SEAWALLS - Audio/Photo Presentation

[SHELLY]

Very interesting audio/photo presentation on seawall in SoWal. Once you enter the presentation, click on each number for a narrative.

Seawalls in SoWal

Was contained in an article in Pensacola News Journal:

Seawalls in Walton County

"BLUE MOUNTAIN BEACH -- Beachfront homeowners in Walton County are taking desperate measures to keep their luxury homes from sliding into the water, and state officials seem either unable or unwilling to stop them.

Since Hurricane Dennis blasted ashore last July 10 at nearby Navarre Beach, construction crews have thrown up steel girders, buried giant sand tubes and erected dozens of seawalls along that 26-mile stretch of sugar-white beaches.

Although much of the construction appears to be illegal, bureaucrats appear reluctant to invite a showdown and are seeking ways to let the barriers remain.................."

[Beachlover2]

[John R]

great find shelly, thanks for that. as bmbv has stated, not all the gf owners moved forward illegally. but, the one's who have are responsible for thowing the negative light on the group as a whole.

[JB]

Does anyone know when the photos in this piece were taken? Unbelievably, we are staying at one of the houses shown in these photos in mid-May.

I am really worried now. I wonder if we need to look into moving somewhere else. Does anyone know of an area with small gulf front rental houses where seawall construction is NOT going on?

Unbelievable

[ecopal]

A different version of the same article also showed up in Florida Today:
ARTICLE TITLE:
Sea wall building frenzy worries coastal advocates
By PAIGE ST. JOHN and LARRY WHEELER
FLORIDA TODAY
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbc...EWS01/60325003

I found the following quote from this article particularly interesting because it represents the feelings of some beach front owners. In fact some friends of mine have said about the same thing:

" House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, a coastal developer by trade.
... said, "if I saw my home was falling off into the water, I would do everything I could to protect it as well. I'd fight the bureaucracy as hard as I could. You can't fault them (property owners) for trying to preserve their homesteads." "

I have other beach front owner friends that are concerned that spending considerable money on a seawall is foolish since they can't be certain if the wall etc. will be worth it in the long run and may end up doing more harm than good. Also they are concerned about liability issues with their neighbors and potential fines from government agencies. They feel the risk of putting in a wall/ geotube is more risky than not.

Some are putting in white sand, plant sea oats, and install sand fencing since it is less risky and less expensive and more environment friendly.

Some figure that it would be cheaper to just rebuild further back on their lot if they lose their home.

I would like to hear more from beach front owners that chose not to put up walls and their rationales.

The following article is very interesting.
I suggest you read the entire article but I quoted some of the passages for your convenience.

EXCERPTS...
"....Coastal advocates are alarmed at the unprecedented number of walls installed with so little oversight.

...."We never envisioned this number of walls," said county planning director Pat Blackshear. "People got really afraid they were going to lose their property."

......Twenty-eight of the 30 permits issued in the first 24 hours went to a company owned by Rosier "Ro" Cuchens, one of the county commissioners who voted to take advantage of the emergency law.

....Homeowners moved ahead with their erosion-prevention measures with no environmental reviews and no concession to Walton County's other notable denizens - endangered beach mice and leatherback sea turtles.

.....Three years ago, Georgia builder Tony Burton bought a sand-cliff lot in the area for $1 million. ....Burton and other homeowners are defiant at the possibility they could be ordered to pay federal fines and to remove their expensive new barriers.

.....Beach engineers cite the sheet-metal battlements being erected in Walton County as the second leading man-made cause of erosion in Florida, behind dredging.

......Local activists are alarmed at how quickly the Walton County beachfront homeowners installed their armoring.

......."Are we becoming like other areas where we are going to have walls but not beach?" asked Anita Page, executive director of the South Walton Community Council. "I'm frightened we may have created a situation where we are ultimately going to harm the beach itself."

.........Florida need look no further than the concrete coastlines of Texas and New Jersey to see how quickly concrete can replace sand, warned Orrin Pilkey, director of Duke University's Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines."

[SHELLY]

Officials seeking temporary ban on new seawalls
Paige St. John
News Journal capital bureau

TALLAHASSEE -- Save the sea turtles or save the homes?

Environmental regulators want control over seawalls that go up after hurricanes under the guise of an "emergency."

They point to Walton County following Hurricane Dennis, which set off an unregulated spree of armored walls, barricades and tube systems. The county is battling the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the impact to endangered sea turtles and beach mice.

Link: Pensacola News Journal March 30

[Paula]

Great link to Fowlkes' photo documentary on sea walls. Thanks. It's a great resource because he says clearly that he defends the right of gulf front owners to protect their property, but to do so in a way that is consistent with the law and doesn't harm the environment.

[Richard]

Does anyone know when the photos in this piece were taken? Unbelievably, we are staying at one of the houses shown in these photos in mid-May.

The photos were taken 3/21/06.

[TooFarTampa]

Richard: Fantastic presentation. Thank you for your contributions.

[Smiling JOe]

Richard, you and Celeste made a great presentation. I must have just missed you at BMB on the 21st. Judging by the water lines, I was only an hour or so behind you.

[CastlesOfSand]

Thanks for the info.

[seagrovelover]

Thanks Shelly that was really interesting......looks like the beaches are getting so small, thats just a shame.

[30A Skunkape]

Well this little photo spread is guaranteed to lead to heated argument on the board. If there is any positive spin in all this, at least the homeowners were nice enough to dump an honest to goodness mountain on Blue Mountain Beach.

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

Everyone,

I believe the real concerns don't lie with the retaining walls. That's right! You "read me" correctly. Everyone who has read the other 2 ACTIVE threads (Seawalls and Geotubes in Texas), will know that I'm a trouble maker.

I speak my mind. And I don't take crap from Simple Simons .

