Vacation plans and beach access

I've always heard (and I may be incorrect) but Rosemary's biggest concern is parking. They really don't have enough parking for people to come in and stay put all day while enjoying the beach. Without access to short term parking, the restaurants and shops can't survive! So, it's provide beach parking or retail. I vote for retail. There are other places to go to the beach!

as mentioned above, parking takes up valuable real estate. rosemary has about the worst parking plan and the narrowest streets of them all. some planner's smart idea...

the idea of them touting the number of people they kicked out is par for the course, sadly.

We are looking into going to Seabrook SC on vacation next year. Anyone have any contacts in Seabrook?

Seabrook Island is an interesting choice as it is primarily a private, gated island as are most here in SC. Here is your best bet for a rental with beach access.

Seabrook Island Resort

www.seabrook.com

A mere 30 minutes south of bustling Charleston, Seabrook Island Resort offers visitors an uncrowded and serene escape. A 2,200-acre, privately gated, beachfront community, Seabrook features a fine collection of luxurious private homes, villas and cottages with sweeping views of the ocean. With two premier golf courses, a top-rated racquet club and the area's only full-service equestrian center, Seabrook is an active vacationer's dream.

I agree the "terrorizing pedestrians" was a little strongly worded but that's how my 11 year old described the road so thats what I wrote.

Darwin, due to your statements concerning South Walton, yesterday I called all our County Commissioners to express my concern about beach usage and the loss of families like yours coming to the area. I also called the TDC and had a long conversation with one of their spokesman. He told me something I found very interesting. He said that 99.9% of the calls he receives about use of the beach are from "private" beach owners complaining about the use of "their" beach. If this is true, us SoWalers in favor of public use of the beach are really dropping the ball. How about some calls to the Commissioners and TDC expressing your opionions. What does everyone think?

I agree the "terrorizing pedestrians" was a little strongly worded but that's how my 11 year old described the road so thats what I wrote.

That's one good thing about kids--they call the shots as they see 'em.

As a long time visitor top Sowal, if I cannot access and use the beach except for the 5' public access and the wet sand area, then there is no reason for me to ever come back there.

Sorry.

As a long time visitor top Sowal, if I cannot access and use the beach except for the 5' public access and the wet sand area, then there is no reason for me to ever come back there.

Sorry.

Please email that to the commissioners and TDC!!!

Darwin, due to your statements concerning South Walton, yesterday I called all our County Commissioners to express my concern about beach usage and the loss of families like yours coming to the area. I also called the TDC and had a long conversation with one of their spokesman. He told me something I found very interesting. He said that 99.9% of the calls he receives about use of the beach are from "private" beach owners complaining about the use of "their" beach. If this is true, us SoWalers in favor of public use of the beach are really dropping the ball. How about some calls to the Commissioners and TDC expressing your opionions. What does everyone think?

I would really like to see the stats on this; is it 99.9% of 20 calls, or 2,000..if anyone from the TDC is reading this, perhaps a report on this kind of information would be helpful to people trying to figure out what is going on with the public vs private beach issue.

Please email that to the commissioners and TDC!!!

give me some email address and off it goes.

scott brannon <brascott@co.walton.fl.us>,
Cindy Meadows <meacindy@co.Walton.fl.us>,
Sara Commander <comsara@co.Walton.fl.us>,
ken pridgen <prikenneth@co.walton.fl.us>,
larry jones <jonlarry@co.walton.fl.us>

I would really like to see the stats on this; is it 99.9% of 20 calls, or 2,000..if anyone from the TDC is reading this, perhaps a report on this kind of information would be helpful to people trying to figure out what is going on with the public vs private beach issue.

IMO it doesn't matter if it is 20 or 2000. The spokesman said the majority of the calls regarding use of the beach were from complaining "private" beach owners. As I rememember, he said mine was the first he had received touting the use of the beach as "public".

Just my two cents from a slightly different perspective.

If you truly want to make an impact with your calls and emails, you should contact your elected representatives that make and enforce the laws. Not a staff person for a county department (the TDC) that has no ability to change what the laws are or how they are enforced. As can be seen by the email from the TDC, they know it is happening, the county attorney knows it is happening, everyone knows it could/will negatively impact what is happening in sowal and who is visiting, not to mention the residents who are also caught up in this. These same county staff people are involved in giving the County Commissioners the information and they have/are.

