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Matt J

SWGB

It's the typical cycle though; people come here on vacation, fall in love, move here, realize what reality is living here and begin complaining about how crowded it is, people shouldn't come here, over built, etc.

It&#039;s the typical cycle though; people come here on vacation, fall in love, move here, realize what reality is living here and begin complaining about how crowded it is, people shouldn&#039;t come here, over built, etc.

PoppaJ

SoWal Insider

[QUOTE="Matt J, post: 966732, member: 4760"]
It's the typical cycle though; people come here on vacation, fall in love, move here, realize what reality is living here and begin complaining about how crowded it is, people shouldn't come here, over built, etc.
[/QUOTE]
I love talking to people from all different places and learning about their hometowns and what made them decide to come here, but after seventeen years here the thing that still amazes me is how a minority of visitors can ruin it for so many. 
From the rampant littering to being inconsiderate to others to the disrespect shown to our home these people are friken pigs. 
They make me appreciate the 95% who are nice and help me be a better tourist when I travel.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Matt J">It&#039;s the typical cycle though; people come here on vacation, fall in love, move here, realize what reality is living here and begin complaining about how crowded it is, people shouldn&#039;t come here, over built, etc.</blockquote>I love talking to people from all different places and learning about their hometowns and what made them decide to come here, but after seventeen years here the thing that still amazes me is how a minority of visitors can ruin it for so many. <br />
From the rampant littering to being inconsiderate to others to the disrespect shown to our home these people are friken pigs. <br />
They make me appreciate the 95% who are nice and help me be a better tourist when I travel.

Kurt

Admin

[QUOTE="Matt J, post: 966732, member: 4760"]
It's the typical cycle though; people come here on vacation, fall in love, move here, realize what reality is living here and begin complaining about how crowded it is, people shouldn't come here, over built, etc.
[/QUOTE]
I think that's been happening since the dawn of tourism.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Matt J">It&#039;s the typical cycle though; people come here on vacation, fall in love, move here, realize what reality is living here and begin complaining about how crowded it is, people shouldn&#039;t come here, over built, etc.</blockquote>I think that&#039;s been happening since the dawn of tourism.

UpNorth

Beach Lover

Kinda seems inevitable pretty much everything south of 98 becomes 100% tourist land. Then whenever St Joe decides to let suburbia happen north it will but really I think that’s part of the problem. You have too much density south. Nothing really north. And the only way you make north of the ICW accessible is by getting enough density south that you get the state to build the connector bridge.

Dawn

Beach Fanatic

[QUOTE="UpNorth, post: 966739, member: 44589"]
Kinda seems inevitable pretty much everything south of 98 becomes 100% tourist land. Then whenever St Joe decides to let suburbia happen north it will but really I think that’s part of the problem. You have too much density south. Nothing really north. And the only way you make north of the ICW accessible is by getting enough density south that you get the state to build the connector bridge.
[/QUOTE]
If you mean the bridge over the intracoastal, it is happening. Joe has a lot of land up there and they need access to the beaches, particularly at the Watersound beach club which is also why they have procured the access road from 98 to 30A through the state forest.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="UpNorth">Kinda seems inevitable pretty much everything south of 98 becomes 100% tourist land. Then whenever St Joe decides to let suburbia happen north it will but really I think that’s part of the problem. You have too much density south. Nothing really north. And the only way you make north of the ICW accessible is by getting enough density south that you get the state to build the connector bridge.</blockquote>If you mean the bridge over the intracoastal, it is happening. Joe has a lot of land up there and they need access to the beaches, particularly at the Watersound beach club which is also why they have procured the access road from 98 to 30A through the state forest.

