beach goers harrassed

[SHELLY]

I don't see this situation changing for the better anytime soon--nay, anytime at all. Realtors and vacation condo owners lure people to our area with promises of long expanses of beach. As our area continues to build out, back and up; and beach property owners have the police at their beck-and-call to hustle people off "their" sand; and 'said sand' is eaten away by erosion, this problem is going to compound.

I seen this happen before: A long time ago in a town called Destin, I was able to park my car pretty much anywhere along the road and trudge right on to the beach....try that now. We'll be that way before long; what's happening here now is the same song, just a slightly different melody.


.

 

[scooterbug44]

And I usually take a morning walk on the beach. I had thought about walking the opposite way this year walking back toward the 30A direction. I guess I won't be. Especially if someone is going to come out running me off saying that own that part of the beach I'm walking on. As it is now, I do my walking toward PC Beach and Pinnacle Port. We spend too much money down there to be told we cannot walk on a certain stretch of the beach.

Walking should be fine (especially if you do it fast enough). So far they just seem to have an issue with you being stationary on "their" sand!

I am going to my neighborhood beach tomorrow and expect absolutely no problems.

 

[TNJed]

At a CC meeting I attended several months ago, a county attorney said private property owners had to allow the public the ability to walk thru their beach property due to prescriptive use, but they could indeed ask you to leave if you were sitting.

Fine. I just can't understand who buys beach property without understanding the public has been and will continue to use it.

 

[full time]

I seen it before too, Shelly. I seen dis dude trudgin over da dunes in Destin to get out to da beach. Now dem dunes is owned by da man.

 

[Panhandler]

I'll miss Florida in a way, but I'm really glad I moved ...
What a giant, lawsuit-burdened craphole ...

 

[raven]

This is what I am talking about this guy had no idea he was trespasing and who would when the public has had unchallenged use of the beach for many years.



From: Thomas Beisel []
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 1:33 PM
To: Kenneth Pridgen; Scott Brannon; Larry Jones; Sara Comander; Cindy Meadows
Subject: Seagrove Beach Access


I would like clarification on what the county's policy and laws are regarding tourist use of Walton County beaches.

This morning my wife, our 11 year old daughter, 10 year old friend, and our two teenage nieces were removed by a Walton County deputy from the two small sand castles our children built within 5 feet of the wave wash. After being on the beach approximately two hours we were angrily approached by someone who represented themselves as the property owner and told us we had to move. The "property owner", which I assume at this time he really is, sat down on the beach two hours after us and claimed he could not see the ocean because we were sitting on his property. The property owner was belligerent and patronizing and said if we did not move he would call the Sheriff. My wife felt threatened by his behavior and called 911 herself. While we were waiting other families on the beach came up to us to tell us they had the same encounter with this "property owner" days before. My young daughter was scared that we were going to be arrested by the police for building sand castles. The deputy that arrived said the "owner" was correct and that we could actually be arrested for trespassing. The deputy said that the property line does go to the "wet zone", if not further out into the ocean.

The deputy was very professional and courteous and I believe he was enforcing the laws as he understood them. I'm just very puzzled that families are removed so easily. The Case Number is: WCSO 07 CAD 047786.

Can visiting families really be removed so easily? It appears that the beaches are not public and that we are actually trespassing on others property; is this really the case? Are visitors welcome or not welcome to Walton County beaches? I will write an Op-Ed for the Atlanta Constitution regarding this incident and would like the County's position on tourism and property ownership before I do.

Thanks,
Tom Beisel
Atlanta Georgia

did they ever deign to offer a response? i look forward to reading his Op-Ed. that will cause house prices and tourism to tumble here. so pathetic, that people who behave this way toward visitors and homeowners don't make the connection that this is where their bread is buttered.

 

[raven]

Well put!
I agree with you 100% (that's what I meant by "the bite in the a$$".) ;-)

we don't really agree. my point is that if we're marketing this area as the "the beaches of south walton" tourists should be free to come and go around our beaches. not have tons of signs and ropes and barriers making them feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. otherwise, just change the branding "the beach of south walton" to "the condos and strip malls of south walton".

 

[Mango]

I don't see this situation changing for the better anytime soon--nay, anytime at all. Realtors and vacation condo owners lure people to our area with promises of long expanses of beach. As our area continues to build out, back and up; and beach property owners have the police at their beck-and-call to hustle people off "their" sand; and 'said sand' is eaten away by erosion, this problem is going to compound.

I seen this happen before: A long time ago in a town called Destin, I was able to park my car pretty much anywhere along the road and trudge right on to the beach....try that now. We'll be that way before long; what's happening here now is the same song, just a slightly different melody.


.

My almost 90 year inlaws could say the same thing for anywhere in the United States for goodness sakes Shelly.

Your obvious distaste for realtors and vacation property owners is shining through once again like a lighthouse. Nobody has to "lure" anyone like a dang snapper to come to our beaches.
The TDC promotes our beaches nationally through marketing and people from all over are finding out about our so called "secret". Not to mention that tourism fuels the local economy creating at least 50% of the jobs.

As far as Destin is concerned, some people like the hub bub there, others prefer our area, which as you already know could never look like Destin, with it's high rise condos due to our 50 ft building maximum and dune lake conservation. 40% of Sowal is State Forest Preserve.

Give me a dang break. I truly dislike seeing people jump on the bandwagon to further another agenda about a few isolated incidents, and including incidents from Destin which is another County for God's sake. The incidents occuring in a particular area are due to some owners making a statement right now about density. Isolated incidents, however this is not reflective of what's occuring up and down 30A.

 

[Smiling JOe]

As far as Destin is concerned, some people like the hub bub there, others prefer our area, which as you already know could never look like Destin, with it's high rise condos due to our 50 ft building maximum and dune lake conservation. 40% of Sowal is State Forest Preserve.

Please never use the word, "never" when it involves pol-i-tricks, especially in Walton County. That 50ft height limit could change in the blink of an eye.

 

[Mango]

Please never use the word, "never" when it involves pol-i-tricks, especially in Walton County. That 50ft height limit could change in the blink of an eye.

Ok, how bout nevah?

What ticked my ire was the luring bit of vacation owners and realtors.

I agree that once density increases, this could become a much larger issue, just don't put blame on any group. IMO.

Maybe there will be a prayer meeting about density and I'll come and get Shelly in her fake nose, sunglass and sombrero get up.