Defending vehicles on the beach?

[OhioBeachBum]

A question: for those with drive-on permits, how far east or west can they go? I mean, could one theoretically drive on at Grayton and ride the beach all the way to Seacrest?

Here's an information link on the subject I found: http://www.waltontaxcollector.com/default.aspx?id=32

There's an excerpt from the relevant county ordinance material here:
http://www.graytonbeach.com/ordinances.html

Some (interesting) additional sections missing from that (above) page I foraged from the full ordinace text (hosted at www.municode.com):

(n) All county residents 65 years of age and over and all disabled persons unable to walk to the beach shall be granted a permit upon proper application, without fee.
(o) All permits, except as provided in this section, shall be limited to the access areas as described in exhibit A attached to Ordinance No. 85-6 and more particularly described as follows:

(1) Grayton Beach: An area extending from the west boundary line of Grayton Beach State Park westward for a distance of 1,600 feet.
(2) Walton Park: An area extending from the east boundary line of Walton Park westward for a distance of 1,600 feet.
(3) Seagrove Beach: An area extending from the east boundary line of One Seagrove Place eastward for a distance of 1,600 feet.
(4) Inlet Beach: An area extending from the east boundary line from Lakeshore Drive eastward for a distance of 600 feet.​

(p) All access areas shall be appropriately marked and designated as such.
(q) Upon proper application to the board of county commissioners, a special permit may be issued without charge, during the months of September, October and November, for the purpose of net fishing only, in which event limited access as described in this section shall not apply. These special permittees shall be allowed unrestricted travel along the public beaches of the county during this period.
(r) Upon majority vote by the members of the board of county commissioners, any of the provisions in this section may be waived from time to time upon proper application, and a variance may be granted, notwithstanding the provisions contained in this section.

I thought sections (n) and (q) were particularly interesting...

 

[thumper]

Theoretically, yes (government and commercial vehicles do it daily.) Legally, no.

Plus, the beach is flat, and there would not be dunes at the Grayton access (beside the Red Bar) even if driving was prohibited.

Is that true? It was always flat and dune-free in that small zone, even though there are dunes on both sides where it is protected? Why not plant sea oats and let the dunes rebuild there for more upland protection?

It is also the best and easiest way for a large family planning to spend all day at the beach to take all of their essentials.

Easiest? Yes. Best? No.

It's also easy and convenient to leave tents up overnight. How many of you with permits were complaining about that? It's not about easy and convenient, or is it? Joe, I'd love to hear your viewpoints on this. You have a lot of perspective about our beach, and I'm sure you can present some good points one way or the other.

 

[Kurt]

Smiling JOe will not be able to post during the days this week. He will probably be on during the evenings. Let's show a little patience for him and others on the forum. Not everyone is logged in 24/7 although they should be.

 

[Kurt]

Kurt, in fairness, I didn't get that Mary N called you a Nazi. She and Wildernester (and myself?) were just pointing out the "irony" of ridculing path-walkers -- while driving a car on the beach.

Sorry Mary - it was Wildernester making a generalization that seemed to be aimed at all of us locals who were posting about the destruction of the dunes....

Righteous indignation can get ugly.
We have tourists who come here for the first time who understandably do not appreciate the impact that they have on the beach ecosystem. Many of us probably create the same sort of havoc when we visit areas with which we are unfamiliar. A friendly, polite reminder will do more good than a bunch of ranting dune Nazis.

As I sat on the beach yesterday as the sun was setting, I could see much more damage having been done earlier that day by the locals in their four-wheel drive vehicles than all of the white shirted tourists have done this summer. ?We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us.?

And I doubt that there are many posters on this board who:
"create the same sort of havoc when we visit areas with which we are unfamiliar".

I don't see anyone driving on the dunes or leaving vehicles on the beach overnight. What damage did you see done to the dunes by vehicles?

JB- the area at Grayton where driving is allowed is about 100 yards east and west of the access. When the lake outlet is open then that side is out. Many years ago the entire beach was driven on. That was before much regulation or law, when there were very few residents. Before 30-A connected Grayton and Seagrove, folks with 4WDs used the beach as a shortcut.

 

[Beach Runner]

And I doubt that there are many posters on this board who:
"create the same sort of havoc when we visit areas with which we are unfamiliar".

