St. Pete Beach says owning beachfront property does not necessarily give a landowner the right to keep the public off the sand, putting Florida’s customary use doctrine at the center of its defense against a federal lawsuit over beach signs.
The city filed a 20-page answer Aug. 19 denying claims from Plaza Beach Motel and Undertow Beach Bar that its new sign restrictions violate the First Amendment and interfere with their ability to protect private property. The filing lays out 17 defenses, ranging from beach safety and property rights to procedural arguments that could narrow the case before those larger questions are decided.
Central to the city’s response is customary use…