CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.

House Bill 1459

Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1459 By Representatives Maygarden, Melvin, Burroughs and Ritchie 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to Escambia County; conveying 3 an easement in sovereignty submerged lands to 4 the county; permitting the maintenance and 5 operation of the Old Pensacola Bay Bridge for 6 public recreational use; providing for private 7 entities to maintain and operate the bridge 8 under contract with the county; providing 9 severability; providing an effective date. 10 11 WHEREAS, title to one concrete and steel bridge 12 structure, formerly conveying U.S. Highway 98, commonly known 13 and referred to as the Old Pensacola Bay Bridge, over 14 Pensacola Bay constructed across certain portions of Sections 15 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33, in Township 2 South, Range 16 29 West, was vested in Escambia County by chapter 61-676, Laws 17 of Florida, and 18 WHEREAS, the center part of said structure was removed 19 to aid navigation on Pensacola Bay, and 20 WHEREAS, title to part of the concrete and steel bridge 21 structure, formerly conveying U.S. Highway 98, commonly known 22 as the Old Pensacola Bay Bridge, which is in Santa Rosa County 23 and attached to the shore line of Pensacola Bay in Santa Rosa 24 County was vested in Santa Rosa County by chapter 63-1042, 25 Laws of Florida, together with a perpetual easement in favor 26 of Santa Rosa County over sovereignty submerged lands, which 27 permitted a lease of that part of the bridge to the City of 28 Gulf Breeze to operate that part of the bridge as a fishing 29 pier with no restrictions, NOW, THEREFORE, 30 31 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1459 555-115A-97 1 Section 1. A perpetual easement over sovereignty 2 submerged lands is hereby granted and conveyed to Escambia 3 County to permit the maintenance and operation of the Old 4 Pensacola Bay Bridge for public recreational use, including, 5 but not limited to, primary use of the bridge as a fishing 6 pier and related secondary uses. No restrictions shall attach 7 or apply to said perpetual easement unless otherwise provided 8 herein. 9 Section 2. In the event Escambia County contracts with 10 private entities to operate and maintain the Old Pensacola Bay 11 Bridge, the private entity shall also be vested with the legal 12 right to use of the easement area as herein provided in 13 accordance with the terms and conditions of any contractual 14 agreement between Escambia County and the private entity. 15 Section 3. If any provision of this act or the 16 application thereof to any person, entity, or circumstance is 17 held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions 18 or applications of the act which can be given effect without 19 the invalid provision or application and, to that end, the 20 provisions of this act are declared severable. 21 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a 22 law. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2