Another incidence that shows the quiet amazing beauty and quaint under-devlopment and low population we have enjoyed for decades come back to bite us. Walton County spent years and millions planning beach re-nourishment and got stymied because they were too late.Bay County, like many coastal towns, has different circumstances than Walton County. Appears they had leadership where we did not.
The Herald Jun2018...
But the law, set to go into effect Sunday, won't affect Bay County at all, and it did not change the rule of customary use, Majka said.
"If property was subject to customary use before the law, it is still subject to customary use after the law. The only change the law made was to recognize that courts, and not local governments, traditionally determine property rights, including the scope of customary use rights," he said.
Land formed from beach renourishment projects — almost all of Panama City Beach — is owned by the public and is accessible for public use, Majka said. A majority of the beach was obtained for beach renourishment through easements obtained in one sweep in 1997, just before the city's first major nourishment project in 1998.
Because those easements now are maintained by federal and local funds, the public owns the beach from the city right of way to the high water line, according to Panama City Beach public information officer Debbie Ward. And the county now has almost 100 public beach accesses, including at St. Andrews State Park, M.B. Miller Pier, Rick Seltzer Park and dozens of other locations.
Look to the homeowners who opposed beach re-nourishment and you will see villains. Call them out for ruining Walton County beaches.
Look to the owners who are now opposing customary use. Call out the ones who won't allow vehicles to drive on the beach behind their house.