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Rita

margarita brocolia
Dec 1, 2004
5,209
1,634
Dune Allen Beach
From the referenced article:
"The posts to the net have been there for 25 years, 10 feet into the ground. When the county told Edgewater to take it out, they filed suit.
Harris says 175 condominium owners signed, agreeing to pay legal fees to take the county to court. That's when the county decided to make changes, allowing the net to stay once owners get a permit for semi-permanent structures.
But for some, that may not be enough.
"an individual who owns their land to the water who can't leave their own beach chair on the beach at night," said Harris."

I find it disturbing that they all agree to pay legal fees when a more turtle friendly solution would be to pay someone to take in the items after sundown and replace then at sunrise.

I find it hard to believe that Ms. Harris, President of the Association for many years, is unaware of turtle nesting habits and the problem leaving beach chairs out can cause.


Good observation JaL!


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JustaLocal

Beach Fanatic
Jul 11, 2007
447
49
SRB
save the babies! I did think the comment about using the gps system to be a good idea!

You're right, that is a great idea. When you consider how much the beach changes daily, it is best and easiest way to confirm location.
 

JustaLocal

Beach Fanatic
Jul 11, 2007
447
49
SRB
Good observation JaL!.

In the video of the meeting Ms. Harris pointed out that part of Edgewater's contract with the beach vendors is that they pick up anything left on the beach. In fact, she made it sound like aside from their volleyball net poles, they are behind this ordinance.
 

yippie

Beach Fanatic
Oct 28, 2005
946
42
A local
In today's paper

In today's NW Florida Daily News. Wonder who is suppose to decide what is in the way of turtles and beach patrol vehicles. What IS the problem with the way it is not and WHO is behind this mess?



No day at the beach

Proposed law in Walton pits cleanliness, sea turtle nesting against property rights

By ANDY MEINEN andym@nwfdailynews.com



SANTA ROSA BEACH ? Leave no trace or leave it be?
That?s the question many people in South Walton County are wrestling with when it comes to leaving beach chairs, umbrellas, volleyball nets and other items on the beach overnight.
The county?s Leave No Trace ordinance regulates what can be left on the beach and what will be picked up and thrown away.
County officials say the clutter hurts the economy and interferes with sea turtle nesting. Beachfront property owners say their rights are being restricted.
Walton commissioners addressed the reworded ordinance at its first public hearing Tuesday.
Commissioner Cindy Meadows said items left on the beach overnight will accumulate until it looks like a gypsy camp. That will deter tourists and home buyers from investing in South Walton, she said.
?People come here and buy property because of the clean, pristine beaches,? she said.
The new ordinance is a reworking of the original law enacted last summer. The new wording gives some leeway to leave gear on the beach overnight, but a permit is needed.
Meadows said people can get permits from the county?s planning department. However, items left on the beach overnight can?t block sea turtles or emergency vehicles? paths, Meadows said.
?This is an ordinance we?ve got to have,? she said. ?It will be tweaked but it?s not perfect, and it?s a first attempt to keep the beaches as nice as we possibly can.?
A second public hearing on the ordinance will be July 8.
Some beachfront homeowners are leery of the law. Emmett Hildreth, who owns a beachfront home in Blue Mountain Beach, said the county is overstepping its authority.
He said Walton has no problem accepting his property taxes every year. But now the county wants to put a public easement on it, in effect, and tell him what he can and can?t do on his land, he added.
?We want to live on our piece of property without government interference,? he said. ?This is like taxation without representation. The county does not have the authority to take property without paying for it.?
Some residents at Tuesday?s hearing said the beach should have never been titled to homeowners. They argued that cus- tomary use ? the expected right to have access to the beach ? trumps any deed and title.
But Hildreth said that there has been no customary use proven to exist in Blue Mountain Beach.
Suzanne Harris, president of the board of directors of Edgewater Beach Condominiums in Miramar Beach, said that she is for clean, safe beaches. However, she sued the county when officials said the complex?s volleyball net had to come down.
Harris said the volleyball net has been up for about 25 years and its poles are cemented 10 feet into the ground, so moving it would be difficult. She added that the net has never caused a problem and that she objects to the county telling private property owners what to do.
?Each owner should be responsible for their property,? she said.
Harris said people who don?t take care of their property should be fined. The Leave No Trace ordinance includes a $100 fine for the first offense and a $200 fine for a second offense.
The issue could be solved in court. The Florida Supreme Court is considering a lawsuit brought by Save Our Beaches against Walton County over beach restoration. The group claims restoration was an illegal taking of their property. The county countered that the beaches belong to the public.
The Supreme Court?s ruling could end to the private versus pubic beach issue for good.
In the meantime, the Leave No Trace law looks to fill the gap. Meadows said the county isn?t trying to put anything over on beachfront homeowners.
?We are not taking their land,? she said. ?Walton County is very property rights oriented. We?ve got to work together.?
 

