Are permits still required for seawall construction???

...the sand police will get you for that one!!!

If that sand came from a private beach, then tresspassing and THEFT of private property charges are in order!!!

If that sand came from a private beach, then tresspassing and THEFT of private property charges are in order!!!

^5!

Terminology police--------

They should be called bulkheads. Seawalls are more appropriate on open coast shorelines not protected waters like bays :leaving:

Never heard of a bulkhead on the bay, just seawalls.

Washing sand off our feet and hoping that Florida Girl does not run for public office.:roll:

Ought to be interesting at least!

What construction? There wasn't anything there! Those who survived, had seawalls!

Which by the way, out of towners that owned acreage on the bay were paying taxes on land that is no longer there. 10 acre Federal lots were washed away. It's sand after all, sand shifts. Even the Gulf shore is not the same as 30 years ago, much of it has gone. Don't know what folks will do about the private beach problem after a few more storms, they won't have the property to argue about, much less a bulkhead.

So I see they have started construction of the seawall, well off the dry land and into the water. I see a construction permit box which appears to have some permits, but my question still stands, if the County Laws restrict the building of seawalls and bulkheads on the Bay, how did the Billy Bearden (planning dept) have the authority to issue the permits to build the seawall into the water?

Walton County Commissioners, are you reading this?

I wondered the same thing about the placement of the wall.

When I drove by to earlier to snoop and be a "nosy neighbor", I got a good snicker when I saw a local landscaping company sneaking by to put their flatbed full of trash into the big red dumpsters.

Can't we just chalk this one up as "Neighborhood Watch"?

I've been known to call authorities on many occassions living here for the past quarter century. Especially when something sends up a red flag.

After a little more research, I find that the property lines for these Bay front lots go only to the "water's edge of the Choctawhatchee Bay," according to the legal descriptions. Interesting that they are now extending the lots into the Bay by and additional approximate 15-20ft. You cannot go by the photo directly above to see the additional footage because they added much of that sand into what used to be the water, prior to the track hoe coming in and digging out the Bay, adding the sand onto the bank.

Who has the DEP's number? I think it is time for another call.

Here is the one I used last week on another issue.

DEP Pensacola 850 595-8300

and the Army Corps of Engineers in Panama City, Kevin O'Kane
850 763-0717 x22

That does look little far out in the water. I want to know what they used to sink their poles. Or, are they professionals?

ShallowsNole, can't you go crack a stick against the head of some of those County Commissioners for me? They won't even reply to my email regarding my question of why Billy signed off of building permits for something that isn't allowed.

Joe, why would they respond to questions about

faulty building permits when they don't even do anything about projects built with NO building permits(SEE Roe Cutchens 200' seawall). Spending any time whatsoever attempting to communicate with them is simply wasted IMO.

Re: Joe, why would they respond to questions about

faulty building permits when they don't even do anything about projects built with NO building permits(SEE Roe Cutchens 200' seawall). Spending any time whatsoever attempting to communicate with them is simply wasted IMO.

In addition to contacting all five County Commissioners regarding this incident, I left a voice message with the DEP and they, too, have failed to reply.

At this point, I am more pissed at the County's obvious lack of concern with people adhering to the County Codes and Policies, than I am with the people installing the bulkhead (seawall).

ShallowsNole, can't you go crack a stick against the head of some of those County Commissioners for me? They won't even reply to my email regarding my question of why Billy signed off of building permits for something that isn't allowed.

Nope - since I am employed by a constitutional officer and not the BCC, to them, I am just another citizen.

Question: is there an existing in-the-bay seawall westward of the one being built?

I have not read up on the Code, but DEP said we could jog our "upland retaining wall" outward to attach to my neighbor's existing 30-year-old wall, then angle back to where we are supposed to be. However, the poles in your pic look pretty straight to me.

Question: is there an existing in-the-bay seawall westward of the one being built?

I have not read up on the Code, but DEP said we could jog our "upland retaining wall" outward to attach to my neighbor's existing 30-year-old wall, then angle back to where we are supposed to be. However, the poles in your pic look pretty straight to me.

yes, there is. and, based on your above statement, that must be what they are doing.

Question: is there an existing in-the-bay seawall westward of the one being built?

I have not read up on the Code, but DEP said we could jog our "upland retaining wall" outward to attach to my neighbor's existing 30-year-old wall, then angle back to where we are supposed to be. However, the poles in your pic look pretty straight to me.

According to the legal descriptions, the properties to to and along the "water's edge," so they are building the wall on property which isn't theirs. Yes, bulkheads (seawalls) are on both sides of the property, and the bulkheads are in line with the two corners of the adjacent property, making one straight line for the seawall, and extending the upland properties up to about twenty feet in depth.


Word for word, as stated in the Walton County Comprehensive Plan:

"Policy C-3.1.1: New seawalls and upland retaining walls along Choctawhatchee Bay for existing lots of record in residential subdivisions shall be permitted in accordance with shoreline stabilization programs for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Newly platted subdivision lots along Choctawhatchee Bay must be of sufficient depth to meet the 50' buffering requirement of Policy C- 3.2.1.b. These newly platted lots are allowed to have upland retaining walls built landward of the mean high water line; however, new seawalls and new bulkheads are not allowed.16"

I still fail to understand what is so important that a property owner cannot protect his/her property from erosion?

I still fail to understand what is so important that a property owner cannot protect his/her property from erosion?

Perhaps since the County created that law, they could tell you.

Do you think that waterfront property owners should have the right to extend their property further out into the water?

Perhaps since the County created that law, they could tell you.

Do you think that waterfront property owners should have the right to extend their property further out into the water?

They have a right to reclaim land lost. I'm not sure the county made the law, I think it was the DEP.

They have a right to reclaim land lost. I'm not sure the county made the law, I think it was the DEP.

that's a little open ended, imo. the original owner may have the right to reclaim the land lost, but the new(current) owners bought the land as is, no?

Finally, one response from one of the five County Commissioners emailed regarding this issue.


I guess they don't recognize the replat of Magnolia Beach S/D into the new sub-division of Grayton Bayou, as a "newly platted subdivision." I can accept that, but why the heck are they allowing them to extend the properties into the Bay?

Finally, one response from one of the five County Commissioners emailed regarding this issue.

I asked our planning department about this issue. According to planning "our land development code specifically allows lots of record to be reconfigured without losing their lot-of-record status if the density does not increase and the use does not change. Even though they shifted these lot lines around, they did not increase the density or change the use so they remained lots of record and can have a seawall. ​

I hope this answers your question. If you need more information you can contact Lois La-Seur at planning. The number is 267-1955.​

Thanks for your interest,​

Sara Comander​

I guess they don't recognize the replat of Magnolia Beach S/D into the new sub-division of Grayton Bayou, as a "newly platted subdivision." I can accept that, but why the heck are they allowing them to extend the properties into the Bay?

I don't think thats the right department, ...

that's a little open ended, imo. the original owner may have the right to reclaim the land lost, but the new(current) owners bought the land as is, no?

One note, I'm speaking of bay front generally. Much has eroded into the bay, evident by the tree stumps found out in the bay.