Heard a rumor that some beachfront property owners east of Stallworth Park are petitioning the county to have the two beach accesses closed to the public on Bullard St and the end of South Bishop . These are mostly walking or biking accesses that are vital to the area neighborhoods. Any information will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Replies
81
Beach Fanatic
They don't even want you parking in their neighborhood on your right of way.
Beach Fanatic
Yes, true.
I think they wanted to buy it at one point.
The parking there was a complete mess, until they complained enough and finally got some parking Enforcement... If you call a sticker with a 48 hr. Notice to Tow, Enforcement....
While I'm not in favor of their attempts to eliminate the access, you can hardly blame them. The parking was a zoo, and last season they had a shuttle busing in DR Horton Neighborhoods to that small access.
If you haven't figured it out by now, all private property South of 30a is under attack by local government / developers, wanting to put tourists on the beach.
This way, when the renourishment project fails, they can go to a Customary Use argument to take away your property.
This place will dramatically change in the next 2 to 5 years. Very sad.
I think they wanted to buy it at one point.
The parking there was a complete mess, until they complained enough and finally got some parking Enforcement... If you call a sticker with a 48 hr. Notice to Tow, Enforcement....
While I'm not in favor of their attempts to eliminate the access, you can hardly blame them. The parking was a zoo, and last season they had a shuttle busing in DR Horton Neighborhoods to that small access.
If you haven't figured it out by now, all private property South of 30a is under attack by local government / developers, wanting to put tourists on the beach.
This way, when the renourishment project fails, they can go to a Customary Use argument to take away your property.
This place will dramatically change in the next 2 to 5 years. Very sad.
Beach Fanatic
These "neighborhood" accesses have become additional de facto "regional accesses" in many cases due to the overall lack of public access compared to the need. Instead of advertising the TDC should use their millions to purchase additional beachfront, with an emphasis on acquiring property around existing accesses. Inland property should also be acquired to provide parking and amenities such as bathrooms and picnic areas. Notice I said purchase, not take. As far as the shuttles, a little common sense preventive governance could whisper in the providers ear that the state parks would be a much better destination for their shuttles and the beaches are less crowded than around the neighborhood accesses.
Beach Lover
It would be ideal for RESTORE Act funds to be used by Walton County for more public beach access. Here is the link to the Walton County page on RESTORE Act: Walton County, FL - Home Page - Local RESTORE Act Committee
SWGB
The parking was a mess due to unmaintained right of way.
The residents have a vastly different definition of neighborhood as well.
The residents have a vastly different definition of neighborhood as well.
Beach LoverAuthor
Heard a rumor that some beachfront property owners east of Stallworth Park are petitioning the county to have the two beach accesses closed to the public on Bullard St and the end of South Bishop . These are mostly walking or biking accesses that are vital to the area neighborhoods. Any information will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
There is some truth to the rumor. Beach Highland beach front property owners petitioned a judge to quiet title the beach property in back of their homes, their request was granted in November of last year. I think their end game is to have the accesses closed to the public. The back property owners in Gulf Trace are in a similar situation with the beach front property owners getting quiet title and attempting to close accesses. I heard this is happening in the Blue Mountain Beach area too. Not sure how this is going to play out in the long term but us folks who live along the beach using decades old neighborhood accesses will be left with no options expect for the overcrowded remaining accesses that are marketed to tourists. Doesn’t seem right that these titles are being granted without public notice or a chance for full time residents to voice their objections or opportunity to work a compromise. Any thoughts?
Beach Lover
This could get ugly....
Here is a link to a very similar case involving beach front landowners acquiring quiet title and attempting to restrict neighborhood access to the beach. The MA Supreme Court ruled against the beach front homeowners. Interesting read.
MA Supreme Court Upholds Easement Rights | Beach Access
Here is a link to a very similar case involving beach front landowners acquiring quiet title and attempting to restrict neighborhood access to the beach. The MA Supreme Court ruled against the beach front homeowners. Interesting read.
MA Supreme Court Upholds Easement Rights | Beach Access
Edited
Beach LoverAuthor
This could get ugly....
