Not sure how many of you are actual homeowners in this area, but thought I would give just a little bit of insight from the “other side”. I have a home at Miramar beach on a private road (that my neighbors and I pay for and maintain) which has a “private beach” that was originally acquired in 1948 as part of the purchase and for which a price was paid. Our home owners association is responsible for this part of the beach much like common ground that one finds in other neighborhoods. This requires us to pay taxes to the county for that portion of the beach down to the high tide line. We also must carry liability insurance for this portion of the beach.
I, like most of you, have always felt inclined to let the beach be used for the common good and I can assure you that neither I nor my neighbors ever go out and chase people off our deeded portion of the beach. Our houses happen to be situated next to “camping on the Gulf” and we have always looked the other way as people would migrate from the camp ground past the camp ground’s own beach and plop their tents and canopies down on our portion of the beach. We have posted one sign as required by our attorney that this portion of the beach is private and of course the daily mass of campers simply ignore the sign as they haul their boats, tents and fishing gear over to “our” portion of the beach. Often times I am sitting with my family on the beach with an umbrella up looking at the water when sure enough a group from the campground plops their huge canopy up right in front of us (between us and the water) drag out the ole boom box and proceed to gulp 3 cases of beer (generalization of course). Often times kids are out swimming and some good old boy will bring out two or three fishing poles and start casting with bait fish right amongst the swimmers (brilliant).
This is pretty much a daily occurrence during the summer and as I have said we don’t go out and hassle them or anything. Basically we look the other way. As a reward for this behavior, we always have the opportunity to go down to the beach at sunset (I love it then) and start picking up the trash. Beer cans, diapers, cups, broken beach chairs, etc etc. My favorite is when a “camper” digs a 4 foot hole in the sand and leaves it so that someone can fall in it that night while “crabbing”. Guess who that unlucky person is going to sue?
But as I say, we try to be good and neighborly about it. This spring we had a group migrate down the beach to our portion of it with two kegs of beer and a stereo system that rivaled a Led Zepplein concert. We did say something to that group and yes that was one time the sheriff was called.
I am always puzzled as to where all of these people are after a big hurricane like Opal when the beach is full of appliances and junk and needs to be cleaned up. No one is around to help clean it up which is also our responsibility. Obviously we are glad to do this as it is the right thing to do.
Just thought I would give you a small perspective from one who gets to deal with the public use of the beach which as I have said we gladly share. Hope to see all of you on the beach particularly after July 4th. I’ll be the guy picking up the trash and fire works off the sand.
