On April 14, SanCap Resilience submitted a position paper to the Sanibel City Council, City Manager, and Director of Planning, calling for a comprehensive integration of resiliency planning into future updates to the Sanibel Plan.
SanCap Resilience, a coalition of concerned citizens and 16 community organizations, was founded on the heels of Hurricane Ian with a mission “to lead a community-based initiative to build resilience and protect the vibrancy of our sanctuary islands long into the future.”
The position paper submitted to the city is broadly supported by the organizations in the SanCap Resilience coalition. The paper is also consistent with the city’s strategic goal to address “Community Resiliency.” It presents a framework for how the city can thoroughly integrate resiliency in the Plan, including a list of examples of what that might involve.
The paper acknowledges the forethought of city founders in the drafting of the Sanibel Plan, including the identification of “Over Development” as an existential threat to the city and its vision. It states:
“While prescient, the authors of the Sanibel Plan could not have foreseen the accelerating impacts of climate change that we are facing now, 50 years later. Sea level rise, stronger storms, alternating flood and drought risk, increased storm surge, more high heat days, and increased fire risk are only some of the threats that represent profound challenges that will require the addition of new sets of solutions, especially for a barrier-island community. These threats stand to impact Sanibel residents and business owners directly, having a detrimental effect on future property values, insurance costs, personal health and safety, protection of beaches and the natural spaces that enhance quality of life, and more.
“At the 50-year anniversary of Sanibel’s founding, we again have the opportunity to be forward-thinking. It is important that the Sanibel Plan be updated to integrate the resiliency measures required to address these threats. Specifically, it is time to acknowledge that Climate Change is also an existential threat to Sanibel, on-par with Development Pressure, and deserving of the same vigilance by the Sanibel community. This recommendation supports the City Council’s Strategic Goal for Community Resiliency and the City’s intention to integrate ‘Community Resiliency’ into the Sanibel Plan during the 2024 update.
“Sanibel should be a leader in sensible, effective, measures to address the various threats presented by Climate Change, in the same way it is a recognized leader in resisting Development Pressure and promoting sustainable measures to live in harmony with our natural systems.”
A complete copy of the position paper can be accessed online here.
SanCap Resilience invites comments and feedback from the community regarding the position paper. The group seeks to support broad-based community engagement on this important topic. Comments can be sent to info@sancapresilience.org.
SanCap Resilience partner organizations in support of this position paper include:
• Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF)
• SanCap Chamber of Commerce
• “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society
• Committee of the Islands (COTI)
• F.I.S.H. of SanCap
• Community Housing and Resources (CHR)
• Childhood Education Center of the Islands (CECI)
• Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW)
• Sanibel-Captiva Renewable Energy Working Group
• Lee Climate Reality
• Sanibel Strong
• Sanibel-Captiva Chapter, American Boating Club
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