The County is just following the Procedures set forth in unfair, arbitrary House Bill 631 designed to create a process for beach counties wishing to affirm Customary Use. A Bill beachfront owners supported rather than letting the current court cases continue. They can't have it both ways....support the Bill then cry foul and say they are victimized when the County follows the procedures set forth in the Bill.
The Customary Use Ordinance should have held and been decided in the courts but the Florida Legislature at the urging of powerful political forces unfairly overreached against the home rule our County.
Customary Use should have held until Judge Green ruled in this case but the Florida Legislature, by starting the law on July 1, 2018 denied the people the full use of our beaches as they have always used them. This start date, empowering beachfront owners to exclude good people from the sands they have played and relaxed on with their families for hundreds of years. Let the Judge decide or as it will be, Judges.
NO, the County did not just arbitrarily decide to sue the 1200 + properties, they were following orders from the Florida Legislature and reacting to the outlawing of our County’s lawfully passed County Ordinance. The County was put into a box; it was either lose the use of the beach for it's citizens and visitors or follow the HB631 procedures to reinstate Customary Use.
The county had no choice; follow the procedures set forth in house bill 631 or just rollover and let our beaches become a patchwork of private and public beaches. I admire and applaud their conviction by taking measures to preserve the public use of all of our beaches for us and future generations. And if this lawsuit is won the rest of Florida and The Nation can thank them for taking this first important and essential step.