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Sarasota News Leader November 2, 2012 About three years ago, Patterson said, she be- came concerned about the appearance of the road. "It just looked terrible." Moreover, she said, "Those aren't cheap homes there. It's valuable property." She added, "It did not occur to me [the road] would completely wash out … and now it's dangerous," not just to the residents and vis- itors who rent houses along that stretch, but to people who like to walk along that part of the island at night. With the wind and surf building on Friday, Oct. 26, Harriott said a small hole developed in the affected part of the road, so a county crew tried to shore it up. On Sunday, the road began breaking up further, he added. He talked with people on Sunday who had walked their dogs along that area of the road and noticed it was deteriorating, he said. County Administrator Randall Reid told the News Leader Harriott had notified him ear- ly Monday morning about the road collapse, adding that Harriott had said it was the most extensive damage he had seen to that part of the road. With the gusty winds coming primarily out of the northwest over the weekend, Harriott said, and the waves crisscrossing each other Page 51 as they rolled toward shore, the combination was more than the road could handle. Patterson received a plea by email on Oct. 29 from Jean Furlong, a property manager for Roberti Enterprises on Siesta Key, worried about county workers having blocked off ac- cess to property the company owned along that section of the road. Furlong has contacted Patterson in the past when problems have arisen with North Beach Road, Furlong told the News Leader. "Com- missioner Patterson has especially been our campaign manager … for several years" to find a permanent solution. "The tides and winds this year really accel- erated the problem," Furlong added. "I think everybody understands the liability issue." At least Siesta residents and property owners made it through most of the hurricane sea- son, she said, before this situation occurred. "I guess we should count our blessings." "I wish I had a magic wand to just make it better," Patterson said. "We struggle with the permitting process," Harriott said, because of the proximity of the road to the shoreline. "It's a fine balance of what we do and how we do it. … We just can't bandaid it anymore." Take Your TimeYou Have All Week Enjoy The News Leader Anytime - Day or Night