Here is a link to a very similar case involving beach front landowners acquiring quiet title and attempting to restrict neighborhood access to the beach. The MA Supreme Court ruled against the beach front homeowners. Interesting read.
MA Supreme Court Upholds Easement Rights | Beach Access
That is encouraging. Thanks for posting
Beach Fanatic
If I'm not mistaken that is platted as Beach Highlands S/D. How do the 200 or more home owners feel about this north of the beach accesses located in Beach Highlands 1st addition? Will they be entitled to use the two accesses that have been frequented over the years?
Beach Fanatic
As an outsider/vacationer, I read these things. Makes me not want to visit there but then we still do.
So, we try to do our part when we are there. We mostly park our van and either walk or ride our bikes. We should buy groceries more than we do, but we end up eating out at least once a day. (We also take food back with us for the ride home and the next day
We don't leave our things on the beach and certainly never leave trash. We do bring our own chairs and umbrellas and try to 'plant' ourselves around/beside the vendor chairs, the best we can. (Last visit was awful with nouveau owners who should have bought in PCB but want to brag to everyone that they own a house in Seaside. Maybe they've lost money on the stock market and can't afford it anymore. Knoxville TN folks.)
Lots of public beach access without fewer private homes would be wonderful. Wouldn't it be lovely if people who started building these big homes down there would build on the north side of 30A and buy the land across the street and donate it to be a preserve forever?
Doing that, they would still have their beach views and really close beach access but a gift for many generations to come. It would only take one family to start it.
Let me know what else I can do.
Ellen
So, we try to do our part when we are there. We mostly park our van and either walk or ride our bikes. We should buy groceries more than we do, but we end up eating out at least once a day. (We also take food back with us for the ride home and the next day
We don't leave our things on the beach and certainly never leave trash. We do bring our own chairs and umbrellas and try to 'plant' ourselves around/beside the vendor chairs, the best we can. (Last visit was awful with nouveau owners who should have bought in PCB but want to brag to everyone that they own a house in Seaside. Maybe they've lost money on the stock market and can't afford it anymore. Knoxville TN folks.)
Lots of public beach access without fewer private homes would be wonderful. Wouldn't it be lovely if people who started building these big homes down there would build on the north side of 30A and buy the land across the street and donate it to be a preserve forever?
Doing that, they would still have their beach views and really close beach access but a gift for many generations to come. It would only take one family to start it.
Let me know what else I can do.
Ellen
Beach Fanatic
Thank you for coming and contributing to our area.
Beach Fanatic
If the new rumor is true, Walton just lost one of its Beach Access Walk Overs...
Yeah for Private Property owners...?...?...
Yeah for Private Property owners...?...?...
Beach Fanatic
As an outsider/vacationer, I read these things. Makes me not want to visit there but then we still do.
So, we try to do our part when we are there. We mostly park our van and either walk or ride our bikes. We should buy groceries more than we do, but we end up eating out at least once a day. (We also take food back with us for the ride home and the next day
We don't leave our things on the beach and certainly never leave trash. We do bring our own chairs and umbrellas and try to 'plant' ourselves around/beside the vendor chairs, the best we can. (Last visit was awful with nouveau owners who should have bought in PCB but want to brag to everyone that they own a house in Seaside. Maybe they've lost money on the stock market and can't afford it anymore. Knoxville TN folks.)
Lots of public beach access without fewer private homes would be wonderful. Wouldn't it be lovely if people who started building these big homes down there would build on the north side of 30A and buy the land across the street and donate it to be a preserve forever?
Doing that, they would still have their beach views and really close beach access but a gift for many generations to come. It would only take one family to start it.
Let me know what else I can do.
Ellen
Ellen, thank goodness for you!
You are a voice many need to hear.
Our area, once a high end vacation destination, has been transformed into a first class poop hole of trashy tourists.
Blame here falls squarely on Dawn M., past TDC Director, who took orders from our BCC...
Glad you see the issues here and we hope to bring this area back to its highpoint soon.
