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Fort Myers board questions crushed‑shell driveways and pervious pavement rules, flags enforcement challenges
Summary
City staff and board members discussed draft code language on pervious surfaces, including crushed shell and rock aggregate; concerns included fines and migration of shell, lack of city engineering standards, vacuuming/maintenance requirements, and the need to clarify definitions for low‑use maneuvering areas.
City staff and advisory-board members on March 2 examined draft language for pervious and porous pavement and for crushed‑shell and rock‑aggregate surfaces, focusing on performance, maintenance and enforceability.
Staff said the city currently lacks specific engineering standards for many pervious pavement systems and suggested the draft code allow either city‑approved engineering standards or manufacturer specifications. Staff flagged a practical concern with crushed shell: lower-grade shell contains fines that can bleed out during storms and migrate beyond permitted footprints, requiring containment edging or more durable aggregates in driving or maneuvering areas.
"Shell likes to bleed as it settles over time with compaction," a staff speaker said, noting the material can spread into rights of way without proper containment. Board members discussed options such as specifying edging/containment, differentiating grades of shell by intended use (decorative garden bed vs. driveway), and reserving pervious pavement for low‑use maneuvering areas while requiring asphalt or concrete for high‑maneuvering zones.
Members also raised maintenance and enforcement issues. Some porous systems require periodic vacuuming or manufacturer‑specified maintenance; staff said private properties typically bear that maintenance burden and that the city would face enforcement challenges if it tried to track vacuum schedules for many private installations.
The board asked staff to refine the language to clarify: (1) whether to require or accept manufacturer specs if the city lacks standards; (2) definitions for "low use maneuvering" and the conditions where pervious surfaces are acceptable; and (3) whether to explicitly list both crushed shell and rock aggregate as acceptable options while preserving flexibility for application-specific properties. No regulatory action or code adoption occurred at the meeting; staff will return with edits and further technical guidance.
