County says most island sand returned; plans to sift and redistribute remaining sand; Englewood Beach Park remains closed pending demolition and stormwater work

Charlotte County public works officials reported Feb. 11 that most sand stockpiles placed during post‑storm road clearings have been returned to shorelines where allowed, and that county crews will sift remaining island sand and place the clean sand back on Don Pedro and other damaged beaches.

Public Works Director John Elias said crews used a temporary staging site at Chadwick Park (Inglewood Beach) to receive sand and operate sifting equipment; much of that equipment has been demobilized and will be redeployed to Don Pedro so remaining on‑island sand can be sifted and replaced on the shore. Elias reviewed counts of loads removed as hurricane debris and noted work is ongoing to remove construction and vegetative debris from island roads.

Tommy Scott, community services director, briefed the board on the status of Englewood Beach Park (Chadwick Park). Scott said the park’s beach area remains open for pedestrians with caution, but the park itself — including the parking lot, restrooms, elevated structures and boardwalks — remains closed because of safety hazards. He listed four critical path items before the park can reopen safely: demolition of damaged boardwalks and elevated restroom structures, erection of environmental fencing and dune reconstruction, parking lot repairs and restoration, and stormwater outfall and drainage repairs.

Scott said some of the park work could be FEMA‑eligible but cautioned that using county annual contractors without FEMA language in their contracts could jeopardize federal reimbursement. He said staff are preparing options that include bid packages with FEMA language to preserve reimbursement eligibility, and also investigating whether capital maintenance funds could be reprioritized for near‑term work that reduces the park’s closure impact. Commissioners asked staff to return with a phased reopening plan that shows the minimum work to allow safe parking and pedestrian access and the funding sources for each phase.

Separately, public commenters from Manasota Key and Palm Island thanked county crews for their debris removal and asked for continued attention to sand replacement and staging concerns.