By Patricia Lee, Owner: www.Destinites.com
This past month in our Facebook local’s Destinites group (www.Facebook.com/groups/Destinites), one member placed the following post: “St. Pete Beach. My jaw dropped. Do you see it? They don’t fight over the public beach. They set their umbrellas and chairs back so everyone else can enjoy the beach, too. Nobody was crying over anything. Yes, their beach extends out farther which, after Helene, is amazing on its own. Thought I’d share with this group. We should take a lesson from St. Pete beach.” A photo was placed with the post showing an extensively wide beach area.
Below are some of the responses from our group members:
1. Look at the size of that beach! What a walk to the water from the hotel. It’s amazing what beach renourishment does.
- Same goes for Amelia Island 20 years ago.
- I grew up there and Pinellas County has always required the beach to be free. It’s always been a wide beach. You can walk for miles both feet wet and well up the beach in the sand. No signs or fences.
4. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: When that category five comes this way, God will show you who owns the beach.
5. God created the beach for everybody, not just a select few.
6. As another person that grew up here, we had no trouble sharing the beach with everyone for decades.
7. Walton county is the only county to have the private beach problem. (in this area).
8. Let’s take our beaches back! - That picture is not telling you two things:
- St. Pete has much more sand between the dune line and the Gulf than we do. A lot more. Those set-ups are placed where they are, because the guest has already walked a considerable distance from their unit (which is set back even further) with all of their beach stuff. We suffer from a lack of sandy beach area to accommodate the millions we advertise to.
- This picture is taken in front of a resort where there’s zero parking available for the public. That’s why you don’t see non-resort chairs and umbrellas out front. Look off to the distance in the right side of the pic and you will see non-resort setups and the general public closer to the waterline as that’s where the public can park and access the beach.
10. This is how it was back in the day in Destin, before they let the crazy start and the chair vendors take over OUR beaches. This is how it should still be.If you live in Destin or the close surrounding area, I invite you to join our private, targeted group for locals and property owners at Facebook.com/groups/Destinites. Currently 12,600+
members (est. October 2018). Check out our Local Business Directory at www.Destinites.com, where more than 500 local businesses are listed and enjoy advertising in our targeted community group.