My point is that the only two groups that can change this are the County Commissioners and the Sheriff. Could you imagine having to respond to numerous phone calls and emails over and over about the same thing when you have absolutely no control over it and have already told everyone above you what is happening? It would be FRUSTRATING as HE11! Consider that when you decide who to contact as whatever time is spent listening and responding to the same emails and phone calls over and over take away from the numerous other jobs they should be doing.

Just my two cents from a slightly different perspective.

If you truly want to make an impact with your calls and emails, you should contact your elected representatives that make and enforce the laws. Not a staff person for a county department (the TDC) that has no ability to change what the laws are or how they are enforced. As can be seen by the email from the TDC, they know it is happening, the county attorney knows it is happening, everyone knows it could/will negatively impact what is happening in sowal and who is visiting, not to mention the residents who are also caught up in this. These same county staff people are involved in giving the County Commissioners the information and they have/are.

My point is that the only two groups that can change this are the County Commissioners and the Sheriff. Could you imagine having to respond to numerous phone calls and emails over and over about the same thing when you have absolutely no control over it and have already told everyone above you what is happening? It would be FRUSTRATING as HE11! Consider that when you decide who to contact as whatever time is spent listening and responding to the same emails and phone calls over and over take away from the numerous other jobs they should be doing.

That's why I posted the emails for the County Commissioners, not for the TDC etc. They need to hear from people BESIDES the "private" beach folks who don't just call, but also require multiple visits from the Sheriff. Apparently the only voice/opinion they're hearing (don't know if the hearing is selective based on campaign $) is that of those who want private beaches! Call, e-mail, and let them know how you feel!

That's why I posted the emails for the County Commissioners, not for the TDC etc. They need to hear from people BESIDES the "private" beach folks who don't just call, but also require multiple visits from the Sheriff. Apparently the only voice/opinion they're hearing (don't know if the hearing is selective based on campaign $) is that of those who want private beaches! Call, e-mail, and let them know how you feel!

YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT the beach users need to be heard, I just was with you in trying to focus the direction.

I would think those that own homes/cottages w/out a private access would be beating at the door of the elected officials. I don't know about others, but upon our return, we will be looking for a place w/ private beach access that we can confirm is private. Not to be exclusive by any means, but to make sure we have access to the beach!!!

YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT the beach users need to be heard, I just was with you in trying to focus the direction.

With all due respect, if you will read my original post, you will not that I said I contacted ALL Commissioners. The only one I couldn't reach was Scott Brannon.

With all due respect, if you will read my original post, you will not that I said I contacted ALL Commissioners. The only one I couldn't reach was Scott Brannon.

No respect needed ;-)

If you noticed, I was careful not to quote anyone in regards to who to contact and who not too. It just appeared in at least one post for the general beach goer to contact the County Commission AND the TDC. I just stated why I thought that contacting the TDC to complain about the public's right to use the beach was not the answer and why contacting the BCC and Sheriff was.

As for your specific situation as a beach front property owner, that is good to call anyone who will listen. Calling over and over as a general beach visitor (not owner) to say that the beaches should be open/public/useable would be better directed at the decision makers and enforcers.

scott brannon <brascott@co.walton.fl.us>,
Cindy Meadows <meacindy@co.Walton.fl.us>,
Sara Commander <comsara@co.Walton.fl.us>,
ken pridgen <prikenneth@co.walton.fl.us>,
larry jones <jonlarry@co.walton.fl.us>

Everyone email your County Commissioners today and tell them you want the beaches available for everyone to use!

Wonder what guests at The new Seacrest Inn do? I mean how do all them get to the beach? Come to think of it why do I really care? They are my rental competition. I guess because it would be nice if someone asks us again.

SK,

just fyi.....since you asked....

The Inn at Seacrest, The Alexander, Seacrest Beach Subdivision, The Village of South Walton and Treetop all have the same deeded beach access through Sunset Beach. Once on the beach they have so many feet that they are allowed to use. They are not supposed to venture in front of Paradise by the Sea subdivision. (which is crazy b/c the beach there is sooooooo large and what, 8 houses? I never ever see anyone there but dont worry there is a homeowner there who will chew you out:roll

IBD

That is just selfish. I'm sorry.

