Eric,

To say the very least, this is a sad state of affairs and illustrates how badly the DoI has lost its way. I thought the original intent of the law was to find a qualified recipient in the form of a non-profit or other governmental agency, and give them the lighthouse. Had that been done when this whole mess started, you could have been well on your way to saving Sand Key, or at least stabilizing it, using the money you have had to raise to try and buy it. It would be interesting to know why the winner backed out of the deal. At this point, for the DoI to re-start the whole process and draw it out for another 5 years would be criminal, IMO. Actually, at this point they should give you the light with the caveat that the funds you used to bid instead be fully used to stabilize. The longer they hold on to the light the worse off it will be, and the more it will cost the taxpayers.