Walton County: Leave no Trace - modified ordinance approved

[Andy A]

So basically, you have to take your stuff off the beach at night (unless you get a permit for your volleyball net), but you can just chuck it near the dunes and it's okay?

I may be wrong, but it is my interpretation that you can only leave stuff at the "toe of the dune" on private property and then under a walkover. I have called a Commissioner to check on what is really meant by "toe of the dune".

 

[Matt J]

I may be wrong, but it is my interpretation that you can only leave stuff at the "toe of the dune" on private property and then under a walkover. I have called a Commissioner to check on what is really meant by "toe of the dune".

Hopefully it was Sarah Commander since she's the only commissioner I've ever seen on the beach.

 

[Andy A]

Hopefully it was Sarah Commander since she's the only commissioner I've ever seen on the beach.

It was. Most of the time I think she is the only one with a clue as to what is going on.

 

[GoodWitch58]

It was. Most of the time I think she is the only one with a clue as to what is going on.

I agree. It certainly seems she is the only one who is willing to interact with the public. I guess the rest of them ignore their email/phone calls.

 

[Em]

My guess is that three weeks of heavy enforcement would raise enough stink that every home owner would warn their guests and renters accordingly, and then people would start doing the right thing.

Regarding the comment by TechPyle about individuals owning most of the beach in South Walton, I'm curious to know where you get that information since no one at the county offices seems to know. My personal experience is that the property appraiser's site is wrong in many cases, and you must look up each individual deed, as well as every sub-division recording and attachments, since some developments started off with the HOA owning the beach land, but the recording notes that if the developer ever disolves, the ownership goes to each individual beach-front owner. So, you can't look solely at the original plat to know who actually has the legal deed to the property.

One other note to clarify property rights -- my understanding is that a renter of a property basically steps into the shoes of the owner, as far as usage rights of the property, so to say that a renter has less usage would likely be incorrect, in a legal sense. (I'm not a lawyer, and not pretending to be.)

I would like to see the beach remain much in the same way it was when most of us first saw it -- free of cheap plastic toys, large shovels, and tents. That is just me. Being very aware of the intense dangers of the sun, protection is needed in the way of shade, so I can live with tents and umbrellas, even if left out during lunch and high-rate cancer periods from 11am-3pm. However, when people leave the beach for the day, they should be considerate of others enjoyment and remove the items which they brought. If plastic toys/shovels/pales etc are brought, perhaps the parents could count the number of such items with their kids, and make the kids collect all of them when leaving the beach each time, even during lunch breaks. Being on vacation is no excuse for not being a good parent, teaching your children respect not only for others, but also of your surrounding/environment.

 

[GoodWitch58]

I agree, Murray. I think the biggest problem is simply the lack of good manners and consideration for others. the adults/parents don't have any, and their children are learning inconsideration by modeling what they see the adults in their lives do.

Left to their own devices the children would most likely pick their toys up and take them home with them..or not even have them in the first place.

It is mindboggling to see so-called grown-ups behave as some do--as JDarg said in another thread, who among us would go to Eden State Park and leave chairs and tents set up for days at the time!

Why do they feel they have the right to do it at the beach? I will never understand that mindset.

 

[30A Skunkape]

As long as we are bringing up the topic of beach courtesy, I must sadly present the first compound fracture maker of 2010. Hole was abandoned at Grayton along with the plastic shovel used by the digger. Shovel inserted at full depth for scale. Fear not, I filled hole and threw away shovel. :angry:

 

[Andy A]

At 12:40 P.M. today, I spoke with Commissioner Comander regarding leaving items on the beach overnight. It was the intention of the BCC to allow items left overnight to remain as long as they were stored at the toe of the dune under a walkover. This does not apply to public accesses. I appreciate Commissioner Comander returning my call and answering my question but expected no less from her as such is always the case. I only wish I could say the same for all of the Commissioners.

 

[Michmash]

Ash, if you should get emails blocked by the county, please post that on the website or PM me. I'd like to call a Commissioner or two...maybe five.

I know most all government agencies have limits on the file sizes that can be sent and/or recieved. Any email exceeding a certain size will get booted automatically by the server, and image files are usually pretty big, if you were sending pics.

 

[Red Dawg]

We need to call Scott(835-4860) & Cecilia(231-2978). They represent the beach communities. Never hurts to call the TDC.