Customary Use and Our 30A Legacy
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No matter what you think, people will stop coming to our area and spending their money. Period. Why go to the beach for a week if you're not welcome and you can't actually *get* to the beach? As a result, restaurants and other retail outlets will suffer. They will not be able to hire workers because they can't keep them with a living wage. Bed tax money will go down. And on and on. If you don't believe that simple economic truism, you are very very shortsighted. Obviously, a solution has to be reached. I am ashamed at how some beach front owners (and their security guards) are acting. Harassing locals and visitors for sitting within a few feet of the water, and so on. Happens in Blue Mountain ALL THE TIME.
Teresa, do you deny SoWal admin have never removed posted public opinions before?
Sunshine State News
Walton County Customary-Use Leaders Playing a Dangerous Game By Nancy Smith
Posted in part for length. Click link for article and 129 Comments.
Walton County Customary-Use Leaders Playing a Dangerous Game
Nowhere in Florida is the new law dealing with beach access the firestorm it has become in Walton County. The reason is complicated. But many folks along the panhandle's Emerald Coast claim it's not helping that a pair of local crusaders have a lot of citizens convinced House Bill 631 is the worst thing to befall Florida since Mercury went retrograde.
Rauschkolb is a restaurateur, Uhlfelder an attorney. Together they're what former seasonal Seaside resident Lilly Bell calls "a tag team," dominating social media and public meetings to get people riled up against each other.
"Walton used to have only a handful of beachfront residents who wanted to enforce their privacy all the way to the water," said the retired interior decorator. "But most of them didn't care if people sat on their sand. Then Dave and Dan came along and caught a glimpse of the fame and attention they could get nationally. Now we have a civil war here."
HB 631, was sponsored by Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and Rep. Katie Edwards-Walpole, D-Plantation. The bill passed the Florida Legislature with an overwhelming bipartisan majority and 100 percent support of the Walton County delegation -- 29-7 March 6 in the Senate and 95-17 March 8 in the House [Including Rep Brad Drake]. That's a total of 24 votes against in the whole of the Legislature. No wonder the governor didn't veto it. Why would he?.
In addition, Rauschkolb was interviewed on the Weather Channel, which serves millions of viewers across America. National Public Radio showed up on the beach soon after. So did U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, looking for an opportunity to kick the governor, his senatorial opponent in November. And between the two proactive "protests" -- Uhlfelder's and Rauschkolb's and what has been described as "dozens of media interview requests," Walton's war for the beach had begun.
129 Comments
Walton County Customary-Use Leaders Playing a Dangerous Game
Submitted by Dave Rauschkolb on September 18, 2018 - 5:49pm
I believe this characterizes our situation adequately and offers solutions whether our County is awarded renewed Customary Use or not. ACCESS AND USE, CONVENIENCE ADVANTAGES AND SOLUTIONS FOR HOUSEKEEPING ON THE BEACH This issue is based on the difference between access and use....
Submitted by Walton Resident on September 18, 2018 - 9:12pm
You wonder why people have had enough of Dave and this issue and his behavior? Now you have more proof right here on this page. The obfuscation above is almost incredible. He confuses leadership with obfuscation. Hell he probably doesn’t even know the difference. He is unintelligible. You ask him a pointed question or uncover that he’s been misleading his vocal minority on a serious fact, he resorts to obfuscation and distractions that in his mind he thinks is brilliant. The number of times he says me and I in this monologue as also is notable.
Submitted by Dave Rauschkolb on September 11, 2018 - 6:55am
The small number of beachfront owners who have over several years systematically been taking quiet title, putting up no trespassing signs and lobbying the Florida legislature to kill our Customary Use ordinance are very upset because their little plan is being brought into the light..... [Except the 650+ private property owners intervening in Walton's customary use litigation.]
Submitted by James Lince on September 11, 2018 - 12:48pm
Legal Dave "taking quiet title". There is no such thing in law or fact. Conspiracy Dave: "the small number of beachfront owners have been systematically taking [public beach property]". There's no evidence of public land being stolen through any "quiet title" claim and the number of claims is very small compared to the number of property owners.
