I watched the entire video. I'm not a beachfront owner, nor part of an HOA that is. I am not connected to any of the law firms or attorneys involved.
Yes, I want to be able to go to the beach and enjoy it like I have for years. And I fell into the emotional reaction of "I've always gone to the beach and should still be able to!!". But emotions don't win in court and that's where this is headed.
As more than one attorney pointed out, previous BCCs sold property to developers, even to the point where it is disclosed on documents that the county could retain ownership of the beach itself and STILL the county sold the properties. And even recently, the county just went along with or at least did not contest the quiet title actions, It was also pointed out that lack of vision and foresight is why the county and its residents are in the predicament that they/we are in. The lack of true MASTER planning. And it still exists today. Meanwhile, the TDC keeps the advertising locomotive rolling and the number of annual visitors keeps increasing. To come to a place where infrastructure is woefully inadequate for what we have coming now, much less any more?
I think Walton County is going to make the problem much worse by moving forward to sue the BFOs. As one attorney stated, if WC wins they will still be sued and it will continue to drag on. If WC loses then "that's it", CU is NOT established and the county's residents are really out. Further, WC is now going to try and establish CU AFTER BFOs quiet titled their individual properties AND state law has been codifed. Completely bass-ackwards.
I think the county should:
- Spend the funds that it would project spending on attorneys fighting this to acquire more BF properties. Problem here is as one attorney stated, if the county believes in CU, why is it buying BF properties?
- Build in more infrastructure (sidewalks, multi-use paths, street improvements with smoother traffic flow in mind, and on)
- Immediately declare all county owned properties to be vendor free zones. NO COMMERCIAL VENDING ON County owned beaches. One of the attorneys pointed this out; that 50% of county beaches are allocated to beach chair vendors. Does anyone think that this and who is behind this allowance will not be presented as litigation proceeds? The county is really really exposed here. WC needs to cover their backside NOW and make the county beaches vendor free.
- Declare a moratorium on advertising WC beaches.
If the Erosion Control Line (ECL) is not established east of Topsail Preserve, (ECL is established west of Topsail due to beach renourishment projects), then get ECL established, get with BFOs and work toward a compromise where seaward of ECL is public and call it a day. Abandoning this available compromise and going for it all could result in nothing.
For you who listened to the arguments, or were there and heard them, what are your thoughts?