The order was handed down yesterday.
Many neighbors were opposed to any public access at this location from the get go once the county began to move in the direction of opening this access.
Why wouldn't they? These residents enjoyed a comfortable status quo whereby "they" got to enjoy this pristine, 300' of Gulf Front beach in Perdido Key while the county's citizens (the OWNERS of this property) were kept out via menacing "NO TRESPASSING" signs and locked gates and locked pedestrian walk overs. You (taxpers) owned it, but You (taxpayers) could not use it for nearly 10 years--while nearby property owners did get to use it.
Even though the rationale for the county's acquisition of this property was always for habitat conservation AND Public Beach Access---some nearby owners attempted, via litigation, to blow that up--- questioning the legality of the BOA's process in issuing a conditional use permit.
That argument fell apart as the judge gutted it piece by piece in her below order.
The matter is now settled and the PEOPLE won. More access, less restriction, a win for every non-beachfront property owner in the county and in District 1. Read the succinct 7- page order, below.