All the hostility is over something a lot more petty when you cut to the chase. Let's be honest....

All this bad blood that exists is because on Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape.

There.... that's it. I said it. Can anyone really deny it?

BMBV

[SHELLY]

BMVB: IMO seawallers and geotubers are just whistling past the graveyard. (But I certainly understand the desperate, last-ditch efforts being employed to save the "Lifestyle of the Rich and Connected")

Richard: Bravo on a wonderful presentation and getting the story "out there." A million thanks for caring about the beaches and caring about the turtles.

[Miss Kitty]

Everyone,

I believe the real concerns don't lie with the retaining walls. That's right! You "read me" correctly. Everyone who has read the other 2 ACTIVE threads (Seawalls and Geotubes in Texas), will know that I'm a trouble maker.

I speak my mind. And I don't take crap from Simple Simons .

All the hostility is over something a lot more petty when you cut to the chase. Let's be honest....

All this bad blood that exists is because on Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape.

There.... that's it. I said it. Can anyone really deny it?

BMBV

I am now calling you The Riddler. Just so I understand you, are you trying to say that those that don't own GF in SoWal are really just jealous of someone's house and not concerned about the natural beauty of the beaches? Do you stay up late thinking of these riddles? My head is spinning.

[Smiling JOe]

Everyone,

I believe the real concerns don't lie with the retaining walls. That's right! You "read me" correctly. Everyone who has read the other 2 ACTIVE threads (Seawalls and Geotubes in Texas), will know that I'm a trouble maker.

I speak my mind. And I don't take crap from Simple Simons .

All the hostility is over something a lot more petty when you cut to the chase. Let's be honest....

All this bad blood that exists is because on Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape.

There.... that's it. I said it. Can anyone really deny it?

BMBV

Wow! I didn't realize that I was jealous and envious of you. Now I see the light. Yes, followed the symptoms directly to the problem. How insightful. Now, I am a new person since you have shown me the light. Thank You!

Hogwash! BMBV, you must get down off that pedastal on which you climbed. I believe you may be the only one who sees yourself up there.

[Allifunn]

All the hostility is over something a lot more petty when you cut to the chase. Let's be honest....

All this bad blood that exists is because on Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape.

Is about the only response to this ..sorry BMBV, I tried to give you some credit, but you obvioulsy, and sadly, don't deserve it

[aquaticbiology]

Is about the only response to this ..sorry BMBV, I tried to give you some credit, but you obvioulsy, and sadly, don't deserve it

agreed!

like the vegetation around the watersound pond - that was just so planted

i am so not jealous of your double-wide - i have my own!

resisting the urge to jump in the truck and go salvage the hoist hook (first things first), then take a fire hose to bmbv's pants, cause he must be full of sheet!

[Kimmifunn]

Everyone,

I believe the real concerns don't lie with the retaining walls. That's right! You "read me" correctly. Everyone who has read the other 2 ACTIVE threads (Seawalls and Geotubes in Texas), will know that I'm a trouble maker.

I speak my mind. And I don't take crap from Simple Simons .

All the hostility is over something a lot more petty when you cut to the chase. Let's be honest....

All this bad blood that exists is because on Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape.

There.... that's it. I said it. Can anyone really deny it?

BMBV

Oh please. The rich and connected are buying condos in Vegas. You should know that. Duh.

[Allifunn]

Is about the only response to this ..sorry BMBV, I tried to give you some credit, but you obvioulsy, and sadly, don't deserve it

I also have to add that obviously, the old addage is true, ....money does not buy class or style

[Rita]

Wow! I didn't realize that I was jealous and envious of you. Now I see the light. Yes, followed the symptoms directly to the problem. How insightful. Now, I am a new person since you have shown me the light. Thank You!

Hogwash! BMBV, you must get down off that pedastal on which you climbed. I believe you may be the only one who sees yourself up there.

.... Please note my smilie with this ... heehee


-

[Kimmifunn]

I mean Kurt could...




I'm out.

[Franny]

Does anyone know when the photos in this piece were taken? Unbelievably, we are staying at one of the houses shown in these photos in mid-May.

I am really worried now. I wonder if we need to look into moving somewhere else. Does anyone know of an area with small gulf front rental houses where seawall construction is NOT going on?

Unbelievable

There are two new rentals (houses are not new) at the intersection of 30-A and hwy 395, Across from the village market. Private pools. I believe they are rentad thru Beaches of South Walton. They are the cute cinder block beach house. Hope this helps...no construction in front that I have noticed but just east of the houses.

[Mermaid]

Everyone,

I believe the real concerns don't lie with the retaining walls. That's right! You "read me" correctly. Everyone who has read the other 2 ACTIVE threads (Seawalls and Geotubes in Texas), will know that I'm a trouble maker.

I speak my mind. And I don't take crap from Simple Simons .

All the hostility is over something a lot more petty when you cut to the chase. Let's be honest....

All this bad blood that exists is because on Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape.

There.... that's it. I said it. Can anyone really deny it?

BMBV

Vagrant \Va"grant\, a. [Probably fr. OF. waucrant, wacrant, p.
p. of waucrer, wacrer, walcrer, to wander (probably of
Teutonic origin), but influenced by F. vagant, p. pr. of
vaguer to stray, L. vagari. Cf. Vagary.]
1. Moving without certain direction; wandering; erratic;
unsettled.

That beauteous Emma vagrant courses took. --Prior.

While leading this vagrant and miserable life,
Johnson fell in live. --Macaulay.

2. Wandering from place to place without any settled
habitation; as, a vagrant beggar.
Vagrant \Va"grant\, n.
One who strolls from place to place; one who has no settled
habitation; an idle wanderer; a sturdy beggar; an
incorrigible rogue; a vagabond.

Vagrants and outlaws shall offend thy view. --Prior.

