Lupin Beach - new development in Inlet Beach

[SHELLY]

Walton developer asks for neighbors' input



Joyce Owen, Florida Freedom Newspapers

Friday January 25th, 2008

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Jason Comer wants residents of South Walton to be the first to know his plans to develop a small neighborhood in Inlet Beach.

When Comer, Alys Beach�s town founder, announced the project this week, he said his first goal was to call the families that live in the neighborhood and talk with them about his plans for Lupin Beach.

�Our family had the great fortune of owning this property as far back as 1968, when Inlet Beach barely had six or seven homes,� Comer said. �We spent the summers here, often without another soul in sight.�

Now the Alys Beach town founder wants to develop the land with a small, upscale residential development similar to the mix of housing in the surrounding area. The project will not include any businesses or commercial uses.

�I'm told that the best way to describe the location is that it is the southeastern-most point in Walton County that borders Bay County at Camp Helen State Park and the Gulf of Mexico,� Alys Beach marketing director Mike Ragsdale said.

Comer will work with neighbors, local officials and members of the community to ensure the seven-acre development is an asset to the area. Work has already begun to restore and enhance the property�s dune system, which will help to preserve the natural habitat.

Comer is setting up a community advisory panel to holding meetings that will be open to the public. All meetings will take place prior to filing a zoning application with the county.

[InletBchDweller]

? I am assuming this is Gulf Side?

I cant for the life of me picture where this is???

anyone??

[pgurney]

It's gulf front down on the east end of Inlet Beach....where that old shack has been sitting in the middle of the dunes for years. I've been wondering when they were going to start doing something with that property.

Walton Magnolia Lane.

[SHELLY]

? I am assuming this is Gulf Side?

I cant for the life of me picture where this is???

anyone??

No Big Blue Sign??

.

[KISH7374]

It's gulf front down on the east end of Inlet Beach....where that old shack has been sitting in the middle of the dunes for years. I've been wondering when they were going to start doing something with that property.

Walton Magnolia Lane.

When we stayed in Seacrest Beach this past August I noticed that it was gone. That used to be my reference point to walk to in the mornings.

[pgurney]

When we stayed in Seacrest Beach this past August I noticed that it was gone. That used to be my reference point to walk to in the mornings.

I drove by there when I was down for the holidays and didn't even notice it missing.

[InletBchDweller]

It's gulf front down on the east end of Inlet Beach....where that old shack has been sitting in the middle of the dunes for years. I've been wondering when they were going to start doing something with that property.

Walton Magnolia Lane.

ok, that is what I thought. I used to love to play by that "old abandoned house"

No Big Blue Sign??

.

good one....
you know? there is not one on the east end of Walton County and the sign that is on the east end of 30-A points inlet beach going west, AWAY from inlet beach. talk about confusing a tourist!!!!

[Chickpea]

[quote=InletBchDweller;350117]ok, that is what I thought. I used to love to play by that "old abandoned house"

That house was where Jason and his family vacationed as kids!

[Smiling JOe]

Somewhere, I have a photo of that old house.

[Chickpea]

Somewhere, I have a photo of that old house.

Was a great wooden house that was unfortunately washed away in 2005 (if memory serves me well!)

[coastal-edge]

Anyone know the latest of what's happening with Lupin Beach?

[SWGB]

Anyone know the latest of what's happening with Lupin Beach?

Nothing as far as I can tell.

[ASH]

Hasn't there been some BCC items regarding abandoning some property in that area? Might have something to do with the beach restoration. I don't know that particular area well.

[coastal-edge]

Thanks both of you. I'll keep checking a few more resources...

[kurt]

There is a community meeting open to the public at Camp Helen from 4-7 on 8/10/09.

[Lady D]

It's gulf front down on the east end of Inlet Beach....where that old shack has been sitting in the middle of the dunes for years. I've been wondering when they were going to start doing something with that property.

Walton Magnolia Lane.

