Federal judge denies request to block Lido Key renourishment

Federal judge denies request to block Lido Key renourishment

The U.S. District Court decision represents the latest in a series of failed efforts from Siesta Key residents to halt the dredging of Big Pass.
by: David Conway Deputy Managing Editor

A federal judge today denied an emergency request to halt a Lido Key renourishment project scheduled to begin this week, stating the legal filing from a Siesta Key group lacked merit and contained procedural deficiencies.

Steven Merryday, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, issued a six-page order denying Save our Siesta Sands 2’s request for a temporary restraining order blocking the dredging of Big Pass. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and city of Sarasota are working jointly on a project to renourish the Lido shoreline with sand taken from Big Pass.