You are hereby notified that the Walton County Board of County Commissioners will hold a Public Workshop on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM or soon thereafter. The meeting will be held at the Emerald Coast Middle School located at 4019 US HWY 98, Santa Rosa Beach, FL.
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss public access to the beach.
Walton County adheres to the American with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable modifications for access to the meetings upon request. Please call (850) 892-8115 to make a request. For hearing impaired, please call 1-800-955-8771 (TDD), 1-800-955-8770 (VOICE). Requests must be received at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting to allow time to provide the requested services.
Replies
509
Beach Fanatic
That " No through traffic" sign has been there on BMB road since I was a teenager. There are similar signs around the county along with "No Outlet" signs and such. They were put there to assist the traffic flow and had nothing to do with beach access. Unless something has changed BMB road has a very narrow turn around at the east end and the road is not designed for a great amount of two-way traffic.
Beach Fanatic
BMBVAGRANTEloquent! (at least the way I interpret it).
Was curious how long it would be before we took a hard left turn away from civility.
Beach Fanatic
The reason people park in neighborhoods and on right-of-way is that there is inadequate parking at the regional accesses and there are not enough regional accesses to begin with. We need more legal, efficient parking areas and strict enforcement of parking laws in the neighborhoods and other areas where parking is not allowed. You cannot stop people from building on their property, that is not realistic. But we can use TDC dollars to purchase more legal parking in areas that will make the beach experience better and keep that traffic away from neighborhoods and private areas.
Agree 100%. County has failed at this. Why have we not purchased the lot at 30a & 393?
The current survey going around addresses this and other issues. Parking should be a huge priority.
Topsail State Park (West End of 30a) did have a program last year, but it failed miserably. TDC spent lots of $$$ to advertise and then touted its success... It was a failure, when it comes to vehicle traffic.
The head of that State Park just took a job with the TDC...
There is plenty of parking and it's about a 1/2 mile walk (or tram ride) to the beach.
Some people are simply just too lazy and out of shape to walk that far to the beach.
Beach Fanatic
That " No through traffic" sign has been there on BMB road since I was a teenager. There are similar signs around the county along with "No Outlet" signs and such. They were put there to assist the traffic flow and had nothing to do with beach access. Unless something has changed BMB road has a very narrow turn around at the east end and the road is not designed for a great amount of two-way traffic.
Danny, you might be recalling a sign from the old days that I (and a neighbor) don't remember seeing until the neighborhood sign was installed. Trust me, when we first saw it, it stuck out like a sore thumb.
Click for view from 2008 (no sign)
Click for view from 2015 (sign)
Click for closeup of sign
The above existing Old Blue Mountain Beach sign is definitely not "standard government issue". And it is just a suggestion of "Local Traffic Only". So unless you're "Local Traffic" (whatever that means), they are implying that you can't use those 3 public accesses if you plan to be dropped off or park in one of the very few places there.
This is in full contrast to a No Outlet sign which would actually be inaccurate if it were placed at the same location - but definitely appropriate if placed toward the end of the dead-end road AFTER the side streets that lead to 30A.
added:
Actually, the No Outlet sign is located where it should be:
Click here
Edited
Beach Fanatic
Danny, there is a turnaround at the end of Blue Mountain Rd now. It was added a few years ago. You can see it on the property appraiser's aerial.
Beach Lover
If I remember correctly, it is not really a turnaround; although I and others use it for that. The signage indicates the space is for emergency vehicle access, i.e. fire trucks, etc.
Beach Fanatic
I'd like to focus on learning a bit more about the peoples opinions that feel the entire beach is "public".
What I mean is, let's start with some definition of the area we are discussing.
When I opine, it is in reference to the beaches of 30a, not Scenic Gulf (old 98).
Why? Well most of Scenic Gulf beaches received renourishment and thus by receiving a tax payer funded benefit, it is now public.
30a beaches refused, by a landslide (and much to the chagrin of the County), to NOT take this and thus don't benefit from tax payer money.
So what areas of beach are everyone arguing about?
I think it's good to define this upfront.
Anyone?
What I mean is, let's start with some definition of the area we are discussing.
When I opine, it is in reference to the beaches of 30a, not Scenic Gulf (old 98).
Why? Well most of Scenic Gulf beaches received renourishment and thus by receiving a tax payer funded benefit, it is now public.
30a beaches refused, by a landslide (and much to the chagrin of the County), to NOT take this and thus don't benefit from tax payer money.
So what areas of beach are everyone arguing about?
I think it's good to define this upfront.
Anyone?
Beach Fanatic
I remember a huge fight at several BCC meetings regarding the end of BMB road and the turnaround or lack thereof. My memory is that it is very narrow and that emergency vehicles have a difficult time turning around. So a large amount of traffic probably would not be a good idea. The "local traffic only" sign I remember was a standard yellow road sign. That sign appears to be replaced by a much more attractive yet unofficial sign.
Beach Fanatic
I'd like to focus on learning a bit more about the peoples opinions that feel the entire beach is "public".They may have recently refused renourishment but in the past they have accepted government funded sand.
What I mean is, let's start with some definition of the area we are discussing.
When I opine, it is in reference to the beaches of 30a, not Scenic Gulf (old 98).
Why? Well most of Scenic Gulf beaches received renourishment and thus by receiving a tax payer funded benefit, it is now public.
