Allow private seawall on a public beach?

[ecopal]

I was at the BCC meeting.
Great to see so many of you there.

There were two TV crews there.

Unfortunately the main agenda item we came to watch was taken off at the last minute.

But it still was an informative meeting.

I did get to talk to a well informed resident who explained where the illegal walls are.

This person also told me that there is no way the walls were placed there by mistake. The property limits are well known by all in the area.

Essentially the illegal wall runs westward from the Seagrove Villas and includes multiple properties.

The property from the top of the bluff --marked by red line--- where there used to be a public sidewalk-- to the water is all public.

These so called beach front owners actually do not even own the bluff face on which they placed their seawalls.

They built an enormous seawall that extends far out onto the beach.

See attached.

All the property from the red line seaward is public.

click on picture to enlarge

 

[John R]

thanks for the info. so what was the outcome? will any of the wall be removed?

jr

 

[Smiling JOe]

thanks for the info. so what was the outcome? will any of the wall be removed?

jr

Ecopal says the item was taken off the agenda at the last minute.

Ecopal, did they say when it would be addressed?

 

[TooFarTampa]

And if the wall is not relocated or removed, will the SWCC consider filing a lawsuit on behalf of the public? From what I understand it has sued before.

Is it on county land or state land, and does the DEP have any jurisdiction?

 

[John R]

Ecopal says the item was taken off the agenda at the last minute.

Ecopal, did they say when it would be addressed?

sorry, i misread that, thinking it was cut from the news. ecopal, what justification was used to remove it from the agenda?

 

[Beachlover2]

If it is on public property - why isn't it just removed and a bill sent to the people who installed it. Even if you don't collect on the money to remove it - it would definitely make a statement to not build on public land. The longer it is there - the easier it becomes to leave these illegal walls up.

Or am I missing something here?

 

[Rita]

And if the wall is not relocated or removed, will the SWCC consider filing a lawsuit on behalf of the public? From what I understand it has sued before.

Is it on county land or state land, and does the DEP have any jurisdiction?

I would encourage folks to become members of SWCC. I think it was $30/yr. and they will keep you informed of things that are going on and meetings coming up.

Thanks for the update Ecopal.


.

 

[ecopal]

Mother Nature will take care of the walls...what they really need to discuss is who is going to pay for the clean-up.

I agree that eventually all the seawalls will probably be removed by Mother Nature and I too am concerned about the mess that will be left.

However, most storms are not strong enough to destroy many of the walls but are mighty enough to reach the beach armor and scour away all the beach sand in front of them. If we have another Dennis type storm this is the likely result.

The most probable outcome is that the beaches will be eroded away in front of the walls years before the walls are washed away.

 

[beacheart]

I happen to be one of those bad gulf front property owners who had a retaining wall built to save my family's 30 year old home. We were at least 300 feet farther back then, maybe more. I had a choice - let the house fall into the gulf or try to save the place. What would you do?
The only real solution to the huge problem is for the beaches to be renourished. If they are not renourished then the future of South Walton is in jeopardy. Beach renourishment is the bottom line for us all.
Having property on the beach is no piece of cake - believe me. I rent the house during the season to meet expenses - which are huge.

 

[John R]

I happen to be one of those bad gulf front property owners who had a retaining wall built to save my family's 30 year old home. We were at least 300 feet farther back then, maybe more. I had a choice - let the house fall into the gulf or try to save the place. What would you do?
The only real solution to the huge problem is for the beaches to be renourished. If they are not renourished then the future of South Walton is in jeopardy. Beach renourishment is the bottom line for us all.
Having property on the beach is no piece of cake - believe me. I rent the house during the season to meet expenses - which are huge.

beachart, i think most of us realize your predicament, as evidenced in the exhaustive 'seawalls' thread. might as well get the q&a over with though. makeup of wall? legal? color of topsand? ro contractor? finished? adjacent to other walls? one of the one's that have been discussed/photographed on sowal? etc...

jr