- December 20, 2024
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From hurricanes to high ticket sales, here are some of the numbers that defined the year on Longboat Key.
The previous funding shortfall for the Broadway Roundabout. The Florida Department of Transportation required a redesign of the project about a year ago, which resulted in a more detailed project and higher costs. Later, the FDOT would find available funds from other projects that fell through, which moved the project forward. Constriction should start sometime in the state's fiscal year 2026, which begins July 2025.
The amount of water that some Longboat Key residents experienced in their homes from Hurricane Helene's storm surge. Helene brushed past Longboat on Sept. 26 and, with it, brought a strong storm surge that destroyed some houses and impacted hundreds on the island.
The distance traveled by Miami-Dade police officers to assist with Longboat Key's cleanup effort. The state sent officers from numerous other departments across the state to help direct traffic for dump trucks and increase patrols to deter looters. This extra help expedited Longboat's recovery after Helene and Milton.
The price paid for a condo at the St. Regis, a sale set a record of the highest sale for a property on Longboat Key. The St. Regis had its soft opening on Aug. 16 to guests, and condo units began closing in October and November.
The different types of canals identified in the preliminary plans for a canal maintenance project. This year, the Town Commission voted to approve a district for the ad valorem portion of the program, but specifics of how to allocate fairly the taxing among residents still need further debate among staff and commissioners.
The time that Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium was closed to the public after Helene and Milton. When the facility opened, it also introduced a new resident manatee, Lou, who will accompany Buffett.
The amount of sand lost from Longboat's beaches from all three hurricanes this summer. The town and its coastal consultant will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on a claim that could allow for a future nourishment project to regain the sand.
The length of Det. Capt. Robert Bourque's investigation into the 2017 double homicide that occurred at the Zota Beach Resort. On Jan. 4, a second suspect was arrested in connection to the homicides. Latoya Hanna, the twin sister of the murder suspect Darryl Hanna Jr., is alleged to be the getaway driver that night.
The 2021 grant from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation that allowed the Longboat Key Police Department to pursue accreditation over a three-year-period. On Feb. 22, 2024, the department accepted accreditation from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation for the first time in department history.
The cost of the FDOT's Project Development & Environmental study for the Longboat Pass Bridge alternatives. Three build alternatives and a "no build" option were studied and presented at community workshops in March. This sparked debate among commissioners and community members, and the highest alternative was widely unaccepted by the town.
The space required for the core library funded by Sarasota County. The county will fund the core library and operate it, but if the community wants the enhanced version, that will need to private funding. Enhancements would cost $3.5 million and include a terrace and expanded community meeting space.
