COTI Conversation addresses resiliency, aesthetics
The Committee of the Islands hosted its COTI Conversation on Dec. 13 at The Community House on Sanibel. For the program “Rebuilding Sanibel: Aesthetics and Resiliency — a Balancing Act,” speakers and attendees focused on: What is resilience, how is the city addressing it as Sanibel rebuilds and how will it affect the way the city looks over time?
COTI Board Member and SanCap Resilience Co-chair Bob Moore explained that resilience embraces more than just taller buildings.
“Climate resilience requires us to look at adaptation strategies, like hardening buildings and infrastructure, as well as mitigation strategies, like energy efficiency and renewable energy, that reduce the future impacts of climate change,” he said. “If we don’t address the causes of climate change and create a more sustainable future … we won’t be able to adapt our way out of the challenges we’ll face.”
COTI President Larry Schopp acknowledged that resilience means more than just taller buildings.
“But the requirement of taller buildings may be causing some anxiety these days,” he said. “The popular perception of Sanibel as a community of low-rise buildings will be tested as older resorts and homes — many built at ground level and destroyed in the storm — are replaced by taller ones that meet current flood elevations of up to 18 feet.”
Schopp continued that though the island has seen only modest increases in permitted building height thus far, the process is ongoing.
“More Code changes will be required as Sanibel rebuilds resiliently. It may take years, but that’s how Sanibel will remain a viable barrier island community,” he said, adding that the island’s overall height limit of three stories is not at risk. “It was made part of the city charter in 2005 and may not be changed without voter approval.”
Local architect Joyce Owens addressed the anxiety some people may feel about taller buildings by describing her approach to designing for resiliency, without sacrificing the aesthetic values reflected in the Sanibel Plan and Vision Statement. She praised the city for recently making its architectural standards less prescriptive and more suggestive.
“The Sanibel Plan upholds a respect for our diversity, history, built environment and fragile surroundings,” Owens said. “The well-written descriptive rules in place offer flexibility, addressing context, light, air and environment, instead of prescribing specific design solutions.”
She described techniques that she uses with a view to building on a barrier island, where wind and storm surge are an ongoing threat. Owens also displayed buildings recently designed for clients, including the Shalimar Resort.
“When crafting the new Shalimar Resort on Gulf Drive, we navigated the Codes and were able to ensure the outcome was appropriate for our climate, future resiliency,and our client needs,” she said.
Optimistic about the future, Owens said that over time she envisions Sanibel with new buildings that are not only built resiliently, but also with the casual island style for which it is so well known.
“Moving forward, by understanding the ‘spirit’ of these regulations … we can fortify and intelligently rebuild our islands, staying true to the Code’s intent and preserving the natural sanctuary of the islands that so many have fought to uphold,” she said.
The program was followed by a question-and-answer session.