Jewfish dock approved

The Jewfish Key boat dock will grow in size soon.

But by how much is unknown right now.

At the Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting Thursday, Feb. 11, the board approved a variance request to extend the current 50-foot dock an additional 176-feet into Sarasota Bay.

However, if two of the homeowners don’t sign on to an agreement to build a 12-slip boat dock for the five lot owners who can’t build their own private dock, an eight-slip boat dock with six boatlifts and two community slips will be built instead.

In short, if three homeowners sign up for the dock, the eight-slip dock will be built. If four homeowners sign up, a 10-slip dock will be built. And if all five homeowners sign up, the 12-slip dock will be built.

The homeowners have 60 days to let town staff know whether they agree. If they choose not to be a part of the process, they would have to come back to the town in the future for a variance request to the dock.

Because large sandbar west of Jewfish Key makes it impossible for at least five of the lots to build their own private docks, the main dock is crucial to some current and future residents trying to get to and from the mainland. Construction workers and businesses that offer their services to the island also use the dock.

As a condition of obtaining a building permit for the proposed new dock, and as part of a consent order from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to close the violation case, the section of the dock illegally added in 2004 will be removed.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].