County Council Reaches Compromise On Pier No Surfing Zone

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DeLand, FL-Volusia County Council has agreed to a compromise between local surfers and pier operators on a proposed ordinance to shrink the no surfing zone. The proposed change would have cut the exclusion zone to 25 feet from the current 300 feet. County Councilman Josh Wagner who was pushing for the change told council there was a compromise reached between the two sides-150 feet with an agreement to have fishermen, surfers and the pier management and lawyers form a citizen committee and hold public meetings once a month over the next five months to look closely at the issue. The issue would then come back on the agenda to be considered in May 2017. An attorney for the owner of Sunglow Pier was at the meeting and said his client agreed to the compromise details. Wagner said he also wanted that committee to travel to the Cocoa Beach Pier where there is no surfing exclusion zone and see how that situation works there. At the end of the five months of meetings, Wagner asked for and got an agreement to have the issue back on the agenda for Volusia County Council to consider. Councilmembers approved the changes 7-0 and the committee meetings and other additions were in the record. Only two of the many people who signed up to speak on the issue insisted on being heard. Others agreed to bring their comments to those future monthly meetings to be held at Beach Safety Headquarters in Daytona Beach. The first scheduled meeting is January 17. Wagner told the meeting that he had spoken to Daytona Beach City Manager Jim Chisholm who said the city pier exclusion zone is currently 50 feet. 2016 Southern Stone Communications