The name speaks for itself.

[Franny]

Is about the only response to this ..sorry BMBV, I tried to give you some credit, but you obvioulsy, and sadly, don't deserve it

I'm with you Allifunn!! I will be the first to sign a petition to ban this sob...look at his initials BM...BV!! NOT !

[katie blue]

Let's be honest...

All this bad blood that exists is because on Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape.
There.... that's it. I said it. Can anyone really deny it?

Oops, you forgot your "smiley"

Let's be honest... envious? You couldn't pay me to be in your position. I can see the water just fine, thanks. Exactly who is envious of who? just kidding, lighten up. ()

But thanks for that insightful gem, big guy.

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

Wow! I didn't realize that I was jealous and envious of you. Now I see the light. Yes, followed the symptoms directly to the problem. How insightful. Now, I am a new person since you have shown me the light. Thank You!

Hogwash! BMBV, you must get down off that pedastal on which you climbed. I believe you may be the only one who sees yourself up there.

Dear Smiling JOe,

Of all the people on all these threads, I thought I could depend on you for moderation. You've let me down this time in a big way.

....NO, not really.

You, my friend, were set up. Yep, I expected everyone else to "bite", but not you. Perhaps after I explain this post in greater detail, you and I (and I hope others) will continue our dialogs.

It's kind of like the old tuna fishing techniques where there were unwanted takes of dolphin. Yes you, my friend are an intelligent dolphin swimming in a school of tuna.

I apologize for yanking you in the way I did. Honestly. I was hoping based on past dialog, that you, of all people wouldn't turn your back on me so quickly.

BUT this was the only way that I could see to REALLY MAKE THIS POINT....

I said exactly the following,
"All this bad blood that exists is because on Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape."

Do you notice the bold text in the above text?

Guess what?

That didn't come from me.

That's right, I didn't originally say it nor do I believe it. Nor do I believe the bad blood part (for the most part - of course there may be exceptions ).



Then why in the world did I post this?

Remember the "freedom of the press" question that I poised to ecopal in the other thread. I asked him if he believed in "freedom of the press"? Remember all the boring case law he quoted when I said a simple yes or no would suffice?...even suggesting that one could be held liable if the terminology was akin to "fighting words" and that was not covered under freedom of the press.



OK OK.....I'll get to the point.


Shelly posted a link to an article in the very first post of this thread that the Pensacola News Journal published.

With me so far? Maybe now you remember and are now seeing the method to my madness, but I'll continue anyway....

The 9th paragraph of that Pensacola News Journal article is quoted below:

"On Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape."

That's all there was in that one sentence paragraph, PERIOD. That's it. Nada mas!


CALL ME CRAZY (which many of you have done already), but if it looks like a dead skunk, smells like a dead skunk, has about as much use as a dead skunk then it MUST be a dead skunk.


This article in the Pensacola News Journal is the epitome of class warfare. I didn't write it. I just read it and saw it for what it is.... toilet paper.

Gannett should be ABSOLUTELY EMBARASSED to allow an article such as this to be generated and not classified as an editorial. Maybe it is an editorial. Either way it "STINKS" to high heaven !!

Smiling JOe, I hope you now see why I did what I did (posting the "inflamatory" remark).

You and everyone else need to really walk a mile in our (GF) shoes and see some of this non-sense for what it is. It's a lot easier to spot when one is non-biased and slanted by the likes of ecopal.

Oh, just for the record, there are many of us GF property owners that are not as "rich" and are not "well connected" as this article would lead the average reader to believe.

[kimbug]

I also have to add that obviously, the old addage is true, ....money does not buy class or style

So true, Allifuun.

[Smiling JOe]

I was set up? I don't get it. You are really clever aren't you?
BMBV, I have an idea. When you quote in the future, try using the "..." and citing you source. I didn't agree with that in the article and I didn't agree with you using it.

Until you know whose shoes I have walked in, perhaps you should refrain from telling me to walk in a GF onwers. For the record, I am not following ecopal's story any more than I am following yours. I have my own mind and think for myself.

I think I will take a break from this thread. If someone has something interesting and knowledgable that I may appreciate reading, please send me a pm and let me know to check the thread.

Peace Out!

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

Dear Reader,

I offer my apology to everyone for the "underhanded" technique that I employed regarding the "class warfare" point I was making.

I know many of you were drawn in (some a little too easy).

My intent is not to belittle those of you who read and post. My point, and I hope you now see it, is that there is an underlying current of negative activism in our little area of Blue Mountain Beach of which I have been a part of for about 6 years (BMB, not negative activism ).

I love this area. I love MOST of the people I meet down here. That's why this is where our second home is.

But with that said, I believe "we" have a perverbial fly in the ointment. Perhaps I'll bring that to light in due course. For some of you that really understand some of the "politics" in our area, you probably can appreciate what I'm saying already.

PLEASE accept my apologies for my stooping this low to make a point that I thought was VERY IMPORTANT.... that is there are others out there, not me, that would bias you into believing our current issues regarding retaining walls, sand, etc., is a result of the "haves" as opposed to the "have nots".

I just see myself as a "have not" who just happens to own gulf front property.

Again sorry to have "intentionally" ruffled some feathers.

Sincerely,
BMBV

[katie blue]

You're the one who keeps on bringing up class warfare, even when 'cleverly' disguised as sarcasm, bait, irony, or a set-up. Hey, <sniff>...do I smell a dead skunk?

Let the games go. We're talking about the beach. Please, BMBV.

Oh:

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

You're the one who keeps on bringing up class warfare, even when 'cleverly' disguised as sarcasm, bait, irony, or a set-up. Hey, <sniff>...do I smell a dead skunk?

Let the games go. We're talking about the beach. Please, BMBV.

