By Ted Carter

Tybee islanders are going into the new year with a yet another issue to chose sides on: ending the outlaw status given dogs on the beach.

A blog urging repeal of the ban, an online petition signed by 1,600 people, an argument that outlawing dogs hurts tourism – these are signs momentum is growing to lift the year-round restriction, supporters say.

In the way are residents such as Henry Levy, an architect and former Planning Commission member who argues dogs off the beach translate to safety on the beach. “I doubt we’d be getting the designation of “Healthiest Beach” if we had dogs on the beach, Levy said, referring to Health Magazine’s naming of Tybee as 2009’s “Healthiest Beach in America.”

City Council members indicated at their Jan. 28 meeting they would be willing to air the issue some time soon. Paul Wolff and Mayor Jason Buelterman took it a step further, saying they might be receptive to a limited trial. That could involve lifting the ban on early morning and late afternoon in a specific part of the beach, they said.

“I would like to see somebody come forward with a concrete plan,” Wolff said. “I’d like to see a group take ownership of this.”

Buelterman said he would be willing “to consider specifics.”

Mayor Pro-tem said her chief concern initially is the impact on staff, including how to address enforcement and how enforcement is currently handled.

Lori Spinks started the discussion with a pitch in the public participation part of the meeting to let dogs on the beach. Before long, the issue started taking on the appearance of a public hearing, promoting Buelterman to promise an airing at a later time.

Dog proponent Bill Gillispie noted the growing support generated on the Web site dogsontybeebeach.org, including a cyber petition signed by 1,600 people.

Further, Tybee needs to look at the tourism dollars it’s losing by keeping pets off the beach. “Fifty-five percent of dog owners vacation with their dogs,” he said.

Gillispie said advances in canine medicine such as heartworm pills and vaccinations have made health threat concerns moot.

Lawyer Julian H. Toporek argued that Tybee’s anti-dog policy is more the exception than rule along the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and North Florida.

While three beaches – Myrtle Beach, S.C., Neptune Beach, Fla., and Jacksonville Beach -

have restrictions of various sorts, those with no restrictions include Sullivans Island, S.C., Isle of Palms, S.C., Pauly Beach, S.C., Hilton Head Island, S.C., St. Augustine, Fla., Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island.

“The most restrictive ordinance of any of the beaches I have been able to locate is that of Tybee Island,” Toporek wrote in a two-page report to the council on his survey.

He said the ban places a “heavy burden” on beach businesses by deterring families who own dogs from visiting the beach.

The city’s dog parks on Fort Street, one for small dogs 20 pounds or less and the other for larger dogs, are in poor condition and largely inaccessible to visitors other than those staying at the nearby River’s End RV Park & Campground, he said.

On the other hand, Levy argued the council should put the interests of people over those of dogs when weighing the ban. “I love dogs but I walk on the beach bare foot…. We can keep dogs off the beach. They transmit disease.”