Beach Access Blocked In Panama City Beach, Florida - City/County Officials do nothing!
In April Bid-A-Wee Beach Park, Inc. Decided to block beach access to all but the dues paying members of their 'Corporation', this was later modified to allow anyone in the 599 home subdivision, to have access to the beach via the locking gates which were put up on the 6 paths leading from Front Beach Road to the public beach. (FYI: the gate code is: CX549)
The gates were quietly installed, then vandalized, quickly restored and then additional fencing around the walkways was installed.
Initially there was a lot of publicity regarding this high handed action with some minor sputtering and fuming by the City of Panama City Beach and also threats of action by the Bay County Commission. Both governmental entities proved to be long on hot air and short on actually doing something. Particularly bombastic were two County Commissioners who initially huffed and puffed but when it came to actually doing something put their tails between their legs and slunk off into the underbrush.
Leaders of the neighborhood association (i.E.: BAW President Jimmy Smith) have said the gates are to protect the dunes and wooden crosswalks from destructive beach goers, but a 1998 easement granted to Bay County says a property will be subject to a public easement for traditional use of the sandy beach consistent with the uses that would have been allowed prior to the need for the project.
So for the moment the gates remain and arriving Spring Breakers will take home with them photos of those locked gates denying them access to the beaches that have been open to them since the 1930's.
Of the 599 property Owners, the BAW Corporation represents perhaps 150 dues paying members (at $50 a year) although in 2010 they have claimed as many as 340 owners participating.
When the main controversy had died down it and the Bay County community had pretty much written off Bid-A-Wee as a collection of misfits and rednecks, it was brought to life again when the BAW Corporation President Jimmy Smith claimed that he was assaulted and beaten by a fellow Owner Mr. Randy Martin.
Martin was/is an outspoken opponent of the Gates having been installed. As a result of this supposed beating Martin was charged with 3 serious Felony's, later consolidated into one charge. He was offered a plea deal of one Misdemeanor count and rejected it. With the case defended by a former Bay County State Attorney the case went to a jury trial with 8 jurors and in what was said to be a record breaking time of 45 minutes the jury acquitted Martin on all counts. Smith had serious credibility issues and had previously failed to win an application for a 'keep away order' on Martin.
Indications are that a major multi million dollar civil suit will be filed this summer in Bay County Court against BAW President Mr. Jimmy Smith, the BAW Board of Directors, the PCBPD Chief and Officer Kelly, the latter having made the arrest of Martin without doing any worth while investigation, apparently failing to note that Martin wore a surgical boot which made the alleged vicious attack on Smith rather improbable.
If you go to the beach in PCB this Spring Break you won't find a 'Welcome' at the 1,600 ft section in Panama City Beach which the local knuckleheads have locked up and you won't find any City of County elected officials that actually give a d*n. Perhaps this will change in coming elections?
Take a look at this blog site which carries all the news reports about this dysfunctional 'Corporation'.: http://bidaweeeasement. Blogspot.com/
Also look at this message board where anyone can comment on the situation: http://bidawee. Proboards.com/index. Cgi?
The Corporations 'Official Site' is found at: http://bawbp.com/
Officer/Director Detail Name & Address
Title DP
SMITH, JIMMY A
506 TARPON ST
PANAMA CITY FL 32413
(850) 960-1852, [email protected]
Title VPD
BEAHON, JAMES L
101 BID-A-WEE LANE
PANAMA CITY FL 32413
[email protected]
Title dt
thompson, maria a
157 seaclusion circle
panama city beach fl 32413
(850) 249-7613
Title DS
SLADE, KATHY
13806 MILLCOLE AVE
PANAMA CITY BEACH FL 32413
[email protected]
Title db
singley, terry
101 bid-a-wee lane
panama city beach fl 32413
Title bd
kassiris, mary kay
120 seaclusion dr
panama city beach fl 32413
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