Is that Siesta Beach Public or Private on N Shell Rd Sarasota County Commissioners May Judge Access.

Herald Tribune writes SIESTA KEY – Signs on Siesta Beach are popping up all over the place. Resort owners, condo owners and others have the same message for beachgoers: “DO NOT TRESPASS.” In recent months, the inboxes of Sarasota County commissioners have flooded with emails from concerned residents – some of whom are worried these signs are either illegal or are infringing on 'public beach access". Elected officials signaled they may weigh in on the issue.

A lot of the problems arise out of the tiny Siesta Key Beach Access #1 at 3940 N. Shell Road Sarasota, FL 34242. The small beach access at #1 is not set up to handle a lot of cars and trucks, parking in front of property owners homes is scarce.

The 'beach" at access #1 on Siesta Key is about the size of someone's front yard, at most 75 feet wide. There are no lifeguards and there are tremendous rip currents in and out of Big Pass water, there are NO SWIMMING signs, so why were people swimming there?  

Though Big Pass waters can seem tame, several drownings have occurred there in recent decades. There also have been several rescues. In one such case, in August 2005, a man nearly died when a group of boaters tried to swim ashore -- just 50 yards. He lived, thanks to CPR from a friend.

Sarasota mayor Harry Higel, along with E.M. Arbogast and Captain Louis Roberts, platted Siesta Key in 1907 (re-platted in 1912) following a massive dredge and fill operation which dug out canals, and formed Bayou Louise, Bayou Hanson and Bayou Nettie. In 1913 he opened bathhouses for the day-trippers who came by boat for swimming, picnics and fishing, offering refreshments and promising that “life lines, safety guards and all preventives of accident will be provided.” In the 1915 brochure “Siesta on the Gulf” Higel bragged that Siesta was a “Place to Rest...Have Peace and Comfort.” It went on, “Think of it! Living on a tropical island on Sarasota Bay where one can bathe in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, hunt, fish, motor and enjoy life the year around.” 

Mayor Harry Higel platted Siesta Key beach front lots to include the sand up to the water line, this is the way it has been since 1907 and all property sales of beach front property on Siesta Key clearly show the owner has purchased the beach in front of his/her house up to the wet water sand line at the Sarasota County Property Appraisers office/website. Sarasota mayor Harry Lee Higel was murdered by newsman Rube Allyn during a pistol whipping on Friday Jan 7th, 1921 at the north end of Siesta Key Fl.

Bill Warner Private Investigator Sarasota 941-926-1926 - Cheaters and Child Custody Cases at http://www.wbipi.com/