Perdido Key beach access gets state permit

Perdido Key beach access gets state permit

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has issued a final permit that will allow a much needed additional public beach access to the beach on Perdido Key.
The new access point at 16495 Perdido Key Dr. (next to The Crab Trap) will include 35 parking spots and give the public access to 300 feet of beachfront. Perdido Key Access No. 4, will be the largest county-owned public access area on Perdido Key. It is expected to be open by next spring.
Escambia County bought the property in 2013, and set aside $228,000 to build the access point. But Commissioner Jeff Bergosh noted on his blog that the project could need an additional $50,000 to $70,000 in funding.
The Seafarer Condos Owners Association sued the county in 2018 to stop the development of the access site on grounds that it violated the county’s land development code, according to the Pensacola News Journal.
Bergosh relentlessly pushed for the parcel to be used for public access over the objections of fellow commissioner Doug Underhill, who represents Perdido Key.
“When it opens, it is going to allow my constituents who live in District 1 access to a publicly owned beach on the west side of Pensacola at Perdido Key,” said Bergosh on his blog. “It’s going to allow people who don’t have a boat or have a condo or have the ability to access waterfront to go to an Escambia County-owned piece of property and go fishing, go hang out. I just think that’s the greatest thing.”