Council Adopts Four Ordinances After Public Hearings

July 17, 202501605

by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino

The Sanibel City Council adopted four ordinances at its meeting on July 15, 2025. All of them passed unanimously, with Vice Mayor Holly Smith excused from the meeting.

The ordinances are: Shared Use Path Violations, Use of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers, Solar Energy & EV Charging Infrastructure, and Front Porches Within the Town Center Commercial Districts.

The Shared Use Path Violations ordinance provides for penalties for bicycles, micromobility devices, motorized scooters, and mopeds, as well as for electric personal assistive mobility devices:

• First offense = issued a written warning
• Second offense = civil penalty of $100 plus $10 filing fees if paid within five days of issuance; if paid after 15 calendar days of issuance, there is a civil penalty of $125 plus $10 filing fees
• Third offense = civil penalty of $350 plus $10 filing fee
• Fourth or subsequent offenses result in a civil penalty of $500 plus a $10 filing fee.

The Use of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers ordinance will become effective December 1, 2025, and prohibit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, unless waived for a future weather event that results in a declaration of a state of emergency. This prohibition applies to all residents, businesses, government agencies, and contractors.

The Committee of the Islands (COTI) prepared a position statement on gas-powered leaf blowers, stating, among other things, that operating the best-selling commercial gas-powered leaf blower for an hour emits air pollutants comparable to driving a 2017 Toyota Camry approximately 1,100 miles (California Air Resources Board).

Solar Energy & EV Charging Infrastructure. The provisions of this ordinance apply to the installation of solar energy systems and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

A development permit is generally required for ground-mounted solar installations and solar-covered parking canopies. A development permit is also needed for EV charging stations for all land uses, except for single-family and duplex residential uses.

Roof-mounted solar panels may extend above the maximum building height, provided they are installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications to the minimum required installation height.

EV charging stations may be permitted at multi-family residential, non-residential, and public facility developments within a lawfully established parking area, provided required vegetation buffers and landscape islands are not disturbed, all setbacks are complied with, and the EV charging station is counted toward the minimum required parking spaces.

No portion of EV charging station structures may be located within the beach zones.

Precedent imagery from small towns and island settings can inspire the possibilities for Sanibel’s Town Center. The examples above in Figure 38 include small-scale mixed-use buildings at or near the sidewalk. The fronts of buildings include porches, awnings, and colonnades. Parking is found on the street or behind or alongside buildings, not between the front of the building and the sidewalk or shared-use path. Even when there are small or even large gaps between buildings, there is a consistent building-to-street setback, establishing a relaxed character and a highly walkable environment. (City of Sanibel)

Front Porch Additions Within the Town Center Commercial Districts. This ordinance originated from the Coastal Florida Recovery and Resiliency Partnership Project (R2P2), a community-focused initiative funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Disaster Recovery program.

It is meant to support long-term resiliency through public engagement, conceptual design, and implementation strategies.

The focus was on the Town Center Commercial Districts, located between Palm Ridge Road, Tarpon Bay Road, and the west end of Periwinkle Way.

As described in the Sanibel Plan, this district is intended “to serve as a focal point for community activity, special events, and informal assembly.”

The ordinance, as passed, will foster a more pedestrian-oriented environment and create opportunities to conduct storefront improvements and facilitate reinvestment in the Town Center while remaining consistent with other goals of the Sanibel Plan.

It will:
• Create an incentive (reduced setback) to facilitate reinvestment in the Town Center Districts and complete storefront improvements at aging developments.
• Create an incentive to incorporate front porches into architectural design of redevelopment or remodel projects – a defining element of Sanibel’s “Island Style” architectural motif, as outlined in the Plan for Preservation and Community Design (Sanibel Plan).
• Provide an appealing alternative to existing (nonconforming) parking spaces on Palm Ridge Road to enhance curb appeal and address safety concerns at the adjacent Shared Use Paths.
• Integrate transitional quasi-public space with landscaping that exhibits “design with nature” to achieve architectural harmony within scenic preservation goals of the Sanibel Plan.

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