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Parks one step closer to owning range light
The Range Light at Sand Spur Beach is one step closer to being owned the Florida Parks System, as national historic status may be obtained by Christmas of this year.
The news, reported to the Barrier Island Parks Society board that met on Monday, Nov. 16, came as somewhat of a shock when it was announced by Sharon McKenzie, BIPS’ executive director.
McKenzie told the board that they have held several meetings in regards to the range light’s determination for national historic status over the summer, and are currently working with the United States Coast Guard Assistant Commandant’s office to have some sort of ownership decision made by the end of the year.
While the Coast Guard owns the light, the Department of Defense owns the seven acres of land it stands on. That is where the problem starts as far as obtaining ownership.
Outgoing President Bruce Stirling said that a new board member, Tom Leiter, will be working on the project.
“To say that we have been inching forward with progress on this would be a compliment,” Stirling laughed. “It’s unbelievable. It shows that we have too many layers of government. It seems as though we are dealing with people whose entire motivation is to get through their career without making a single decision.”
McKenzie explained what has happened in the process over the last few months.
“The Coast Guard has applied for determination of eligibility for the structure, but that doesn’t include the land,” she said. “If we get historic recognition, it would make it very difficult for the Army to do anything with the land. That’s what we’re hoping for, at least.”
During the battle for the range light, which has been taking place for almost a score of years, the Coast Guard has been working with BIPS to get the light transferred to the parks service. The Department of Defense, however, has been waylaying the process.
When the land was originally purchased it was through the Department of the Army in the early part of the 1900’s. Up until recently the Department of Defense didn’t even realize they owned the property.
Island residents who live near the range light have offered to paint the peeling structure, but are not allowed on the property without clearance. Leiter has a vested interest in seeing the range light spruced up, as he lives nearby and is also a land lawyer.
The BIPS board also elected Larry Hannah as their new president, as well as board members Mary Lou Humphrey, Leiter and Phil Stutzman. Board members that left their seats were Ted Hoopes (six years of service), Virgil Pitstick (six years of service) and Christian Scott-Hansen (three years of service).
Hannah replaces Bruce Stirling, who acted as the board’s president for seven years of service.
1 Response for “Parks one step closer to owning range light”
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I had to laugh a few weeks ago while listening to some “islanders” discuss this range light issue……I threw out a question to them: Do any of you know what the range light is actually for, it’s function or why it is here?” I got three looks of total dumfoundedness and then one piped up and said…….”It’s something left over from the war.” I choked with laughter. I told him that since the range light was erected there in 1927 someone must have had darn good foresight and knew that we’d be involved in a war come 1941.
For those of you who don’t know…………The range light represents one end of an imaginary line in part of the ship channel. The line is 36degrees true and runs between the range light and the “fairway buoy”. Trust me. It was a device for helping the pilots know when they were on the centerline of the dogleg in the channel.