by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
Chauncey Goss, a member of the new group Sanibel Solutions, introduced the first “dashboard” showing Sanibel’s progress toward recovery.
“Instinctively we feel we’re not where we’re supposed to be,” Goss said. “We’re trying to put together a road map.” Data is being gathered in part by Florida Gulf Coast University students and others to populate the dashboard and present it to City Council.
Doug Congress, also of Sanibel Solutions, said, “This is hard. We’re not reinventing the wheel; we’re just getting it all in one place so the community can see it.” Congress said work is still being done and should be complete by June. Six students are currently devoted to the project.
What the Dashboard Shows
• Overall business recovery is at 43 percent
• Major shopping centers are at 43 percent occupancy
• Chamber memberships are at 79 percent of pre-Ian
• Forty-three percent of pre-Ian restaurants have re-opened
• Vacation rentals are at 79 percent of pre-Ian total
• Beach parking revenue is at 52 percent
• The Chamber Visitor Center has just 37 percent of pre-Ian visitors
• Hotels and short-term rentals are at 52 percent
• Causeway traffic is at 83 percent of pre-Ian
“Our entire community needs to step up,” Congress said. “Instead of going over the causeway to go to dinner, stay on Sanibel and go to dinner.”
Said Mayor Mike Miller, “I think this will be a great start.”
This and more information will be available regularly on the City’s new website when it goes live later this month.
It is not exactly food nirvana across the Causeway so staying on the island to eat is not going to improve those dashboard numbers. There are good eating
opportunities on Sanibel -just not enough yet. It is depressing that Ian inflicted such losses on us. What really depresses me is that barren sand landscape before the bridge to Captiva – no more Castaways, no more Sunset Grill, Mad Hatter or Lazy Flamingo, no more Santiva Market. All those things made us a desirable neighborhood.
The City of Sanibel should develop a plan for this area. We need these shops and restaurants. The village of West End Santiva needs to recover commercially. We don’t need more condos.
I’m really glad to hear that you are putting together a dashboard with real data. Kudos to you! I’m disappointed, but not surprised based on my observations, that so much is under or barely 50%. Great opportunity for the students to do some useful real-world work.
I see a challenge with causeway traffic at 83% when most of the island is about 50% functional. Lot of construction traffic. Hope it goes down quickly.