By DOTTY NIST
Walton County, Florida – Beachfront property owners have been sent a certified letter with information about recent changes to the Walton County Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance prohibiting obstructions on the beach.
As approved by the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) on June 14, the revised ordinance prohibits any person from putting or leaving any obstruction on the beach at any time of day, with ropes, chains, signs and fences given as examples, with an exemption for properly-constructed sand fences with required state and federal permits.
The revisions resulted in a reworking of provisions related to personal property left on the beach during the evening, providing that leaving such items is unlawful without a county permit plus all necessary state and federal permits. They further provide that the county will not issue permits for the following items to remain on the beach in the evening: obstructions and items prohibited by federal law, state law, or county ordinance.
The ordinance defines the beach as “the soft sandy portion of land lying seaward of the seawall or the line of permanent dune vegetation.”
The letter is dated June 27 and is signed by Jeff McVay, Walton County Tourist Development Council code enforcement officer. It states that a person with an obstruction on the beach that is left on the beach between one hour after dusk and one hour after sunrise is in violation of the ordinance. The letter directs those with such obstructions in place to correct the violation by removing them on or before July 15.
The letter states that if a violation is not corrected by that date, a citation will be issued requiring payment of a civil penalty of up to $500 per violation.
The letter also advises that any item of personal property, including ropes, chains, signs or fences, that remains on the beach between one hour after dusk and one hour after sunrise without a valid permit “may be deemed abandoned and removed from the beach.”
The letter requests cooperation and offers addressees a copy of the ordinance, which may be obtained by calling (850) 892-8110 or by using visiting the Document Center on the Walton County website, www.co.walton.fl.us.