St. Pete Beach Customary Use: Petition and Community Experience Project Now Live
For those following the ongoing discussions about beach access in St. Pete Beach, a group of residents and supporters has launched a petition asking the City Commission to formally recognize and protect customary use rights on St. Pete Beach.
For anyone unfamiliar with the concept, customary use is the legal doctrine that recognizes certain longstanding public uses of dry-sand beach areas when those uses have existed openly and continuously for generations.
Regardless of where you come down on the issue, I think most people would agree that it's an important conversation for our community. Many residents, visitors, and property owners have strong feelings about preserving public access while also respecting legitimate private property interests.
In addition to the petition, we're collecting stories and experiences from people who have used St. Pete Beach over the years. Whether you've lived here for decades, own property here, or simply have family traditions tied to the beach, we'd like to hear from you.
Petition:
https://www.change.org/p/protect-and-recognize-customary-use-on-st-pete-beach
Community Experience Form:
https://forms.gle/dkHpDbSdkTbcacoy6
I'm genuinely interested in hearing different perspectives on this issue, so please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments as well.