Just Say No to proposed Grayton Beach Fishing Pier

[BeachRob]

I fail to see the difference between someone building a house or a condo on the beach blocking views for the rest of us and destroying the beach and dune ecology not to mention the loss of "sunset views" with building a pier. I do understand the parking and traffic problems but those problems need to be solved first anyway. Something is not adding up in this negative reaction to a pier. I would rather have less homes and businesses build on the beach than the building of a pier. Could it be that those reacting against the pier have already secured their own private sunset views? I would like to know how many that own property on the beach would choose not to have a pier?

All good points. They were talking about putting it in Grayton Beach State Park. So, there wouldn't be businesses there, anyway... just a big eyesore where there was a pristine beach.

 

[Lake View Too]

A pier is an eyesore, period. It is a highrise condo turned sideways. Ten million square miles of water all around you, and you need to stand on a concrete step stool to fish properly? Huh?

 

[mputnal]

I understand the location of a pier will be controversial but I do not get the difference in the eyesore of every private home, condo or business right on the beach preventing ANY view of the beauty of our beaches. I do understand why putting a pier in a state park would prevent commercial grid lock and was being considered at Grayton but I am sure that there are other locations in Walton County that would work. What is more of a concern is the reason for this reaction to a pier and the "look the other way" on private and commercial development on the beach. From my limited experience every pier that I have ever been on has little affect on dune or beach ecology. You can not say that for things built right on top of the dune system!!!

 

[mputnal]

LVT please say you are joking. Really, "a high rise condo turned sideways"? It is true that we can fish on the beach but unless you are Jesus or very rich we do not have access to "Ten million square miles"...

 

[Bob Hudson]

As far as I know not a single "beach house" stretches into the Gulf for 1000 ft. Thats quite a bit of difference.

Regardless it now a dead NRDA project. The BCC voted today to remove it from the project list.

RIP

 

[mputnal]

I never thought it was going to happen nor should it happen until infrastructure is in place to cure the problems we currently have. However, Bob has encouraged me to find out why the reaction is so negative to a pier. I would like to know how many people who are regulars in this forum are beach front property owners or who benefit from beach front properties. The answer may or may not answer this question but it will be very interesting to find out. One more thing Bob, I will take a pier that is a few feet over the gulf extending 1500 feet into the gulf and not intrusive to our beach and dune ecology before I will take a one story home or multistory condo or any other business builit on top of our beach and dune systems.

 

[Zebraspots]

You can't understand why there is such strong opposition to a $20 million boondoggle in an iconic and environmentally important area?

I can't speak for others, but I can think of at least 100 better ways to improve our community for far less money.

The lesser of 2 evils argument carries no weight with me. I choose no evils, not the lesser.

 

[Lake View Too]

I am saying that it isn't real hard to find a way to fish in walton county without a million dollars, nor a 1000 foot concrete structure jutting into the gorgeous ocean. Is this really hard to understand? It's just fishing...

 

[mputnal]

LVT if your argument was that a pier is not necessary when we have a bigger need for infrastructure then I would agree with you however that is not your argument. You keep referring to a pier as environmentally intrusive yet seem not to recognize that any building next to the beach or on top of a dune all blocking our gorgeous ocean for everyone but a select few is so much worse than a pier! Your fishing arguments are offensive to anyone without a boat and like to fish. You keep comparing a pier to a condo which is really beyond my ability to see any comparison. We could have an environmental engineer explain the difference but I am not sure that would convince those so opposed to a pier who look the other way when it comes to "real" environmental intrusion. This is very unfortunate as I assumed our community to be open minded to the truth.

 

[Lake View Too]

I'm not trying to get in a feud about this. The underlying premise has always been that there are better ways to use this money than to subsidize the people without boats who like to fish. I don't know that many poor people who don't have enough gas money to drive to the nearest pier. This money should go improving infrastructure, artificial reefs, and acquiring more public access land, especially the property adjacent to all coastal dune lake outfalls. I think a vast majority of the people that visit here do so because of the unspoiled ocean vistas. And I will reiterate that a fishing pier is visually intrusive.