That wood structure has been gone for several years, is a picture of it in my member photos on here that I took of it. To me it looked more like a lifeguard stand. I could have thrown a rock to it from where we rent. Walton Magnolia Lane already has beach houses and townhouses on it gulf front and non gulf front, starting right at the curve at Walton Lakeshore Drive and Walton Magnolia Lane.

There are expensive places there. I've spoken with the man we rent from, , he is against the development, he knows the guy who is behind it. I didn't figure there was a good deal of land available where it dead ends at the end of Walton Magnolia, but there is. That will make it too crowded down through there. We like that area because of the lack of crowds.

Is this the building you are referring to??? This is one of many pictures I took of this place.

[coastal-edge]

Does anyone know how many acres there are and if there will be more property that they are going to buy up before beginning? I cannot be at the August 10th meeting so I hope someone on the boards goes and brings back a report.

I personnaly love what Jason Comer has done at Alys Beach. He has the financial wherewithall behind him to do a project right, and to completion. I will be very interested in seeing the master plan.

Here's a video I found on YouTube... this is the site isn't it?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY-CaloaoJI"]YouTube - In the dunes at Inlet Beach, Florida[/ame]

[kurt]

Yes - that's the site. It is about 7 acres and no, they won't be adding any property to it.

http://www.lupinbeach.com

[Lady D]

I was told that also by the man we rent from. He owns the place we rent and also owns a two story beach home on Walton Magnolia Ln across from the townhouse he rents. He told me no properties that existed were being bought out. He and his wife are snowbirds and spend the winter months down there, actually more than the winter months, they stay through late May, then go back home.

[totally]

Does anyone know how many acres there are and if there will be more property that they are going to buy up before beginning? I cannot be at the August 10th meeting so I hope someone on the boards goes and brings back a report.

I personnaly love what Jason Comer has done at Alys Beach. He has the financial wherewithall behind him to do a project right, and to completion. I will be very interested in seeing the master plan.

Here's a video I found on YouTube... this is the site isn't it?

Coastal Construction Control Line and VE Zone, how much is there tp develop on the property?

[PalmBeach]

Coastal Construction Control Line and VE Zone, how much is there tp develop on the property?

The property appraiser website says 4.99 acres but the CCC line reduces the buildable area significantly according to the GIS website.

[JPM]

We just spent a week at Inlet Beach and fell in love with the privacy and peacefulness. We stayed in one of the townhouses at the end of Walton Magnolia Lane. I have avoided the Panhandle for years because of overdevelopment. We felt like we'd found a hidden gem.

Just out of curiousity, I was looking online at real estate prices in the area and stumbled upon this thread. My heart sank. I had commented to my wife that it was amazing that space where the vacant house is had not been developed. I guess should have added "yet" to that comment.

Does anyone know if anything has moved forward with this development? We were planning on going back in the spring, but if "construction" is going to be going on, I'm not sure we will.

[DuneLaker]

I've often wondered how much, if any, of Camp Helen State Park land is still in Walton County. Is this property directly adjacent to state park? Very nice.

[kurt]

I've often wondered how much, if any, of Camp Helen State Park land is still in Walton County. Is this property directly adjacent to state park? Very nice.

Yes, it borders the park.

[kurt]

Dear Neighbor,

As part of our continuing effort to inform and involve our Inlet Beach neighbors and the broader South Walton community in the planning of Lupin Beach, we are pleased to announce that we have completed preparation of our application for Planned Unit Development (PUD) approval and expect to file it the week of November 16th. The schedule for review of our application, established by the County staff, is as follows:

Application submittal due date: November 18, 2009
Planning Commission Meeting: February 11, 2010
Board of County Commissioners Meeting: February 23, 2010

Our plan for 20 single-family residences on the 6.36-acre property reflects the input and feedback from the Lupin Beach Community Advisory Panel and others who attended our August 10th open house and August 27th community meeting. We sincerely appreciate all of your ideas, questions and comments. If you have further thoughts or ideas to share with us, or questions to ask, please don’t hesitate to call me or Marieanne Khoury-Vogt at the AlysBeach office, (850) 213-5500. We would be pleased to hear from you.

