Beach driving may be expanded

Great news. If that happens, we'll resume looking at real estate in Grayton again.

Booooooo

After all the oil spill business, now we want vehicles leaking oil on the beach? Bad idea.

guess they miss the extra money.

More beach driving permits may be issued to individuals next year during Walton County's beach driving permitting period, which begins in June. County commissioners voted on July 27 to have staff develop recommendations on criteria for opening beach driving permits to additional individuals. Currently no new beach driving permits are being issued, just renewals, and the deadline for those is Aug. 1. The staff recommendations will be brought before the commissioners in public session, but no date has been set as of now.

That's one way to ensure more oil on the beach.

:roll:

That's one way to ensure more oil on the beach.

You should take your vehicle to a mechanic.

They should issue an unlimited number of driving permits but limit the number of vehicles that can be on the beach at any one time. That would be Constitutional, fair, and make way more money than what they are doing now, imho.

How would you limit the number of vehicles on the beach without incurring a cost?

The numbers as of today...
Issued between May 17, 2010 and August 2, 2010

Charter Launch - 11
Charter Drive - 11
Regular Launch - 71
Regular Drive - 726

Total permits issued - 819

Last year, before the restrictions:
Issued between May 15, 2009 and May 16, 2010

Regular Drive - 1,063
Replacement Drive - 33
Regular Launch - 71

Total Permits Issued - 1,167

How would you limit the number of vehicles on the beach without incurring a cost?

Always a cost to do business. I still think you would sell more than it costs to monitor.

I vote for fewer permits.

the whole idea of instituting the freeze was there were too many cars on the beach.it looks like attrition has reduced the #'s somewhat.i can see them down the road having some type of lottery to issue a limited # of permits if the #'s keep decreasing but its hard to see them make a change so soon as the new rules have only been in effect 1 yr

Yep, it was to reduce the number of vehicles on the beach, and the movement was by someone who drives on the beach. More driving for me, less for everyone else, must be the motto.

One shouldn't have to own property to receive a driving permit. That doesn't make sense. That is like saying you have to own a house to license your car to drive.

Did someone mention automotive oil on the beach? Maybe they need a basic automobile inspection for leaking vehicles, before permitting beach permits. I was on the beach one day and saw a guy crank up his old truck, and transmission fluid sprayed out from underneath.

the whole idea of instituting the freeze was there were too many cars on the beach.it looks like attrition has reduced the #'s somewhat.i can see them down the road having some type of lottery to issue a limited # of permits if the #'s keep decreasing but its hard to see them make a change so soon as the new rules have only been in effect 1 yr

Yea but the whole method is unconstitutional and when challenged one day will result in huge payout that is going to cause edgewater to pale in comparison.

I believe there should be an exception made for disabled/handicapped persons in appropriately identified vehicles and they should be able to apply at any time. I also think they should pay for their beach permit as others do.

There should always be room for exceptions.