Of course, all beach in SC, except on private islands, is public.
Funny, I moved to SC last August. Isle of Palms beach has maybe 75-100 rental setups in 7 miles. There is an easement from the beach road where daily visitors are allowed to park. There are many beach access points, although no facilities. Of course, all beach in SC, except on private islands, is public.
When SoWal property owners became the greedy SOBs that they are today, it just got to be too much. Having beach vendors move your setups is just part of the issue. I've had guards tell me I had to continue to move along the beach, even though I was in wet sand.
Obviously all the people that go there every year love it. We live in a tourist town these things are going to happen. People come here on vacation and yes they want to rent beach chairs. They come down here have the time of their life and come back every year. They save up all year and come down here and spend it. This is how our economy works and expecially a county that needs tourist's money to operate. I hear Mexico Beach is a good nice quiet place and Navarre Beach.
What about the public that wishes to rent chairs?Common ground? The beaches belong to the public. Give them back and it ends the problem.
Maybe like where vendors can only use 50 percent of public beach. Then let the public use all 100 percent. Sounds like a good compromise.I am just curious, is there any common ground?
What happens when a vendor has used those public beaches for years to make a living for their family. So just shut them down? Fend for yourself? I know Jones had a son in the beach vending but I believe he got out of it. He had his company on orivate property. I think Mrs Jones knows most vendors are getting a raw deal. How would you like it if someone came to your job or business and shut you down because they didnt like it?Of course this is the last thing vendors want. They won't, or can't, leave someone on the beach to do setups all day. Or not feasible to be everywhere at once to deliver. That is why they should probably be banned.
If a tourist needs to rent, then let them go to a resort that has it's own beach service. I think the rental contractors there pay the resort about 40% of profits for the privilege of serving their beaches. Sandestin not sure they may own all the gear and use employees?
The alternative, if we're not banning vendors, is to regulate them. Just giving them beach space is ludicrous. We've seen poor results from vendors competing for space with each other and with beach goers using their own setups. Disaster.
So the county can "lease" space each season thorough bids and fees. Regulating would be a headache. How do you divide up the beach? How much do you charge (hint: enough to pay for beach maintenance and lifeguards, turtle watch, etc.)? How do you enforce and monitor? It's not an easy problem. But as the resorts' model shows, it is feasible and profitable. But do we really want half or more of our beaches taken up by chairs and umbrellas?
NO!
Let's stay out of the business and keep our beaches beautiful and peaceful. Apparently the BCC is corrupted by families that are in the rental business. Or influenced by the business.