In the meantime, please accept my best wishes for a happy holiday season.

Sincerely,

Jason L. Comer
Town Founder, Alys Beach

[kurt]

Walton Board of County Commissioners has approved the project.

[kurt]

The Defuniak Herald � LUPIN BEACH CONCEPTUAL PUD APPROVED

By DOTTY NIST

“It will be top-notch quality,” Jason Comer said of a new residential development in extreme southeastern Walton County.

Comer, town founder of Alys Beach, and his team of experts went to bat for Lupin Beach on Feb. 23 with the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC); despite opposition they prevailed with BCC approval of their development concept.

Comer works for EBSCO, the Alabama company that developed Alys Beach and that now owns the 6.36-acre Lupin Beach property. He told the commissioners and attendees at the Feb. 23 BCC meeting that the Lupin Beach property was previously owned by his family and was a place where they vacationed throughout his childhood for many years. “I care greatly about this piece of property,” he said on the Inlet Beach-area site.

Gary Vorbeck, a local attorney representing EBSCO, told the commissioners that 50 units would be allowable per county code on the property but that just 20 residences are being proposed. Vorbeck said the applicants are seeking conceptual approval of their development—and that they must then seek approval of some aspects of their proposal from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Next they plan to return to the county for approval of their detailed plan, Vorbeck explained.

Vorbeck continued that abandonment of several easements on property owned by the applicants was being sought from the county in connection with the conceptual approval.
He explained that Lupin Beach had been in the planning phase for approximately two years, with developers creating a “citizen advisory panel” tasked with studying the property, meeting several times, and making recommendations for the development.
Contrary to rumors, Vorbeck said, Lupin Beach will not destroy the dunes on the beachfront development site but will be “enhancing” the dunes with a project for which they have a permit “in hand.” Lupin Beach is proposing to build some of the homes south of the coastal construction control line (CCCL), he explained, and, for that, they will be seeking permission from the state.

Comer noted that the dune enhancement project is expected to cost between $500,000 and $600,000. He added that neighbors have been allowed to walk across the property to the beach and that EBSCO has agreed to pay for a public dune walkover in that area, right at the county line.

David Smith, a civil engineer and surveyor, noted that the Lupin Beach property encompasses six lots fronting the Gulf of Mexico and two additional lots. He explained that the abandonments being sought are for two unused 33-foot-wide easements in the center of the property that allow for public roadway and utility use, plus another easement on the east end of the property. He said EBSCO is proposing to abandon 18 feet of the eastern easement and construct the public beach access referenced by Comer on the other 15 feet, with the access being maintained by the South Walton Tourist Development Council.

Jim Martelli, another engineer speaking for the developers, explained that two parking spaces are proposed at the beach access, which is to be a neighborhood beach access rather than a regional access. Martelli said the development will be accessed from Walton Magnolia Lane, and that 49 parking spaces are planned for the site. The developers plan to use clustering on the site, he said. They also plan to construct a turnaround at the end of Walton Magnolia Lane, he added….

Read the full story in the March 4, 2010 edition of the Herald Breeze.

[Sandcastle]

This is a welcome relief, after watching development after development go under.

[Jerry Lewis]

Man Hauled to Jail for Intentionally Blocking Construction on Sand Dunes

A disagreement between a construction company and a neighbor got out of hand Tuesday morning. The man used his vehicle to stop construction on the sand dunes in his South Walton neighborhood. He claims crews were using illegal materials to do their work.

You probably wouldn't want to use the dunes on Walton Magnolia Lane in Santa Rosa Beach on a post card. But, believe it or not, they look like this because of a dune restoration project.

EBSCO industries has been contracted to do the work on private property owned by Alys Beach.

