Some beachfront property owners in Venice are not thrilled with a city drainage plan, and they’ve appealed to the Southwest Florida Water Management District for a hearing.
They’re not happy with the city plan to create a retention swale to keep bacteria in storm water from getting directly into the Gulf. Venice Beach was closed for about a month in 2011 due to high fecal bacteria levels. It was traced to animal feces in storm water pipes. The city wants to create a retention pond in the dunes, between Granada Avenue and Alhambra Road, where that storm water would be pumped. Sunlight would kill bacteria in the water before it ‘s absorbed into the sand. The property owners say it’ll be unsightly and unworkable. They want a second opinion on an underground filtering system. City officials tell the Herald-Tribune that kind of system would be more expensive and harder to maintain.