"I think we have a solution everybody will be happy with . . ."

Submitted by Deborah Lavery Powers

Staff Reporter

June 25, 2015 6:30 p.m.

Beach Access #33 shown recently sodded and landscaped.

Citizens who have been deeply concerned about the palm trees and sod currently covering Beach Access #33 will be relieved to hear that City Manager Joe Gerrity told the Observer this afternoon, “I think we have a solution everybody will be happy with.”

What the solution will be has not yet been made public.

The background to this story was summed up by Eric Bartelt in an article he wrote about the June 16th Commission meeting:

“Next on [the City Manager’s] list was Beach Access 33, an unimproved access that exists next to a new house being built on S. Fletcher. Because the access is unimproved, meaning it has no walkover or other means for walking to the beach other than through the dunes, he decided to allow the owner of the house to donate palm trees and grass to beautify the access right of way. He said that landscaping would not prohibit anyone from using the access but that because there is no pathway or walkover, there was effectively no way for the public to actually get to the beach. He said the only way to get to the beach was to walk through the dune vegetation, which the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection frowns upon. If in the future the City decides to build a walkover at that access, Gerrity said the City can still do that.”

Comments on Bartelt’s article (26 of them) may be seen by clicking here

In the above picture, Beach Access #33 stretches from just under the overhang on the home of Baxter Hayes, Jr., shown on the left, to the fence shown on the right.

The Board of Adjustments approved the roof edge extending over the Beach Access #33 property line.

Editor's Note: After a career in adult education, where writing, course design and development were her "beat," Deborah now enjoys the world of freelancing, and volunteering. We thank Deborah for her many contributions.