Bullock notifies city of sand sharing agreement

Town Manager Dave Bullock has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to sand being taken out of New Pass.

Bullock informed the Longboat Key Town Commission in an email Wednesday he hopes a sand sharing agreement in place for years between the town and the city of Sarasota will continue as the city prepares for a Lido Key beach nourishment project.

Bullock attended a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public input meeting Wednesday for a Lido Shore Protection Project. At the meeting, there was some discussion on the use of New Pass sand being used to nourish the shores of south Lido Key.

Bullock entered comments into the record through an email expressing his concern the town isn’t left out of the mix of any sand being taken out of New Pass.

“For decades, the town has relied on New Pass as a sand source to combat ongoing erosion on the southern part of Longboat Key,” Bullock wrote. “The town and city of Sarasota have had a sand sharing agreement for many years and are working on updating that sand sharing agreement.”

The town of Longboat Key is submitting a state permit in the next two weeks to request it be able to dredge the New Pass navigational channel and place the sand on eroded spots on the south end of Longboat Key.

“The town's interest in this project is centered on the use of New Pass as an expanded sand source for the initial South Lido project,” Bullock wrote. “Any additional dredging in New Pass to benefit the South Lido project that jeopardizes or delays the town’s ability to access New Pass sand will be carefully scrutinized by the town. The town will pursue all avenues available to it to assure timely access to the sand in the channel in New Pass.”

The south end of the Key is severely eroded and the town is also investigating performing a truck haul sand project later this year to bring sand to the area.

Bullock said he hopes the town and the city can continue to work together to jointly take sand out of New Pass.

“The town and city of Sarasota have a long history of working cooperatively relative to New Pass and we look forward to that continuing,” Bullock wrote.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].