The Sarasota County Commission approved the settlement of a federal lawsuit over public beach use near Siesta Key Beach Access 3 that will give the county clear ownership of three sandy beach lots.
The deal will also give Siesta Beach Lots LLC ownership of a nearby lot adjacent to the beach and permission to build a house there.
County Commissioner Mark Smith was the lone vote to reject the settlement because it involved swapping 162 Beach Road, a parcel the county purchased in 2017 for $1.4 million from the Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program.
Earlier in the meeting, during public comment, Lourdes Ramirez, president of the nonprofit Protect Siesta Key, said she would sue Sarasota County if the land swap was made.
Twelfth Judicial Circuit Judge Hunter S. Carroll ruled against Ramirez in a February case, where she contended Sarasota County did not have the authority to sell land purchased with neighborhood park funds.
What is the settlement agreement?
The settlement is a modified version of one commissioners declined to approve on April 21 that would have given the commission four sandy beach lots.
The sticking point, which prompted the board to send county staff to the negotiating table, is that a clear title could not be established for that fourth lot.
The three lots, technically lots 15, 16, and 17 of the Mira Mar Beach subdivision, total 30,195 square feet and are located on the north side of Access 3.
Once the deal closes in 45 days, that land will officially become a public beach.
Michael Holderness, who owns that land and several other parcels through Siesta Beach Lots LLC, said the deal is good for beachgoers.
“At the end of the day we need public beaches and public beach access, that’s what’s important,” Holderness told the Herald-Tribune.
In addition to that, Holderness said he was placing a conservation easement on the 9,345-square-foot lot immediately west of 162 Beach Road.
During the meeting, he agreed to reduce the amount Sarasota County would pay for damages from $425,000 to $400,000.
Where is Beach Access 3?
Siesta Key Beach Access 3 is located at 100 Beach Road. More specifically, it is the extension of Columbus Boulevard from when the developer of Mira Mar Beach Inc. platted a subdivision in 1926.
Prior to filing suit against Sarasota County in 2024, Holderness complained over several years about underage drinking and conduct that created a public safety issue on his land near the access.
Those efforts were rebuffed and he was fined for an attempt to post no trespassing signs on his property.
Holderness is hopeful that Sarasota County may establish a lifeguard stand in the area to better control the parcel.
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook, and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Siesta Key beach lawsuit ends with Sarasota County land deal
Reporting by Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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By Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