Oh:

Hi Katie Blue,

I never brought up "class warfare" as an underlying cause for the current and ongoing debate regarding retaining walls.

Check my posts very carefully. If you can find a reference, I WOULD APPRECIATE your pointing it out. If found, I will ASBSOLUTELY and HUMBLY APOLOGIZE to everyone here.

What I did bring up in one of my posts when I did mentioned the words "class warfare" is that LIKE "class warfare", religion and abortion, no one ever seems to win the debate over the retaining wall issue. I never implied that there was class warfare going on in these threads (although others have). I'm open to being shown where I am wrong.

I'm afraid the words "class warfare" are used too loosely these days. Again, within the news article that started this thread, a stand-alone paragraph states the following:

"On Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape."

This type of rhetoric totally detracts from the acticle's substance. One would seriously have to consider whether the rest of the article was written OBJECTIVELY. For everyone's benefit, there is some decent factual information within the article however.



Here's what's really yanking my chain right now....

The newspaper article wasn't just published here in Florida, as you might have expected. My renter, this past week, told me his father-in-law called him from Muncie, Indiana and asked him what was up with all the retaining wall stuff in BMB based on an article he read up there. The fact that Gannett saw a need to spread this on a national scale, well, concerns me.

And it should concern "most" other readers in our area.

Why?

Read this exerpt from the same artcle....
"On a recent day, waves lapped at the base of the fortification."

Sounds a lot like ecopal and his totally biased photography techniques that he "shared" with us the other day. I called him down for it. To this day, he still hasn't acknowledged my concern for his "one sided" slant on things to support his agenda. (see his post SoWal Beaches Forum - View Single Post - Study on Geotubes in Texas and my reply SoWal Beaches Forum - View Single Post - Study on Geotubes in Texas)

With such visualization, who would want to come to our area?[U]

Tourism, in case anyone has forgotten, is the bread and butter of the local beach economy.

If you see it differently (or even if you agree), I would love to hear from anyone regarding their opinion on my observation.

[Smiling JOe]

BMBV, I reread the article. Other than the "connected and wealthy" comment, are there more points in the story with which you disagree? The article sounds pretty straight forward and similar to what I understand is happening with the permits for the temporary walls.

[katie blue]

Something must have yanked my chain too yesterday to have even posted about that. (I'm finding that I should just refrain altogether from late afternoon weekday posts, as that seems to be the time I might get stressy about anything. Regretting even posting. I'm a lover, not a fighter )

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

BMBV, I reread the article. Other than the "connected and wealthy" comment, are there more points in the story with which you disagree? The article sounds pretty straight forward and similar to what I understand is happening with the permits for the temporary walls.

Dear Smiling JOe,

I've taken the task to answer your question. Here's the article in its entirity. I've "bolded" certain words with note "numbers" which I list at the end. I hope it's easy to follow this way.

Thanks,
BMBV





Seawalls in Walton County face storm of bureaucracy
Barriers focus of dispute between state law and homeowners
Paige St. John and Larry Wheeler
Gannett News Service

BLUE MOUNTAIN BEACH -- Beachfront homeowners in Walton County are taking desperate measures (1) to keep their luxury homes (2) from sliding into the water, and state officials seem either unable or unwilling to stop them.

Since Hurricane Dennis blasted ashore last July 10 at nearby Navarre Beach, construction crews have thrown up steel girders, buried giant sand tubes and erected dozens of seawalls along that 26-mile stretch of sugar-white beaches.

Although much of the construction appears to be illegal (3) , bureaucrats appear reluctant to invite a showdown and are seeking ways to let the barriers remain.
(Related: Interactive audio slide show from a Walton County citizen journalist and activist.)

Coastal advocates are alarmed at the more than 200 seawalls installed with so little oversight.

They fret that the unchallenged building frenzy will spread statewide as hurricanes erode more of Florida's shrinking beaches and more property owners opt to wall themselves off from the advancing surf.

"You only have to look 10, 20 years down the road until the rest of Florida is walled in," warns David Godfrey, executive director of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation & Sea Turtle Survival League, whose organization has been active in preserving Florida sea turtles and beaches since 1959.

They also worry that the walls signal, in the chaos following Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Dennis last year, that anything goes.

"Are we becoming like other areas where we are going to have walls but not beach?" asked Anita Page, executive director of the South Walton Community Council. "I'm frightened we may have created a situation where we are ultimately going to harm the beach itself."

On Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape (4) .

Three years ago, Georgia builder Tony Burton bought a sand-cliff lot for $1 million and erected a three-story house with faux-Greek stone columns. (5)

He was horrified when storms later tore off the side of the bluff, moving the precipice 45 feet closer to his patio. Some of his less fortunate neighbors saw their homes slide into the water.

Burton was determined to take action, legal or not, before the next hurricane season.

He and adjacent homeowners are paying $700,000 to erect a 400-foot "temporary" sheet-metal wall in front of their bluff (6) . The barrier is buried under landscaped sand that could wash out in the next storm. (7)

The man-made berm ties into a network of variously colored sheet-metal walls (8) that protrude from sand piles stretching along the bluff in both directions as far as the eye can see.

On a recent day, waves lapped at the base of the fortification.

"We paid our money for the beach. We need to do something to protect our property," Burton said.

County creates 'permit mill'

Days after Dennis made landfall, Walton commissioners voted to take unprecedented advantage of a state emergency law aimed at helping beachfront homeowners.

The law allows counties to approve temporary, 60-day structures to shore up a crumbling foundation or prevent a house from collapsing. Anything more permanent requires a state permit.

The commission's vote essentially created a permit mill for beach owners who wanted to bolster their crumbling pieces of paradise using heavy equipment, corrugated metal sheets and gigantic textile tubes. (9)

The construction tore up the beach so thoroughly (10) that county code inspectors said they had trouble getting through to carry out their sole enforcement duty -- making sure a county permit sticker was affixed to each wall.

