Reasons Behind Customary Use - Protection or Development?

[Shannon Lince]

To quote Teresa:
"Using the beach is a fundamental human activity."

Shannon and Grace and Fact or Fiction, give it up, guys. You are up against a towering intellect, one willing to dispassionately consider all points of view for however many microseconds may be required for those posting facts as opposed to those venting emotions. She is Moderator? Let's not try to confuse all these people with facts. They have their own alternative worldview, and they make Google look like the house organ of the Alt-Right.

Using the beach is a fundamental human activity, after all. Let's face it. You can't argue with the unfathomable.

Huh. I didn't think moderators were supposed to argue or attack the forum posters? I thought moderators were supposed to be neutral. Are you sure she's a moderator? Maybe that's a different user named Teresa.

Shannon

 

[jodiFL]

Huh. I didn't think moderators were supposed to argue or attack the forum posters? I thought moderators were supposed to be neutral. Are you sure she's a moderator? Maybe that's a different user named Teresa.

Shannon

Maybe you didnt notice that the quotation marks end after the word "activity". lazin&drinkin isnt a moderator that I know of.

 

[Teresa]

Discussion on this and all local issues are important among members of the community. We all care very much about what happens to the beaches and beyond the beach.

All opinions are important. We have a lot of people working hard to make a difference. I am just one of many community members who believe in customary use and always have. I'm seeing some attacks on Facebook that are petty and desperate. Don't bring them here please. Keep it civil.

Whatever happens, it's our community. Debate, share information, go to meetings, write your Walton County commissioners and state representatives. Join a local group, volunteer, learn more about the issues, get involved. Share your ideas here and elsewhere.

@lazin&drinkin I would just ask that you share your thoughtful opinions without attacking others. But thanks for the sweet words. Opinion noted. If I've offended you then I sincerely apologize.

Keep it constructive. There will always be differing opinions. Your contributions are always valuable. Let's remember to keep posts thoughtful so that we can have real dialog and make a difference.

 

[bob bob]

Huh. I didn't think moderators were supposed to argue or attack the forum posters? I thought moderators were supposed to be neutral. Are you sure she's a moderator? Maybe that's a different user named Teresa.

Shannon

 

[Lake View Too]

Grace, you are entirely correct to ask these questions. Unfortunately, Walton county is blinded to what's really behind all of this --- increasing density of short-term rentals and flipping residential areas into tourist zones.

Unfortunately for Walton county's future - the local leaders and the passionate locals are like sheep asking for directions to the slaughter house. They haven't bothered to even pop their head up on the internet and see what other Florida residential communities are facing with the exponential explosion of renting (what were once) single family homes as short term rentals and flipping residential beach front areas into investor zones.

This is what another community is writing about - they understand what's really happening - the bigger picture.

"The real estate industry is aggressively lobbying the Florida legislators to further curtail the ability of communities to limit the ill-effects on the communities caused by increasing short term rentals.

The long-term effects on neighborhoods and communities can be profound. If you talk to the steadily decreasing residential community in Bradenton Beach, they will tell you they are moving because there is no longer a sense of community, the number of tourists is many times more dense than when their street was inhabited by neighbors, that the traffic and late night noise have become intolerable. The residents are leaving. Too soon, what was once a unique friendly beach town will become only a tourist destination."

Customary use as it is being implemented in Walton county is designed to push out the historical "beach neighborhoods" with full-time residents, which are anchored by their own stretch of beach ... and turn these beaches into a wide open commodity --- the locals doing the real estate industry lobbyists and developers bidding. How many full-time residents are at Seaside?, recent article, 12.

You think ECAR who is strongly behind this and rewriting their listings and denying they ever sold private beach property because they are just "good citizens" and privatization (the new buzz word) is "wrong"? How about Senator Bill Nelson? You really think he's all about "helping Walton county"? Or just old fashioned politics?

The recent photo with the dead sea turtle stuck in a bar stool, is a good example of what is going to uncontrollably hit these beaches once they actually are "opened up" to all new development and the plans are carried out. The rare coastal dune lakes won't be the pretty pictures that sowal.com posts - because once the density doubles those areas will be lined with tourists and all they bring with them. Tourist numbers go up sea turtle nests and other wildlife goes down. This isn't hard to understand.

To vote in customary use without demanding a growth plan and preservation plan attached to it is idiotic and irresponsible.

The community just can't seem to connect the dots, and as long as their emotions are whipped up into a civil war, they are distracted and won't even recognize there are long-term strategies being played out on the bigger stages: Real Estate, Politics, Development.

When these self-appointed community leaders voices say they want to make our beaches a "shared resource" we all should be paying very close attention to what those two words really mean. And if anyone thinks this is really about "giving the beaches "back" to the locals --- well that's simply a very naive view of what's actually happening here: Real Estate, Politics, Development.

Other communities in Florida understand what's really behind this. Maybe Walton county will poke it's head out and see what's happening around Florida and finally wake up, maybe it won't.

Signed,
A full-time resident
Shannon Lince

A full time resident who only joined SOWAL 3 days ago? Oops, your credibility is showing...

 

[jodiFL]

Shannon Lince..may I ask how long you have been a full time resident and just how you found out about the SOWAL area since your location says "Atlanta"?

 

[Shannon Lince]

Shannon Lince..may I ask how long you have been a full time resident and just how you found out about the SOWAL area since your location says "Atlanta"?

Sure you can ask. I vote where I live, and that's Walton county Florida, not that it's any of your or anyone else's business.

Shannon

 

[Shannon Lince]

A full time resident who only joined SOWAL 3 days ago? Oops, your credibility is showing...

That's an odd comment coming from someone completely anonymous.

 

[Lake View Too]

I'm not anonymous to my friends. And your point is?

 

[Shannon Lince]

I'm not anonymous to my friends. And your point is?

Unless you have something constructive to add to the conversation or debate, I think we are done here.

Shannon