Cape tells contractors to clean up.

Cape tells contractors to clean up.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates 136 million tons of building debris were generated in 1996• Debris per capita — 2.8 pounds in 1996• A 2,000-square foot house produces 8,000 pounds of debris, mostly wood and drywall•Notices are on their way to contractors telling them to clean up their Cape Coral building sites or face the possibility of failing inspection and being shut down on individual jobs."We're going to give them one week to put them on notice that we're going to focus on enforcement," said Shirley Burns, acting director of the Department of Community Development.Starting next Thursday, the city's building inspectors will "red tag" a project if the site isn't clean, Burns said. That means the project is not acceptable and if compliance doesn't follow, the work will be shut down, she said.
The action is part of the city's response to rising complaints from residents about blowing debris littering the city. City Manager Terry Stewart said there is a growing concern about the problem and told the city council last Monday he would direct his staff to find ways to address it.Litter is a problem throughout Lee County.
"We don't have 100 inspectors to check the sites," said Mary Gibbs, the county's community development director. "It's the builders' responsibility to maintain the sites."Some of it comes from residents who don't cover their trash cans and people who throw things out of their cars, according to Cape Coral City Councilwoman Dolores Bertolini. Last week, she called for people interested in mounting a beautification campaign to step forward."I live in an area where there aren't any homes under construction. The debris along Skyline is caused by us, the homeowners," Bertolini said.
But a lot of debris comes from construction sites, too."The debris in the northern part of city has reached epidemic proportion," Councilman Tim Day said. Contractors aren't putting the debris in disposal areas, he said.
Construction and demolition debris, by weight, accounts for about 30 percent of the solid waste that is handled by Lee County, according to a county report."We're focusing on life-safety issue," Gibbs said. "But at the same time this could be an annoying problem. We get complaints about blocking the road and about the debris on sites."The Cape Coral Construction Industry Association fully supports the rules that are in place, association President Darryl Aubuchon said. The group is in favor of the building department doing what's necessary to improve the situation — stop work orders included, he said.
"Stop work orders are not too severe if it's a repeat offender and they've been warned," Aubuchon said.The construction association is willing to meet with the city to discuss issues, executive director Patti Schnell said. But she added that she hopes the city won't crack down until it issues some guidelines for cleanliness.
"They are required to have construction debris contained in a receptacle. The issue is not that they don't understand the standard. The issue is compliance," Burns said.Anything that can be picked up by a light wind has to be placed in a container, city spokeswoman Connie Barron said. That receptacle can be anything from a wire cage to a Dumpster, she said.Councilman Richard Stevens likes the idea of stopping work on a site that is not clean.
Southwest Cape Coral resident Ann Karwatka said the city's pursuit of cleanliness is a positive thing."They recognize there is a problem," Karwatka said. "It's really affecting our environment and our quality of life."
Karwatka and her husband, Richard Karwatka, decided to attend last Monday's meeting after reading in The News-Press about Bertolini's efforts to organize a beautification committee. They brought pictures of construction debris in their neighborhood.There are blue insulation panels in the canal and caught in the pepper trees, Richard Karwatka said. The problem is hard to control because significant development occurs throughout the city, Stewart said.