Public vs Private Beach [threads merged]

[Misty]

P.S. If my tax dollars maintain those beaches, legally I have the inherent right to plant my a$$ anywhere my tax dollars work!

 

[Danny Glidewell]

I appreciate the measured and respectful tone of wasteinaway's post. No one who loves freedom or personal property rights is comfortable with giving the public carte blanche to do as they please on someone else's property. On the other hand, as Misty and others have pointed out, tax dollars have played a major role in the upkeep and enhancement of the beaches and taxpayers have a right to use what their taxes pay for. Many of the homes and resorts along the beach were allowed to build too close to the water and this closeness is another factor because no one would want the public partying right outside your bedroom or living space. And while some want to downplay the effect of private beaches on our economy, the threat is real and growing. This issue should have been addressed years ago and will continue to worsen until it is resolved. Wasteinaway has some good ideas for compromise. Will everyone be happy with every aspect of such compromises? Absolutely not. But we need to find solutions that the majority on both sides can live with that do not destroy our community or its economy and we need to do it now in a civil manner. Remember, nastiness, disputes, divisions and hateful comments are just as harmful to the community and will harm our economy just as much as any public/private beach will.

 

[gailforce]

Innocent Question: I thought the public beaches were paid for by everyone's taxes. And, the private beaches were paid for by owners taxes. Like public schools, you pay and if you go private, you pay that too. ?

 

[gailforce]

Innocent Question: I thought the public beaches were paid for by everyone's taxes. And, the private beaches were paid for by owners taxes. Like public schools, you pay and if you go private, you pay that too. ?

 

[Misty]

If the BCC continues to kick this can down the road and abdicate their responsibility to the taxpayers of Walton County Danny, let me suggest that you will see a whole lot of civil unrest and we will see the North rise again.

What I'm not sure of is how civil it will be.

 

[Misty]

Innocent Question: I thought the public beaches were paid for by everyone's taxes. And, the private beaches were paid for by owners taxes. Like public schools, you pay and if you go private, you pay that too. ?

Are you suggesting that the private landowners in question are paying to maintain what they consider is their private beach? I'd dearly love to see some receipts for that....because the Federal government has ascertained that beaches are public up to the HIGH TIDE mark.

 

[Mike Smith]

A thought and a question for the group...

Question: Where is the "high water mark" on our beaches? Is it a fixed line or does it change with erosion/addition of the beach itself? From what I have read this seems to be surrounded by controversy.

Thought: If the high water mark is "owned by the public" and assuming there is enough dry sand included within the high water mark, could this designation be used to create an ordinance to preclude commercial businesses (aka beach chair vendors) from setting up within the high water mark zone? This would allow the public to set up closer to the water and hopefully reduce the beach hogging empty beach set up problem we have. It would also ad some clarity to the public and beach property owners around allowable use.

 

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

Most of the businesses in these developments are individually owned by our friends and neighbors. Please come up with another idea if you want to use the beach in the town where they operate.

Kurt, I was being a tad facetious. But the truth is many of the restaurants pay rent to the very same entities that own private beach front property. Yet nobody bad mouths these entities as being "mean and greedy". It's just a little hypocritical.

added: BTW, there is one restaurant on this list that I have never visited although everybody else I know has. I do it out of principal because because I rigorously disagree with the owner's position regarding this subject from years ago. Yet the restaurant is one of those who greatly profits from operations in an area that enforces private beach. It's hypocrisy in its purest form.

And I sincerely doubt they miss my business.

 

[Misty]

From the NOAA

high water mark

A line or mark left upon tide flats, beach, or along shore objects indicating the elevation of the intrusion of high water. The mark may be a line of oil or scum on along shore objects, or a more or less continuous deposit of fine shell or debris on the fore shore or berm. This mark is physical evidence of the general height reached by wave run up at recent high waters. It should not be confused with the mean high water line or mean higher high water line.

I think the problem is that HWM has not been determined with any scientific studies ordered by the BCC because they keep kicking the can down the road.

 

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

.......On the other hand, as Misty and others have pointed out, tax dollars have played a major role in the upkeep and enhancement of the beaches and taxpayers have a right to use what their taxes pay for.....

Care to elaborate on this comment as it relates to un-nourished private beach front property?