SUBMIT Customary Use Affidavits & Photos to Walton County. Info for Locals & Visitors...

[Teresa]

Walton County is requesting that YOU submit a notarized affidavit and/or photos showing customary use on South Walton beaches during previous visits. Locals, second homeowners, visitors and everyone who has visited our beaches can participate in this important process. The deadline is September 8 when the Walton County Board of County Commissioners will have a public hearing to affirm customary use and draft an ordinance.

We need every affidavit, so if you've ever set foot on the Beaches of South Walton and are over 18, please submit your affidavit. Locations and instructions below. It only takes a few minutes to submit an affidavit, email photos, or both actions. Take a stand in the sand and help us regain our Customary Use of all beaches once and for all.

Walton County Website: homepage includes Customary Use affidavit instructions and info

Submit an Affidavit
View Affidavit Instructions
Download Affidavit Form
View Map of County Beach Areas
Download Full Packet

Visit these Walton County offices where you can pick up an affidavit, have it notarized for free, and submit:

• Walton County Planning Department, South Walton Courthouse Annex, 31 Coastal Centre Boulevard, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, 32459
• Walton County Attorney’s Office, 161 East Sloss Avenue, DeFuniak Springs, Florida, 32433

Many local businesses are also hosting affidavit events where you can fill out the paperwork, have it notarized and leave it for submission by the event organizers. See below for places throughout Walton County.

Submit Your Photos
Include Name, Location and Date
Email to: BeachIssues@co.walton.fl.us or drop them off at

Out of Town?
If you live out of the area, please download the affidavit and have it completed according to instructions and mail in to Walton County. Mail to: 161 East Sloss Ave, DeFuniak Springs, FL 32433. Email photos to BeachIssues@co.walton.fl.us. Your affidavit is important to attest that you have visited South Walton beaches especially those that are not currently public beach accesses.

On September 8, Walton County Board of County Commissioners will meet to address customary use and affirm the existence of customary use on all beaches.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ADOPT A FORMAL NOTICE OF INTENT TO AFFIRM THE EXISTENCE OF RECREATIONAL CUSTOMARY USES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY

The Walton County Board of County Commissioners proposes to adopt a formal Notice of Intent to affirm the existence of recreational customary uses on beachfront property in Walton County, Florida.

You are hereby notified that a Public Hearing on the Notice of Intent will be held on September 8, 2018, beginning at 9:00 a.m., or as soon as possible to that time, at the South Walton High School located at 645 Greenway Trail, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

This public meeting regarding Walton County's intent to move forward with the customary use ordinance is the first step required by the State of Florida's legislation that went into effect July 1. There will be a large crowd for the public hearing so arrive as early as possible. The public will be given the chance to speak at the hearing.

Please help SAVE OUR BEACHES by submiting your affidavit today!

PLACES TO SUBMIT AFFIDAVIT

Walton County Planning Department South Walton Annex
31 Coastal Centre Boulevard, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, 32459

Bud & Alley's Restaurant will have a notary public available on the Bud & Alley's Roofdeck from the hours of 4:30 to 6:00 daily beginning Wednesday August 22 and every day until September 8th (deadline!). They will have the affidavits available for filling out to be notarized. Both residents and tourists may fill out the forms. The Notary will be there to notarize Customary Use Affidavits for those people wishing to declare their use of the beaches in the past. The notarized affidavits will be delivered to the County Courthouse.

Many more wonderful businesses, places and notaries are holding AFFIDAVIT EVENTS this week and next, throughout September 8! Here is a partial list (the list keeps growing) - if you know of other events please add to this discussion.

Daniel Uhfelder Law Office Grayton Beach M-F 8-5
30A local Realty Grayton Beach M-F
Bud and Alley's Roofdeck 4:30-6pm Aug 22 through Sep 8
Johnny McTighe's Irish Pub Friday Aug 24 6-8pm
Shunk Gulley Oyster Bar Friday Aug 24 6-8pm
Seagrove Village Market Friday Aug 24 11am - 1:30pm
Sundog Books Aug 25 9am - 2pm
UPS Store Inlet Beach M-F 8am - 6:30pm
The Red Bar Aug 26 12-3pm
For the Health of It Aug 26 10am til...
Ed Walline Beach Access Aug 25 10am - 2pm
Elmore's Landing Aug 26 12-3pm
Pizza by the Sea WaterColor Crossings Aug 26 10am - 6pm
30A Songwriters Coffee & Music Aug 27 & 28 6-9pm

See other locations below: Freeport, DeFuniak Springs, Destin

 

[Teresa]

If you would like to learn more and help support the Customary Use of South Walton Beaches, please follow Florida Beaches For All, a new local group with some of our most active proponents of Customary Use serving on the board and providing educational support to the community.

