought this debris pile located at the Seagate Beach public parking area at the north end of Gulf Shore Blvd to our attention we went into action.
With the cooperation of the collier county parks and recreation department we successfully got this area cleaned up.
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Gulf Shore Beach Walk Progress Update Feb 16, 2023
GSAC is continuing to follow the huge project of rebuilding the beach walk/promenade and dunes, and replacing the lighting and landscaping on the five beach commons that span from Le Parc on the north to Horizon House on the South. Incredible progress has been made and each of the commons’ boards deserves our thanks for their hard work.
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Army Corps Requests CSRM Do Over
The Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) is back in town seeking to reignite their Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Feasibility Study for Collier County. The original report and recommendations stalled in October 2021 following hostile local opposition to some suggested measures, difficulties with environmental compliance and escalating costs owing to pandemic inflation and supply chain issues. A final report was never publicly released.
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Naples Beach Hotel Update
Most of us, when driving towards downtown Naples on either Tamiami Trail or Gulf Shore Blvd. North, have noticed the screening around the property which contained the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, for so long one of our city's iconic locations.
Many have also wondered where the project, which generated controversy and local media coverage immediately before and after the November 2021 transfer of ownership from the Watkins family to The Athens Group, now stands. We contacted the executive management of The Athens Group, which has successfully developed a number of very prestigious resort projects elsewhere in the U.S., to get a current update.
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Question of the Month - February 2023
Question: Since the gopher tortoises that lived along the Park Shore beachwalk were, for the most part, wiped out by Hurricane Ian since they do not swim, would it be possible to relocate tortoises from other locations to the new beachwalk and re-landscaped dune which runs alongside? It has been a habitat for them for at least the 25 years that I have lived here. They thrived here and I saw at least six or more every day. How can we get them back?
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