Sarasota seeking state money for eroded Lido Beach

SARASOTA — The city is petitioning the state to allocate more money to rebuild chunks of Lido Beach that washed away during Subtropical Storm Alberto, prompting the city manager to declare a state of emergency.

The Sarasota City Commission on Monday passed a resolution asking the state to grant more funding for Lido Beach renourishment projects, while expressing the city’s willingness to match state money to rebuild parts of the shoreline that vanish with each storm that strikes the vulnerable area. The request comes days after City Manager Tom Barwin declared a state of emergency for the severely eroded beach, which lost roughly seven to eight feet of dunes and shoreline from Alberto’s brush with the state.