We are Going to #OpenOurBeach

With Thursday's vote to move forward with funding $228,000.00 for construction from the County's TDT funds (Tourist Development Tax)--we are finally moving forward with the construction phase of the project that will eventually enable us to---- finally----- #OpenOurBeach at access #4 in Perdido Key!

After 7 long years and lots of gnashing of teeth, obstructions, delays, and threats--we're finally doing what we said we would do for the citizens.

It was great to have a unanimous vote to do this--even in the face of feckless, specious arguments from two persons at the meeting who gave disingenuous, opaque reasoning for holding off on doing this.

The time for holding off is officially over.  The time for action is now.

Next up--completion of a report from UWF's Haas Center illustrating the nexus between this project and tourism--which will allow for the use of these hotel tax dollars to construct this access.

After this, an affirmative vote of the Tourism Development Council (TDC) will be required for expenditure of TDT monies in support of this project.  I preferred to eliminate all uncertainty and to fund the entire project utilizing LOST funds that we have generated from the recent sale of nearly 100 acres of OLF 8 to Navy Federal Credit Union.

But the board did not support this and instead we will go the TDT funds route and see how far $228,000.00 gets us toward completion of this access.

Once completed--this access point will accommodate 34 parking spaces and provide a "Mobi-Mat" walkway from the parking lot down to the dunes which will allow access to the water by emergency vehicles if/when necessary.  These Mobi-Mats also allow access to the beach for/by citizens with disabilities that find themselves confined to a wheelchair.

And last but not least--the opening of this access point and development of this site will insure that the sensitive areas of the dunes system on the property are properly fenced off with signage added describing the protected wildlife in these areas and advising visitors to "keep-out" of these areas.

Right now, no such signage or fencing exists--- and folks currently trample all over the dunes unobstructed, leaving rubbish, disturbed dune vegetation, and disturbed habitat in their wake.

For 7 long years this pristine, 330 foot of Gulf access has been kept from the citizens that bought it--behind a locked gate and "no trespassing" signs.

But with Thursday's vote--that all changed.

And once open--this parcel and the adjacent 200' of beach owned by the Crab Trap restaurant will combine to give area citizens a brand new 500+ foot beach area to utilize free of charge.

This is a fantastic win for all citizens, what a profound turn of events this is.

We are now going to #OpenOurBeach!