You are the exact type of visitor I want to service, provide beach chairs for, wait tables for, etc.
Your opine is priceless.
Thanks.
Beach LoverAuthor
As an outsider/vacationer, I read these things. Makes me not want to visit there but then we still do.
So, we try to do our part when we are there. We mostly park our van and either walk or ride our bikes. We should buy groceries more than we do, but we end up eating out at least once a day. (We also take food back with us for the ride home and the next day
We don't leave our things on the beach and certainly never leave trash. We do bring our own chairs and umbrellas and try to 'plant' ourselves around/beside the vendor chairs, the best we can. (Last visit was awful with nouveau owners who should have bought in PCB but want to brag to everyone that they own a house in Seaside. Maybe they've lost money on the stock market and can't afford it anymore. Knoxville TN folks.)
Lots of public beach access without fewer private homes would be wonderful. Wouldn't it be lovely if people who started building these big homes down there would build on the north side of 30A and buy the land across the street and donate it to be a preserve forever?
Doing that, they would still have their beach views and really close beach access but a gift for many generations to come. It would only take one family to start it.
Let me know what else I can do.
Ellen
Thank you Ellen for continuing to come and support our community. Mr. Gildewell made an excellent point; the TDC should use their millions to purchase existing vacant beach property and improve on what we already have instead of spending more to attract tourist to an already over-stressed and overcrowded beach. You ask what you can do to help. Call or write the TDC and our county officials with your concerns, you bring an important prospective to the conversation. Thanks again Ellen people like you are vital to our area.
Beach Fanatic
What a bummer. The beach should be shared by all and taken care of by all.
Y'all forced me back onto Sowal from my recent lurker status. Had to get a new name because I couldn't remember how to get back onto the old one. Kurt! For those who've been around for many years down there, some might remember me as ASH.
We lived and worked in Santa Rosa Beach over 5 years.
Met many of you at some of the Soiree's on the beach. Miss you guys like crazy!!
I did submit a letter to the commissioners in support of keeping the beaches public. We'll be there in April to assist the local economy for a week or so. Please don't drive away the folks who want to help keep places like Santa Rosa Beach thriving.
Y'all forced me back onto Sowal from my recent lurker status. Had to get a new name because I couldn't remember how to get back onto the old one. Kurt! For those who've been around for many years down there, some might remember me as ASH.
We lived and worked in Santa Rosa Beach over 5 years.
Met many of you at some of the Soiree's on the beach. Miss you guys like crazy!!
I did submit a letter to the commissioners in support of keeping the beaches public. We'll be there in April to assist the local economy for a week or so. Please don't drive away the folks who want to help keep places like Santa Rosa Beach thriving.
Beach Fanatic
What a bummer. The beach should be shared by all and taken care of by all.Be careful what you WISH for! Also, hope a vendor doesn't try to bully you and your family from your beach space if he wants it.....Vendors are running a profitable business on public property with NO SITE cost. #sweatdeal
Y'all forced me back onto Sowal from my recent lurker status. Had to get a new name because I couldn't remember how to get back onto the old one. Kurt! For those who've been around for many years down there, some might remember me as ASH.
We lived and worked in Santa Rosa Beach over 5 years.
Met many of you at some of the Soiree's on the beach. Miss you guys like crazy!!
I did submit a letter to the commissioners in support of keeping the beaches public. We'll be there in April to assist the local economy for a week or so. Please don't drive away the folks who want to help keep places like Santa Rosa Beach thriving.
Admin
What a bummer. The beach should be shared by all and taken care of by all.Welcome back! Changed back to ASH - Let me know if you need password and email change.
Y'all forced me back onto Sowal from my recent lurker status. Had to get a new name because I couldn't remember how to get back onto the old one. Kurt! For those who've been around for many years down there, some might remember me as ASH.
We lived and worked in Santa Rosa Beach over 5 years.
Met many of you at some of the Soiree's on the beach. Miss you guys like crazy!!
I did submit a letter to the commissioners in support of keeping the beaches public. We'll be there in April to assist the local economy for a week or so. Please don't drive away the folks who want to help keep places like Santa Rosa Beach thriving.