30a beaches refused, by a landslide (and much to the chagrin of the County), to NOT take this and thus don't benefit from tax payer money.
So what areas of beach are everyone arguing about?
I think it's good to define this upfront.
Anyone?
Beach Fanatic
They may have recently refused renourishment but in the past they have accepted government funded sand.
Interesting.
What exactly is government funded sand and how does it differ from the renourishment project?
Beach Fanatic
They may have recently refused renourishment but in the past they have accepted government funded sand.Do you mean all of 30A or are you referring to specific areas? When was the government funded sand you are referring to?
Beach Fanatic
The renourishment project was funded by taxpaxers, hence government funded sand. As for when, I have lived in Walton county since 1994, so it has been since then.
Beach Fanatic
Bob Wells, wasn't that after one of the hurricanes, they used geotubes and used Ed Waline as the access point for the heavy equipment? I had forgot all about that until you mentioned it.
Beach Fanatic
OK, getting somewhere, but now where Specifically was this funded sand distributed?
All of 30a, part of it? Where, and did everyone take this "sandout"?
Was it 100% tax dollars or only a portion?
All of 30a, part of it? Where, and did everyone take this "sandout"?
Was it 100% tax dollars or only a portion?
Beach Fanatic
OK, getting somewhere, but now where Specifically was this funded sand distributed?If I remember correctly they moved the dredges all along 30a. It was after one of the hurricanes, may have been Ivan because there was the stink about some homeowners armoring the property past the dunes. Think it was around the time when Commissioner Cuchens was in office.
All of 30a, part of it? Where, and did everyone take this "sandout"?
Was it 100% tax dollars or only a portion?
Beach Fanatic
If I remember correctly they moved the dredges all along 30a. It was after one of the hurricanes, may have been Ivan because there was the stink about some homeowners armoring the property past the dunes. Think it was around the time when Commissioner Cuchens was in office.Bob, there was no sand deposited on private beach in our neck of the woods (or anywhere else that I know of) after and as a result of Ivan in 2004 and Dennis in 2005 by any governmental entity. ALL sand deposited in our area (Blue Mountain Beach) on private property was paid for by private property owners. I, like many others, know this first hand.
This is the kind of misinformation that does nobody any good but simply adds fuel to the fire to an already incendiary situation.
Beach Fanatic
If I remember correctly they moved the dredges all along 30a. It was after one of the hurricanes, may have been Ivan because there was the stink about some homeowners armoring the property past the dunes. Think it was around the time when Commissioner Cuchens was in office.Some private beach homes DID install seawalls (installed by a company Cuchens was affiliated with) that came under fire for not being permitted correctly if at all by DEP. For a while it was up in the air if the DEP was even going to make the homeowners dig them back up and restore the area to previous condition.
The geotubes were also only on private areas. (The Retreat and Gulf Trace come to mind) If I am not mistaken the heavy equipment at 393 was only used for rebuilding the area of Ed Walline which is public.
Beach Lover
For those of you that have been here a long time, how much beach have we lost. I am reading that our part of the coast is losing 1/2 - 1' foot per year.
Beach Fanatic
For those of you that have been here a long time, how much beach have we lost. I am reading that our part of the coast is losing 1/2 - 1' foot per year.From the aerial pics I have seen it appears we have gained quite a bit in the last 10 years. We went to having ZERO feet in most places in 2006 to the width of the beach today.... all done by Mother Nature herself and no renourishment.
SoWal Insider
Vagrant: Please stop getting hostile about every comment made that doesn't fit your narrative. I also recall that there was some "re-nourishment" done on some beaches somewhere after Ivan or Dennis. I can't really recall the specifics and there was certainly a lot more private beach "re-nourishment" and armoring, much of which were without legal permits. It certainly may not have been in Blue Mountain Beach, but this issue isn't segregated to that one community. It seems like it would be helpful to look for compromises and possible solutions for the entire 30-A stretch of beach than to pick fights about what signs were where and when in your particular area.
Beach Fanatic
There is photographic details in the SOWAL photo archives....just scroll down to about 2005
Beach Lover
I checked out the photos in the sowal photo archive. One photo references a DEP approved beach scraping in 2005. The reference was attributed to a photo of two beachfront homes located in Old Blue Mountain Beach. Does anyone know who did the beach scraping.
"Beach scraping is defined as the movement of sand from the intertidal zone to the dune or upper beach by mechanical means."
"Beach scraping is defined as the movement of sand from the intertidal zone to the dune or upper beach by mechanical means."
Beach Lover
I'd like to focus on learning a bit more about the peoples opinions that feel the entire beach is "public"."
MRBS says: My 2 cents: as a child we rented gulf front starting in my life in the 60s. all this time have thought the beach seaward of the toe of dune was public. that's just how we've seen it. Now we rent in the grove in seagrove off beach and hope no one runs us off when we go to the beach. I understand the frustration I think as best I can, with the fact that 30a is no longer "secret" and regarding the masses that now come with sometimes corresponding lack of respect. So I think enforcement of existing ordinances is the key. Sorry about all of this.
SoWal Insider
Beach scraping is what went on in Seagrove after one or both of Ivan and Dennis. It didn't involve "adding sand". Whether this constitutes government re-nourishment is kind of an interesting question.
Beach Lover
john g: tried to fix my post to clarify what my response is to your inquiry. sorry for the error!
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