There appears to be increasing conflict about beach access and beach rights. Concerns include how this could affect tourism and property value.
It seems that private guards at Seaside and Rosemary Beach have not only restricted public access but also public use of the beach.
In addition, the Sheriff has been authorized to remove, arrest and ticket anyone on a ?private beach? at the request of "private beach" owner.
There was a telling letter to the editor in the recent Walton Sun from a tourist whose wife and children were expelled from a beach due to the complaint by a private beach owner.
?...my family and I were removed from the beach by a Walton County deputy after an irate man, identifying himself as a property owner, decided he did not like children playing on ?his? beach.?
At the upcoming county commissioner meeting on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 beginning at 4:00 PM at the South Walton Courthouse Annex the County attorney will present a written memorandum on ?Public Beach Access: Use of the Dry Sand & The Doctrine of Customary Usage?.
If you can not attend the meeting please let your concerns be know to the below:
Commissioner Scott Brannon
District 1
brascott@co.walton.fl.us
(850) 622-3081
Commissioner Ken Pridgen
District 2
prikenneth@co.walton.fl.us
(850) 834-6328
Commissioner Sara Comander
District 4
comsara@co.walton.fl.us
(850) 835-4834
Commissioner Cindy Meadows
District 5
meacindy@co.walton.fl.us
(850) 622-3059
Commissioner Larry Jones
District 3
jonlarry@co.walton.fl.us <mailto:jonlarry@cowalton.fl.us>
(850) 892-8474
Replies
13
SoWal Insider
They think they've got problems now......wait until the gazillion new folks who will be flocking to the area (via the new airport) try to find a dry square of sand to plop their lily-white butts.
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Beach FanaticAuthor
They think they've got problems now......wait until the gazillion new folks who will be flocking to the area (via the new airport) try to find a dry square of sand to plop their lily-white butts.
.
The upside down property investor optimists can only hope they have that crowding problem.
BTW-"lily-white butts" is comical but don?t you think it implies a slight racist bias?
Beach Fanatic
Don't you all think the sudden hiring of security on these supposed, exclusive 'private' beaches is in order to prove some kind of 'customary usage' determination in the near future??? Why aren't these beaches required to have public access if all the other beaches in South Walton have accesses? They're attracting the majority of the tourist in the county, aren't they? What makes them excluded? Other people who own homes on the beach are happy to share with others, or at least act like it. 
Why don't they have to share their 'toys', I mean beach? :scratch:
Why don't they have to share their 'toys', I mean beach? :scratch:
SoWal Insider
The upside down property investor optimists can only hope they have that crowding problem.Statistically, most butts in America are lily-white. The mere mention of said butts is not racist, is it? The reverse statement would be interesting no doubt.
BTW-"lily-white butts" is comical but don?t you think it implies a slight racist bias?
hmmmm......can't remember
The upside down property investor optimists can only hope they have that crowding problem.
BTW-"lily-white butts" is comical but don?t you think it implies a slight racist bias?
Statistically, most butts in America are lily-white. The mere mention of said butts is not racist, is it? The reverse statement would be interesting no doubt.
I don't think it's racist in any sort of hateful way. Most people I know whose butts are darker than lily-white 1) also have hair that is inconvenient for swimming, and 2) are not at all interested in tanning. If they go to the beach (and I'm just talking about people I know; I am not trying to generalize or stereotype anyone!) they go where the sand and surf is not the only/main attraction.
Beach Fanatic
Statistically, most butts in America are lily-white. The mere mention of said butts is not racist, is it? The reverse statement would be interesting no doubt.
The white lilies are mostly American butts.
;-)SoWal Insider
The white lilies are mostly American butts.
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You obviously haven't seen many Brits in your travels.
....and as far as the Lily-white comment: Park your butt on a bench anywhere around SoWal and observe.
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SoWal Expert
ANYONE who spends time on a Sowal beach gets tan lines and a bum paler than their exposed skin ;-).
Beach Fanatic
[SIZE=+2]Beaches [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]beaches[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]The agenda for the Walton BCC meeting for 9 October 07 includes the following;
5:15 PM Office of County Attorney
1. Public vs. Private Beach
2. License Agreement
That is all it says. I understand that the license agreement will allow 65 seawalls to remain on public beach! Some more than 40 feet onto our beach! Money talks!
NOW, if that is how they treat the public property..... what about private property where the public has customary use rights?
I do not know what will be said. It could be good.... or it might be a historic loss of liberty consistent with current trends by our government at all levels! You might want to attend![/SIZE]
5:15 PM Office of County Attorney
1. Public vs. Private Beach
2. License Agreement
That is all it says. I understand that the license agreement will allow 65 seawalls to remain on public beach! Some more than 40 feet onto our beach! Money talks!
NOW, if that is how they treat the public property..... what about private property where the public has customary use rights?
I do not know what will be said. It could be good.... or it might be a historic loss of liberty consistent with current trends by our government at all levels! You might want to attend![/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]panhandle@surfrider.org ? Florida Panhandle Surfrider[/SIZE]
Beach Fanatic
[SIZE=+2]Beaches [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]beaches[/SIZE][SIZE=-0]The agenda for the Walton BCC meeting for 9 October 07 includes the following;
5:15 PM Office of County Attorney
1. Public vs. Private Beach
2. License Agreement
That is all it says. I understand that the license agreement will allow 65 seawalls to remain on public beach! Some more than 40 feet onto our beach! Money talks!
NOW, if that is how they treat the public property..... what about private property where the public has customary use rights?
I do not know what will be said. It could be good.... or it might be a historic loss of liberty consistent with current trends by our government at all levels! You might want to attend![/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]panhandle@surfrider.org ? Florida Panhandle Surfrider[/SIZE]
How do you read/interpret this??
The BCC Mtg is AT the County Atty's OFFICE???
Or the CA is leading the discussion on Public vs. Private Beaches?
Beach Fanatic
How do you read/interpret this??
The BCC Mtg is AT the County Atty's OFFICE???
Or the CA is leading the discussion on Public vs. Private Beaches?
Typically, the way it works is that the County Commission directs the County Attorney to present information on topics of interest to them. They may be new items or stem from previous meetings where the BCC has directed the County Attorney to do research. It looks like this is a case of both, new (access) and old (licensing agreement). The meeting is the regular BCC meeting its just that's the time slot the item will be heard. Keep in mind though that those times may slip so get there early if you are interested.
Beach Fanatic
Typically, the way it works is that the County Commission directs the County Attorney to present information on topics of interest to them. They may be new items or stem from previous meetings where the BCC has directed the County Attorney to do research. It looks like this is a case of both, new (access) and old (licensing agreement). The meeting is the regular BCC meeting its just that's the time slot the item will be heard. Keep in mind though that those times may slip so get there early if you are interested.
Thanks! I plan to attend.
Beach Fanatic
Thanks! I plan to attend.
See you there
Edited
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