Beach Lover
How is this legal? At some point people need to figure out that a public road, a public right of way, and a public beach access leading to a public beach do not belong to them!
Where are our elected officials? The most important part of both local and tourist life is the beach! The parking nonsense was bad enough, but letting them take away accesses is insane! We need to be buying up land and adding more access, while expanding the existing ones, not letting a few neighborhood people who don't even live there full time dictate every else's rights!
Where are our elected officials? The most important part of both local and tourist life is the beach! The parking nonsense was bad enough, but letting them take away accesses is insane! We need to be buying up land and adding more access, while expanding the existing ones, not letting a few neighborhood people who don't even live there full time dictate every else's rights!
Beach Fanatic
Thanks Kurt. All set.
Beach Fanatic
How is this legal? At some point people need to figure out that a public road, a public right of way, and a public beach access leading to a public beach do not belong to them!
Where are our elected officials? The most important part of both local and tourist life is the beach! The parking nonsense was bad enough, but letting them take away accesses is insane! We need to be buying up land and adding more access, while expanding the existing ones, not letting a few neighborhood people who don't even live there full time dictate every else's rights!
The quite title option is a good move on their part. Those homeowners in that area had to deal with all sorts of idiots parking on their driveways, in their streets (blocking the Stop Sign there) and all over.
Additionally, they probably didn't care much for the Free Shuttle from a development on 393 invading their once quiet neighborhood (neither would I) and busing in folks to that beach.
Trash containers were always overflowing and the place became a circus.
Perhaps if there had been some Enforcement of the parking (not just having the blonde Posse' lady putting a 48 hour warning sticker on cars) this would not have escalated to this.
I like that other property owners are taking steps to protect their private property.
The County should have been buying up parcels of land with access a long time ago. Epic Fail on the BCC's fault over the years.
Beach Fanatic
Not sure about past years, but the county approved a contract just last month to purchase some beachfront property in Inlet Beach with TDC funds for public use. They are also looking at a couple of other beachfront parcels in another area. The problem I have heard is that when it becomes known that the county/TDC are looking at buying a beachfront parcel, someone in the neighborhood steps up and buys it first to keep the county from getting it.
Beach LoverAuthor
The quite title option is a good move on their part. Those homeowners in that area had to deal with all sorts of idiots parking on their driveways, in their streets (blocking the Stop Sign there) and all over.
Additionally, they probably didn't care much for the Free Shuttle from a development on 393 invading their once quiet neighborhood (neither would I) and busing in folks to that beach.
Trash containers were always overflowing and the place became a circus.
Perhaps if there had been some Enforcement of the parking (not just having the blonde Posse' lady putting a 48 hour warning sticker on cars) this would not have escalated to this.
I like that other property owners are taking steps to protect their private property.
The County should have been buying up parcels of land with access a long time ago. Epic Fail on the BCC's fault over the years.
Beach LoverAuthor
I can understand beachfront properties’ concern but the mayhem you describe did not happen in the Beach Highland’s area. The no parking signs have been effective, on holidays the county had a deputy keeping order. As far as shuttles I never personally witnessed it but it seems a compromise could be worked out instead of closing the decades old public accesses to whole neighborhoods.
Beach Fanatic
The parking WAS a problem, until the huge signs were installed.
The shuttle ran from the Subdivision on 393 to Blue Mtn., to this access. I saw it each weekend as it would stop (with no one riding it BTW).
Followed it back on its route and spoke with driver at Gulf Place. This was one of the stops.
Perhaps, no more...
The shuttle ran from the Subdivision on 393 to Blue Mtn., to this access. I saw it each weekend as it would stop (with no one riding it BTW).
Followed it back on its route and spoke with driver at Gulf Place. This was one of the stops.
Perhaps, no more...
Beach Fanatic
A bus stop in the middle of that tiny neighborhood could be problematic. How was that location ever chosen? Seems like there are far better choices, better access, more space, and public bathrooms. Doesn't make sense.
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