Florida Beaches Belong to Everyone...

Florida Beaches For All:
Sign up for the newsletter to get involved and stay up to date at floridabeachesforall.org

#STANDYOURSAND Repeal HB631| keep beaches open to everyone especially our children and their children

NO COMPROMISE
Also, be wary of other groups sprouting up just recently made up of certain individuals who are pushing for "compromise" of Customary Use. There really is no compromise when it comes to keeping our beaches accessible to the public as they've always been. We should not be interested in a few people out of the entire beach town who are going to "allow" us access to our beaches under certain circumstances. The greed and politics are beyond acceptable in the case of protecting and preserving our rights to use our beaches.

 

[beachmax]

wow. I did not know that the beaches were going to be closed if customary use does not become the law of the land. Do you mean that kids, veterans, teachers, tourists and taxpayers will be expelled from the beach. This CU ruse is all about the rich developers activating their inland holdings. I wrote earlier about St. Joe's Latitude Margaritaville developing 175,000 homes on the north side of West Bay. If Bay and Okaloosa counties do not impose CU on their beaches just imaging the overcrowding that will take place on our pristine beaches when the constant stream of buses dump thousands of additional people each day. Just follow the money. The local population is being duped by a corrupt local government, unethical developers, commercial bars and restaurants and individuals that live in gated communities and will not feel the effect of CU. Money, money, money. Heck I forgot the aggressive beach vendors that are creating a large part of the problem of beach overcrowding by taking up space that may not be used to the exclusion of the average beach goer.

 

[FactorFiction]

wow. I did not know that the beaches were going to be closed if customary use does not become the law of the land. Do you mean that kids, veterans, teachers, tourists and taxpayers will be expelled from the beach. This CU ruse is all about the rich developers activating their inland holdings. I wrote earlier about St. Joe's Latitude Margaritaville developing 175,000 homes on the north side of West Bay. If Bay and Okaloosa counties do not impose CU on their beaches just imaging the overcrowding that will take place on our pristine beaches when the constant stream of buses dump thousands of additional people each day. Just follow the money. The local population is being duped by a corrupt local government, unethical developers, commercial bars and restaurants and individuals that live in gated communities and will not feel the effect of CU. Money, money, money. Heck I forgot the aggressive beach vendors that are creating a large part of the problem of beach overcrowding by taking up space that may not be used to the exclusion of the average beach goer.

If customary use does not become the law of the land, there will still be miles of beach open to the public. Walton County has 8 PUBLIC regional accesses with restroom facilities (3 more coming online in 2019) and is also fortunate to have PUBLIC state parks with miles of pristine beaches (Grayton and Topsail). While there are some private beachfront owners who will likely choose to exclude everyone except invited guests, there are many who have no such desire. Many of the privately deeded beaches also serve inland neighborhoods with vacation rental that have deeded access and deeded use of neighborhood beaches. Seaside and Rosemary Beach are some well known examples, but there are many more smaller, less known neighborhoods as well. Panama City Beach is public due to beach re-nourishment, so access and use are reported to be available to all.

All of this is not to say that there would not be changes to consider along the Walton County beaches, but the lack of customary use does not mean that visitors will not be welcomed or cannot be accommodated, but there would likely be changes in how many visitors would come and some adjustments in where they would likely rent. People forget that there was no customary use ordinance for all the years people have come to Walton County until the summer of 2017. There is no "privatizing" of the beaches. They were either previously deeded or they were not. Customary Use would not change ownership, but it would alter an owner entity's right to exclude someone from their property.

 

[Teresa]

Affidavit Events are currently being hosted by local groups and businesses all over town right now and through September 8! An Affidavit Blitz will be hosted during Labor Day Weekend organized by Florida Beaches For All volunteers. Florida Beaches For All Facebook page will list all dates and places.

Check our Affidavit Events thread in the Events Forum where we are posting all events as they come in: Submit Customary Use Affidavit at these Locations and Dates

 

[Teresa]

Customary Use affidavits will continue to be accepted by the county. The public hearing will be held again in November due to some Gulf front property owners not receiving official notice of the Sep 8 public hearing.

If you are out of town please go to the Walton County website for everything you need to complete the Affidavit and mail it in. Walton County, FL - Home Page | Official Website

If you are living or visiting in the area you can mail in or visit the Walton County Annex in South Walton, the Walton County Attorneys Office in DeFuniak Springs Or visit local businesses and special affidavit events going on to complete your form. In all cases you will need your driver's license or photo ID to show the notary. Notary services are available for free.

Please consider supporting, following, volunteering and donating to Florida Beaches For All. This local group is the driving force behind meeting county requirements to affirm Customary Use as required to move through the upcoming legal process as required by the State law. floridabeachesforall.org