/Fort Myers Beach News
Town of Fort Myers Beach approved county’s plans
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These cabbage palm trees fronting Crescent Beach Family Park were destroyed as part of the county’s reconfiguration of the park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Lee County officials initially said that cabbage palm trees that were pulled out of Crescent Beach Family Park would be moved around the park, though officials later acknowledged they were destroyed. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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These cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach were destroyed by a contractor working for Lee County as part of a county project to overhaul the park. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A contractor for Lee County took down and destroyed a row of cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park as part of plans approved by the Town of Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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These four cabbage palm trees are the only ones remaining at Crescent Beach Family Park after the rest were removed during construction activities last month. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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The plan for the new Crescent Beach Family Park is to split up the sand into two sections with planted grass in the middle along with shade structures. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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All of the land and the majority of the cabbage palm trees have been cleared at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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These are the only surviving cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A contractor working for Lee County removes cabbage palm trees, the state tree, from Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Downed cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A contractor working for Lee County removes cabbage palm trees, the state tree, from Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A contractor working for Lee County removes cabbage palm trees, the state tree, from Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Downed cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Downed cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach that were removed by a contractor working for Lee County. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Downed cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach that were removed by a contractor working for Lee County. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Downed cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach that were removed by a contractor working for Lee County. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Downed cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach that were removed by a contractor working for Lee County. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach, near the Margaritaville Beach Resort. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Downed cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach that were removed by a contractor working for Lee County. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach
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The open beach at Crescent Beach Family Park before the recent removal of a row of trees. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crescent Beach Family Park was long a popular location for beach volleyball before the county’s new plans to divide up the park and place grass in the middle along with shade structures. File photo
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Cornerstone Cavalry Chapel Pastor Neil Livingtston throws the football with family and members of his congregation after a baptism at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. The county-owned park is undergoing a redesign approved by Lee County commissioners. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A Lee County contractor removed a row of cabbage palm trees that had fronted Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach for years. Only four trees were left standing on the front of the property as the county begins reconfiguring the park. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A Lee County contractor removed a row of cabbage palm trees that had fronted Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach for years. Only four trees were left standing on the front of the property as the county begins reconfiguring the park. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A Lee County contractor removed a row of cabbage palm trees that had fronted Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach for years. Only four trees were left standing on the front of the property as the county begins reconfiguring the park. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A Lee County contractor removed a row of cabbage palm trees that had fronted Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach for years. Only four trees were left standing on the front of the property as the county begins reconfiguring the park. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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All of the land and the majority of the cabbage palm trees have been cleared at Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A Lee County contractor removed a row of cabbage palm trees that had fronted Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach for years. Only four trees were left standing on the front of the property as the county begins reconfiguring the park. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A Lee County contractor removed a row of cabbage palm trees that had fronted Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach for years. Only four trees were left standing on the front of the property as the county begins reconfiguring the park. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A Lee County contractor removed a row of cabbage palm trees that had fronted Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach for years. Only four trees were left standing on the front of the property as the county begins reconfiguring the park. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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A Lee County contractor removed a row of cabbage palm trees that had fronted Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach for years. Only four trees were left standing on the front of the property as the county begins reconfiguring the park. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Days after the Town of Fort Myers Beach celebrated the planting of a gumbo-limbo tree at Bayside Veterans Park, a contractor working for Lee County was taking down cabbage palm trees at Crescent Beach Family Park.
While Lee County officials initially said that the taking down of trees at Crescent Beach was only a temporary measure whereby they would be moved to other locations of the park, county officials have since acknowledged that some of the trees at the park were destroyed after issuing a series of mixed messages regarding the trees and whether any that were taken down could still be used.
As of Monday, the site had been completely cleared of the group of trees that had been taken down a week earlier. Only four of the cabbage palms — Florida’s state tree — that had not been taken down, were still remaining.
The removal of the trees was conducted by Vantage Construction Services, as part of a $1.3 million contract to reconfigure the park.
In response to questions from the Fort Myers Beach Observer regarding the displacement of the trees last week, Lee County spokesperson Tim Engstrom initially said the cabbage palms taken down would be moved and then re-used throughout the site.
Video and photographs of the removal of the cabbage palm trees taken by the Fort Myers Beach Observer showed that the trees appeared to have been destroyed, and the footage brought many questions from readers asking why the trees were being removed.
Engstrom responded to follow-up questions by saying “the landscape architect determined that not every tree was healthy enough to keep. Those will be replaced with healthy cabbage palms.”
When asked whether an arborist was consulted and how the determination was made, Engstrom said that he would check with the county’s parks and recreation department for more information.
Engstrom said that upon checking with parks and recreation, “The mention of a landscape architect recommendation was in error. The Town of Fort Myers Beach has reviewed and approved the project plans.”
