TEXAS BEACHES BELONG TO ALL TEXANS

www.e-thepeople.org ^ | 9/04/03 | John Beatty

[tx4guns]

Do you enjoy fishing, surfing, beachcombing, sunbathing, or just long walks on the beach at sunrise or sunset? Are you aware that the beaches of Texas belong to the citizens of Texas? Did you know that there is an ongoing battle, to take away YOUR right to access YOUR property? The "Texas Open Beaches Act" guarantees, the citizens of our great state, open and unrestricted access to all Texas beaches,from "mean low tide" to the "vegetation line." The current fight is over the last 3.2 miles of open beach, at San Luis Pass. By the way, that is the only, truly, open beach left on Galveston Island. I have recently joined a group of people, who are fighting to preserve our right to access this beach, as it is being planned for developement. If you are passionate about your rights, as a citizen; or if you just want to know more about this struggle; please go to www.texasopenbeaches.org. This is the website for the T.O.B.A.(Texas Open Beach Advocates). Or if you are just mildly interested, and would like to learn more about this, before considering involvement; try going to www.guidrynews.com and click on Forum. You wil get both sides of the argument there. We need your support! Thanks to The Chronicle, for this forum. Get involved, get educated, knowledge is power! Thanks

[tx4guns]

This battle is a heated one in which I've become quite involved. Spread the word and check out the TOBA website to become educated on the issues. It affects all citizens of Texas that use the beaches. Your public beach could be next in the fight.

[Old Professer]

Turn it into a park, then they can keep everybody out.

[basil]

Thanks for the heads up. I will certainly look into this. I grew up on the Texas Gulf Coast and have been enjoying the beaches for more than 60 years. Though I no longer live very close to the coast, I still find time to enjoy going there once in a while.

[tx4guns]

A park would be nice, but that's not the plan. The plan is to build a golf course, marina and tons of more houses on the West end of Galatraz Island. Beaches will be close to vehicles as development propogates down the island. They will be private beaches for the beachfront land owners, and the public will be SOL in that area.

[Prof Engineer]

beach ping

[mbynack]

I live in Florida and the Hotels have bought up the access to the beaches and fenced them off to prevent "non guests" from getting to them. After the last hurricane the hotels expected the taxpayers to clean up and rebuild the beaches.

[RightWhale]

the public will be SOL in that area

The public is the State. Is the public selling the land to private individuals or corporations?

[RightWhale]

After the last hurricane the hotels expected the taxpayers to clean up and rebuild the beaches.

That would be outrageous. However, sea level is now dropping, slowly. In the course of time, beachfront will be many miles out to what is now sea.

[tx4guns]

There is private land next to the beach. The beach (i.e. public land) is from the low tide line to the vegitation line at the dunes. The private land is right behind the dunes. That's where the houses are being built, and as the development occurs, the City/County of Galveston is putting up bollards and blocking vehicular access to the public beach. State law requires equal or better access for every 1/4 mile of beach, and Galveston is currently not compliant with those laws. The state (General Land Office) turns an eye to it and has not enforced the law. It's time they do. Storms have washed beach away and left houses in the water. State law requires the removal of these structures, but they are still there. Like I said, this is a complicated and heated battle. The more people that get educated on it, the better. We need the public to speak!

As for the marina, golf course, etc... there is a land owner that owns 1200 acres from beach to bay to San Luis Pass that is trying to sell the land to a major developer. Bayside is private land, and is not under the Open Beaches Act. It's the beach side that we're concerned about, but development is not the answer down there.

[tx4guns]

It happens in Texas, too. Beachfront houses are blown/washed away, and YOUR insurance premiums and property taxes (for Texans) help pay for these people to rebuild their homes and the beach. FEMA helps, too in a bad storm. In other words, they buy a house from $250k - multi million $$$, a hurricane washes it away, and we pay to rebuild it. Some areas are not insurable, and I believe the whole beachfront should be that way. It's not a matter of IF, but WHEN the big one comes!

[RightWhale]

The public access would be public property, that is State property whether it's an easement or an entire parcel. If it's an easement, then the State screwed up when it disposed of the land in the first place--long time ago, no doubt, but the State still has right-of-way anyway. The accesses, being State land, may be cleared by the State at any time. Bulldozers are appropriate.

[Cobra Scott]

Its a losing proposition in this state.

All waterways in Texas are theoretically open access, yet most are closed. That does not matter to those in power.

I wish you luck.

[ActionNewsBill]

All your beach are belong to us.

[GOPyouth]

Crystal Beach, baby! I've done many a stupid thing down there back in the day.

[tx4guns]

There is already a buzz about closures at Crystal Beach. Once the Toll Bridge is built from Texas City to Boliver, the property value is going to skyrocket, and the "priviledged" beachfront homeowners will want their private beach down there, too. Get involved before it's too late.

[tx4guns]

It's only a loss if the politicians are not confronted with public interest. That goes for anything politicians do. If the word gets out and people are educated, the public's wishes will prevail. Spread the word.

[af_vet_rr]

It happens in Texas, too. Beachfront houses are blown/washed away, and YOUR insurance premiums and property taxes (for Texans) help pay for these people to rebuild their homes and the beach. FEMA helps, too in a bad storm. In other words, they buy a house from $250k - multi million $$$, a hurricane washes it away, and we pay to rebuild it.

Sounds like a certain river in the middle of the continent that people keep rebuilding on over and over, no matter the fact that they are living in flood plains.

I believe Texas waterways belong to Texans, but I do see more and more entities, both city/county, and private, trying to restrict access.

[hoosierham]

You want to go to beach ? BUY the land with YOUR money, or pay the property owners' their access fee.

pRIVATE PROPERTY IS THE BASIS FOR SUCCESS and freeper ought not push socialism.

[tx4guns]

Read up on Texas law before you spout off. It's about freedom, not private property rights. Texas beaches are owned by the people for the people, and that includes non-Texan visitors too. To restrict access is to restrict freedom. That is not "their" private beach, and it never has been, and never will be.