Verandah View
Another Seabreeze Publication VOL. 9 NO. 10
A publication of the VCA www.seabreezecommunications.com
OCTOBER 2024
Update: Traffic Signal Adjacent To Verandah’s Main Gate And Palm Beach Boulevard As we reported in the February edition of the Verandah View, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), at the request of our Traffic and Safety Committee, issued what is called a Traffic Signal Warrant Summary. The Warrant Summary Analysis provides a procedure to determine input into a decision of whether conditions at an intersection warrant the installation of a traffic signal. They analyzed traffic data, collisions and injuries at the main gate, and traffic volume projections. In September of last year, the FDOT Warrant Analysis confirmed the need for a traffic signal adjacent to Verandah’s main gate on Palm Beach Boulevard. However, the satisfaction of a Warrant study is not a guarantee that a traffic signal will be installed. Verandah is not within the city limits of Fort Myers so Fort Myers would not pay for a light. The FDOT reports it does not participate in the design or construction of traffic signals. Further, it says that the 2003 construction permits for
Verandah “state the design, equipment, and installation of the traffic signal (when warranted) including additional geometric improvements to SR 80, if needed, will be the responsibility of the Verandah developer.” Of note is the major project for State Road 31 (the road to Babcock Ranch) from SR 80 to SR 78, in Lee County. All plan alternatives accommodate future traffic demand for the growing area by widening SR 31, addressing the bridge deficiencies, and improving emergency evacuation and response time. The FDOT concluded a traffic signal at our main gate would have no effect on the proposed improvements to the intersection of Palm Beach Boulevard and State Route 31 but did conclude the new intersection would make turning west at Verandah’s main entrance more difficult. We have learned that Lee County will maintain a traffic signal once it is installed. With continued growth in the
Verandah Community University Next Semester’s Lineup Verandah Community University (VCU) is excited to start off this semester with a presentation by NFL referee and Fort Myers attorney Jeffrey Rice, known as “The Lawman of the Line.” Jeffrey will share stories from his NFL career that has included 400 games, 24 post-season assignments, four Pro Bowls and three Super Bowls. Please join us in the Fitness Center on Monday, October 28 at 4 p.m. and wear your favorite team jersey. See the adjacent flyer for registration details. If you have any questions and/or speaker recommendations, please contact one of the Deans: Susan Shamey, Stephanie Levin, Alice Borowsky and Cathy Brummer.
VCU Season’s Schedule November 11, 2024 Kris Johanessen, Verandah resident and Lieutenant Colonel (USAF, Ret.) will share stories from his career working as an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Launch Officer during the Reagan Presidency, and the fall of the Soviet Union. He will also talk about his many other assignments including working with NASA. If you are curious about big missiles, rockets and spaceplanes don’t miss this class. December 11, 2024 Back by popular demand, Jean Lewis, book reviewer, will share her recommendations for the best books to read being published in 2025. Jean writes and produces a blog, “Maurice on Books” and also writes book reviews for The Naples Daily News and Florida Weekly. January 6, 2025 Annabelle Tometich will share stories from her 18 years as a food writer, editor, and restaurant critic for The News-Press in her hometown of Fort Myers She will also talk about her recently published, critically acclaimed first book The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony. February 10, 2025 Darryle Clott, Verandah resident, has dedicated herself to providing Holocaust education to the LaCrosse, WI, community and bringing Holocaust survivors to share their incredible stories, including Nobel Peace Prize winner, Elie Wiesel. Darryle is also a Teacher Fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.
March 10, 2025 Jim (Mik) Miklaszewski, Verandah resident, is an awardwinning journalist, including two Emmys. Jim worked at CNN and later NBC, covering the White House and Pentagon. He will share stories of reporting and interviewing national and world leaders and his experience of reporting from the Pentagon on 9/11. April 7, 2025 Heather Walsh-Haney, Ph.D., Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) anthropologist and forensics expert, will share her experiences working with law enforcement to identify human remains after Hurricanes Wilma and Katrina, 9/11, and other disasters, as well as her work with eight Florida Medical Examiner Districts.
Hwy 80 and 31 corridors, the FDOT estimates an increase in traffic from the current 36,000 cars per day to 52,000. In the spring of 2024, the VCA Board of Directors queried homeowners about the importance of this traffic signal and shared the results of that survey with all homeowners. (Please click “View Traffic Signal FAQ” on the front page of the VCA website.) In June the Board discussed this topic with our Neighborhood Representatives. It is currently unclear how much a traffic signal would cost and who would provide the necessary funding. At the July 14, 2024 VCA Board Meeting, the release of a Request for Proposals from qualified engineers was approved. At this time the Board wants to learn what it would cost for a firm to prepare design plans, a construction schedule, and cost estimates for the traffic signal. When the Board has more information it will share it with the community.
Update: Developer Settlement Process As was reported in our August edition, after the Verandah Community Association (VCA) was turned over to our homeowner-controlled Board of Directors in October of 2021, it conducted a review of the Developer’s financial records and practices pertaining to the VCA. This review raised numerous concerns. It was clear to the Board that when the Developer controlled all aspects of Verandah, the operations and finances were structured to benefit Kolter, and not necessarily to serve the long-term interests of the community. In March of 2024, with the aid of legal counsel, these concerns were brought to the attention of Kolter Development in an effort to resolve them. Unfortunately, with minor exceptions, the Developer declined to resolve our concerns amicably, which meant the Association had to either abandon its claims or pursue legal action. The VCA’s claims against Kolter Development include, but are not limited to: the misuse of Association funds, failure to meet its obligation to install a traffic signal adjacent to the main gate, improper construction of roadways, improper assignment of maintenance responsibility to the Association for Developer-owned assets, failure and refusal to fairly share costs of maintaining Joint Assets as required by Verandah’s Governing Documents, and underfunding of the Association’s reserves. With the approval of 75 percent of Verandah’s Neighborhood Representatives and owners, legal action was commenced by the Association at the end of June 2024. Since then, the Developer has denied the Association’s claims, which will result in the matter proceeding to mediation or other court intervention. The VCA Board is cooperating with its legal counsel to pursue a resolution of these matters, which will most likely continue for some considerable time. The Board will provide updates as new information is obtained.