Posted on December 19, 2017
By Erika Jackson, MySuncoast
“I want Lido to have the nicest beach they possibly can as well because they’re a direct reflection on [Siesta] and were a direct reflection on them,” said Siesta Key business owner and homeowner Michael Holderness, who gave testimony at the Sarasota County Justice Center during the week of December 11. A state administrative judge is hearing arguments from both sides starting December 12.
Holderness knows Lido’s shoreline is shrinking, but said that problem shouldn’t fall on Sarasota County and its residents.
“The problem with this project is its massive,” said Holderness. “They want to come out and take out a complete ecosystem.”
Holderness is afraid the Army Corp of Engineer’s plan to take sand from Big Pass off Siesta would cause erosion on that beach.
“You’re taking out recreational area for the people coming to visit and the fisheries,” said Holderness.
“Lido beach has diminished and its not being re-nourished by itself,” said Carl Shoffstall, President of the Lido Key Residents Association.
Stoffstall believes the beach is shrinking weekly, arguing Lido lost about 4 to 5 feet of its shoreline during the latest big storm. Shoffstall agrees with the Army Corps of Engineers, and said Lido is losing about 100,000d cubic yards of sand every year. Holderness disagrees with the validity of that figure, and argued any replacement sand should come from an area far from the Suncoast.
“They can do offshore dredging or take it in from a permitted place like Opa-locka and they can have real beach compliant sand that holds together,” said Holderness.
“There’s no off shore sand that meets the criteria as far as grain size. Everything a beach of this nature has to have [that],” disputed Shoffstall.
Shoffstall said putting off the project will have long-term negative effects for Lido and its surrounding tourist attractions.
“It’s going to hurt the county and the city and everybody because the tax revenue won’t be there,” said Shoffstall.
The proceedings were originally expected to last the whole six days through December 19, but there is a chance it may wrap up early. A final ruling isn’t expected to be issued for several months.
Source: MySuncoast
