Years of petitions and numerous lawsuits, by opposing property owners, have dragged through the courts over concerns of access to a beach and it's rights for public usage. Complicating the matter, and due to the current pandemic, Sarasota County has shut-down all of it's own public beaches and their beach accesses.
With this heated on-going dispute, at the far north end of Siesta Key's Beach Road, the area is now being patrolled daily - morning, noon and night by officers from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Department.
A homeowner's beachfront solution - fencing.
The "Patriots Pier" has become a rallying point for an opposing next-door neighbor, with an installed flag pole, odd characters - and a posted 'proclamation of rights' supporting public access.
Somewhere in the middle, in-between their own installed fences, one lone property owner's supposed 'private' beachfront set-up, with their day's belongings.
UPDATE; May 1st, Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 'Letters to the Editor'.
(April 27th) A couple, new to the area, wrote about an unpleasant encounter with a certain (above) property owner when they recently approached that owners fenced beachfront unknowingly. Apparently (the owner) began shouting to "get off of his property", became belligerent and aggressive, and with a deputy standing nearby, told them, "How would you feel if I put five bullets in your wife's head?"
