Town attains state permits for beach projects

The town of Longboat Key received word Wednesday that it has received a state permit for its $10,983,192 mid-Key sand truck haul beach project. Town Manager Dave Bullock alerted the Longboat Key Town Commission to the news in a July 15 email.

But the news doesn't mean sand can arrive on the shore just yet.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is still processing a federal permit for the project, which will bring approximately 250,000 cubic yards of sand from a sand source in the middle of the state as far south as The Islander Club groins area.

Public Works Director Juan Florensa said he has the go ahead to start the project later this summer or early fall when a permit is received and halt the work during season to avoid traffic issues with the dump trucks. The work could resume in mid-April after season ends and traffic eases.

The federal permit tie-up means the town has to wait yet again for bureaucracy to run its course before they can get the go-ahead in late summer. The town, meanwhile, is working to obtain easements from Gulf-side property owners that will allow dump trucks to access the beach. While the shuttered Colony Beach & Tennis Resort is an ideal easement for the trucks, it’s too far south from mid-Key areas that need sand.

The town now has state permits for all three beach projects and plans to begin work on all of the projects once it receives federal permits for all three projects.

The other two projects include a $3.5 million Longboat Pass dredging project that will bring 239,000 cubic yards of sand from Gulfside Road north to the North Shore Road beach access. This project also places 3,000 cubic yards of sand in front of the Coquina building at Longbeach condominiums, which has no protection from a seawall that protects the rest of the property from erosion.

To the south, Florensa is hopeful a $3 million New Pass dredging project could begin in late summer if a federal permit is received.  The project takes 315,000 cubic yards of sand from New Pass to restore a recreational beach on the south end.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].