County commissioners approved a land swap on Friday, ending a decade‑long dispute that began when Michael Holderness bought four Siesta Key beach parcels in 2016 and 2017. The county had long contested the ownership of the land, arguing it was part of a public beach easement.
The county challenged Holderness over a flagpole in 2019, catamarans in 2020, and a planned structure that would have violated the Gulf Beach Setback Line, prompting lawsuits that were settled in 2023 before Holderness filed a federal suit in 2024.
Under the settlement, Sarasota County will take the four parcels, valued at less than $100,000, and Holderness will receive a county‑owned lot at 162 Beach Road, appraised at $2.8 million, after a judge dismissed a challenge by resident Lourdes Ramirez.
With the swap closed, county officials now focus on securing a building permit for the new lot, a process that could take several weeks and marks the final chapter of a protracted battle over beach access.