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More History of Marco Island

• Island historian Darrell March shares theory of African sand storms shaping Marco Island
• History in Motion: July 2, 2008
• 30 years ago today: July 2, 2008

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The Deltona Corp., in filing an overall Marco Island permit application with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State Department of Environmental Regulations, has already run into opposition. The permit to develop 5,500 acres of its 17,200-acre unpermitted ownership at Marco Island was filed last week, proposing 11,700 acres of estuarine wetlands and bay bottoms be preserved. The Collier County Conservancy opposed the application. Willard Merrihue, president of the Conservancy said, “Directors and technical staff are disappointed and amazed that the plan called for encroachment on thousands of acres of wetlands despite the denial by the U.S. Corps of Engineers for Deltona to develop wetlands on the main island. The board voted to recommend that Deltona explore all options for placing more of their development on adjacent uplands. James Vensel, planner and consultant for Deltona, was visibly disappointed. “The Conservancy refused to even acknowledge the 11,000 acres of preservation in our basic plan,” Vensel said.

The Collier County Commission authorized engineering design bids for a 50,000-gallon reverse osmosis water treatment plant in Goodland, including a distribution system and storage tank. Commissioner John Pistor of Marco Island said design work would be held up until after the county completed talks with the Deltona Corp. over the possible purchase of the Marco Island Utilities Co., owned by Deltona. Pistor said the county was considering the possibility of installing a 10-inch water main from the Deltona water plant to the middle of Goodland.

The deadline for entering the Art League of Marco Island’s first tennis tournament is May 26. Tourney Coordinator Noreen Corrado said Cookie Varie and Nancy Allison were the first to enter in the women’s doubles division. The tourney is part of a continuing effort to raise $50,000 to construct a permanent headquarters on Winterberry Drive.