Judgment could come soon in Big Pass lawsuit

Representatives for the city and island residents questioned witnesses as the legal battle over a Lido shoreline project continues.

A judgment in a years-long lawsuit over the planned dredging of Big Pass for a Lido Key shoreline project could come as soon as August following testimony at a hearing in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Attorneys for the Lido Key Residents Association, the Siesta Key Association and the city of Sarasota questioned witnesses over the course of five hours at the Judge Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center. Tuesday’s hearing highlighted a key legal argument as the city and Lido residents attempt to persuade a judge to reject another challenge to the dredging from Siesta resident groups.

Siesta residents are seeking a writ of mandamus, an order that compels a governmental body to comply with a legal duty. Siesta residents have argued the city has failed to obtain necessary local approvals to proceed with the project. Ahead of the hearing, the city and the Lido residents group filed a joint memorandum of law arguing the Siesta residents had no grounds to request the writ and stating the city had already sufficiently approved the project.