County officials confirm the construction company is within their rights and have the proper permits to be here, but neighbors are still upset.

Beth Barnes is one of them.

"From what I understand, dolomite is being dumped on the beaches, and if I�m not mistaken it's illegal to do that" Barnes says.

And she's right.

Dolomite is limestone sediment supposedly being used at the project's staging area. County officials say it helps protect the dunes against heavy machinery, but according the DEP, the sediment is illegal.

"Dolomite is not approved for placement on the beach. Clean white-dune sand made of silicate quartz from the sand dunes is approved" says Fritz Wettstein, an Environmental Manager at DEP.

EBSCO company officials say they have permission from their site manager.

"We've gone through the county and received approval from the county for the temporary use of the dolomite which is a sedimentary rock. Once we've completed the work, all the dolomite will be removed" says Tom Dodson, Vice President of Sales at Alys Beach.

But that's wasn't good enough for resident Mikhail Parsonnet.

"This morning when I took my husband to work, the dump trucks were backed up. There were about 7 of them, and the neighbor Mike was blocking and barricading them from coming through" recalls Barnes.

Parsonnet refused to move his vehicle, telling the arresting deputy they'd have to tow his car and take him to jail-- which she did.

Parsonnet was released by the afternoon. Officials say they plan to collect sand samples at the site for testing.

[SWGB]

This has got to be the ultimate NIMBY story ever.

[kurt]

Dune Restoration Project in Full Compliance of the Law

It all started when a neighbor spotted the use of a product called dolomite, which is strictly prohibited by the Department of Environmental Protection seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line.

Walton County Sheriff's deputies arrested 65-year-old Mike Parsonnet after he used his vehicle to block crews from gaining access to the beach.

As it turns out EBSCO, which hired G-A-C crews to perform the work, had all of the proper permits from both the county and the Department of Environmental Protection.

While crews were using dolomite, it was only placed at the staging area which was landward of the coastal control line.

"That's where the county approved the use of dolomite for just that. So this was well north of the coastal control line and nothing to do with the dune enhancement. There was no dolomite whatsoever used on the beach or in the dune enhancement project which was approved" says Tom Dodson, Vice President of Sales for Alys Beach.

Crews used the material to protect the county roadway and stabilize the heavy machinery. After the work was completed last Wednesday, the crews removed the dolomite.

There were reports DEP forced EBSCO to remove the material but that was not the case. After conducting a November 19th on-site inspection, DEP issued a statement saying:

"The placed sand was found to be compatible with the native sand on the beach and dune system and there was no apparent evidence of incompatible or unauthorized material being placed seaward of the CCCL."

Officials with Alys beach, which is owned by EBSCO, say the project was completed in full compliance of the law

"As long as we're doing what we know we're approved to do, we feel comfortable with it. We can't control what an individual feels or says, but we just know that if we are to be challenged we have all the proper approvals in hand" says Dodson.

[CampCreekLou]

This has got to be the ultimate NIMBY story ever.

NIMBY is funding wind farms in central Indiana, but blocking them off of Nantucket.

I'm thinking this guy would oppose dumping dolomite in your backyard too......

[CampCreekLou]

NIMBY is funding wind farms in central Indiana, but blocking them off of Nantucket.

I'm thinking this guy would oppose dumping dolomite in your backyard too......

I can't believe I'm only at 173 posts. Seems like I've been doing this forever......

[SWGB]

NIMBY is funding wind farms in central Indiana, but blocking them off of Nantucket.

I'm thinking this guy would oppose dumping dolomite in your backyard too......

I'm sure this doesn't stem from the actual development going in.

Turns out he was wrong, but then I'm not surprised that someone who's retired on disability and doesn't have any land planning, engineering, or survey experience was. I'm curious if he even attempted to calmly ask the crews that were doing the work what was the substance and where exactly they were using it.