Little of the construction looks temporary.

"We never envisioned this number of walls," said county planning director Pat Blackshear. "People got really afraid they were going to lose their property."

Twenty-eight of the 30 permits issued in the first 24 hours went to a company owned by Rosier "Ro" Cuchens, one of the county commissioners who voted to take advantage of the emergency law.

Cuchens eventually recused himself from further votes but only after taking on 65 of the projects, more than any other contractor in the county. (11)

Cuchens said he did not violate state ethics laws. A clerk with the Florida Commission on Ethics declined to say if the panel is looking into the matter.

Walls are in limbo

State records show 250 permits for temporary structures were issued in Walton in the aftermath of Dennis, but a walk along the shore suggests the activity is more widespread.

Less than half of those homeowners have applied to make their erosion-prevention structures permanent. (12)

Even fewer reside in the older slab-foundation homes that are so close to crumbling slopes they are automatically eligible for approval. (13)

Some "armoring" along the beach was constructed in front of newer homes that were built to tougher coastal construction standards. They presumably were designed with wave action in mind and are technically ineligible for armoring.

Some seawalls were even erected to protect empty dunes that one day may support a house or building, a pre-emptive measure not addressed in the statute.(14)

Defiance and finger pointing

State officials encouraged Walton commissioners to use the Florida law that allows temporary beach armoring after a natural disaster.

Cuchens said the Florida Department of Environmental Protection helped Walton property owners fill out applications for the projects and told them all they needed to do to make their walls permanent was hire a contractor to come up with engineering drawings and send an application within 60 days.

DEP spokesman Anthony DeLuise confirmed that Colleen Castille, who heads the agency, attended a workshop in Destin where she encouraged homeowners to apply to the state for permanent status for their seawalls.

Burton and other homeowners are defiant at the possibility they could be ordered to remove their expensive new barriers.

"It would be political suicide to tell people whose houses are jeopardized to remove their protection," he said.

State regulators are a long way from doing that.

"We first have to determine with certainty that would be the only recourse," said Mike Barnett, chief of the DEP's Beaches and Coastal Systems Bureau.

Even then, Barnett said, the final responsibility falls to Walton County.

"They issued the temporary permits," he said.

The emergency state law that Walton invoked allows 60-day structures but doesn't define "temporary," said Kevin Hargett, the county's building code enforcement coordinator.

He said that's the reason he ignored the clearly permanent nature of the structures beachfront homeowners were building.

" 'Temporary' is a word that can be interpreted in several ways," Hargett said.

For now, the DEP is trying to persuade the coastal residents to voluntarily seek state approval for the "temporary" structures now sprouting decks and stairs.

The agency has not said what might happen if it decides to deny approval.

So far, state regulators have yet to order a single sand tube or steel girder removed.

Lax beach policy blamed

Florida's own beach policy set the stage for the dilemma unfolding on Walton beaches.

With no setback line for beachfront homes, the state instead relies on coastal construction rules that perch houses above the reach of storm surge, without paying heed to shoreline erosion rates. (15)

Homes on stilts are allowed, but hard armoring, as a policy, is not. (16)

Beach engineers cite the sheet-metal battlements being erected in Walton as the second-leading, man-made cause of erosion in Florida, behind dredging. (17)

The better path, say state regulators, is to rebuild the beaches.

But Florida's beach renourishment program can't keep pace with development (18) , even though state officials have spent about $100 million a year -- and $300 million in 2005 -- hauling huge quantities of sand ashore to create new beach.

The eight hurricanes that have hit Florida over the last two years have hastened the inevitable outcome: crumbling sand bluffs and ever-more-imperiled homes dangling over the edge. (19)

Florida need look no further than the concrete coastlines of Texas and New Jersey to see how quickly concrete can replace sand, warned Orrin Pilkey, director of Duke University's Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. (20)

"I really believe Florida, more than any state, has not gotten hold of its erosion problems," Pilkey said. "Florida beaches are either doomed, or the state is going to have a huge nourishment bill in the future."

State lawmakers aren't interested in paying that bill now.

After two years of beefed-up beach reconstruction, lawmakers are ready to roll the state's beach budget back to $30 million a year. At the same time, lawmakers are hesitant to kill an emergency program that promises relief for hurricane victims.

"The ultimate solution is a well-thought-out, well-planned, well-designed beach-renourishment project," said House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, a coastal developer by trade.

Absent that, Bense said, "If I saw my home was falling off into the water, I would do everything I could to protect it as well. I'd fight the bureaucracy as hard as I could.''

He's sympathetic to the coastal homeowners.

"You can't fault them for trying to preserve their homesteads," he said.

Paige St. John reports from Gannett News Service's Tallahassee bureau. She can be reached at psthon@nettally.com. Larry Wheeler reports for Gannett News Service's Washington, D.C., bureau. He can be reached at lwheeler@gns.gannett.com.


Comments from BMBV (me)....

1. desperate measures
"desperate" in one person's view is logical and necessary in another's.

2. luxury homes
Article forgets to mention all the non-luxury homes, such as original block homes and older condos and townhomes that dot Blue Mountain Beach. The word "luxury" could have been eliminated.

3. much of the construction appears to be illegal
How much is much? 90% ? 50% ? 40% ? 30% ? etc.

4. On Walton beaches, extravagant homes for the rich and connected dominate the landscape .
This is what fueled many many of my posts on this thread. The opinion of the writer(s) comes to the surface tor everyone to see. Correct me if I'm wrong... I thought this was a news article, not an editorial.

5. Three years ago, Georgia builder Tony Burton bought a sand-cliff lot for $1 million and erected a three-story house with faux-Greek stone columns.
A little "pinch" of their above spice. What does it matter how much he paid for the lot and whether or not he has faux-Greek columns?

