The Texas Open Beaches Act is about to come under yet another round of endless debate
As far as we can tell, the Associated Press is the first to raise the ugly, post-IKE specter of the Texas Open Beaches Act, but the lede of their story is unfortunately and laughably wrong.
GALVESTON, TX -- Hundreds of people whose beachfront homes were wrecked by Hurricane Ike may be barred from rebuilding under a little-noticed Texas law. And even those whose houses were spared could end up seeing them condemned by the state.
Millions of pounds of newsprint have rolled through the presses to bring the public never-ending stories about the open beaches law.
It happens after every storm.
And nothing ever gets resolved.
The law never is vigorously enforced. The homeowners never understand. The beaches continue to erode. The Storms come, the storms go, the building goes on... and, oh yeah, A.R. "Babe" Schwartz continues to provide angry quotes.
Zzzzzzzz ....
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1 comment:
Banjo, Most of these West End beach properties bring in a windfall tax of 3% of appraised value to Galveston City as a whole with less than 20% full time occupancy (e.g. stresses on the system as garbage, water, electricity, roadways). Property values are before the storm appraised at about 50-60% of market value with max raises every year for catch up. Beach front lots are valued at about 1.5-2 times inland or canal lots. A large number are rental properties generating occupancy tax and high sales tax on vacationers high end consumption and spending.
Go figure.
Ghost of Bob Eckhardt
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