Residents of Bal Harbor protest for beach access
BAL HARBOR, Fla. (WSVN) -- Bal Harbor residents are protesting against developers and government officials who, they say, have closed public access to Bal Harbor beaches, shutting out locals and other visiting tourists.
On Saturday, local surfers and other beach goers went out to fight against a new development known as One Bal Harbor.
However, employees of Bal Harbor Village said they have tried to work with the surfers. "It was a safety hazard at that point. They're building a multi-story adjacent to it, so that's why we opened the alternate route," said a local worker Jay Smith.
T.J. Marshall, one of the many angry protesters fighting for his right to beach access also made his voice heard. "They opened a temporary one [beach] over a quarter of a mile away and forced people to walk through a construction zone over there. You have children and surfers with beach chairs. It was basically useless," said Marshall, a member of Surfrider Foundation.
Locals say the village and the developers entered into an illegal $300,000 deal to build on the public parking lot. However, village officials said they made a legal deal to offset parking revenue.
According to a member of the construction team, the new walkway will be done within a matter of days.
As the weekend continues, locals worry the inconvenience may last longer than expected. "If it starts here, we want to make sure we stop it before it goes anywhere else ... Do you just shrug your shoulders and go somewhere else? No, you should be able to go to the beach. That's what you live in Miami for," said Christian de la Iglesia, a local surfer.
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