6. He and adjacent homeowners are paying $700,000 to erect a 400-foot "temporary" sheet-metal wall in front of their bluff.
Factually speaking, it is a composite wall, not sheet metal.

7. The barrier is buried under landscaped sand that could wash out in the next storm.
I'm still figuring what the significance of this statement is. Is the sand going to wash out? OR is the barrier going to wash out. Not very clear.

8. The man-made berm ties into a network of variously colored sheet-metal walls
More of the same error (composite wall, not sheet metal).

9. The commission's vote essentially created a permit mill for beach owners who wanted to bolster their crumbling pieces of paradise using heavy equipment, corrugated metal sheets and gigantic textile tubes.
"...who wanted to bolster their crumbling pieces of paradise...."
This paragraph, in all its negative imagery speaks for itself.

10. The construction tore up the beach so thoroughly (10)
I didn't see any areas in our area that were "tore up so thoroughly" as described here. Perhaps the authoris referring to geotextile tubes, very few if any that were installed in Blue Mountain Beach (see location reference at start of article).

This less than desirable visualization could have and probably does have a negative impact on tourism. We at Blue Mountain Beach probably have suffered some sort of monetary damage (although hard to prove).

When this article is published in news papers across the country, one has to wonder what benefit is served to our area other than negative.

11. Twenty-eight of the 30 permits issued in the first 24 hours went to a company owned by Rosier "Ro" Cuchens, one of the county commissioners who voted to take advantage of the emergency law.

Cuchens eventually recused himself from further votes but only after taking on 65 of the projects, more than any other contractor in the county.
This one bothers me a lot. A lot of people have come down on Cuchens regarding "conflict of interest", etc.

Let's get one thing straight. The Walton Commissioners vote was 5 to 0 in favor of allowing temporary structures. This from one of the meetings...
"Walton County supports property owners and authorizes them to protect their property. Walton County will provide an exemption to property owners from any county ordinance that would prohibit individuals from using temporary protection measures including beach scraping, temporary walls, or whatever temporary measures are necessary. Ayes 5, Nayes 0. Jones Aye, Meadows Aye, Pridgen Aye, Brannon Aye, and Cuchens Aye."


Notice that the vote was 5 to 0. It wouldn't have made any difference whatsover if Cuchens voted for or against or abstained, period. I'm just talking fact here.


12. Less than half of those homeowners have applied to make their erosion-prevention structures permanent.
Again, not sure what the significance of this statement is. It's not qualified by the fact that one does not have to submit application until 60 days AFTER COMPLETION of their retaining wall.

13 Even fewer reside in the older slab-foundation homes that are so close to crumbling slopes they are automatically eligible for approval.
This is true to a degree, however these structures can "qualify" others...see next item.

14. Some "armoring" along the beach was constructed in front of newer homes that were built to tougher coastal construction standards. They presumably were designed with wave action in mind and are technically ineligible for armoring.

Some seawalls were even erected to protect empty dunes that one day may support a house or building, a pre-emptive measure not addressed in the statute.
It is evident that the article picks and chooses (or simply does not have a handle on DEP rules).
This is important... The 250 foot gap rule allows a property or properties (regardless if it has a new home or is an empty lot) to close that gap with a retaining wall or other armoring.... a very important rule. The intent is that there may be accelerated erosion where the wall ends.

15. With no setback line for beachfront homes, the state instead relies on coastal construction rules that perch houses above the reach of storm surge, without paying heed to shoreline erosion rates.
I may be wrong here, but isn't that what the CCCL is all about? Doesn't it (supposedly) take into account the 30 year predicted erosion line? I might be missing something here.

16. Homes on stilts are allowed, but hard armoring, as a policy, is not.
Perhaps I'm missing soemthing here as well. Again, newer structures can close a 250 foot gap as stated in item 14 above.

17. Beach engineers cite the sheet-metal battlements being erected in Walton as the second-leading, man-made cause of erosion in Florida, behind dredging.
There seems to be some disagreement here between the article and DEP's website.
From DEP's website:
... While some of this erosion is due to natural forces and imprudent coastal development, a significant amount of coastal erosion in Florida is directly attributable to the construction and maintenance of navigation inlets. Florida has over 60 inlets around the state, many have been artificially deepened to accommodate commercial and recreational vessels and employ jetties to prevent sand from filling in the channels. A by-product of this practice is that the jetties and the inlet channels have interrupted the natural flow of sand along the beach causing an accumulation of sand in the inlet channel and at the jetty on one side of the inlet, and a loss of sand to the beaches on the other side of the inlet.

I have a question to the author(s). How can "sheet-metal battlements being erected in Walton as the second-leading (man-made cause of erosion)" as stated in the article be true. Until this year, there were very few, if any, "sheet-metal battlements". I'll allow a broad interpretation here and change the words "sheet-metal battlements" to retaining walls. Still the statement would be false because very few existed until now. It's amazing how their future prediction became past fact.


18. But Florida's beach renourishment program can't keep pace with development (18)
I have a difficult time seeing the logic here regarding Blue Mountain Beach. Are they talking about on a state wide basis?

19. The eight hurricanes that have hit Florida over the last two years have hastened the inevitable outcome: crumbling sand bluffs and ever-more-imperiled homes dangling over the edge. (19)
The article implies that hurricanes have just an incidental cause ot the erosion effect. It would seem that our high bluffs would erode anyway even without hurricanes. "Hasten" means to speed up from what I remember. Therefore hurricanes are only speeding up what will happen anyway. Tough logic to swallow.

