A local State of Emergency was declared by the City of Sarasota for Lido Beach erosion Wednesday afternoon following an extensive walking inspection of the severely eroded beach by City Manager Tom Barwin and a Florida Department of Environmental Protection official. The City Manager is authorized to declare a State of Emergency with approval from one City Commissioner.  Mayor Liz Alpert, the District 2 City Commissioner, concurs and is in full support of the State of Emergency, calling it “necessary.” The State of Emergency applies to the most threatened portions of Lido Beach. On the southern half of Lido Beach, markers R-37 south to R-44.2 are included.  Along the northern portion of Lido Beach, markers R-31 to R-33 are part of the local State of Emergency. The City is pursuing two tracks to renourish Lido Beach:  short term and long term.  In the short term, the City has an approved permit and expects to replace sand lost during Hurricane Irma by this fall. In the long term, the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection initially approved a permit for a 50-year program with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to renourish Lido Beach on a regular basis, perhaps every five years. Earlier this month, a state administrative law judge upheld the joint federal-local restoration project.  Barring further litigation by Siesta Key petitioners, that program could begin by the end of the year.

Lido Beach State of Emergency Declaration