FEMA has told county staff it can pay for 75% of expense
On a unanimous vote, the Sarasota County commissioners have authorized County Administrator Jonathan Lewis to approve the necessary amendments to a contract with a company so it can pursue an emergency repair project involving North Casey Key Road.
The work has been estimated to cost up to $46 million and take about two years.
The two affected sections are as follows:
- Approximately 0.38 miles, from 846 N. Casey Key Road to 526 N. Casey Key Road.
- About 0.15 miles, from 332 N. Casey Key Road to 230 N. Casey Key road.
During a March 26 presentation, County Public Works Department Director Spencer Anderson confirmed that Commissioner Tom Knight was correct in characterizing the undertaking as “the most robust repair [of North Casey Key Road] that’s ever been done.”
“This is certainly going to be the most resilient project that we’ve built along the shoreline,” Anderson replied.
During his remarks, Anderson did point out that, given the tariffs that President Donald Trump had approved — with more White House action expected — the major concern in regard to the overall cost will be the price of steel sheet pile. “That will be the biggest expense,” Anderson said.
Knight responded that it would not be possible for county staff or the board members to anticipate what the final consequences would be in regard to the total project cost. Nonetheless, he was the first member of the board to voice approval for the option that he and his colleagues ended up approving that day.
“No matter what happens in Washington,” Commissioner Mark Smith said, “the prices aren’t coming down. It’s just the way it is.”
In fact, a second option that Anderson provided the board members on March 26 called for allowing the design-build contractor, de Moya CHC Joint Venture LP, just to acquire the sheet pile for the North Casey Key Road initiative and prepare to mobilize for the project, up to an expense of $12 million. (The de Moya Group is based in Miami, its website says.)
“I think it’s a good risk,” Commissioner Ron Cutsinger told Anderson, referring to going ahead and pursuing the emergency road construction. “This has been a sore spot for years and years and years.”
“It’s long overdue,” Chair Joe Neunder added, noting that North Casey Key is within his District 4 territory.
“We hope to get started as soon as possible,” Anderson said.
Representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have told staff that the agency can reimburse the county for 75% of the cost of the undertaking, because the damage resulted from the 2024 hurricanes, Anderson added. The state will take care of another 12.5%, he noted, with the county having to pay for the final 12.5% of the overall cost. Gas tax revenue and other appropriate local funding sources would be tapped, he said.
Both Commissioners Teresa Mast and Cutsinger referred to Anderson’s remark about the FEMA reimbursement when they offered their support for staff to proceed with the project.
“It’s very traumatic to a lot of individuals who not only reside [on North Casey Key] but call it home,” Mast said, adding that people are supposed to feel safe in their homes.
During the Open to the Public comment period at the start of the March 26 meeting, North Casey Key resident Dawn Doughty pointed out, “We have been dealing with these issues for more than a decade …”
“We really just want assurances that we have safe passage to and from our homes on a daily basis,” she added.
However, Anderson did stress that concern exists about the FEMA reimbursement, though he did not offer any comment directly related to the efforts of the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce federal expenses.
“Right now,” Anderson told the commissioners, “we are lined up in good order to receive that reimbursement,” if the project began as soon as possible.
Anderson also acknowledged at the outset of his remarks, “Over time, the road has had multiple point repairs and maintenance completed on it” over the past 10 years. Although staff has been planning for reconstruction of the road, he continued, “The storm season from 2024 just erased the road.”
First Tropical Storm Debby, in early August 2024, “completely destroyed two sections,” he continued. Then, he added, Hurricanes Helene and Milton — in September and October 2024, respectively — “gave the knockout punch.”
The process used for a temporary restoration of the damaged areas resulted in “a very rough road surface,” Anderson said. “It is intended to provide emergency access from Blackburn Point Road to the north parts of the Key.”
Moreover, he noted, voids below the road continue to open up. The latest had shown up about a week earlier, he believed, Anderson added.
As the restoration project was underway after Tropical Storm Debby, a county truck fell partly into a void, as shown in another slide Anderson presented to the commission. “We do maintenance and repairs every time one of those has shown up,” he said of the voids.
During her remarks to the board, Doughty of North Casey Key pointed out, “We have been playing a dangerous game of Whac-A-Mole, filling these voids unsuccessfully.”
Anderson further noted, “We don’t know 100% what’s going on under the road 100% of the time.” In taking a close look at the step revetment in one area, he explained, staff can get some idea about where the road is being undermined.
Chair Neunder pointed out, “It’s hard to anticipate where the next accident could be.”
Another slide that Anderson showed the commissioners noted that the temporary road was re-established on Oct. 18, 2024; Milton had come ashore at Big Sarasota Pass on Siesta Key the night of Oct. 9, 2024.
In explaining how the new project would be pursued, Anderson continued, “Most of the work will be done by barge,” including delivery of the necessary equipment through Venice Inlet and working from barges with cranes.
Blackburn Point Park and the east side of Nokomis Park will be used as the staging areas for equipment and materials, he said, with the Public Works staff having coordinated that with Nicole Rissler, director of the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department and her staff.
The proposal
The existing step revetment is damaged, as well, Anderson explained. Therefore, a temporary seawall will be installed on the west side of the step revetment, he said. “That will give us a level of protection [from the wave action generated by smaller storms].”
Then the construction crew will backfill above the step revetment, he continued, and a new seawall will be put in place. That will allow for a temporary, single-lane roadway to be created, so traffic can be routed around the work zone, as shown in another slide. Flaggers will be in place to direct traffic, he said.
Access to all properties along [the] existing roadway will be maintained,” the slide pointed out.
“One of the real constraints with this project,” Anderson noted, “is that we don’t have any public land other than the road and the step revetment that we can use to redirect traffic.” The process to obtain easements from the North Casey Key property owners would be time-consuming, he told the commissioners.
The third phase of the project will entail installation of a stone revetment on the west — seaward — side of the road, Anderson continued. Granite, instead of lime, will be used, he added, as granite is “more resilient to wave action.”
Then the temporary roadway will be removed, the slide showed.
March 2027 is the anticipated timeline for conclusion of the work, Anderson noted.
The process used to install the steel sheet piles will not involve jackhammers, he further pointed out, in an effort to reduce the noise and potential damage impacts for adjacent residents.
Nonetheless, he said, staff will survey existing conditions prior to the start of the work, in the event that county staff does receive claims for damage following the construction.
Commissioner Mast ended up making the motion for the full project to get underway, and Commissioner Knight seconded it.