20. Florida need look no further than the concrete coastlines of Texas and New Jersey to see how quickly concrete can replace sand, warned Orrin Pilkey, director of Duke University's Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines.
Several times, I and others, have pointed out that our situation in Blue Mountain Beach is very very unique in terms of elevation. Here's a quote from ecopal from another thread...

I am just glad that we live on 30A which has the highest elevation coastal property south of Maine including all the east coast and Gulf coast.

The Atlantic coast from New York south is all primarily low lands and extremely vulnerable to storm surge and tsunamis. In addition, most structures there have not been built to hurricane standards.

In comparison to south Florida not only do we have higher elevation here but a greater proportion of our structures are newer and thus built to the updated hurricane codes.

Also, we have somewhere to run to when a hurricane comes. The problem with living in south Florida is “where do you go?” and” how do you get out through the grid lock?” if a “big one” is coming.

Hooray we are on 30A!

Something I can agree with.


Thanks for reading,
BMBV

[John R]

so are you sending this in as an op-ed reply?

in regards to Ro, even though there was a majority vote with or without him, he should have recused himself before the vote. the ethics committee(if they go after him) may not find him at fault, but it just seem too convenient for him to have so many contracts.

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

so are you sending this in as an op-ed reply?

Admittedly, I had to scramble to find the meaning of op-ed reply...
"a newspaper page, usually opposite the editorial page, that features articles expressing opinion".

John R, innocent question: Was their article suppose to be a news article or an editorial? I guess your answer will determine my answer.

If their article is an editorial (which would explain many of the unnecessary and opinionated statements), then yes this is an op-ed but laced with more fact than opinion (in my opinion ).

However, if their artcle is suppose to be a news article, then I would be somewhat concerned as to their objectivity.

in regards to Ro, even though there was a majority vote with or without him, he should have recused himself before the vote. the ethics committee(if they go after him) may not find him at fault, but it just seem too convenient for him to have so many contracts.

No argument here, John R. I agree with you. But in the end (as of today), nothing would be any different if he did recuse from the very beginning.

Thank you.

[kurt]

No argument here, John R. I agree with you. But in the end (as of today), nothing would be any different if he did recuse from the very beginning.

Thank you.

Only if you separate the results from the process.

[John R]

Admittedly, I had to scramble to find the meaning of op-ed reply...
"a newspaper page, usually opposite the editorial page, that features articles expressing opinion".

John R, innocent question: Was their article suppose to be a news article or an editorial? I guess your answer will determine my answer.

If their article is an editorial (which would explain many of the unnecessary and opinionated statements), then yes this is an op-ed but laced with more fact than opinion (in my opinion ).

However, if their artcle is suppose to be a news article, then I would be somewhat concerned as to their objectivity.

No argument here, John R. I agree with you. But in the end (as of today), nothing would be any different if he did recuse from the very beginning.

Thank you.

I honestly have no idea what their article was meant as. but, since you have put so much work into it, i'd figure it wouldn't hurt to send it in. i don't read that paper, but i'm sure the article raised hairs on others, as it did you, and they've recieved their fair share of letters. there, as here, the reasoning behind the installation of a wall might help educate some.

most news articles reflect the views of the editor in chief, so i'm thinking their's is not a GF owner.

jr

[Paula]

Wow, I go away for a few days and come back to this. All of you who promised to stay away from these kinds of threads . It was fun to read the posts, though (Allifunn, bad girl with your drive-by postings!). So, let's walk back to the lounge together.

But, I can't control myself and have a few more things to say before I walk back to the lounge:

1. I call the guests at our cottages every week to welcome them and I always ask how the beach is (because I want to get their opinion and we've had some seawalls built in our area and a house that's falling off the dune). For all of our spring break guests -- mostly families -- they've said it has been gorgeous, so they're clearly not looking at the seawalls or yellow tractors behind them at the dunes or the empty lot that is getting built right next to our beach access. So, what we see depends on our perspective. They are not involved in the politics of the area.

2. When potential renters ask me what the beaches are like, I say that they are beautiful toward the water's edge (white sand, emerald water, great sunsets) and that the dunes took a beating from the hurricanes. I say some gulf front owners are rebuilding their dunes and have seawalls, and other areas have been left natural. I say I prefer the natural look because frankly I think the "cliffs" that used to be dunes are starting to look quite nice again with vegetation on them and they are as Mother Nature intended. I also say that the dunes did a fantastic job protecting most of this area from much more damage and we are very appreciative of them regardless of what they currently look like. This comment is based just on what looks appealing, not on whether one does or doesn't have the right to protect one's home or how one chooses to do it.

3. Some people say that those of us who don't live in the area should stay out of these discussions because we don't really understand. I'd like to say that some of us out-of-towners did manage to get an owner/county moving on taking down a damaged home was that hanging precariously off a dune and the beach will soon be safer because of this intervention. I've heard both the owner and county are moving forward pretty smoothly on this -- it just needed a little push.

4. It's a shame that there is so much rudeness on some of these threads. Fortunately, it comes from very few people and I don't think I live near any of them. I love my neighbors

Now, my friends, let's go back to lounge...

[TooFarTampa]

most news articles reflect the views of the editor in chief, so i'm thinking their's is not a GF owner.

jr

Not quite true (or supposed to be). Editorials (on the opinions page) reflect the opinion of the editor or editorial board. News articles are not supposed to reflect anyone's opinion, certainly not those of the editor and not those of the writer either. They do, however, often reflect perspective, not usually on purpose, especially if the right questions have not been asked or the right observations have not been made. Occasionally articles reflect bias, though theoretically that would be edited out before it hits print. Sometimes not.

I agree that there are phrases in the article that were poorly chosen for their limited perspective, but overall I found it interesting.

