The number of public fishing piers on our coast is dwindling rapidly. Many have been destroyed by hurricanes and not rebuilt because of economics. But the biggest threat today is from beach development and the ensuing rapidly rising property values and taxes.
The cost of land has risen so much and there is so few large tract left (large by beach standards is 1 acre or more). Residential development is on the rise, commercial beach properties are on the decline. You can't blame the pier owners, they just eek out a living as it is. Now all of a sudden their property value has trippled in the past 5 years and the taxes with it.
Then someone comes along and waves MILLIONS of dollars at them for their property. I can't fault the pier owners. But as a coastal community we need to band together and preserve some of the piers, just as we did years ago to preserve public access areas to the beaches.
Check out this link and consider joining the petition drive.
Mike