08/27/2026
PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. — Charlie Rotenberry is calling on Escambia County residents to take a closer look at the future of Pensacola Beach—and to protect what he describes as “the People’s Beach.”
Rotenberry warns that Pensacola Beach could face many of the same pressures he believes are changing other Florida coastal communities, including fee-simple ownership, high-rise development, increased density, rental restrictions and the privatization of beach areas.
“Please do not let this Cancer spread to Pensacola Beach, the People’s Beach!” Rotenberry wrote.
He says residents need to understand the history of Pensacola Beach and the 1947 land grant involving Escambia County, arguing that citizens should recognize their role as stewards of the island and protect remaining areas of free and open beach.
“The Citizens of Escambia County need to wake up and acknowledge their ownership of the peoples beach, Pensacola Beach, and stand up to protect their ownership rights to their Free and Open beach areas remaining,” he wrote.
Rotenberry also expressed concern about rapid growth and an influx of newcomers bringing different ideas about development and property rights.
For him, the issue is personal. He remembers Pensacola Beach as a place where generations of residents “grew up surfing, frolicking, and playing” on its sugar-white sand and emerald waters.
“Having visited most all beaches in the country and many outside our country,” Rotenberry wrote, “I can assure you that ours is the True Gem of beaches and must be protected.”
His message is ultimately a call for vigilance: know the history, understand the rights, and don’t take the public’s beach for granted.
Photo courtesy of Charlie Rotenberry
