Overheard on The Web

Here is what some people are saying online about stories in the Destin Log.

Destin Airport and noise — By: Jack Simpson
When someone knowingly and willingly buys a home near any airport, landfill, or other nuisance, that was their choice. They should not expect taxpayers to pay for their poor decision. Some now want the county to buy their homes — or even more incredible — move the airport. However, I would not object to buying out the current residents who bought their homes there before the airport existed.
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Beach restoration and the brown sand blues —  By: Harryt
I respectfully disagree with Councilman Jim Bagby saying sand will get whiter and squeakier as time goes by. I lived through the April 2005 brown sand dunes deposited on Okaloosa Island. For two solid weeks we called the TDC and the BCC and were told sand would fade within two weeks when it dried. It did not, and we now know sand does not change color with time. Come to the meetings Thursday night at 6 p.m. at the Emerald Coast Conference Center and see for yourself how ugly your beaches can become if this project moves forward.

By: boat lover
“Let’s all be big kids and help each other, and get the rising tides lifting all boats.” How does giving up private property, and getting dark and coarse sand rise my boat? I think this project sinks all ships.

By: Fact checker
Nowhere does anyone mention the grain size in the borrow site is double our existing sand size. This means we will lose the soft sand feel under our feet. I like walking barefoot on our sand and prefer not wearing shoes.

By: Box Seating Unavailable
You can add all the brown sand you want to and destroy what Destin is and became famous for and the problem will not be solved. Any sand added can and will be washed away by another storm or hurricane. Once brown is mixed with white it is ruined forever.

By: Reality Check
Get over it! Before you bought your precious beachfront property, I’ll bet YOU walked, sat and used many privately owned beaches for your own enjoyment without a moment’s hesitation. Who do you think pays for your precious property to be repaired after every storm? The public through the mandatory 5 percent donation over and beyond our homeowners’ insurance policies to Citizen’s. If I have to fix it, then I have the right to use it.

By: freedom fighter
Dear reality checker. I live in El Matador condo building 5 that has never had any storm damage. That includes Opal, Ivan, Dennis, and Katrina all the way back to 1977. I am on the island so I have to pay this special tax and I have 400 feet of beach frontage sand, so I like all of my Okaloosa Island neighbors do not want nor need beach restoration. It is being forced on us. Yes, I too have to pay increased hurricane premiums. But I and my entire building have never had a single penny of insurance claims for any storm since 1977. Not all beachfront property has hurricane claims. Some are well built and well situated. Know your facts before you rant.

By: Corey
This is the very reason many Destin and FWB locals choose to go to Crab Island instead of the beach. No one bickers over “who owns Crab Island” and “you can’t walk by my spot.” Yes, Crab Island can get crowded, but it can also be very desolate in early morning and late evening, the same as the beach. You can’t expect to block the public from using a natural resource without some sort of backlash. True, your waterfront property is private, but those who own should have a certain amount of tolerance for those enjoying nature — not your condo or house. After all, was the beach not crowded when you bought your property.

By: FRIENDSWELCOME!
It makes me sad to see how many are hostile toward beachfront owners. We all love the beach, and when we retired, we used much of our savings to be on the beach. As the years have gone on the taxes have gone up. (Some beach owners pay $20,000 per year)! 
We bought here thinking that we were on a private beach, which we are deeded to be. It is not “our” beach, however. This stretch of beach is for our whole neighborhood community — all those that live in the subdivision. This is true of Holiday Isle, Destin Pointe, Destiny etc.
The feeling seems to be that a few owners will not share. I want you to know that any friends are always welcome here. However, it seems that those who we don’t know often are terribly abusive. They tend to sit and drink on the beach and many times throw their trash and beer cans all over the sand. 
They walk on the newly planted dunes and we have seem then urinating right in plain sight and also on our yard. Often the language is vulgar and they jump into the surf in an inebriated state. Our area is supposed to be a family setting and many times the families have to get up and leave because of this misuse.
I think that a lot of misunderstanding has resulted from misinformation and misuse. Please try to understand, it is not due to selfishness that we try to protect the beach, but more for self preservation and beach preservation. People are free to walk through at any time, and welcome to visit their friends here. It is too bad that we have grown out of control so much that there is not much beach left. Thankfully there are some still beautifully preserved areas for beachgoers. 

By: BB
The federal government has already ruled “there is nothing more precious to Florida than her beaches, therefore from the vegetative dune line to waters edge shall be known as customary rights.” That’s our constitutional rights in Florida. You can’t simply come here and change a 400 year custom. ’Nuff said.

By: Beachfront owner
I hope people realize that it is probably less than 5 percent of beachfront property owners that are responsible for over 95 percent of the whining we see here. I own beachfront property and I was fully aware of the law in Florida which says that all of the land below the mean high tide line is held by the state for the public. I look forward to the Supreme Court decision which I’m sure will affirm this long standing principle.

By: Destin Property Owner
The problem and debate today has taken years to build and is a direct result of poor planning and management by Destin and county officials. They have allowed their drive for short-term desire for higher property values and taxes, by allowing excessive new development along the beach, to over-ride long-term planning.
Many a business has failed by chasing a short-term goal while ignoring what is right long term. Destin officials need to get beaches restored and above all, done so in a way that maintains their high appeal. The area property owners and visitors should all pay for this.
Also, Destin and county officials should begin work to identify current privately owned land that could be bought in a fair manner to the current owners and convert the area to public access. It will take time, but it is the right long-term solution.
Continuing with a confusing program of trying to force private owners to concede their rights and force everyone to just get along on the beach will not work. By the way, there has never been a better time to buy. Officials get busy and fix this mess with the proper long-term solution.
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Clearing out Destin Campground — By: militarydawg
Why are people living in a campground? Shouldn’t they be living in a trailer/RV park? I like camping as much as anyone. But I tend to think that three years in the same campground means you aren’t camping anymore, you’re residing there. Pitch a tent, light a fire, roast a marshmallow or dog, sleep and LEAVE!
   
By: navyguy
Next hurricane should clear them out.
   
By: candl45
Sure, hey just leave for a month and come back ... we’ll be waiting for ya. Ummm yeah...suckers.

By: gunkaroni
Put some air in the tires and roll. Why wait? If you live in a home with wheels, you have plenty of other places to relocate to. Isn’t that the point?

By: chief007 wrote:
Something tells me those trailers haven’t rolled in a loooooong time, and the residents never had any intention of seeing the open road in their RVs.
   
By: realnavy
Destin’s Community Land Trust? Is that another name for Legendary Inc?
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Destin, get out of the housing business! — By: Jack Simpson
Ready, set, buy? The city of Destin created an “affordable workforce housing initiative” about three years ago. It was at the peak of the real estate bubble. Since then, prices have plummeted by 40 percent. Now comes the federal Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 making housing even more affordable. It is clearly time for the city of Destin to get out of the housing business altogether and dissolve the Community Land Trust. It is too controversial and plagued with too many administrative problems. Once again, we have seen how the free market works better than government does in such cases.
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The nameless hurricane of 1936 — By: mk1954
Great story. It seems like people knew how to take care of themselves. They did not have FEMA,  just friends and family taking care of each other.
   
By: chief007
Good story. How on earth did they survive without the FEMA credit cards and free trailers to live in for years?

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