Water-Related News

Sarasota County considers Manasota Key beach renourishment

VENICE — The beach ball is in Sarasota County’s court.

If it wants to partner with Charlotte County to extend a planned beach renourishment project on Manasota Key north of the county line, Sarasota leaders must act relatively quickly to sign on to the joint coastal permitting process that is about to begin.

That move would almost certainly save millions of dollars for both counties’ projects, and help speed much-needed renourishment to some severely eroded areas on the Sarasota County side of the key.

But Sarasota County is months behind Charlotte’s study of its beach project, as Sarasota staff tries to determine if there is enough support to pursue and help fund extending the nourishment among the swath of of homes nearest the county line on the Sarasota side.

Sarasota County commissioners hope to act decisively next week on whether to join the permitting process, they indicated at a joint meeting of the two local governments Wednesday.