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Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
dsilvar, will you disclose to everyone whether or not you own any units developed by SRI?

I have not seen an engineering drawing or survey showing distances from the cente line of road to the beach or nothern right of way. I do know that the engineer at the meeting stated that the center line of the road was not the center line of the Right of Way. He stated this after a gentleman told him that his math was wrong.

I studied the four optional parking plans prior to attending the meeting. I kept my mind open during the meeting. I was not slanting my view of the meeting on this board. As I mentioned, the NW FL Daily News story, linked in a prior post, accurately summarizes the meeting, and I just added a little balance to the Green shirters in my posts.

Does anyone know of a "beach shuttle" which Destin operates? The second Green shirt speaker gave a brief interview to Channel 7 at the meeting, and in that interview, he said that Walton County needs doesn't have a beach shuttle to get people to the beach, and that the County should get one, like Destin has. Destin is not my backyard, but I have never heard of or seen one in Destin.

By the way, the Commissioners voted to eliminate options 2 and 4, due to cost effectiveness, so receiving easements from SRI for those two options is not an issue at this point.
 
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dsilvar

Beach Fanatic
Jan 12, 2006
307
0
66
Miramar beach
I, like Beach SiO2 and others, find it interesting that SRI did not have representation at the meeting. I don't call a bunch of green shirted HOA representatives formal representation for SRI.

I also think it is so funny when these same people whine about new construction, parking, etc. spoiling their beautiful beach. Hello!! What about the fact that these people own and/or live in a freaking big a$$ building that probably originally blocked the beautiful view of someone else that happened to be there first? I think the beautiful beach was spoiled when those buildings were built. Anything additional now is not making a noticeable difference in the aesthetics of that area- the roadside beauty is long gone with only the beauty of the beach itself remaining. Now we just need to make it safer and keep some access for the public to enjoy.
Jdarg,
That freaking big ass building that you refer to, is my home.
Probably different to the shack you live in, but nonetheless, it is where I want to live. Try to stretch your mind around that, because my big ass building was built accordance with the county codes and has every right to be where it is.
SRI was not at that meeting because they are only developers who are interested in making a dollar for themselves. For them, the public represents a market that will use the Whales tale and the other concessions they own. They do not live in Seascape nor are they interested in Seascapes welfare.
We at Seascape, Ariel Dunes 1 and Ariel Dunes 2, Majestic Sun and Surfside are the people that own and live here and represent the majority ownership.
We are not whining about anything, we are just demanding our rights to use what is ours. You should be concerned about the way the County is spending your tax dollars. $4 million dollars for a project and they don't even have a clue about the legality of the project.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
We are not whining about anything, we are just demanding our rights to use what is ours. You should be concerned about the way the County is spending your tax dollars. $4 million dollars for a project and they don't even have a clue about the legality of the project.

The County didn't draw the plans for the two proposals, estimating at $4+million. They rejected those option, and did so without hesitation. If anyone wanted to be concerned with Walton County spending, you should be aware that it will cost more to illiminate the parking than adding safer parking. Also, they didn't seem to question the legality of paving parking lots on County Right of Way.

You say I have a scewed view of what happened at the meeting. Perhaps you would like to share your version?
 

dsilvar

Beach Fanatic
Jan 12, 2006
307
0
66
Miramar beach
dsilvar, will you disclose to everyone whether or not you own any units developed by SRI?

By the way, the Commissioners voted to eliminate options 2 and 4, due to cost effectiveness, so receiving easements from SRI for those two options is not an issue at this point.
SJ,
I own and live at Ariel Dunes one. SRI are the developers and owners of the golf course. They also have 4 seats on the Seascape HOA board and have a great deal of control over what goes on. Not very ethical, but thats the way it is for now.
Options 1 and 3 still cost just under a million dollars, and although those options do not require an easement from SRI, who will the beneficiaries be?
Park your car there and access the beach a mile west via the public beach access at Pompano Joes?
Also please consider that the dunes, our first line of defense against storms, is being systematically trampled by the hoards that park and violate the beach with their holes, garbage and jetsam. SRI could care less. The more the merrier for business..a la Whales Tale, that they intend to expand.
Currently the Wales Tale uses plastic cups and straws to serve their clients, despite my complaints of EXCESSIVE plastic garbage on the beach.
Nobody seems to care.
As far as I am concerned, the "public" are just hoards of pigs that rape the beach with their unsanitary habits from spring break till the end of summer.
Ces't la vie.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
dsilvar, you make some good observations about "the public." All options presented call for a common boardwalk to get people down to the beach, rather than the random "cattle trails" which they are currently using. It certainly sounds like you don't want the public using and creating cattle trails down the dunes. I wouldn't want that either. These parking option plans should help prevent further damage to the dunes, and all of the plans call for the planting of dune vegetation. It seems to me that creating the safer parking would be more beneficial than detrimental, if SRI and the Home Owners Associations are allowing people to use the beach in that area, as was mentioned in the meeting.
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
I imagine that the "public" that "rapes the beach" includes quite a few vacation renters in the buildings along that stretch of Scenic Gulf Drive. I don't think a distinction can be made between people that drive in and park on the side of the road, and people that walk across from the vacation rentals- I am sure they ALL share blame in trashing that stretch of beach. Some of those visitors are helping pay a few HOA fees at least.
 

