Sarasota County is taking a closer look at how Siesta Key adapts — both to the forces of nature and the everyday pressures of life on a busy barrier island.
During their Aug. 26 meeting, county commissioners laid out an expansive wish list for a future barrier island resiliency workshop, asking staff to bring in expertise ranging from coastal engineering and architecture to emerging technologies and lessons learned from storms elsewhere.
During the same meeting, commissioners also heard plans for a Breeze Transit pilot program that would extend the Siesta Islander trolley farther into the north end of Siesta Key Village, a change long sought by businesses in the area.
The two efforts address very different issues, but both involve questions about how the island’s existing infrastructure and policies can adapt to changing conditions.
Planning and Development Services Director Matt Osterhoudt said commissioners first directed staff in May to organize the resiliency workshop, with subjects including wave attenuation, wave deflection and seawalls. The proposed agenda also includes existing county policies, coastal setback regulations, emergency authorizations and updates on major coastal initiatives, including South Siesta Key beach renourishment and Midnight Pass.
Commissioner Teresa Mast encouraged staff to cast a wide net when seeking possible solutions.
“This is when we get an opportunity to be very forward-thinking,” Mast said.
She said commissioners should look at approaches used elsewhere and understand not only what might work, but also what those options would cost and what regulatory or practical obstacles could stand in the way.
Commissioner Tom Knight said the stakes can become particularly difficult when commissioners must make decisions involving private property without themselves being experts in coastal engineering.
“It’s heartbreaking when we have to make a decision, especially in people’s personal property,” Knight said.
He said he wants the workshop to give commissioners realistic avenues for protecting property and shorelines while recognizing the county’s financial limitations.
“Sounds simple, but we know it’s not quite that simple,” Knight said.
Commissioner Mark Smith, an architect, urged the county to include architects and structural engineers with direct experience designing and constructing projects in coastal environments.
Smith later expanded on that suggestion, saying he has seen emerging erosion-control and storm-hardening technologies at Florida Association of Counties events that could merit discussion. He noted that the effectiveness of such approaches can depend on local underwater topography.
“There’s some inventive stuff out there,” Smith said.
Commissioner Joe Neunder pushed for participation from Florida universities and researchers, including academics studying hydrology and related coastal disciplines.
He also suggested drawing lessons from recent hurricanes, noting that storms can bring very different combinations of wind and storm surge and that understanding those differences could help the county plan proactively.
Commission Chair Ron Cutsinger said he particularly wants to hear about real-world projects in areas comparable to Sarasota County. He asked staff to seek examples showing not just what was attempted elsewhere, but whether those projects ultimately performed as intended.
Osterhoudt said staff would incorporate commissioners’ suggestions as it contacts potential participants. No workshop date was set during the discussion.
While commissioners were looking broadly at the island’s physical resilience, another Siesta Key experiment is taking place on wheels.
Breeze Transit Director Jane Grogg told commissioners the county was prepared to test a roughly half-mile extension of Route 77, the Siesta Islander, at the north end of Siesta Key Village.
Grogg said discussions about extending the trolley began in 2022 with the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce and merchants. The issue resurfaced after the trolley’s connection to the mainland and downtown Sarasota ended in April.
The proposed loop would take the trolley north to Avenida Madera, through the back-street portion of the village and to Avenida Milano before returning south.
Grogg said staff had identified potential challenges, including narrow roadway conditions, on-street parking, vehicles encroaching into the travel lane and right-of-way obstructions.
Because the additional distance is relatively small, Grogg said Breeze does not plan to add trolleys or incur additional operating costs for the pilot. Staff also will examine whether a more formal, accessible trolley stop could eventually be developed.
Another possibility is keeping the trolley on Ocean Boulevard instead of using the narrower back street. Grogg said the county must balance getting trolley riders close to village businesses with the traffic conflicts that can occur when the trolley stops in an already busy area.
Smith welcomed the experiment and suggested the county eventually consider eliminating the existing Canal Road portion because the trolley does not currently serve stops there.
“This is something that the businesses on the north end of the village have been looking for for some time,” Smith said. “I’m happy to see that we’re going to try this trial program and see how the numbers work.”
The county planned to test the route change for up to 12 months while assessing traffic conditions, rider convenience and potential physical improvements in the north end of the village.
Taken together, the discussions reflect the county’s broader effort to adapt to changing conditions on Siesta Key — whether that means preparing for the forces shaping its coastline or making smaller adjustments to how residents and visitors move around the island.
