![]() “That’s just disrespectful.” Atkins again emphasizes education as a solution to the problem. “First thing, I would not let any private property owners rope off or hinder the public access to the beach,” he says. I asked Atkins how he might address this as county commissioner. This often leads to conflict between the public, private landowners and police. The problem with using the line is that there is no way for the public or law enforcement to know precisely where this line is because it changes over time. But the de facto law, which state and local law enforcement are applying, uses the mean high water line-the roughly 19-year average of high tides along set points on Florida’s coastline-as the boundary between private and public coastal property. ![]() Customary use law, if applied, allows the public to access any public beach with a history of recreational use. There are two laws with two different definitions about where the public can and cannot walk. "The public can be in the water, and they can be in the sand up to the mean high water line." ![]() “The public needs to understand that they need to respect the private property owners and they need to not do anything that is not appropriate in front of their property," he says. “The reality is, nobody has a private beach up to the mean high water line,” says Atkins. “But some don’t understand that when it comes to being in front of their properties.”Ītkins wants to help private property owners understand their rights, but he also believes that it’s not just the property owners who need a better understanding it’s also the responsibility of the public. Here's what they had to say: District 2 Democrats: Fredd Atkinsįor Atkins, education is the solution. All agree that public beach access is an important issue, but emphasize different solutions. We wanted to know what candidates in the ongoing Sarasota County Commission races would do to address this problem. There’s talk of buying more beach for the public, but the asking prices are exorbitant-and meanwhile, Sarasota residents are kicked off the beach by law enforcement officers and private security guards hired by property owners. The last time the Sarasota County Commission addressed the issue was when commissioners approved a 2021 ordinance that allowed private property owners to place signs on their property without requiring a permit. ![]() Little has been done by our local government and elected officials to address the conflict between property owners and beachgoers. ![]()
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