County dispels beach construction rumors

Sarasota County has launched a website dedicated to the $21.5 million Siesta Beach Improvements project, aiming to inform area residents and tourists on how construction at Siesta Beach will impact access to the area’s No. 1 tourist draw. The move comes amid a series of rumors circulating around the Key regarding the Siesta Beach renovations as well as the perpetually delayed Beach Road Drainage Improvements project. These rumors, such as whether all weddings will be canceled at Siesta Beach in 2015, have led some residents to voice their concerns at recent meetings of the Key’s major organizations, including the Siesta Key Association and the Siesta Key Village Association.

The intent of the county’s recently launched website, siestabeachinfo.com, is to dispel some of these rumors by keeping Siesta residents up to date with accurate information from daily updates by county staff and the project’s construction manager. The website features a portal for users to access updates on the project as well as a digital map highlighting what sections of the park will be affected by the project’s four stages.

The website’s most recent update states that the removal of Australian pines at Siesta Beach Park began Feb. 10.

The website, which Sarasota County Communications manages, will remain live for the estimated two-year duration of the project. Construction manager Jon F. Swift Inc. and Sarasota County Parks and Recreation staff provide the information, and county communications personnel update the website.

The website is a joint project between Sarasota County and the contractor, and its $4,800 cost was a line item in the project’s overall $21.5 million budget.

At a Feb. 7 Siesta Key Association meeting, Sarasota County Public Works Project Manager Brad Gaubatz touted the website as a means for residents and tourists to keep up to date with the most accurate and timely information regarding the project.

“We want this project to be right out there in the Sunshine,” Sarasota County Public Information Officer Curt Preisser later said. “Obviously there will be periods of limited accessibility to the beach, and the county commissioners want the community to stay informed.”

Preisser said the project’s original budget included the website, and it was not a move to dispel any specific misinformation regarding the project.

“It’s been included in the project since the planning stages,” Preisser said.

At the SKA meeting, however, Gaubatz pushed back against several concerns residents raised concerning the Siesta Beach Improvements as well as the ongoing Beach Road Drainage Improvements project, which is also located at Siesta Beach Park, but is a separate project from the beach improvements.

Rumors about the cancelation of all 2015 beach wedding permits were not true, Gaubatz insisted. The issue of beach weddings possibly being shut down in 2015 due to construction at the beach was first raised at a January Siesta Key Village Association meeting. Preisser subsequently pushed back against the claims, explaining that sections of Siesta Beach access would be incrementally shut down during the improvements, temporarily excluding weddings from limited portions of the beach, but at no point would the entire beach be off limits.

At the Feb. 7 SKA meeting, Gaubatz cleared up another false rumor, emphasizing that the much-delayed Beach Road Drainage Improvements project would not alleviate flooding problems on Beach Road, but was designed to improve water quality at Siesta Beach by filtering stormwater runoff from nearby parking lots.

“This project was engineered specifically to minimize the potential of bacteria in the water causing beach closures,” said County Commissioner Nora Patterson, who attended the Feb. 7 SKA meeting. She added: “We had hoped when we first talked about it that it would alleviate some flooding on Beach Road … but considering how important this beach is for the area economy, and for the recreation of people in the area, this project is well worth doing.”

Siesta Beach Construction FAQs
Will all wedding permits be canceled in 2015?
No. Certain beach accesses will be incrementally shut down during the course of the renovations, restricting wedding permits for those specific sites, but at no point will the entire beach be off limits to weddings.

Will the Beach Road Drainage Improvements project alleviate flooding on Beach Road?
No. The drainage improvements are designed to treat stormwater runoff from Siesta Beach parking lots to prevent bacteria buildup in the Gulf of Mexico and beach closures. The project will have no effect on Beach Road flooding.

Will the county start charging for parking at Siesta Beach Park?
Not likely. Despite some support for this move among Siesta residents, county commissioners are unlikely to support such a move, which many throughout the county would oppose.

Will there be any impact to the beach itself?
No construction will touch the beach, itself. All renovations will be limited to grounds outside the actual beach.

Will events such as the Fourth of July or the Crystal Classic be negatively affected?
Disruptions to major events will likely be minimal. The project is divided into four phases to limit construction activities to confined areas and minimize the impact to parking availability and normal recreation activities and park amenities. Crystal Classic organizers reported minimal interference from the ongoing Beach Road Drainage Improvements project at last year’s event.

Contact Nolan Peterson at [email protected]