Led away in Handcuffs

[yippie]

Fortunately, you are wrong. FEMA will pay 75% of the cost to restore an engineered beach and the state will pick up 1/2 of the remaining cost. A beach restoration project is a restored beach .

See FAQ under Implications

http://protectwaltoncountybeaches.com/phaseII_faq.asp

This must be a paragraph you are referring to:

Why not wait until after the next storm and let FEMA pay for the recovery?
In a disaster, FEMA will pay for up to 75 percent of recovery efforts for the restoration of an engineered beach. After the completion of the restoration project, it will be an engineered beach. On non-engineered beaches only emergency protection is eligible for FEMA reimbursement. Emergency protection is less than 10 percent of sand placed in a beach restoration project. Emergency protection consisted of beach scraping along the 30-A corridor after Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis as those areas were not engineered beaches.

The beaches of South Walton are not considered an engineered beach, except for the area from Sandestin to the Okaloosa County line. FEMA payed for none of the restoration. The State funded 75% and the TDC 25%. The restored parts can now get help from FEMA.

The ONLY thing FEMA has done is scraped the beach and built a berm on State Property.

 

[scooterbug44]

People buy and build homes here because of the beaches. People vacation here because of the beaches.

No beach access unless you live on a beachfront lot, no market for non-beachfront homes.

Price was not the determining factor in Bobby's statement.

 

[Smiling JOe]

The beaches of South Walton are not considered an engineered beach, except for the area from Sandestin to the Okaloosa County line. FEMA payed for none of the restoration. The State funded 75% and the TDC 25%. The restored parts can now get help from FEMA.

The ONLY thing FEMA has done is scraped the beach and built a berm on State Property.

I think people mis-use the word, "re-nourishment," when they really mean, "nourishment." It sounds like FEMA pays for re-nourishment, but not nourishment.

 

[Smiling JOe]

People buy and build homes here because of the beaches. People vacation here because of the beaches.

No beach access unless you live on a beachfront lot, no market for non-beachfront homes.

Even BMBV stated earlier, that most people don't come here to surf. Most come to enjoy the beach. This area is not referred to as the Gulf of South Walton, but rather, the Beaches of South Walton. I know people who will not even step foot in the Gulf when they come to the beach, but everyone tends to at least sit on the dry sandy beach. I think this is a huge issue when talking about public accesses. Accesses to what, the Gulf, in which many people don't spend much time? or the beach, where most everyone tends to spend some time?

 

[BeachSiO2]

I believe I understand that which you are saying, but let's say that the ECL is established, the sand is pumped, the beach is extended 50ft. A powerful set of storms blow in, and remove all of the sand back to the ECL, the line where the original private property was deeded to. Now, the original deeded private property no longer has State beaches in front of it, so wouldn't we be back to where we are now with the legal battles of the public not being able to sit on the dry sand beach, which is landward of the ECL?

Yes, that is true but typically FEMA and the State step in to help restore the beach to the pre-storm condition.

This must be a paragraph you are referring to:

Why not wait until after the next storm and let FEMA pay for the recovery?
In a disaster, FEMA will pay for up to 75 percent of recovery efforts for the restoration of an engineered beach. After the completion of the restoration project, it will be an engineered beach. On non-engineered beaches only emergency protection is eligible for FEMA reimbursement. Emergency protection is less than 10 percent of sand placed in a beach restoration project. Emergency protection consisted of beach scraping along the 30-A corridor after Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis as those areas were not engineered beaches.

The beaches of South Walton are not considered an engineered beach, except for the area from Sandestin to the Okaloosa County line. FEMA payed for none of the restoration. The State funded 75% and the TDC 25%. The restored parts can now get help from FEMA.

The ONLY thing FEMA has done is scraped the beach and built a berm on State Property.

You are correct but look above at the posts that spurred my comments. We are only talking about beaches that have an ECL, NOT 30A. That means they have already been RESTORED. If a beach has been restored then it is eligible for FEMA and state funds as an engineered beach. The beach was built after the hurricanes of 2005 so they haven't needed to restore it. By the way, the County paid about 73% and the state paid about 27%, not the other way around.

 

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

.....while using other tourist tax dollars to maintain "public" beach accesses that lead to private beaches, and telling those same tourists that they may be asked to leave.......

....Even when they happen to be located within walking distance of one of the public accesses their taxes fund, now they have to fire up a car and add to the traffic to get to one of the regional beaches. Does anyone else think this is a little strange?

It's more than a little strange. Something just ain't right!

However, let's temper things here just a little. I know nobody is being run off, as an example in the Blue Mountain Beach public access area if they are on private property. This may change and change soon, but for now its business and pleasure as usual for the most part.

So for any prospective tourist trying to get a handle on what's going on, just stay away from the Retreat and the Inn at Blue Mountain Beach and maybe another one or two and you'll be OK. Don't push the issue, as some here would encourage....example: don't debate the MHWL if asked to leave. You will be arrested as already evidenced. Use good sense and have fun.

The wheels that are in motion are much much much bigger than any of us are able to stop with our opinions here on this thread. Things will pan out where they will.

 

[John R]

something to chew on. In Cape May, NJ the entire beach is public, and everyone who sets foot on the sand is required to have a 'beach tag' on their person, plainly visible. a lot of money is generated this way for daily cleaning, lifeguards, and renourishment(i believe). this system has worked for years.

http://www.capemaycity.com/announcements.htm#tags

 

[BeachSiO2]

I think people mis-use the word, "re-nourishment," when they really mean, "nourishment." It sounds like FEMA pays for re-nourishment, but not nourishment.

Actually, there really isn't any such thing as renourishment if you think about it. You restore a beach, and then nourish it, and then nourish it again (if neccesary). It's like eating dinner. Do you eat dinner to renourish your body, or to nourish your body. Just because you do it every day doesn't change it's meaning.

First time= restoration
Second time= nourishment
Third time= nourishment, etc...

 

[Smiling JOe]

something to chew on. In Cape May, NJ the entire beach is public, and everyone who sets foot on the sand is required to have a 'beach tag' on their person, plainly visible. a lot of money is generated this way for daily cleaning, lifeguards, and renourishment(i believe). this system has worked for years.

http://www.capemaycity.com/announcements.htm#tags

To heck with permits to enter the beach! That is just silly. I am for free and open access of, and too, the beach.

 

[BeachSiO2]

It's more than a little strange. Something just ain't right!

However, let's temper things here just a little. I know nobody is being run off, as an example in the Blue Mountain Beach public access area if they are on private property. This may change and change soon, but for now its business and pleasure as usual for the most part.

So for any prospective tourist trying to get a handle on what's going on, just stay away from the Retreat and the Inn at Blue Mountain Beach and maybe another one or two and you'll be OK. Don't push the issue, as some here would encourage....example: don't debate the MHWL if asked to leave. You will be arrested as already evidenced. Use good sense and have fun.

The wheels that are in motion are much much much bigger than any of us are able to stop with our opinions here on this thread. Things will pan out where they will.

It will be very interesting to see who kicks people off the beach at the access because there is platted "beach" on both sides, and the upland property lines stop at the top of the dune. I personally look forward to meeting the "owner" of the "beach."