[John R]

Not quite true (or supposed to be). Editorials (on the opinions page) reflect the opinion of the editor or editorial board. News articles are not supposed to reflect anyone's opinion, certainly not those of the editor and not those of the writer either. They do, however, often reflect perspective, not usually on purpose, especially if the right questions have not been asked or the right observations have not been made. Occasionally articles reflect bias, though theoretically that would be edited out before it hits print. Sometimes not.

I agree that there are phrases in the article that were poorly chosen for their limited perspective, but overall I found it interesting.

as you state, opinions will show from writers and editors. if the paper has a slant, most of the opinions will reflect that. my.02

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

Only if you separate the results from the process.

That's a powerful one sentence statement. And it's true.

Kurt, I analyzed the article as obectively as I could, all things considered.

But when the issue with Ro Cuchens is brought up in an article on a national level, well, to me, it's just one more piece of superfluous information that the article could have left out.

It's sole purpose, as I saw it, was to further some vendetta that is inappropriate on a national scale under the guise of a "news" article.

If Mr. Cuchens is indeed found to have acted inappropriately on a formal basis, well then, and only then, should his name be published in any sort of negative light. I won't even mention the word litigation. Oops...just did.

Again for those of you who may assume that we used Cuchens' company for our retaining wall, we didn't. I have no personal interest in this situation other than I would hope and expect that all our commissioners are walking a "relatively" straight line.

Truly glad to see we're also splitting hairs here. It implies that there just may be some merit to the rest of my review.

Thanks,
BMBV

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

...most news articles reflect the views of the editor in chief, so i'm thinking their's is not a GF owner.

jr

At a minimum....

The "talking slide show" that is directly linked to the online article (see msg #1 this thread) is created by Richard Fowlkes, a community activist and he is NOT a GF owner.

I can't but help believe there's a DIRECT link between him and the authors of the Gannett article.

Someone please prove me wrong.

BMBV

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

as you state, opinions will show from writers and editors. if the paper has a slant, most of the opinions will reflect that. my.02

John R,

True. But the slant, as you call it, may only be observed by those who have a better handle on a particular sitation more than others normally would.

And it's "OUR" collective responsibility to point out those "slants" rather than letting the "uninformed" become improperly biased.

BMBV

[TooFarTampa]

At a minimum....

The "talking slide show" that is directly linked to the online article (see msg #1 this thread) is created by Richard Fowlkes, a community activist and he is NOT a GF owner.

I can't but help believe there's a DIRECT link between him and the authors of the Gannett article.

Someone please prove me wrong.

BMBV

A quick Google search tells me that Richard was a staff photographer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and United Press International, that he has done some hard-hitting news photography in recent years, and that he has won some awards for his work.

As for "direct" link, well, I'm guessing Richard is retired or semiretired. It is very likely he contracted with Gannett to provide them with the photo presentation on a freelance basis. So yes he would be getting paid. That is what freelancers strive for. Payment for your work is good.

Maybe you didn't like it, but after all the heated discussions on this board I found it pretty direct and well-reasoned, and not overly alarmist at all. Please try to separate yourself from this comment I am about to make, because I am not directing it to you our your particular seawall: There is no doubt there are inconsistencies, there has been poor regulation, there is at least some illegal armoring going on, and Ro Cutchens has done little to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, which in the eyes of many is JUST AS BAD as an ACTUAL conflict of interest, because he is a public official and needs to maintain a high public standard. The idea that he should sue for his name being mentioned in news articles for things that have actually occurred is laughable.

[kurt]

There is no doubt there are inconsistencies, there has been poor regulation, there is at least some illegal armoring going on, and Ro Cutchens has done little to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, which in the eyes of many is JUST AS BAD as an ACTUAL conflict of interest, because he is a public official and needs to maintain a high public standard. The idea that he should sue for his name being mentioned in news articles for things that have actually occurred is laughable.

And that is what I was getting at. It doesn't matter if a 4-0 vote had brought the same results. It seems some raw nerves are getting stung by salt spray.

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

.....
Maybe you didn't like it, but after all the heated discussions on this board I found it [the Gannett article] pretty direct and well-reasoned, and not overly alarmist at all.

It really depends on your viewpoint and I respect your opinion. Would you give me at least "slanted"?

Please try to separate yourself from this comment I am about to make, because I am not directing it to you our your particular seawall: There is no doubt there are inconsistencies, there has been poor regulation, there is at least some illegal armoring going on,...

I've got a clean conscience regarding our retaining wall so I have no problem with your statement.

... and Ro Cutchens has done little to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, which in the eyes of many is JUST AS BAD as an ACTUAL conflict of interest, because he is a public official and needs to maintain a high public standard. The idea that he should sue for his name being mentioned in news articles for things that have actually occurred is laughable.

I'm not a personal friend of Ro Cutchens but if I were him, I wouldn't be laughing. Just an observation. Oh yea, aren't journalists suppose to be advocates of "innocent until proven guilty"?

I've asked others and would like to know what you think. Is the article a "news" article or is it an "editorial"?

Also I ask that you please factor in Richard Fowlkes' talking slide show. Same question, is it "news" or is it an "editorial" talking slide show?

I truly would like to hear what you think about the above 2 questions.

Thanks for the level headed response!
BMBV

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

And that is what I was getting at. It doesn't matter if a 4-0 vote had brought the same results. It seems some raw nerves are getting stung by salt spray.

Well put !! And that's it in a nutshell !! In other words, I believe what you're saying is that many people were (are) looking for somebody to blame for all the problems on the beach, some perceived and some actual. Cuchens looked (looks) like an easy target.

But I hope you and others truly see (Cuchens' vote) that it's just a side issue, not the root cause of anything we're discussing.

Some believe he profitted from the retaining wall controversy. Probably. Expected. He was undoubtedly in the right place at the right time. If he had simply recused himself on all the voting, he still would have picked up X amount of the projects out there just because he was in the business.

Let's agree on this at least.