BONFIRES FOR GRAYTON

Bonfire Business for Grayton

Hard to believe that our county has granted a license for a Business that will build bonfires for their clients on Grayton Beach. The ad was in the Walton Sun this AM:

Papa Jack's Beach Bonfires
He is offering a Grayton Beach Introductory Special for $350.

I, for one, am very disappointed to see that a business has been allowed to be set up that will bring bonfire material on to our beach and no matter how well they try to clean up, there will be traces left on our beach.

Not sure why Grayon has been on such a "hit list" for the county recently, first it was the driving on the beach, then it was the one way of Hotz, then the building of a observation deck, and now a Bonfire Business.Grayton Beach is only so big and can only accomodate so much, and now a business of bonfires?

I contacted our County Commissioners but am not sure anything can be done if a license has already been granted.

County OrdinanceSec. 10-2. Lighting of any bonfire or campfire.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or other legal entity to ignite or maintain, or participate in the maintenance of, a bonfire or campfire between the vegetation line or the coastal construction setback line, whichever is a greater distance from the water's edge, and the Gulf of Mexico in Walton County, Florida, without a permit as provided herein.

(b) It shall also be unlawful and a violation of this article for a person to fail to clean up as provided herein.

(c) All fires shall be limited in size to three feet by three feet by six inches, and only combustible material free of nails, glass and other potentially dangerous items may be used in any fire.

(d) All persons desiring to obtain a 24-hour permit for a fire on public or private land within the area described herein above shall apply for 24-hour permit from the county tourist development council. All applications for permits shall set forth in detail the full name and address of the applicant, the date and time the fire is to be set, the kind or type of fire to be set, the materials to be burned, the specific location of the fire, the safeguards to be taken to protect the public and other property from injury and such other information as may be prescribed by the county tourist development council, which shall prescribe the form of application and furnish such application forms to applicants upon request.

(e) The fee for the issuance of the daily permit shall be $100.00, with a refundable deposit of $49.00, for the cost of site clean-up. The deposit for a 24-hour permit shall be refundable upon the filing of a certification by the county tourist development council that the site of the fire has been cleared of any nails, glass, metal or any other materials, trash and debris.

(f) Permits shall not be issued when the county has good reason to believe that the proposed fire will endanger the public health, safety, welfare or other property.

(g) Issuance of a permit by the county shall not excuse or relieve the applicant from any liability or responsibility for damages which may result from carelessness or neglect in setting, starting, looking after or guarding a fire.