Okay, silly me, running for office, and here I am going to start a thread on a very controversial issue. Oh well, never been accused of being scared or smart for that matter. I would like to learn more about this though. So please, no attacking me for discussing things.
I was born in Florida, grew up on the beach, so it was never a big deal to me. Few people lived down there, and I always just went and did whatever I wanted so never really ran into the private/public issue. Now I am hearing so much.
I understand the point of the landowners. They purchased, in good faith, and were sold, what they felt is a private beach. They paid very good money for that land and continue to pay way too much money in taxes, if you ask me for the land. Now most of the beach has been sold to one concern or another and access is starting to be an issue. For most locals, I imagine it is not nearly that bad, most of you seem reasonable and I am sure just walk along or use the beach in a responsible way. What I keep hearing are the stories of people pitching tents up next to the dune lines and partying to all hours, leaving trash, and just generally making it where the landowner can not enjoy their property. And one bad experience does tend to cause people to react to the extreme. So landowners seem to be trying to take steps to protect their property.
I understand the point of the non-landowners. The beach is something that has been customarily enjoyed for years. And the vast majority are not doing anything to interfere with the landowners property, yet the public is being denied access to something that they have always used.
But this is where it gets confusing to me. If the government declares customary use is okay, does that not take the land from the private property owners? How does that affect the value of the land? I am sure private beach is worth quite a bit more than public beach. What about liability for that section of the beach? Do we just apply customary use to the beach itself and not other areas of the county?
Well this is something to discuss.
I was born in Florida, grew up on the beach, so it was never a big deal to me. Few people lived down there, and I always just went and did whatever I wanted so never really ran into the private/public issue. Now I am hearing so much.
I understand the point of the landowners. They purchased, in good faith, and were sold, what they felt is a private beach. They paid very good money for that land and continue to pay way too much money in taxes, if you ask me for the land. Now most of the beach has been sold to one concern or another and access is starting to be an issue. For most locals, I imagine it is not nearly that bad, most of you seem reasonable and I am sure just walk along or use the beach in a responsible way. What I keep hearing are the stories of people pitching tents up next to the dune lines and partying to all hours, leaving trash, and just generally making it where the landowner can not enjoy their property. And one bad experience does tend to cause people to react to the extreme. So landowners seem to be trying to take steps to protect their property.
I understand the point of the non-landowners. The beach is something that has been customarily enjoyed for years. And the vast majority are not doing anything to interfere with the landowners property, yet the public is being denied access to something that they have always used.
But this is where it gets confusing to me. If the government declares customary use is okay, does that not take the land from the private property owners? How does that affect the value of the land? I am sure private beach is worth quite a bit more than public beach. What about liability for that section of the beach? Do we just apply customary use to the beach itself and not other areas of the county?
Well this is something to discuss.