‘The beach doesn’t belong to a single person’: Judge sides with Redington Beach over beach access

REDINGTON BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — John and Robin Derdzinski walk along Redington Beach every day.

“The beach should be accessible to all, whether you’re a local like we are or a tourist,’ John said.

He and his wife are in favor of a 53-page ruling, where a judge sided with the town of Redington Beach.

“The beach doesn’t belong to a single person or a single family, it belongs to a community,” John said.

Attorney Josh Sheridan, who is unaffiliated with this case, explained the ruling, saying areas along Redington Beach have to be shared, even if they’re privately owned.

“It’s kind of an interesting concept, that even though it’s someone else’s property, the public can still use it,” he said. “Generally speaking, if the government were to take land from a private owner, they would need to be compensated.”

“The question was whether or not the public’s usage over the portion of sand constituted a taking by the county, and the court found it did not,” Sheridan said.

“So what’s the difference between the beach and your front lawn?,” News Channel 8 reporter Nicole Rogers asked.

“When you get to the nature of waters, oceans, bays, those aren’t generally privately held,” Sheridan said. “So whereas people don’t have a right or interest in using your front lawn, per say, Florida’s beaches are generally meant to be for the public.”

You can read the full 53-page ruling below.

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