Walton County has another regional beach access.
On June 15, members of the Walton County Commission and Walton County Tourism gathered to celebrate the opening of the Bets “Beachmama” Haynes Regional Beach Access in Grayton Beach.
The access, which is the 11th in Walton County, is located at 44 Hotz Ave. in Grayton Beach.
The new facility features:
In the information station, folks can find out about the founding and history of the Grayton Beach community.
“The Board of County Commissioners dedicated this beach access to the late Bets ‘Beachmama’ Haynes,” Beach Operations Director Josh Ervin said in a news release.
“As well all know, she was very much a public access advocate, community leader, beach safety steward, and brought people together. I’m certainly pleased to be able to be here today to recognize her,” Ervin said.
Haynes, a Grayton Beach resident, led the grassroots campaign convincing the state of Florida to purchase nearly 900 acres of coastal land in 1985, preserving what is now Grayton Beach State Park.
The total cost of the new access project was $4.3 million.
The project was built and will be maintained through the Tourist Development Tax, or bed tax, which is a 5 percent tax collected on short-term rentals of six months or less in south Walton County, according to a release from Walton County Tourism.
Residents do not pay a bed tax unless they decide to take a “staycation” in one of the local accommodations.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Walton County opens new beach access in Grayton Beach
Reporting by Tina Harbuck, Northwest Florida Daily News / Northwest Florida Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tina Harbuck, Northwest Florida Daily News | USA TODAY Network
