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Final open house scheduled for SUP Master Plan update

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The public has one last shot to share input in-person on the island’s Shared Use Path system.

In updating the Master Plan, the city and Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization will hold the second and final open house on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Sanibel Recreation Center.

“We encourage everyone, motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, to join us at the April 22 Open House to contribute as we move into the recommendation stage of this important project,” City Manager Judie Zimomra said. “Public safety, protection of our natural environment and public comment are the three most important comment of updating our Master Plan.”

The open house also provides people with a chance to ask questions as staff will be present.

The existing Master Plan was adopted in 2009 and has guided the implementation of updates to the SUP system over the past decade. An update of the plan is currently being conducted to guide the long-term vision for the system, and input and feedback from the community is one step in completing it.

As part of the process for updating the plan, an eight-member Project Advisory Committee was established. It has since held meetings in January and March. The firm Tindale-Oliver, out of Tampa, is overseeing the project. It is aiming to complete it and present the plan to the city council in June.

In addition to hosting open houses, the firm has organized pop-up community events at the farmer’s markets and festivals, as well as has created an online survey and conducted face-to-face polls.

People can submit comments online until April 30 at sanibelbikeped.com.

“As we have experienced historically, public participation in the process to update the Shared Use Master Plan has been robust,” Zimomra said on April 15. “As of this morning 2,151 persons have provided their input via the online survey.”

For more information or questions, visit the project website or contact Keith Williams, director of Sanibel’s Department of Community Services, at 239-472-6397 ext. 507.

The Sanibel Recreation Center is at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road.