On May 8^th the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), Bram D.E. Canter, ruled in favor of the City of Sarasota, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Lido Key Residents Association by recommending that the 15 year Joint Coastal Permit for the Renourishment of Lido Key Beach be issued. This recommendation further illustrates that the work put into this project by the Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Sarasota to address the ongoing erosion issues on Lido Key Beach was thorough and that the project will be successful.  Residents of Siesta Key challenged the project under the belief that the project will deprive their beaches of sand.  However, the ALJ noted the “Applicants extensively analyzed sediment transport pathways and the effects of alternative borrow areas on sediment transport to Siesta Key…The more persuasive evidence indicates that sediment transport to downdrift beaches would not be reduced and might even be increased….”

The attorneys at Lewis, Longman & Walker appeared on behalf of the Lido Key Residents Association, representing homeowners and business owners on Lido Key.  The ALJ notes that the project will provide “protection to Lido Key upland structures from storm damage and flooding, protect and enhance wildlife habitat, and provide beach-related recreational opportunities; and it would create these public benefits without causing adverse impacts.”  This ruling is a vindication for all who have worked so hard in finding a solution to the erosion problems on Lido Key.  The community looks forward to an end to the challenges to a project that clearly has carefully balanced the interests of all effected Sarasota communities.

For more information, please contact Kevin S. Hennessy khennessy@llw-law.com or Richard P. Green, at rgreen@llw-law.com or by calling 727-245-0820. Click here to read the Herald Tribune article “Judge approves permit to renourish Lido Key”

For more than 20 years, the attorneys at LLW have helped the individuals, businesses and governments that have shaped Florida’s future. We offer solutions to issues associated with complex local, state, and federal laws and regulations. We focus on the specific, technical and seemingly ever-changing areas of Environmental, Land Use and Governmental Law. The LLW team is comprised of well-known and respected attorneys with the experience and skill to quickly resolve difficult legal challenges. We are committed to responding to clients’ needs promptly and economically and believe in building long-term attorney-client relationships based upon collaboration and solid performance. For more information, please visit www.llw-law.com.

Our offices are in Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach. Wherever you are, we’re nearby.

###