FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — People who live on Fort Myers Beach are frustrated and confused after violations continue to be slapped on street signs due to the sign ordinance. The 7-Eleven “We’re rebuilding and reopening soon!” sign has become the latest victim.

Residents say they want to know what’s opening and where the streets are. 

“This is crazy you shouldn’t have that kind of situation going on…people are hurting right now. Let the temporary signs exist so people know what’s going on,” said Brian Creimer.

NBC2 talked to Fort Myers Beach Council Member Bill Veach to find out what’s going on. He said the sign ordinance was passed into law by a previous council. It’s not what’s on the sign that matters, it’s the size of it.

This is why small painted signs are allowed without a permit, but big signs are not.

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“We do that so we don’t become a billboard town,” Veach said. “The town wants to keep the visual clutter down to the minimum. Even after the hurricane, this is a very beautiful island and people don’t come to look at signs they come to look at the beach.”

 “A few months ago a lot of the contractors working and just people looking for business…there were thousands and thousands of signs along the ride away and the town had to go and remove them,“ Veach said. “Almost every sign they were talking about was an advertisement.”

Most people who NBC2 talked to agreed they don’t like advertisement signs that are the size of huge billboards either, but they say the signs that are helping people should not be against the ordinance.

“I don’t like them getting hit by a violation but I do think there should be sign ordinances because otherwise you have really high things that block the view and they’re not pretty, Fay Latture said.

“I sat here and cried on the beach today because I want people to come back. I am so heartbroken,” Alice Miller said. “The 7-Eleven should be able to do that and all the other stores that are ready to come back should have signs to let us know that they’re getting ready to come back.”

NBC2 asked Veach if there’s a way to change the ordinance. He said yes, the public would have to convince two council members to put it on the agenda. 

“The council is not part of enforcement we’re policymakers, but we also do listen to the constituents, and when people complain about something we try to take some kind of action,” said Veach.

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