SEAWALLS - Audio/Photo Presentation

:pissed: :pissed: :pissed:

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.

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 :bang:

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/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060325/NEWS01/60325003

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."

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

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.

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.:bang:

The photos were taken 3/21/06.

Richard: Fantastic presentation. Thank you for your contributions.

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.

Thanks for the info.

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

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. :bang:

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

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.

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.

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. ;-)

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.

:puke: 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 :idontno:

:puke: 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 :idontno:

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!

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. :roll: