Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/207831
Sarasota News Leader November 8, 2013 Page 14 COMMISSION QUERIES result of wave action and erosion. In October 2012, part of the pavement collapsed when the During the Nov. 5 County Commission shore was lashed by waves and wind as part meeting, Robinson told her colleagues that of the weather system that became known as regardless of whether the county would have Superstorm Sandy. to be included on the DEP permit application, she would like to request a formal board "Lido Beach is a huge asset to the county, to discussion of the project, so all the commis- the city," Patterson pointed out during the sioners would be able to ask questions they Nov. 5 discussion, "and I very much want to might have about the proposal. see [the city] get the benefit of federal [funding] help and state help," especially with the She herself had questions during the joint session with the City Commission, she added, but cost of the project estimated at $22.7 million. it did not seem the appropriate setting for her That amount seemed almost double the to ask them, she pointed out. "And I would expense of other recent renourishment projreally like for the five of us by ourselves to try ects, she noted. and … get direction on this." PEER REVIEW Robinson continued, "It looks like it's not entirely clear to everybody, either, exactly Further, Patterson reminded her colleagues, [what] our involvement [is in the project]." she raised the issue during the Oct. 22 meeting about peer review of the project. Subsequent Commissioner Nora Patterson immediately emails from Rob Patten — the former director responded, "I was extremely uncomfortable of environmental services — to county offiwith the presentation by the Army Corps that we received," especially what she character- cials have made it clear that no peer review ized as a "brush-off" of the question she asked has been undertaken of this latest proposal Mora regarding the increase in wave action for renourishing Lido Beach. that he indicated the northern end of Siesta Key would experience from the placement of the three groins on South Lido Key, along with the dredging of Big Pass. In response to one of those emails, Wreford — writing on Oct. 23 — noted that the three peer reviews to which Mora referred on Oct. 22 "were solely about the Inlet Management His comments about that wave action seemed Plan that was completed by [a Sarasota firm] more opinion than based on fact, Patterson several years ago …" The current plan has not added. The north end of Siesta Key is "an had a peer review, he confirmed. area that has constantly become hardened, Wreford continued, "I agree there would because there is a lot of erosion there, with be value in requesting that the City arrange a few property owners trying to cling to not to have this specific project design peer hardening there," she added. reviewed, to give greater comfort level relaPatterson has commented a number of times tive to the technical science involved. Once over the past months about her concerns results were received, the City and County regarding a section of North Beach Road that could then discuss how best to move forward has crumbled repeatedly over the years, as a (or not) with the project."