Fort Myers Beach woman files an appeal to stop Margaritaville

Keep searching for that lost shaker of salt.

Another roadblock is in the way of the highly anticipated Margaritaville. A homeowner who lives next to where the resort is planned to go is fighting again to make sure it stays out of her neighborhood.

A month after getting the green light to build, another legal hurdle for the Margaritaville Resort to clear.

“If it’s another delay, it’s another delay,” said Fort Myers Beach neighbor, Ed Corea. “But eventually, I think it will be put in.”

The neighbor who sued to stop Margaritaville from moving next door now has filed an appeal. She wants a three-judge panel to reconsider upholding the town’s density and height requirements for the 254 room hotel and that lower courts failed to consider how the build would impact her.

People who visit the beach said vacant storefronts are not a good representation of the area and these will not disappear until construction finally begins.

“When you drive in, you think you would see more liveliness and it was just kind of like you were driving into not paradise!” Hope Sanders said.

Jacki Liszak, president and CEO of Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, told WINK News another delay would be bad for local businesses.

“If we would have been able to get shovels in the ground,” he said, “then when we would’ve had the business here drawing new people to the beach and bringing more business to all of the business owners on the entire island.”

Liszak points to the effects of Roar Offshore last weekend on how the island benefits from new attractions.

Mayor of Fort Myers Beach Anita Cereceda told us if the panel agrees to hear the appeal, she is confident that will only delay the project and not kill it.