Vendors want ATVs on Pensacola Beach

Kimberly Blair

Santa Rosa Island Authority board members are considering allowing beach vendors to use ATVs to haul chairs, umbrellas and other supplies back and forth to the beach, even though Island Authority staff opposes the idea.

To settle the debate that's been going on since July, the board asked Bob West, Pensacola Beach public safety supervisor, to draft an ATV policy, with rules and restrictions, for them to review at the Oct. 27 committee meeting, even though West and Island Authority

Executive Director W. A. "Buck" Lee oppose the move.

"People and vehicles don't mix. Period," West said.

There's enough ATV traffic on the beach with the lifeguards and Escambia deputies' ATV patrols, he said.

"I don't want to be the ATV police out there, I've got enough to do already," West said.

The ATV debate began in July when Larry Porto, owner of Horizon Beach Services, requested to use an ATV to haul supplies from a storage unit at Margaritaville Beach Hotel to the beach.

Porto has a contract with Margaritaville and Holiday Inn Express to rent chairs, umbrellas, kayaks, paddle boards and surfboards. He's one of four beach supply vendors on the beach.

"Traditionally, (beach vendors) build plywood boxes on the beach for their supplies and spread them out, so you don't have to walk more than 60 or 80 feet carrying everything," he said.

He uses boxes at Holiday Inn. Margaritaville has asked him to use a storage facility in its parking garage instead of the beach boxes. It's the only hotel on the beach that provides storage for its beach vendor.

Without an ATV, he said his employees are forced to carry 1,500 to 3,000 pounds of equipment between 300 feet and a quarter of a mile every morning and afternoon during the tourist season, March to the end of October.
Lee said he recommends, "no ATVs." But if the board OKs allowing one vendor to use an ATV, in all fairness, "then you allow all vendors to do it," he said.

Board member Dave Pavlock supports a policy that requires vendors to apply for an ATV permit.

"We want to be sure it's going to be safe for the people out there sunbathing out on the beach," Pavlock said. "We want to make life easy for the people providing the services. We'll probably do a test for six months to see if it is going to work."
Board Vice Chairman Elweyn Gurensy said they won't fully understand the impacts of vendors using ATVs, "Until we try it."
To support his opposition, West has spent weeks researching whether other coastal communities allow vendors to use ATVs on public beaches.

"I could not find a government jurisdiction in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, or in North and South Carolina that has a code allowing vendors to use them," West said.

He did find a few isolated instances, including on Perdido Key and Okaloosa Island, in which there are policies that allow vendors to use ATVs on beaches before and after the summer season for the initial setup of chaise lounges. And the policies allow the vendors to retrieve their supplies when there's a threat of tropical storms or hurricanes.

Keith Wilkins, Escambia's bureau chief, said permits are issued to vendors on Perdido Key because the beaches are private.

"The condo owners or businesses own the property down to the waterline," he said. "It's a different situation."

Since the county does allow them on a limited basis, Wilkins said he would not hold Santa Rosa Island to a different standard. "But public safety is paramount, and vehicular traffic on the beach should be discouraged at all levels," he said.

The Island Authority and county also are researching county codes to find out whether Porto would be allowed to drive his ATV through a foot path in the sand dune from Margaritaville property to the public beach.

"People are supposed to use boardwalks and save the sand dunes," Wilkins said. "We've been loose with our rules because of the BP (oil spill) cleanup workers, and we'll tighten up when they're gone."

--

Source: http://www.pnj.com/article/20101007/NEWS01/10070309/Vendors-want-ATVs-on-Pensacola-Beach

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites