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A fourth hotel project has been planned for property on Siesta Key. This one would be constructed on the approximately 2.15 acres where the former Wells Fargo bank stood at 5810 Midnight Pass Rd. On March 19, Sarasota County Planning and Development Services Department staff received a preliminary application from Weiqi Lin of Port and […]
Siesta Key tourism needed a win, and Spring Break 2021 delivered. As southwest Florida experienced idyllic spring weather (and minimal coronavirus restrictions), visitors swarmed down from the Midwest and Northeast for the traditional spring vacation period. Groups flocked to Siesta Key Beach and strolled in droves along Ocean Boulevard, gathering around sidewalk tables for margaritas […]
A large, original sea-turtle sculpture formed from aluminum now graces the main entrance to Siesta Beach. Unveiled during a morning ceremony on April 17, the work of art took a year and a half to design and create. The result of a joint partnership between Sarasota County and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the sculpture […]
By John Morton A man with a name familiar to Siesta Key residents is returning to a project with which he’s quite familiar. John Davidson, a resident here since 1958 and known as the founder of Davidson Drugs and later The Pelican Press, has stepped forward to lead a group seeking incorporation of the island. […]
An exclusive Q&A with David Balot The site of the former Wells Fargo bank, located at 5810 Midnight Pass Rd., is being eyed for a new hotel by David Balot. It’s the fourth Siesta Key hotel application submitted to Sarasota County within a year. Siesta Sand asked him to share his history and plan. Q: […]
By Rachel Brown Hackney, SarasotaNewsLeader.com After a thorough investigation into the applicable laws, Sgt. Arik Smith, leader of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office substation on Siesta Key, has determined that electric bicycles are not permitted on the county’s beaches. If someone is pedaling such a bicycle it is allowed, because then the bike is not […]
Some residents are complaining that customers of Captain Curt’s Crab & Oyster Bar and the Crescent Club, businesses just south of the intersection of Midnight Pass and Stickney Point roads, are impeding bicyclists and pedestrians. Said Siesta Key Association president Catherine Luckner to Sgt. Arik Smith, leader of the Sheriff’s Office’s substation on the Key, […]
Several activities slated for Siesta Key’s public beach An annual amateur sand-sculpting contest will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 1 at Siesta Beach. It is open to 20 contestants with day-of registration being required. There is no fee to participate. It takes place near the red and yellow lifeguard towers. On […]
As traffic congestion has worsened on Siesta Key in recent years, residents have voiced elevated worries about whether the Sarasota County Fire Department is able to get its vehicles to emergencies in a timely fashion. Photos provided by residents since the tourist season began this year have shown both fire trucks and rescue vehicles that […]
Welcome to some warmer water! The temperature of the Gulf of Mexico off Siesta Key sees a robust increase each May, going up an average of five degrees from April’s average of 73. At 78 degrees, you’ll find wading about in the water much more pleasant. It’s quite the improvement from the average yearly low […]