Assistant City Engineer Alisa Thomas told the Parks, Recreation and Environmental Protection Board on Oct. 6 that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will dredge the federally authorized channel at New Pass and place the dredged material on Lido Beach for shoreline nourishment.

Thomas said the Army Corps’ most recent survey shows locations less than about 8 feet deep; “Current estimates forecast 200,000 to 300,000 cubic yards of sand will be placed on the beach,” she said, and the material will be placed horizontally in the water to restore beach depth. She told the board the Corps received three bids on Sept. 22, plans to award the contract in October and expects to issue a notice to proceed in November.

The city will follow the horizontal nourishment with vertical dune construction and plantings. Thomas said the city’s design sets dune crest elevation at roughly 6.6 feet, which she described as “only about 2 and a half feet above the beach template” in most places; for portions of the southern project area she estimated about 3,200 cubic yards would be needed to finish dunes to that elevation. The dunes are planned to be gradual, about 30 feet wide, and to use low- and standard planting templates.

Thomas described four linked projects: the New Pass navigational dredge, Lido Beach nourishment, dune construction and replacement of three dune walkovers. She said the Army Corps’ dredge will place sand starting near the city pavilion parking lot and extend south to Sarasota County Park, and that New Pass is part of a longstanding interlocal agreement that alternates local recipients of Corps-placed sand with Longboat Key.

On timing, Thomas said the Corps’ anticipated notice to proceed would put preconstruction and on-site work into the winter and the nourishment work into 2026; dune construction would follow and dune walkover replacement is expected to finish by mid‑2027. She said the city has an alternative trucking option to move sand for the dunes if needed but prefers placement from the dredge.

Thomas said the city coordinates with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and with Mote Marine for sea‑turtle monitoring; work timing is being planned with turtle season in mind. On funding she said the Army Corps will fund the dredge/nourishment, while dune construction will rely on a mix of local tourist-development-tax dollars, FDEP grants and other state/federal support; “My understanding is that this is fully funded, through the Army Corps for the nourishment,” she said, and that dune work is supported in part by FDEP grants and local TDT dollars.

Board members asked about typical renourishment cycles (Thomas said about five years, sooner if storms require), whether property walls affect dune stability (Thomas said the low garden/retaining walls are aesthetic and are expected to be frangible), and whether the city will truck sand (an option Thomas said exists but would be a last resort).

Why it matters: the Corps’ beneficial disposal will add sand that both expands recreational beach area and provides storm‑erosion protection for nearby infrastructure. The project will affect nesting habitat and public use during construction and requires coordination across federal, county and city agencies.

The board received the presentation; no formal action was taken.