PANAMA CITY BEACH — City attorneys are researching whether Panama City Beach could pass a law that would ban construction of private walkovers behind homes along Beach Boulevard.
The controversy came to light after neighbors recently complained about a wooden walkover that has been built behind a home at 9802 Beach Blvd., which starts behind the house, extends over dunes and crosses state property out to the gulf.
The walkover railing juts up 6 to 9 feet, and neighbors said it has hurt their water views.
David Tinley, who lives a few doors away, said he understands why people would want to build a private walkover out to the beach behind their homes, but he leans toward not allowing it.
“I’d kind of be in favor of banning it,” he said. “We have public walkways every two houses here that we can use (to get to the beach).”
He added that his neighbor is planning to build one and he is concerned it will block part of his beach view.
Debra Williams, who lives a few doors down from the home with the walkover, said it has hurt her gulf views.
“It blocks the horizon for the sunset,” she said.
Property owner Jason Roberts said he can’t win. He said he has another rental property where neighbors have complained that tenants were trampling through the dune sea oats and he could have faced fines from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
In this case, he said, he hired a walkover designer for the $18,000 project who had previously worked for DEP, which issued permits for the walkover.
Roberts said he can understand why some neighbors are displeased about what the walkover is doing to their gulf views, but he was simply following DEP design standards and regulations.
“I do understand all the sides,” he said. “I feel for those (neighbors). I’m caught in the middle.”
Dee Ann Miller, a spokeswoman for DEP, said permits for walkovers require construction to be conducted “in a manner that minimizes short-term disturbance to the dune system and existing vegetation. Specific information is contained in these guidelines pertaining to walkover elevation.”
Those guidelines recommend that the walkover have a minimum 3-foot foot clearance over the dunes.
Roberts said he tried to lessen the impact of the walkway on the neighbors’ gulf views by installing stainless steel cables instead of pickets.
“It cost us a ton of money,” he said.
Panama City Beach Planning Director Mel Leonard said what makes this walkway different from others on the island is its height and distance, which is related to the fact the walkway goes over dunes.
He said the shoreline along Beach Boulevard has more dunes than other areas of the island, which means the walkovers will end up being much higher than those built on other beaches.
The walkover was built on only a few feet of Roberts’ property; the rest is on state property.
“(The new walkover) is unusual in that it’s the first of that height and size, so it kind of sticks out,” Leonard said.
The Panama City Beach City Council at its last meeting directed Assistant City Attorney Amy Myers to research what the city could legally do to stop the walkways from being built on that street.
City Councilman Rick Russell said he had been contacted by neighbors who weren’t happy.
“It’s a pretty walkway, but it’s ugly in its setting,” he said.
Russell said people who live along that street have a public beach access every two lots, so access is not an issue. He also said there is a safety issue, as a hurricane could break apart the walkway and cause debris to wash up against houses along the beach.
Mayor Gayle Oberst said it is a good-looking walkway.
“But if you are standing on the city’s beach access you can’t see over it, so you can’t see the water, you can’t see the sun or anything,” she said.
Councilwoman Josie Strange said constructing private walkways in that neighborhood is “kind of overkill” considering all of the public access points there.
Councilman John Reichard was the only council member who balked at instructing attorneys to draft the ordinance.
“We’re going after a property owners’ rights to build a walkway down there,” he said.