Lee County Department of Community Development has resumed regular weekday hours in the permitting lobby of the Downtown Fort Myers office and will continue operating a weekly remote permit office at the Pine Island Public Library to assist those who are rebuilding and repairing their homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

Downtown Fort Myers main office

The permitting lobby for the Department of Community Development, 1500 Monroe St., Fort Myers, is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, with phone availability 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. County staff request that contractors continue to file for permits using the county’s online system .

The lobby previously had closed on two Wednesdays in January to allow staff to address a backlog of applications.

Pine Island:

Community Development will continue Wednesday service for Matlacha-Pine Island residents.

The department opened a weekly remote permit office at the Pine Island Public Library, 10701 Russell Road, Bokeelia, beginning Jan. 4 to allow residents to obtain permits for repairs to existing buildings damaged by Hurricane Ian.

Due to the use of the service by island residents the past three Wednesdays, county staff will continue to be at the library each Wednesday at least through Feb. 15. Hours at the remote permit office will remain the same, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Residents acting as their own contractor can submit permit applications, have them reviewed and issued from the remote office, depending on the scope of work. The applicants need only a description of the work and their address and staff will walk them through the process which might include obtaining additional documents. For example, engineered plans or Florida Product Approvals may be necessary to issue permits.

The remote permit office is in response to Pine Island residents requesting to have staff readily accessible to help them navigate the permit process, as many residences are without internet service. Hired contractors are asked to continue to use the existing electronic permitting process. Residents seeking a full demolition or complete replacement of a structure still need to visit the main Department of Community Development permitting office at 1500 Monroe St., Fort Myers.

Department of Community Development information can be found at leegov.com/dcd or by calling 239-533-8585.

Information and resources related to Lee County’s Hurricane Ian response can be found at leegov.com/storm.

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