Latest on Perdido Key Public Beach Access: 43 Spaces + Public Safety Enhancements!

The Latest Conceptual Draft of the planned Public Beach
Access in Perdido Key (above)
points to the possibility of achieving as many
as 43 parking spaces PLUS an
enhanced access point for Public Safety
to use for water rescues!

Tim Day from the County's Environmental Department has provided the following update and
timeline for Beach Access #4 at Perdido Key (draft pictured or right ).

"Commissioners:

I have attached the latest iteration of the draft layout for the Sundown beach access. This version will be provided to USFWS and may be modified based on review and comments from the Service. Current notable features include:

• Area of Existing Development –     22,655 square feet
• Area of Proposed Development  – 21,535 square fee 1,120 square feet total reduction of existing development footprint

• 43 parking spaces
• 40’ X 32’ Space dedicated for full bathroom and rinse area  
• Proposed access corridor for Public Safety to transport rescue equipment to the beach

A dune walkover and ADA observation platform will be included in the final design.

Next Steps:

·         Review by USFWS (2-4 weeks)

·         Address any USFWS comments and revise as needed (2 weeks)

·         Obtain EOR (Engineer of Record) probable cost to construct

·         Submit for Escambia County DRC (Development Review Committee) review and approval (4 weeks)

·         Submit to FDEP to obtain state CCCL (Coastal Construction Control Line) permit (Submittal concurrent with DRC submittal, up to 90 days)

·         Staff to evaluate potential funding sources

·         BCC approval of funding source

Known Issues:

• The challenge to the conditional use approval by the Board of Adjustments is working its way through Circuit Court
• SEAFARER OWNERS ASSICIATION INC v ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Best Regards,

Tim"

Staff is Moving Forward with Plans to #OpenOurBeach

The comfortable status quo is ending, the beach access that taxpayers purchased 5 years ago will be opened--that ball got rolling in earnest last night.

Dozens of speakers excoriated us for letting that property just sit idle for all these years, chained up preventing citizen access.

Meanwhile, condo owners and other nearby locals continue to use this property as their own private beach.  They even advertise the fact that they have their own private boardwalk to "The beautiful Gulf of Mexico"  see the picture below, from their marketing materials available online.

The Condominium across the street from our 300' beachfront property advertises their "private boardwalk" to the Gulf of Mexico--where they currently utilize taxpayer purchased property as their own "private beach"--while you and I are locked out of this beach.  Is this fair?

Beach access is becoming more and more precious in Florida, and this parcel that was acquired back in 2014 should have been opened years ago. Additionally, the mouse habitat that is also an important component of what this property is to be used for should also be protected.  We have not done this, either.  Shame on us for that.  Currently, there is no signage on the dunes warning pedestrians to stay out of the property to protect the habitat.  Instead, there are footprints all over that property and litter strewn about.  It's as if every facet of what we should have been doing with this property under the grant we received to purchase it has been ignored purposely.

That is ending.

Because now that the board has expressed its collective displeasure over this parcel not being opened for public access, as the board voted to do 5 years ago--staff has now been firmly directed to bring two plans to the next meeting to describe what it will take to get this access open.

The feckless attempts at deflections and protestations that this somehow does not align with the Perdido Key Master Plan all fell on deaf ears last night.  Intelligent, unbiased people realize very quickly this is not an "either or" scenario.  We can and should seek to purchase additional gulf-front access to the east near the core--which is directly in alignment with the goals of the PKMP.

But opening this particular parcel (that we already paid for and own) is the right thing to do, and it does not go against the Master Plan--in fact Public Beach Access is Encouraged in the PKMP!   Moreover, the zoning of this parcel HDR-PK allows for beach access as a conditional use once the Board of Adjustment weighs-in.  So very soon that process will begin as well.

Meanwhile, the comfortable status quo is ending, we are now working toward opening this parcel.

The irony is thick:  Condo owners are using our beach here as their private beach, attempting to keep the public out.  Meanwhile, a little ways down the road at our tiny 60' Beach access #1--both sides of that public beach have no trespassing signs going all the way to the water.  Sheriff's deputies guard the beaches on either side, keeping the citizens out of the Condo Owners' "private beaches"

The Indefensible Position:  Condo Owners want to enjoy their "private beaches" and our publicly purchased beaches while also keeping the public off of their "private beaches"----and our public beaches!!!  What?!?

It's ridiculous.  Yes we need to open our 300' Gulf front property now, which will double our free beach access on Perdido Key.

This is what staff is now working to do.  No more excuses, no more explanations, no more stonewalling.

We will #OpenOur Beach !

How Quickly and Inexpensively Could we #OpenOurBeach ?

I requested information from our environmental department about what it would take, in terms of time and resources, for us to #OpenOurBeach at the property we own on the Gulf of Mexico in Perdido Key.  All board members will be presented the below information during tomorrow's Committee of the Whole Meeting.  We can open this beach, for a lot less money and with a lot less red-tape than what many have been espousing.  This is what my research is indicating....

#Research to #OpenOurBeach, Part III--Are there Any Legal Reasons We Couldn't #OpenOurBeach

The County Attorney sent out the following email to all commissioners today.  It is legal to #OpenOurBeach

#Research to #OpenOurBeach, Part II--Site Visit

Sunday afternoon was a beautiful day in Pensacola.  It was especially nice at the beach--where I spent my afternoon.

