Santa Rosa Commission poised to weaken Navarre Beach public access protection
The meeting happens Thursday, January 13, at 9:00 a.m. in Santa Rosa County Commission Chambers at 6495 Caroline St./Hwy. 90 (behind McDonalds), Milton.
Contact Santa Rosa County Commissioners at 983-1877 or:
Commissioner Jim Williamson: comm-williamson@santarosa.fl.gov
Commissioner Bob Cole: comm-cole@santarosa.fl.gov
Commissioner Don Salter: Comm-Salter@santarosa.fl.gov
Commissioner Jim Melvin: comm-melvin@santarosa.fl.gov
Commissioner Lane Lynchard: comm-lynchard@santarosa.fl.gov
Pensacola, Fla. (January 11, 2011) Santa Rosa Commissioners will weaken public beach access protection if a vote to change proposed Federal legislation passes this Thursday’s Santa Rosa Commission meeting.
The verbiage in question is part of a joint Escambia-Santa Rosa County effort to ask Congress to transfer beach property title authority to County control.
Both Escambia and Santa Rosa Commissioners originally drafted wording that specifically protected existing public access “conservation/recreation” areas, in perpetuity (see below).
But after Santa Rosa Commissioner Jim Melvin asked that the verbiage be changed to allow for updates in accordance with beach Master Plan changes, commissioners knuckled under and moved to weaken public protections. The new language leaves the door open for future commissioners to restrict or block beach access in areas currently zoned for public use, at will.
“If this goes through Congress and they get title, that’s it. They could pretty much steamroll over public objections and cut off and sell any place they feel like on the beach,” remarked Deborah Nelson, LWVPBA President. “All they’d have to do is change the zoning designation away from conservation/recreation.”
“Proponents of this want us to believe this is all about jobs, but there’s already plenty of land zoned for commercial development all along Navarre Beach. It just doesn’t include the park and lagoon areas big developers have their eye on. This pivotal point could decide people’s ability to step foot on their own beach for generations to come.”
Commissioners still must vote the final change in Thursday.
The League of Women Voters of the Pensacola Bay Area urges commissioners to use the original wording that protects areas currently set aside for public access, forever. Historically, as beaches develop, public access inevitably suffers. The original verbiage would have definitively protected residents’ ability to enjoy the area’s beautiful beaches for ours and future generations.
Parcels currently zoned for public access include the former State Park located on the eastern portion of Navarre beach, and a large, undeveloped area off White Sands Blvd. that hosts a lagoon, mature dunes, old Magnolias, a natural mullet nursery and other ecological treasures.
It’s not clear how the change would impact Escambia residents’ future beach access security.
Unfortunately, it appears the Pensacola daily newspaper has failed to report on this major issue; one that will decide future residents’ right to access their own beaches. The League is concerned that the lack of adequate reporting may leave residents uninformed about the coming threat to beach access until it’s too late to do anything about it.
The League would urge concerned citizens to spread the word and attend Thursday’s meeting to voice their objections before the language passes.
The meeting happens Thursday, January 13, at 9:00 a.m. in Santa Rosa County Commission Chambers at 6495 Caroline St./Hwy. 90 (behind McDonalds), Milton.
Contact Santa Rosa County Commissioners at 983-1877 or:
Commissioner Jim Williamson: comm-williamson@santarosa.fl.gov
Commissioner Bob Cole: comm-cole@santarosa.fl.gov
Commissioner Don Salter: Comm-Salter@santarosa.fl.gov
Commissioner Jim Melvin: comm-melvin@santarosa.fl.gov
Commissioner Lane Lynchard: comm-lynchard@santarosa.fl.gov
The first version of the verbiage read: “WHEREAS the counties intend such legislation to require the counties to preserve those areas on Pensacola Beach dedicated to conservation, preservation, public, recreation or access uses and preserve conservation, preservation, public, recreation or access uses on Navarre Beach which are consistent with Santa Rosa County’s Navarre Beach Master Plan 2001 Update and preserve the parking areas at New Jersey Street, Tennessee Street, Louisiana Street, Indiana Street and Georgia Street, all on Navarre Beach;”
The new, weakened version reads: “WHEREAS Santa Rosa County intends such legislation to require it to preserve areas for conservation, preservation, public, recreation or access uses on Navarre Beach, which are consistent with Santa Rosa County’s Navarre Beach Master Plan 2001 Update as the said plan may be amended, changed or updated from time to time and to provide parking areas on Navarre Beach including preservation of the parking areas at New Jersey Street, Tennessee Street, Louisiana Street, Indiana Street and Georgia Street, all on Navarre beach;”
For more information contact Deborah Nelson at 850-449-1746.