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coast, said Peter van Roekens, an advocate for Siesta Key and area boaters. "The Army Corps is like a big tank rolling along, and we have to lie down in front of it and hope we don't get squished," van Roekens told the News Leader. TWO SAND PERSPECTIVES For Shoffstall, the Lido Key Residents Association president, the Army Corps' planned $19 million project is the fix needed to make sure sand stays on Lido beach and protects the property there. Shoffstall says opposition from groups on Siesta has the undertaking in limbo, but time is of the essence. "With Siesta Key and everyone arguing about this, we are quickly washing into the Gulf," Shoffstall told the News Leader this week. "We are not looking for Siesta Key to get destroyed. But we think it is critical to get our beach renourished." Shoffstall believes members of the commu- nity have to work together when it comes to solutions for Lido's erosion woes. He com- pares the Army Corps project to the Ringling Bridge debate. "When it first came out they wanted to do that [bridge], it was the end-all, and people said it would destroy the city," Shoffstall said. "What is it now? It is the showpiece of the city. You can't base your decision on fear and what bad could possibly happen." As Army Corps staff works on finalizing the project's details, Shoffstall and other Lido residents have been meeting with city and county commissioners to try to build support for the undertaking. Shoffstall said Mora's statement to the News Leader about additional monitoring should reassure local elected officials as well as residents. "If they are going to monitor this more than what they normally do, I think that is a good thing," Shoffstall pointed out. "It is another safety net." Across Big Pass, SOSS2 is acting swiftly to fight the dredging and construction of the groins. The cover of the Army Corps of Engineers report on the Lido Renourishment Project features a colorful graphic. Image courtesy Army Corps of Engineers Sarasota News Leader June 20, 2014 Page 22