Posted January 27, 2020 —

Residents heard about plans for demolition of the unused Siesta Key Utility Association (SKUA) plant at a Sarasota County neighborhood information workshop at St Boniface Church on January 16, 2020.  Information was also provided about  an unrelated, nearby drinking water main pipeline replacement along Midnight Pass Road.

The project, identified by the County as the Siesta Key Advanced Waste Water Treatment Plant (AWWTP) Demolition, is to demolish and remove the existing but idle waste water plant on the Grand Canal near the rear of Glebe Park. This plant was idled in the first half of 2019 by installing a new pumping station. The new pumping station pumps all of Siesta Key’s sanitary waste water to a county treatment plant east of I-75 on Fruitville Road extension where it is treated and the water then primarily recycled as irrigation water.

This SKUA Plant demolition project is estimated to cost $90,230. It is to be bid and then work to start in about June 2019. Work should be complete within four months. The work will involve the demolition of steel and concrete plant components which will be hauled out by truck via Oakmont Place. Demolition will cause some vibration and noise. Work is restricted to 10 hours per day between 7am and 7pm. Any underground components of the plant will be removed down to about 3 feet and back filled with dirt and shell.

The existing fence will remain post demolition to protect the site including the new pump station. No decision has been made to remove the existing large fresh water tank used for back-up waste water storage but a separate demolition bid will be obtained. The County has not yet developed long term plans for the site, but initially the site will remain secured and will not provide new access to the Grand Canal.

Also disclosed at the meeting was a Siesta Key drinking water pipeline replacement. The plan is to replace a section of an old, existing drinking water line along part of Midnight Pass Road. A new 16-inch line iron pipe will be installed underground. The tie in to the existing water pipe will be across from St Boniface Church on the north side of Midnight Pass. The new westbound pipeline will be installed north along Midnight Pass by open cut in the right of way, across Beach road near the Fire station and then south along the west side of Midnight Pass to near the Gulf & Bay Condo to tie into the existing waterline. The crossing of Beach Road will involve temporary lane closures and an open cut of Beach Road. Work is also expected this summer.

The style of the meeting was an availability of drawings and project staff to describe and answer questions on the projects scheduled to be executed next summer. The meeting was attended by about 100 residents including SKA Board members Natalie Gutwein and Bob Luckner and retired board member Bob Stein. Residents had been notified by county postcard and SKA sent members notices via email and posted a Facebook notice. This was an update of the presentation made at the SKA September 2019 monthly meeting by John Saputo IV.