dsilvar

Beach Fanatic
Jan 12, 2006
307
0
66
Miramar beach
dsilvar, you make some good observations about "the public." All options presented call for a common boardwalk to get people down to the beach, rather than the random "cattle trails" which they are currently using. It certainly sounds like you don't want the public using and creating cattle trails down the dunes. I wouldn't want that either. These parking option plans should help prevent further damage to the dunes, and all of the plans call for the planting of dune vegetation. It seems to me that creating the safer parking would be more beneficial than detrimental, if SRI and the Home Owners Associations are allowing people to use the beach in that area, as was mentioned in the meeting.

Granted,anything is better than the status quo here. And I will agree that the major offenders of the beach are in fact the renters of the many units in these high rises. But thats the point, we already have intensive use of the beach without inviting the public to make things worse. There are over 1300 units in the Seascape area with several hundred more planned.
I'm not complaining I'm just tired of the multitude of cars making life here a safety issue. My son catches his school bus in the midst of this mayhem.

One other point...SRI granted the county a "negative easement", per the document presented the other night, that curtails SRI from building any structure along the said 1800 ft of beach front that may affect the public view of the gulf. This easement , however,grants the county no right to do anything along this stretch, let alone build a structure that may impair the view of the gulf..
In the end I have no doubt there will be some organized parking built here..its just a shame the county accepted all that $1.2 million without delving into the legal details of who has what rights and where.

They just assumed this area to be a public park by default..it isn't.

Let's not even mention the lack of toilet facilities and other services in the county's plans....:bang:
 

BeachSiO2

Beach Fanatic
Jun 16, 2006
3,294
737
Granted,anything is better than the status quo here. And I will agree that the major offenders of the beach are in fact the renters of the many units in these high rises. But thats the point, we already have intensive use of the beach without inviting the public to make things worse. There are over 1300 units in the Seascape area with several hundred more planned.
I'm not complaining I'm just tired of the multitude of cars making life here a safety issue. My son catches his school bus in the midst of this mayhem.

One other point...SRI granted the county a "negative easement", per the document presented the other night, that curtails SRI from building any structure along the said 1800 ft of beach front that may affect the public view of the gulf. This easement , however,grants the county no right to do anything along this stretch, let alone build a structure that may impair the view of the gulf..
In the end I have no doubt there will be some organized parking built here..its just a shame the county accepted all that $1.2 million without delving into the legal details of who has what rights and where.

They just assumed this area to be a public park by default..it isn't.

Let's not even mention the lack of toilet facilities and other services in the county's plans....:bang:

Actually, from my understanding of the comments made at the meeting, the 1.2 million is seperate and distinct from "new parking". The 1.2 million dollars was granted to Walton County for the beach restoration project due to the existing right of way parking. The money has nothing to do with the new parking except that 100 parking spots must remain no matter what improvements are or are not made.

As for it being a public accessible area, I think both attorneys for the green shirts were very clear to state that he was not saying whether or not the public had a rght to use this property. For the reasons I stated previously, this seems as it would set up very well for a traditional and customary use argument.

Your last comment was interesting. Are you saying that you would support public restrooms also?
 
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Miss Kitty

Meow
Jun 10, 2005
47,017
1,131
69
I am confused...if you decide to live in a highrise, why would you complain of traffic? :dunno:
 

dsilvar

Beach Fanatic
Jan 12, 2006
307
0
66
Miramar beach
My only complaint is of traffic that is created by random people parking in the county right of way and traveling down Scenic Hwy 98. ( It is my understanding that parking was not allowed here previously and there was county "No Parking Signs " that disappeared). Our condo is across the street from the beach in a gated community (Seascape) and by the way, the only view it blocks is a golf course on the bayside. Also, Our son's school bus stop is on the beach side and when cars are parked their there is no space for him to enter and exit the bus, not to mention that cars do not stop when the bus is stopped with it's stop sign out and flashing lights. The county does not seemed to be concerned about that, as they have placed parking spaces continuously from end to end on their plan, with no concerns of our children's safety. Also as my husband pointed out there is NO Restrooms on this stretch of beach, no lifeguards and plenty of garbage that is left behind in the area that the car's are parking, this area is not touched by the TDC when they do their daily garbage pick up. My two cents....dsilvar's wife!


:cool:
 
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