STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com
Sarasota, Longboat Key, Siesta Key and all of the neighboring communities have been
playing a grueling and frustrating waiting game. A game of waiting and watching daily the radar to ensure that we don’t get blasted by another series of hurricanes.
Many are waiting, hoping the collective excitement if we do not get hit by a hurricane will propel the housing market upward and buyers will whittle away at the inventory that currently competes with itself.
Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton is no different. Each passing day brings a modicum of relief.
Longboat Key News spoke with Tipton about the state of Longboat Key.
Are you feeling cautiously optimistic that we will not see a hurricane make landfall?
When it is November 30th I will take a breath. The sad fact is the 2024 storms are the most damage to a community that I’ve ever seen.
How did the Town adapt to the post storm demands and what initiatives worked?
I’m really pleased with the ways the repairs have gone in general on the island. The good news is that while a number of homes are still being rebuilt, the vast majority – more than 90% – of the permitting activity coming in is for typical construction and work that is not storm repair or related. Not too long ago, 99% of all permits issued were for storm-related repairs.
We waived the permit fees for anything storm related and brought in a bunch of contractors to help with the workload for storm assessments and permitting.
In the midst of all this, we also went to a new permitting system, a new interface that is more efficient.
What is the status of the Longboat Key Library project?
The County is in the final design phase. The only changes are we added some steps to better connect the terrace to Town Center Green. The terrace gives a chance to go from the library and community hall outside and we will have shade areas. This will be a good place to sit and listen to a concert. The terrace will be open all the time and the library will operate six days a week. The goal is to break ground on the Library in spring 2026 and complete by fall 2027.