Just to clarify the issue of Rosemary Beach bragging about turning beach goers away. First, this weekend is Homeowner's weekend. Secondly last year during this time homeowner's expressed frustration at the number of people on the beach who did not live/stay in Rosemary. The Rosemary Thymes is primarily a communication between the HOA management and the owner's. The biggest complaint that homeowner's had was the number of people from Seacrest Beach (The badly planned development), Village of South Walton, and other area's that were using the beach access. Truly if you are mad at anyone it should be the unscrupulous developers that decided to build 500+ houses and condos and then give them deeded beach access that amounts to several square feet per residence. The Rosemary Thymes article, although cruel sounding, is more of a justification why the HOA spent money on a security guard. I'm sure everyone who belongs to a HOA or CA likes to know that there dues are being well spent and not frittered away on rediculous expenses.

Having said all that it does seem rediculous that people are fighting over sand that ultimately nature will move along with the incredibly expensive home built on it.

Just my two cents from a slightly different perspective.

If you truly want to make an impact with your calls and emails, you should contact your elected representatives that make and enforce the laws. Not a staff person for a county department (the TDC) that has no ability to change what the laws are or how they are enforced. As can be seen by the email from the TDC, they know it is happening, the county attorney knows it is happening, everyone knows it could/will negatively impact what is happening in sowal and who is visiting, not to mention the residents who are also caught up in this. These same county staff people are involved in giving the County Commissioners the information and they have/are.

My point is that the only two groups that can change this are the County Commissioners and the Sheriff. Could you imagine having to respond to numerous phone calls and emails over and over about the same thing when you have absolutely no control over it and have already told everyone above you what is happening? It would be FRUSTRATING as HE11! Consider that when you decide who to contact as whatever time is spent listening and responding to the same emails and phone calls over and over take away from the numerous other jobs they should be doing.

Neither the sheriff nor anyone in the sheriff's dept can change things. I am dismayed that people keep blaming the sheriff's department. They do not go out of their way to remove people from certain areas of the beach; they respond ONLY WHEN SOMEONE COMPLAINS. It is not their fault that most beachfront deeds read down to the mean high water line, nor can they argue with the verbage on someone's deed. The deeds read that way because, way back when, there was no coastal construction line and the intent was not to give the beach away, but to ensure that if you bought gulf-front, nobody could build in front of you.

It would be nice if the gulf-front owners who are creating the issue wouldn't be jackasses, but I don't see any way to legally change the ownership. And the TDC is correct - of the complaints that the county receives, the majority are from beachfront owners who are complaining that their right to a private beach is not being enforced.

Meanwhile, we all grit our teeth and bite our tongues...

But how does the Sheriff who responds know that the particular beach in question is in fact deeded to the mean high water? Does he check the deed? And if it has the appropriate language, how does he then go about determining where the MHW actually is? If you read the language in the Florida Statute where MHW is defined, it is a nineteen-year average and it is not exactly straightforward. I have been told it can only be accurately determined by a survey.
And then you have beachfront owners like the ones in Old Seagrove who claim that all those seawalls were "mistakenly" located as much as 40 feet seaward of their property lines. None of them noticed when they were under construction that they were on public beach? If you believe that, I have some swamp land in South Florida for sale.

If the sand is wet, then it is south of the MHWL. As far as reading the deed, the property owners who complain typically have copies of their deed ready to evidence that their beach is "private."

This is one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations. There is really no happy medium.

My point is, don't blame the cops (unless the person being asked to move acts like a jerk, they ask nicely). Blame the property owner who called them and is now at the top of the hill, gloating at the power he or she is able to wield.

Those are great points SN. It really does come down to the property owner. My only point was that there is a law maker and an enforcer and only those two parties can decide how the issue is handled. Not an informational agency.

Since there is some interpretation that the enforcers have to do in this case, I think we would all agree that the best place to start is with the law makers to direct that interpretation differently through ordinance IF that is what they choose. If anyone was at the BCC meeting tonight, it looks like those law makers have decided that they are going to take the issue up. It should be fun to watch.

Beach SiO2..., you got up and left and missed meeting me! But, I know who you are now! I also met greenroomsurfer and jack s! Miss Kitty does county hall!