Not a unique situation. Remember "The Ugly American"? Some visitors (and owners) are clueless about dune formation, turtle endangerment, etc., and haven't been educated. Some feel as though they've paid their money, and by gosh, they can do what they please. I prefer to think most fall into the former, not the latter, category. Heck, I own a home here and had no clue that tents harmed the sea turtles. How was I supposed to know that? It didn't, like, come with the closing statement for my mortgage. I know, it was my responsibility to educate myself and not be "The Ugly Beach-House-Owner" - that's not meant to be sarcastic, it's true.

 

[ktmeadows]

Here's an information link on the subject I found: http://www.waltontaxcollector.com/default.aspx?id=32

There's an excerpt from the relevant county ordinance material here:
http://www.graytonbeach.com/ordinances.html

Some (interesting) additional sections missing from that (above) page I foraged from the full ordinace text (hosted at www.municode.com):

(3) Seagrove Beach: An area extending from the east boundary line of One Seagrove Place eastward for a distance of 1,600 feet.
...

Wow...Didn't realize vehicles were allowed anywhere on Seagrove Beach! :shock: I was sitting back minding my own business because I though Grayton Beach and Inlet Beach were the only sections of the beaches on 30-A that allowed for any vehicular traffic! Our condo is near One Seagrove, and I've never seen any vehicles on the beach there. In fact, I'm not even sure where they'd access. I've been reading the posts on this subject assuming that those who live/stay near Grayton Beach did so because, among other things, they wanted the option of driving on their beach, and I respected that. But in the back of my mind I've been thinking "thank God they're not driving on the beaches down on this end"!! I enjoy being able to set up my chair near the water's edge, enjoy the sound of the waves and children playing. I'd hate the thought of hearing roaring engines nearby!!

I don't like the idea of any vehicles on the beach. Any beach I've ever been on that allowed it ended up with oil splatters and plain old ugly black marks on the otherwise clean sand. I don't agree that the only way to get an entire family on the beach for the day is with a vehicle. We've always managed to get our chairs, umbrellas, etc. on the beach just by everyone old enough and able enough pitching in. And tailgate gatherings? What's wrong with just bringing plain old lounge chairs? Seems to me that tailgating could just invite trouble. In my opinion, vehicular traffic on the beach does nothing but create a hazard for the innocent families who are trying to enjoy a safe, fun day at the beach, not to mention disrupt the peace and quiet. If I really thought we had a problem of vehicles on the beaches here in Seagrove, it wouldn't take us long to begin looking for another place (on 30-A of course ) where the beaches were off-limits to vehicles!

 

[GraytonBound]

i cannot "justify the convenience" nor would i try to convince you to renew your permit...the only "good" reason i can think of is that we absolutely love it...i feel like our kids are safer in western lake than they are in the gulf.....there are lots of lovely people there that treat each other like family....and it is convenient....but i understand why others would think those reasons are unimportant. Truthfully.....we always obey the law, watch very carefully for pedestrians....dont drink out of glass bottles, etc etc & i did not realize we are doing any damage to the beach.....walking on dunes is illegal & driving at grayton with a permit is not....


i would like to hear from others as to the damage we are doing to the beach & if so why it's legal?

 

[Kurt]

Wow...Didn't realize vehicles were allowed anywhere on Seagrove Beach!

That is old info.

 

[GraytonBound]

i would not want trucks on the beach at seacrest either...but grayton is different (in my humble opinion)......different in size.....different in the fact that it is not lined with condos.....i dont see that it would pose the same threat as a car driving down seagrove.....although i cannot say that it is not dangerous, just not the same as the narrow parts of 30-a.....


along those same lines.....the trucks hauling in sand seem to be VERY dangerous....they have been flying up & down seacrest today, not even bothering to slow down at the beach walkovers....if a kid steps off that walkover at the wrong time it's gonna be deadly.....and the driver does NOT appear to be looking at anything but bikinis.

 

[thumper]

Oh my..."legal" should not be the criteria, in my opinion. We all know how intelligent government typically is. Last week, it was "legal" to put 6.2 color sand on the beach. Smarter minds prevailed and changed the ordinance. It's about good conscience and doing the right thing. Right? Laws change as human minds evolve.