Customary Use Will Happen On Sowal Beaches

[FactorFiction]

I know someone is just dying to tell me why 50% of our beaches are given to vendors FREE OF CHARGE which restricts access to PUBLIC BEACHES WHILE INSISTING that public beach access isn't being restricted when clearly it is?

And...why do folks want to make light of the issues vendors cause?

You can't fix the problems by refusing to acknowledge they exist!

Vendors have friends in high places who are very small business and developer oriented. A pretty simple solution to the vendor situation would be for vendors at public accesses to have a kiosk or whatever it might be called where chairs and umbrellas are rented and set up as guests arrive. The vendors seem opposed to that for several reasons, but it seems like this practice would still serve the tourists and free up beach space that could then be first come, first served. I'm sure there are other workable ideas, but there has to be a will to change the current system for anything else to work.

 

[mputnal]

Amen! We (society) have somehow forgot how to be respectful of others no matter what opinion they may have if it is different than our own. We (humans) have the ability to have sensitivity and empathy (yes even men) if we practice both respect and civility every day. I also understand both sides of this issue with beach access. There are more people coming to our beaches and even more on the way in the coming years. We have to have a workable solution for both property owners and beachgoers. Unfortunately not all humans are civil or respectful so there has to be rules. This is usually where politics enters the picture and creates polarization. In my opinion we need to check our selfish agenda's at the door of truth, fairness and justice. Wealthy people who own beachfront property should be willing to share. Beachgoers who want to use the beach should be willing to follow rules that the property owners can live with. Politics tend to not help these conflicts because it pits property rights versus human rights and then the conflict becomes about power and being right. The two sided nature of our political system creates division which leads to anger and frustration. Maybe it is useless to point these things out but it seems to me we need to get back to a sense of community rather than all this division. Whoa Nellie. That would mean that the rich and not so rich would have to hang out together or liberals and conservatives or democrats and republicans! Why do we resist this idea of respect and civility and community? I do understand that human nature can be mean spirited but if we can just be aware of this and try a more civil approach it can be much more rewarding.

 

[Jim Tucker]

I don't want kiosks on the beach any more than I want signs.

How about we paint the sand red or green so people know where they are allowed?

 

[Jimmy T]

How about no vending on public beaches? If a renter wants an umbrella & chairs, the vendors can drop them off at the rental house and the renters can tote them out to the beach, set them up, and bring them back like the rest of us.

 

[Teresa]

Other Beach towns have vendor rules and regulations in place to keep beaches free from clutter and vendor takeover. Why can't we do this too?

 

[Danny Glidewell]

Other Beach towns have vendor rules and regulations in place to keep beaches free from clutter and vendors. Why can't we do this too?

One word: Politics. Or two words: Special Interests. Three words: Money, Money, Money Four words: Lack of Intestinal Fortitude.

 

[FactorFiction]

I don't want kiosks on the beach any more than I want signs.

How about we paint the sand red or green so people know where they are allowed?

I appreciate your sense of humor! Do you have any suggestions for making chairs and umbrellas available to tourists without having them set up with no one there to sit in them? Serious question. We need to make suggestions if we want change.

 

[L.C. Bane]

How is this currently structured? Does the county take a percentage of what the vendors bring in on rentals on public beaches and audit those books?

 

[FactorFiction]

How is this currently structured? Does the county take a percentage of what the vendors bring in on rentals on public beaches and audit those books?

No. The only thing vendors pay to the county is a permit fee.

 

[L.C. Bane]

That is rediculous! What is the upside for the county/public? IF they are going to give up publically held space, monetize it. Put it up for bid. Highest return wins.I'm pretty sure that's how it would work in the private sector.