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Is Beer Can Island in Jeopardy?

A controversial beach restoration project is designed to prevent erosion at Longboat Pass, but critics say it has the potential to also end recreational boat use at the island.

This story was reported and written by Patch Local Editor Merab Favorite.

A controversial beach restoration project designed to prevent erosion on the south side of Longboat Pass has critics claiming it could also end recreational boat use on Beer Can Island, a boating haven for Sarasota and Bradenton residents.

Town of Longboat Key City Manager Dave Bullock says the project won't affect boaters where they usually congregate near the bridge over Longboat Pass. But former Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash is speaking out against a notice of intent for the construction of three concrete structures designed to trap sand on the south side of Longboat Pass, which he believes would greatly impact Beer Can Island, formally known as Greer Island.

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In an opinion column in the Bradenton Times, McClash, a boating enthusiast himself, said the project would not only destroy much of the natural environment on the island, but also put and end to people beaching their boats on the grounds, which they have done for many years. 

McClash claims that the undertaking is fueled by two housing developments that were built “too close” to the beach during the 1970s. An online petition has been started to "save Beer Can Island" and is gaining popularity on Facebook.

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However, Dave Bullock, city manager for the Town of Longboat Key, said the project is necessary to prevent the erosion that is augmented by the swift current coming around the Beer Can Island bend into New Pass.

“The fact that Beer Can Island is washing away is irrefutable,” he said. “This is our attempt to keep the beach from washing away.”  

The idea for the structure came from a concern for the beach as a habitat, recreation and the protection of building upland. 

Bullock said that while the permit will consent for the construction of three adjustable groins, or manmade structures to trap sand, the city only plans to build two, one at North Shore Drive and another just north of here. If those don’t help with the erosion then they will build the third on the north end of the island.  

The structures, Bullock said, would not prevent people from pulling their boats up at the beach where they usually congregate near the bridge.

What do you think? Would the project help or hurt Beer Can Island?


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