Lee County officials initially said that cabbage palm trees that were pulled out of Crescent Beach Family Park would be moved around the park, though officials later acknowledged they were destroyed. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
Engstrom said “the redesigned park is going to feature significantly more trees and palms – all Florida natives – than it had previously, including 28 shade trees (three green buttonwoods, 12 gumbo limbos and 13 sea grapes). Prior to Hurricane Ian, this park didn’t contain any shade trees. Additionally, this park is going to feature more than 1,400 shrubs and groundcover plants. The cabbage palms included in the landscaping will be reused or replaced as necessary.”
Video footage showed the trees being taken down and taken apart. It’s not clear why the trees had to be taken down.
The trees were taken out of the ground last week and had been seen sitting in piles at the beach park, which is located near Margaritaville Beach Resort off Estero Boulevard. All of the downed trees that were sitting in piles a week ago are now gone from the site.
Lee County spokesperson Betsy Clayton said that in “the area fronting Estero Boulevard where the cabbage palms were removed, there’ll be 11 gumbo limbo trees and 3 green buttonwood trees planted along here.”
Clayton also said the previous “mention of a landscape architect recommendation was in error. The redesigned park is going to feature significantly more trees and palms – all Florida natives – than it had previously.”
Clayton said “a health assessment of these palms was not conducted” as was initially stated by the county as to why the trees had been taken down.
Clayton said the trees that were removed were done in accordance with the approved plans.
A boy plays catch with a football at Crescent Beach Family Park before majority of the trees fronting the park were taken down as part of plans to reconfigure the county park on Fort Myers Beach. File photo
The Town of Fort Myers Beach reviewed the plans in December after the county approved the $1.3 million construction contract. “As questions arose about the scope of removal, Town staff raised the issue, and additional coordination took place between the Town and the County to ensure alignment with applicable requirements,” Town of Fort Myers Beach spokesperson Abigail Eberhart said.
“The contractor was not initially aware that a landscaping permit was needed,” Eberhart said. “We have since been assured that replacement palms will be planted, and in significant quantity, as part of the project moving forward.”
The Town of Fort Myers Beach utilizes a vegetation removal permit process under its land development regulations, Eberhart said.
“That process addresses regulated vegetation removal, including tree identification, site location, and replacement planning. The Town’s land development code also includes landscape design and vegetation protection standards. In this case, the matter fell under the purview of Chadd Chustz, the Town’s Environmental Projects Manager, who was alerted to the activity and coordinated directly with Lee County to obtain additional information regarding the tree removal and replanting plans. Lee County has been open and cooperative throughout the coordination process and has assured the Town that the palms will be replaced, with additional plantings planned beyond what was originally in place.”
Eberhart said Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Will McKannay was scheduled to meet with Lee County Manager Dave Harner on Tuesday to discuss how the project is moving forward and to further clarify process and next steps. Harner did not respond to a message seeking comment through county spokespersons.
Messages left with Vantage Construction Services, based in Cape Coral, were not immediately returned. The contractor is overseeing the overhaul of the park, which will include three shade structures, picnic stables and a grass area. The work is expected to be completed in the fall.
The grassy/sod area will be situated in the middle of the park, with sand on either side of the grassy area.
The park at 1100 Estero Boulevard was once a popular spot for beach volleyball though it will now be an unlikely location for such activity due to the plans.
A former plan to install artificial turf over the park was scrapped in favor of the new plan with the grass in the center.
In addition to the shade structures and restrooms, the 2.2 acre site will be fitted with a landscaped picnic area, an ADA-compliant Mobi-mat for a path to the beach, bike racks, a concrete pad for two restroom trailers, showers, four pedestrian beach access points, and “circulation walkways,” according to the site plan. The current restrooms at the park were removed for the construction.
Crescent Beach Family Park was long a popular location for beach volleyball before the county’s new plans to divide up the park and place grass in the middle along with shade structures. File photo
The Lee County Board of County Commissioners approved a $2.49 million contract in 2024 for the design of the reconstruction of the park as well as for repairs to Bowditch Point Regional Park. Construction work at Bowditch Point Regional Park, where restrooms and other facilities have been closed since Hurricane Ian, has yet to begin.
Fort Myers Beach resident Barbara Hill was upset by the removal of the cabbage palms.
“They were broken into pieces before being piled up,” Hill said. “What they were doing is they were picking the trees up and breaking the trunks into pieces. They were taking the palm and breaking it up and demolishing the palms.”
Hill said that means the trees couldn’t be saved.
“That is destroying the trees pure and simple.”
Hill said that if the contractor had carefully cut around the roots of the palm and carefully removed them, they might have been able to be saved.
Hill said the county needs shade trees now to replace the canopy.
The trees had stood there for years since the county purchased the property fronting Crescent Beach Family Park on Estero Boulevard approximately two decades ago. The park is one of the first places that visitors to Fort Myers Beach pass when entering the island off Matanzas Pass Bridge.