Sean Colson
Phone: 941-228-0001
Fax: 941-473-7199
Email

Disney World-Orlando

Office: Gulf View  

What is Beach Access?

In the 1950s, property owners in the South Venice Subdivision were

promised in writing "access" to the community beach on the Gulf of Mexico.

Non- transferable cards were issued, certifying the status of someone

as a qualifying property owner and thus entitled to use the beach.

This card was then used as a pass to the wooden bridges that went

over the water separating the mainland from Manasota Key

where the community beach is located.
 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers later destroyed the bridges

to build the Intracoastal Waterway. After thousands of lawsuits, the

courts ordered that access to the beach would be in perpetuity and

would be by ferry. The SVCA was appointed trustee of the

beach properties and given a sum of money to build a boat house

and to purchase the boat and motor for the first ferry.
 

The beach properties are held in the

South Venice Beach Endowment Trust,

a 501(c)3 tax-exempt trust. Grants and donations

are used for future capital development.

Your South Venice Beach Ferry

How many communities do you know of that have a pristine beach with a ferry boat

to get you to it? This truly unique experience is part of the joy of living within the

South Venice subdivision. The ferry holds 18 passengers at a time and

leaves the dock every half-hour between 9:30am and sunset every day (except Wednesdays)

to carry you to your private beach on the Gulf of Mexico.

Coast Guard licensed captains operate the ferry.

The Beach Access Committee of the SVCA Trust manages the maintenance of the ferry,

the boathouse and the parking grounds.

Ferry fees of $70 per family per year support the costs of maintaining this service.