[Lady D]

Just wondering what's happening with the Lupin Beach Development? The hubby and I did not stay at Inlet Beach this past summer at our usual spot but did drive down there and saw that the road looked like it had been cleared over to Lupin Beach. Have been looking online in Inlet Beach and looked at a spot at the end of Walton Magnolia but the side deck faces the beach but it's not beach front. Saw a new looking long walkover to the south, any homes been built there yet? I have read that many residents are unhappy about the increase in traffic it will cause. Probably will be the end of it being a quiet area of the beach.

[tsutcli]

Do a forum search on Lupin Beach. There was an explanation back in 12/10

[Lady D]

Tsutcli, already saw that. Remember when it was posted. When I was web searching VRBO in Inlet Beach the place I started to reserve was down at the end by where Lupin Beach will be. I noticed a new looking walkover that I knew wasn't for the place I was looking at.

[kurt]

Update from Ellie Avery on the SoWal home page:
http://www.sowal.com/blog/ellie-aver...beach-approved

[kurt]

And Dotty Nist at Beach Breeze - http://defuniakherald.com/?p=5635



Detailed plans for 20 single-family units have been conditionally approved to move foward in connection with the Inlet Beach development known as Lupin Beach.


The approval took place at the Walton County Technical Review Committee (TRC) regular meeting on Sept. 5 at the South Walton Annex.


The 6.36-acre Lupin Beach property is located south of U.S. 98 and Walton Magnolia Lane, adjacent and to the west of the Walton/Bay County line. The property includes more than 700 feet of beachfront.


The Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) had granted approval for Lupin Beach in 2010 as a 20-unit conceptual planned unit (PUD) development. As part of that approval, developer EBSCO Gulf Coast Development, Inc., had agreed to pay for a public dune walkover along the county line, in an area where residents had been accustomed to accessing the beach. The walkover has been constructed.


At the TRC meeting, residents in attendance asked if the detailed plans being considered for approval would go before the county commission.


TRC member Mac Carpenter of Walton County Planning and Development Services responded that at this time the plans were being processed as a minor development order application. Minor development proposals generally are not required to undergo consideration by the Walton County Planning Commission and BCC.


Carpenter said that historically, and certainly during the five years he had been working for the county, detailed plans for approved conceptual PUDs had been treated as minor developments.


Anita Page commented that it had been clear that the approval by the BCC was a conceptual approval only and that concerns of neighbors of the development needed to be resolved.


“This has been a very public project,” countered Jim Martelli, and engineer representing EBSCO. Martelli said the BCC approval had included specific site plans for the development featuring building footprints—and that the site plans for the current application are identical to those site plans.


“We followed the code, we followed the Comprehensive Plan. We followed up with technical submittal. We have nothing to hide; we are very proud of this project,” Martelli added.


Heather Whitmore, county planner and TRC member, noted that county staff had reviewed EBSCO’s technical submittal, and had found that it met the requirements of the Walton County Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code, with the exception of several conditions to be addressed.

These included: the developer obtaining a Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) permit before beginning any construction seaward of the CCCL; the payment upon development order issuance of $18,690 to the Proportionate Fair Share Program; and the naming of streets to the satisfaction of 911 addressing/mapping before recording of the plat for the development.


Alan Ficarra countered that, even if the detailed plan was the same as the one submitted at the time of conceptual approval, there had been no serious review of the plan at that time. This was because the public had been told that future plans for the development would go before the BCC, he said. “They said it could all change,” he recalled.


Mike Parsonnet recalled that seven residents had questioned the development at the time of the BCC approval. “This was a done deal,” be complained.


County planner Renee Bradley asked if going before the BCC had been a condition in the conceptual PUD approval.


Carpenter responded that there was no such condition in the BCC’s final order approving the conceptual PUD.
Page asked if lots would be platted and homes constructed south of the CCCL. Martelli answered yes, but that no new lots would be platted south of the CCCL.


Some lots had already been existence on the property, on which several homes had at one time been located….
Read the full story in the Sept. 13, 2012 edition of the Herald Breeze.