NotDeadYet

Beach Fanatic
Jul 7, 2007
1,422
489
Who is behind it, you ask?
At any meeting during the last few years, whether it is lights, seawalls, turtles, any sort of beach rules, the same small but vocal bunch of people turns up. They believe it is their God-given right to do what they want to do on "their" property, and they cloak it in the guise of property rights. Some people never learned, and apparently never will learn, that rights come with responsibilities. They are quite happy to jump all over the idea of dominion but conveniently ignore stewardship. I for one hope they all have to answer to a higher power one day. :bang:
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
Who is behind it, you ask?
At any meeting during the last few years, whether it is lights, seawalls, turtles, any sort of beach rules, the same small but vocal bunch of people turns up. They believe it is their God-given right to do what they want to do on "their" property, and they cloak it in the guise of property rights. Some people never learned, and apparently never will learn, that rights come with responsibilities. They are quite happy to jump all over the idea of dominion but conveniently ignore stewardship. I for one hope they all have to answer to a higher power one day. :bang:

Sadly, your comment applies to more than just beach issues. I've noticed this trend from comments in the political forum. There is so much "me me me" and "mine mine mine mine"- the "I don't give a rat's ass about everyone else as long as my I/my stuff/my money is OK."

So yes, it's a :bang:.
 

LivinEasy

Beach Comber
Mar 23, 2007
10
4
Seacrest
I agree 100% with everyone that articles should be removed from the beach at night (chairs, towels, tents, etc. ) I do not agree that sailboats and kayaks should have to be removed as long as they are neatly stacked together in one location. You will see in places like Rosemary Beach where stands have been built to store the kayaks off the ground in central location. I think that is a reasonable solution that is good for the turtles while allowing the beach rental people to make a living. As for sailboats, with the limited number that exist on the beaches, I think it is not rational to ask that they be removed every night. Otherwise, you would have to allow more driving on the beach to trailor them off, which would be even worse. The chance of a turtle running into a sailboat is about 100 times less likely than a turtle running into a beach walkover. Are we going to remove all the beach walkovers also? Lets do everything we can to protect the turtles and keep our beaches clean but be rational at the same time.
 

NotDeadYet

Beach Fanatic
Jul 7, 2007
1,422
489
Lets do everything we can to protect the turtles and keep our beaches clean but be rational at the same time.

Good advice. I think the reason we cannot seem to do this is because "we," and when I say "we" I mean it in the collective, communal sense, have not agreed to the fundamental principle involved. If we had agreement that clearing the beach at night, whether for the turtles or for public safety or for aesthetics, is a goal worthy of community support, the rest of it would just be the details and they would work themselves out. I really think if the beaches were cleared at night up there Edgewater way, the two posts would no longer be an issue. Either they would be a small detail in an otherwise clear beach, or maybe the Edgewater folks would even decide to seek another solution. Likewise the occasional sailboat. What we have now are a bunch of whiners saying, like little kids, "you can't make me, it's mine."
Rosemary has found their own solution because it is a community decision they made, a value they support.
 

NotDeadYet

Beach Fanatic
Jul 7, 2007
1,422
489
Well I hit the wrong button, I wasn't finished. We are going about it backwards, arguing about the details because we haven't agreed on the principle, that is what I intended to end my rant with. :wave:
 
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