Submitted by Paul P. on September 12, 2018 - 6:29pm
I have come to the realization that this article is a major trigger for those that want CU, look at the responses. They cannot handle the open and honest criticism in the piece as presented. I've researched this significantly since the "meeting" on Saturday and now my opinion on CU has changed dramatically. Where I was a staunch supporter, based on info from the community at large, this now sheds a very different light on the issue and I'll admit, it is very, very complex.
Submitted by JR on September 11, 2018 - 5:53am
This author got it right. As a 25 yr business owner on 30A, I publicly ask Dave and Daniel to stop this publicity stunt and false narrative. You are misleading the citizens with false facts, and it is you two who are so hungry for national attention, that are willfully hurting my business and everyone else’s in the name of your personal fame.
Sunshine State News
Walton County Customary-Use Leaders Playing a Dangerous Game By Nancy Smith
Posted in part for length. Click link for article and 129 Comments.
Walton County Customary-Use Leaders Playing a Dangerous Game
Nowhere in Florida is the new law dealing with beach access the firestorm it has become in Walton County. The reason is complicated. But many folks along the panhandle's Emerald Coast claim it's not helping that a pair of local crusaders have a lot of citizens convinced House Bill 631 is the worst thing to befall Florida since Mercury went retrograde.
Rauschkolb is a restaurateur, Uhlfelder an attorney. Together they're what former seasonal Seaside resident Lilly Bell calls "a tag team," dominating social media and public meetings to get people riled up against each other.
"Walton used to have only a handful of beachfront residents who wanted to enforce their privacy all the way to the water," said the retired interior decorator. "But most of them didn't care if people sat on their sand. Then Dave and Dan came along and caught a glimpse of the fame and attention they could get nationally. Now we have a civil war here."
HB 631, was sponsored by Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and Rep. Katie Edwards-Walpole, D-Plantation. The bill passed the Florida Legislature with an overwhelming bipartisan majority and 100 percent support of the Walton County delegation -- 29-7 March 6 in the Senate and 95-17 March 8 in the House [Including Rep Brad Drake]. That's a total of 24 votes against in the whole of the Legislature. No wonder the governor didn't veto it. Why would he?.
In addition, Rauschkolb was interviewed on the Weather Channel, which serves millions of viewers across America. National Public Radio showed up on the beach soon after. So did U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, looking for an opportunity to kick the governor, his senatorial opponent in November. And between the two proactive "protests" -- Uhlfelder's and Rauschkolb's and what has been described as "dozens of media interview requests," Walton's war for the beach had begun.
129 Comments
Walton County Customary-Use Leaders Playing a Dangerous Game
Submitted by Dave Rauschkolb on September 18, 2018 - 5:49pm
I believe this characterizes our situation adequately and offers solutions whether our County is awarded renewed Customary Use or not. ACCESS AND USE, CONVENIENCE ADVANTAGES AND SOLUTIONS FOR HOUSEKEEPING ON THE BEACH This issue is based on the difference between access and use....
Submitted by Walton Resident on September 18, 2018 - 9:12pm
You wonder why people have had enough of Dave and this issue and his behavior? Now you have more proof right here on this page. The obfuscation above is almost incredible. He confuses leadership with obfuscation. Hell he probably doesn’t even know the difference. He is unintelligible. You ask him a pointed question or uncover that he’s been misleading his vocal minority on a serious fact, he resorts to obfuscation and distractions that in his mind he thinks is brilliant. The number of times he says me and I in this monologue as also is notable.
Submitted by Dave Rauschkolb on September 11, 2018 - 6:55am
The small number of beachfront owners who have over several years systematically been taking quiet title, putting up no trespassing signs and lobbying the Florida legislature to kill our Customary Use ordinance are very upset because their little plan is being brought into the light..... [Except the 650+ private property owners intervening in Walton's customary use litigation.]
Submitted by James Lince on September 11, 2018 - 12:48pm
Legal Dave "taking quiet title". There is no such thing in law or fact. Conspiracy Dave: "the small number of beachfront owners have been systematically taking [public beach property]". There's no evidence of public land being stolen through any "quiet title" claim and the number of claims is very small compared to the number of property owners.
Submitted by Paul P. on September 12, 2018 - 6:29pm
I have come to the realization that this article is a major trigger for those that want CU, look at the responses. They cannot handle the open and honest criticism in the piece as presented. I've researched this significantly since the "meeting" on Saturday and now my opinion on CU has changed dramatically. Where I was a staunch supporter, based on info from the community at large, this now sheds a very different light on the issue and I'll admit, it is very, very complex.
