A group of billionaire Florida property owners is fighting to protect their exclusive access to some of the state’s most picturesque beaches from tourists.
Walton County residents are trying to keep visitors away from their private beaches as a growing number of tourists argue that their property rights are unjust.
The county, which boasts 26 miles of pristine coastline and 16 beachside communities, has become a popular vacation destination in recent years.
Located on the Emerald Coast and bordering the Gulf of Mexico, Walton County is home to the cities of Freeport, Panama City Beach, Laguna Beach, Vernon and Westville.
Last yearThe county welcomed more than 2.3 million tourists and counting, with about 1.3 million people visiting this spring.
But as popularity has grown, regular bathers argue that the public access area has become extremely crowded over the years.
Walton County residents are trying to keep visitors away from their private beaches as a growing number of tourists argue that their property rights are unjust.
This summer, Georgia resident James Jordan rented a three-bedroom home for his family for four nights for a total of about $3,200 hoping for the perfect beach vacation, but was disappointed because it was packed with people.
“In a word: overcrowded. The hardest thing was to look across this imaginary line and see an unused beach,” he said. The Wall Street Journal.
But South Walton property owners have refused to give up their private access, saying they paid for it with their homes years ago.
Eric Wilhelm, founder of two Atlanta-based supply chain companies, revealed that he made the ‘‘Very conscious decision’ to buy two multi-million dollar properties along the coast with private beaches as he felt it was quieter and safer than other nearby holiday destinations.
The issue has escalated further after officials created a legal settlement agreement, making more than 1,000 oceanfront properties in Walton County private earlier this year, sparking protests and legal action.
The county, which boasts 26 miles of pristine coastline and 16 beachside communities, has become a hot tourist destination in recent years.
South Walton property owners have refused to give up their private access, claiming they paid for it with their homes years ago.
“Many of my neighbors are third- or fourth-generation beach owners, and that’s their greatest asset,” he told the publication.
The issue has escalated further after officials created a legal agreement, making more than 1,000 oceanfront properties in Walton County private earlier this year, sparking protests and legal action.
John Dillard, concerned citizen of the Facebook group Support Open Florida Sand & Beaches explained‘One of the things we’re really focusing on is trying to raise awareness both locally and regionally, where all of our tourists are coming from, to raise awareness of the problems we’re having here at the beach because it’s not fun to go to the beach anymore.
“There are security guards, police officers, red cones, orange cones, all kinds of signs that just create stress when it used to be a stress-free environment.”
Since then, private owners and regular visitors have filed hundreds of appeals in hopes of changing the law.