I started out in Perdido Key at the Crab Trap Restaurant where I parked, went inside, made a purchase, then walked out to the beach.  There is a very nice stretch of beach out behind the Crab Trap that was being enjoyed by dozens of patrons. 

Just to the East of this spot, the Escambia BCC owns 300 feet of beachfront on the Gulf of Mexico. 

This stretch of beach was also being enjoyed by dozens of folks as well!  

Although the parcel of land has a prominently placed "No Trespassing" sign on the front, and despite the fact that the gate is chained shut--a steady flow of residents from the condominium on the North side of Perdido Key Drive walked on a wooden "walkover" that is reserved for their exclusive use only and proceeded to utilize the county's portion of the beach.  Right now, however, the general public taxpayers that paid for this beach cannot access it.  How can this be allowed to continue?

This smacks of unfairness.

 Right now there are Condominium complexes adjacent to our existing three beach access points that have placed "no trespassing signs" all the way down their property lines to the beach.  Access #'s parking lot was lined with cars toting out of state license plates (nearby condo's with limited parking spaces send their guests to our public lot, I'm told).  At acess #1, the condos on the right and left actually had two uniformed sheriff's deputies monitoring the boundary to ensure the general public did not "trespass" and attempt to use "their beach."

Access points #2 and #3 were jamm-packed full of cars--no spaces available.

It was depressing to see, and given a lot of what is going on around the country and the state concerning beach access--it should be setting off alarm bells for all of us in the County.

We need to #OpenOurBeach   We need to

#Research to #OpenOurBeach, Part I

What would happen if the BCC installed "no-trespassing" signs all the way down to the beach water line and enforced this with our 300' of beach property--just like the condo owners on Perdido Key are doing presently?  Would that force this issue to be addressed?

In preparation for this Thursday's meeting on the subject of public beach access, I am doing a significant amount of research on this topic all weekend.  I think it is an absolute travesty that we are not doing more to #OpenOurBeach ! as it pertains to a large, 300' beachfront plot of land we own on Perdido Key.

I've requested additional information from the staff over the last two days--to include legal, zoning, and environmental "opinions" on whether or not we can open this beach quickly, as was the original intent when this property was purchased, if the resources to do so are identified (e.g. is there any legal reason we cannot open this property if we do so as was contemplated in these documents here, here, and here?).

Obviously--this beachfront is currently, right now, being utilized by a few fortunate residents who have access to this publicly owned beach via a privately owned and maintained wooden beach walkover. (that also is locked and has a "only for use by residents of Sundown Condominium Owners and guests") sign affixed to the gate.

So yes, doing nothing and making no forward progress on getting this 300' of beach frontage opened for the public creates a very comfortable "status quo" for the few condo owners and paying customers of the nearby "Crab Trap" restaurant that are currently benefiting by the Board's inaction on this.

They get to use our beach at their whim with no "competition" from the taxpaying citizens who paid for and would also like to use the beach.

It is a very comfortable status quo for them--just as I have stated earlier here.

These lucky few condo owners are now having their cake and eating it too!....They get to fence off their "private" waterfront areas within their condominium footprints-- and even hire private security guards to keep the public out of "their" areas and off "their" beaches-- while simultaneously using a wooden structure they own on a 10 foot sliver of property that runs down to the beach--to use our 300' of beach exclusively!  (remember, you and I are locked out of this property and no trespassing signs are on the property)

I wonder what would happen if the county installed "No Trespassing" signs all the way down to the beach on both sides of our 300' section of this beach and had security keep the condo owners off our property like the condos keep the public off of their property?  I wonder how that would play out?

Of course I'd never support actually doing that-- but I bet if we did do this it would spur some action on getting this beach access opened up.

I want us all to be able to enjoy the beach--that's why it is imperative that we do what we told the FEDS we would do--conserve the dunes for habitat and signage, provide public parking and ADA accessibility, and  #OpenOurBeach !

Together, Let's #OpenOurBeach!

At yesterday's public forum--multiple passionate speakers demanded action from the board of county commissioners on public beach access on Perdido Key.

Currently, out on Perdido Key, there are only three small public beach access points where beach visitors can park and visit the beach free of charge.  These are very small, and all around the public access points are condominium owners that have cordoned off the rest of the beach from public use.

Public Beach access #1 only has about 60 feet of beachfront and there are police on either side enforcing "no trespassing" signs.

Meanwhile, back in 2013, the county purchased a large piece of property out on Perdido Key just East of the Crab Trap.  It has 300 feet of beach frontage.  It was purchased with $2.3 Million in Federal Grant money to assist with Beach Mouse Habitat.  An additional $787,000.00 in County money (LOST funds) was put into the purchase price ($3.1 Million total) to provide for Public Beach Access.

Sadly, this site has been locked-up and inaccessible to the public for going on 5 years!

On March 8th, I asked about this property and why it was locked up. Folks had asked me about it so when we discussed the restore act projects I asked questions of D2 about this property.  I did not receive a satisfactory answer so I did some additional research on the issue and requested documentation from the staff.  I received the data, I read the data, and Long story short, we can utilize this property for dual purposes--mouse habitat and public beach access.  We just have to muster the will to do it and we have to fund the project.  Contrary to what some say about me online--I do my research.  And this issue is no different than any other issue I study and research. Because of the