Sanibel City Council approves Legacy Tours application
As members of the Sanibel City Council mull over a possible bus ordinance, on June 3 they approved an application for Legacy Tours to operate an educational and historical bus tour on the island.
Yvonne Hill, owner of Legacy Tours, asked for permission to operate two buses holding less than 22 passengers. According to the application, the tour would pick up and drop off passengers at Matzaluna Restaurant and follow all city ordinances and regulations.
She also stressed that her business would not bring additional people to Sanibel Island.
“I’m looking at people who are already on the island,” said Hill. “It’s not my intention to say I’m going to bring all of these people from Fort Myers to Sanibel.”
Council discussed how Adventures in Paradise, an island tour business, has operated a trolley service offering historical tours on the island since 1995, but Mayor Kevin Ruane said the community has been crystal clear on not wanting buses.
“If there’s anything that has been crystal clear over the last couple of years it’s the type of transportation that they want circulating,” said Ruane. “The community has one voice and it’s something they didn’t want.”
Although the application was related to a proposed bus ordinance that council has been debating all year, they decided to approve it on June 3 and revisit the issue when the business tax receipt expires on Sept. 30. It also gives city council four months to make a decision on the bus ordinance.
Vice Mayor Doug Congress said that the council’s approval comes with a clear understanding that island bus policy is under review.
“I would have a hard time denying this application because at the end of the day we need to look at this and come up with a policy, but we don’t have the ability to do that right now,” said Vice Mayor Doug Congress.
Council Member Marty Harrity said that it wouldn’t be fair to deny Legacy Tours’ application because the city hasn’t passed any legislation yet.
“I don’t think you can not approve this. The applicant has agreed to certain things,” said Harrity. “The people of Sanibel basically said they don’t want tour buses on the island, but the other option is that we tie it in and push it back, but I don’t think that’s fair to you.”
The proposed bus ordinance would cap the size of buses allowed on the island, control where the buses could travel and park, and deal with any environmental or safety issues. Because of a clerical error related to the city’s legal advertising, the second reading of the bus ordinance won’t be until July 22.
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