LETTER: Monster trucks mar our beaches

An open letter to Cecilia Jones and other BCC members: 

I'm one of your taxpaying constituents in the Grayton Beach area.

I must tell you I'm really outraged by what's happening to our beautiful beaches these days.  I'm talking about the damage being done by those monster dump trucks hauling loads of sand for the Retreat project. 

 It's really inexcusable that a bunch of selfish resort owners should be able to tear up two miles of beachfront. That's beachfront used and enjoyed by thousands of other residents and tourists alike.  The damage seems worse than anything that came from BP's oil.  How long do you think it will take to repair the huge ruts by natural wave action?  Several years? 

Who's going to pay for repairs, including a massive grading operation?  How do we know any repair procedure won’t just make matters worse?  Do the Retreat owners have the financial resources to pay for repairs to two miles of beachfront?  If not, are taxpayers going to get stuck with the repair tab?  What about the economic losses as tourists get wind of the situation and go elsewhere?  The word WILL spread.

I understand the Walton BCC approved the method of site access, which requires the monster trucks driving along the beachfront.  What were you guys thinking?  Were you asleep to the possibility of horrendous damage?  Did you get any professional advice before approving?  Its time for all BCC members to leave their cozy offices and take a look at the damage? 

You can start with the area from the Redfish Lakes to Gulf Trace.  The trucks driving through the end of Little Redfish Lake are turning up huge ruts, which might interfere with the lake's natural outflow system.  You need to get a professional evaluation of the damages.  Continuing your seat of the pants approach wont do!

What to do now?  For starters, how about filing suit for an injunction to stop work immediately? Then, how about requiring a bond be posted, say $5 million, before work is allowed to resume?

In the coming election voters need to elect BCC members who will not be asleep when it comes to protecting Walton's most valuable resource.

Roger Bonk

Grayton Beach