Submitted by JR on September 11, 2018 - 5:53am
This author got it right. As a 25 yr business owner on 30A, I publicly ask Dave and Daniel to stop this publicity stunt and false narrative. You are misleading the citizens with false facts, and it is you two who are so hungry for national attention, that are willfully hurting my business and everyone else’s in the name of your personal fame.
Stop pointing fingers. Let’s don’t take this string where the rest go. Let’s be different. We were on a good track with both sides discussing towards solution. No need to argue over motives, let’s keep to facts. Here’s some questions to ponder, then let’s come up with fixes.
Right here.
Right now.
On this string.
1) Is trumpeting a terrible local narrative about “no” beach access across 20 states helping the local tourist economy, or is it sensationalism, and scaring people away?
How can we do better?
2) Is there really less public beach than there was 1, 5, 10, 20 years ago?
How can we do better?
3) Did private Beach owners start putting up signs to be mean, or did they start putting up signs because the county sued them for control of their property and then local activists prompted people to trespass to make a point?
How can we do better?
4) Has there been even one public forum where both sides have agreed to sit down and intelligently discuss these issues, or have both sides fought it out in social media echo chambers?
How do we do better?
I can see simple answers to these four questions. Should we start there Walton County? Let’s see what you’ve got.....
Right here.
Right now.
On this string.
1) Is trumpeting a terrible local narrative about “no” beach access across 20 states helping the local tourist economy, or is it sensationalism, and scaring people away?
How can we do better?
2) Is there really less public beach than there was 1, 5, 10, 20 years ago?
How can we do better?
3) Did private Beach owners start putting up signs to be mean, or did they start putting up signs because the county sued them for control of their property and then local activists prompted people to trespass to make a point?
How can we do better?
4) Has there been even one public forum where both sides have agreed to sit down and intelligently discuss these issues, or have both sides fought it out in social media echo chambers?
How do we do better?
I can see simple answers to these four questions. Should we start there Walton County? Let’s see what you’ve got.....
Jodi, thank you for bringing up the vendor program. Yet another example of county mismanaging public resources by allowing friends and family owned chair companies to eliminate public access to 50% of the public beaches. Again, nothing to do with Private Beach Front Owners, but rather inept managing of our largest county asset. Easy fix for that one well outside of Customary Use argument. And it solves, by your math, 50% of the problem. See? You came up with a great solution. Keep them coming folks, we’re getting somewhere.
All this is not helping the group of people that the sheriffs office was called on today. And from the looks of the picture they were very close to the waters edge. Most likely seaward of the MHWL...but no one has responded to my request to show a current TOPO survey that shows where that (not so)imaginary line in the sand is. I have always said that upland property owners do indeed own to that line but still not one has responded with a picture of that survey. And I am not talking about one from 1974...I mean current, one that a lender for a loan on said property would accept...(and the last time I had one done for my property the lender said it could not be older than 6 months) I saw something from Vizcaya from decades ago but it wasnt a TOPO and only had a sqwiggly line that said "appx. MHWL". Why,if that line is so important, will no one produce one ??
Jodi, I’m not an expert, but I’ve researched this. I’m only speaking for me here - That MHTL line has been recently surveyed by county. You’ll see those maps soon. Until then, look at the beach under a normal high tide, easily referenced daily. Assume that the average high tide line is seaward of that water mark. Why? Because we’ve had four major hurricanes and many tropical storms since 2,000 (19 yrs). Those storms caused much beach erosion, moving that average line over beach that is now under water. Simple math. Do you really want to know? Or are you just following our local class clown with more distracting drama? It’s a favorite diversion tactic of extremist publicity hounds that publicly embarrass our local law enforcement with that game.
Regarding the sheriff; they weren’t called on the young couple today. Nope. They were called on the local activist who created a noisy scene and made a publicity stunt out of shaming a resident, deliberately using that innocent couple, all the while posing and capturing her selfies for social media. We all feel very sorry for the young couple being manipulated by these terroristic CU activists that have taken over our beaches and are scaring the public away. We all share your empathy.
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