On Monday, September 13, 2021, the Long Beach Town Council approved an amendment to the Town’s Shoreline Preservation Ordinance that would allow construction of private stairs on the state-owned Public Trust beach lakeward of the “ordinary high water mark” (OHWM). In doing so, the Town Council ignored the bright line articulated by the Indiana Supreme Court and enacted by the Indiana General Assembly as the boundary of public and private property on the Lake Michigan shore. The LBCA understands the need to balance the rights of Indiana citizens to use and enjoy the Public Trust beach with the rights of private property owners. Indeed, the LBCA supports the rights of lakefront homeowners to build stairs on their own private property. But, on its face, the Town’s adoption of an ordinance that “permits” private construction on the state-owned Public Trust beach is beyond the Town’s jurisdiction and violates Indiana law. Here is our letter to Town Council urging them to take action to correct their error.
Email Town Council to Express Your Concerns Regarding the Stair Amendment:
Bob LeMay - LBPLeMay@gmail.com ,
Mary Lou McFadden - mcfadb@comcast.net
Mike Johnstone - mjlbtc@icloud.com
John Kocher - kocher2235@gmail.com
John Wall - johnwall2022lb@gmail.com
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