[QUOTE="Dawn, post: 966740, member: 9400"]
If you mean the bridge over the intracoastal, it is happening. Joe has a lot of land up there and they need access to the beaches, particularly at the Watersound beach club which is also why they have procured the access road from 98 to 30A through the state forest.
[/QUOTE]
Is this new? From what I’ve been able to follow the intercoastal project has been slowly working its way through the process since like 2009. I know they’re moving faster with the parkway leading into the bridge in Bay County, but outside of minor progress through Longleaf park at Origins, hadn’t heard much on the Walton side. Certainly not any real dates for the bridge at least. The sales guys at Origins had told me 2027 but I could never verify that or find and updates with the Army Corp of Engineers.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Dawn">If you mean the bridge over the intracoastal, it is happening. Joe has a lot of land up there and they need access to the beaches, particularly at the Watersound beach club which is also why they have procured the access road from 98 to 30A through the state forest.</blockquote>Is this new? From what I’ve been able to follow the intercoastal project has been slowly working its way through the process since like 2009. I know they’re moving faster with the parkway leading into the bridge in Bay County, but outside of minor progress through Longleaf park at Origins, hadn’t heard much on the Walton side. Certainly not any real dates for the bridge at least. The sales guys at Origins had told me 2027 but I could never verify that or find and updates with the Army Corp of Engineers.

[QUOTE="Dawn, post: 966740, member: 9400"]
If you mean the bridge over the intracoastal, it is happening. Joe has a lot of land up there and they need access to the beaches, particularly at the Watersound beach club which is also why they have procured the access road from 98 to 30A through the state forest.
[/QUOTE]

When did they do that?

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Dawn">If you mean the bridge over the intracoastal, it is happening. Joe has a lot of land up there and they need access to the beaches, particularly at the Watersound beach club which is also why they have procured the access road from 98 to 30A through the state forest.</blockquote><br />
When did they do that?

leeboy

[QUOTE="Matt J, post: 966742, member: 4760"]
When did they do that?
[/QUOTE]
It's done. What Joe wants, Joe gets.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Matt J">When did they do that?</blockquote>It&#039;s done. What Joe wants, Joe gets.

[QUOTE="leeboy, post: 966743, member: 29906"]
It's done. What Joe wants, Joe gets.
[/QUOTE]

When? Y'all are making assertions and assumptions with no facts.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="leeboy">It&#039;s done. What Joe wants, Joe gets.</blockquote><br />
When? Y&#039;all are making assertions and assumptions with no facts.

[QUOTE="Matt J, post: 966744, member: 4760"]
When? Y'all are making assertions and assumptions with no facts.
[/QUOTE]
I saw it on a DOT site - it's part of the area plan.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Matt J">When? Y&#039;all are making assertions and assumptions with no facts.</blockquote>I saw it on a DOT site - it&#039;s part of the area plan.

Yea I’ve heard a lot of claims about this, not saying either is right or wrong, but my personal opinion at the moment based on just a gut feeling is that this is being used as a marketing pitch for both the people who want it and the people that don’t. 

My opinion is that opening up some of that space greatly solves a lot of the issues; traffic, housing for people who want a more normal environment, and infrastructure. But nothing I’ve come across actually states when ground is breaking or how it’s being funded. The last real news I came across was over a year ago and that was about the DOT and St Joe splitting a $5m bill for bridge designs. Which at best still likely means 5+ years.

Yea I’ve heard a lot of claims about this, not saying either is right or wrong, but my personal opinion at the moment based on just a gut feeling is that this is being used as a marketing pitch for both the people who want it and the people that don’t. <br />
<br />
My opinion is that opening up some of that space greatly solves a lot of the issues; traffic, housing for people who want a more normal environment, and infrastructure. But nothing I’ve come across actually states when ground is breaking or how it’s being funded. The last real news I came across was over a year ago and that was about the DOT and St Joe splitting a $5m bill for bridge designs. Which at best still likely means 5+ years.

Yes it will take awhile. However 331 already exists and that corridor has started a breakneck pace of development. I'm not sure what you mean by solving issues of traffic, housing, infrastructure... Housing is too expensive, traffic will increase and the county can't keep up with infrastructure .... More development north and south of the bay will just make this area like the rest of Florida. Unliveable IMO.

Yes it will take awhile. However 331 already exists and that corridor has started a breakneck pace of development. I&#039;m not sure what you mean by solving issues of traffic, housing, infrastructure... Housing is too expensive, traffic will increase and the county can&#039;t keep up with infrastructure .... More development north and south of the bay will just make this area like the rest of Florida. Unliveable IMO.

The “don’t build more housing because it’s unaffordable” argument doesn’t make sense to me. Building more always solves the supply/demand and affordability problem. The reason is simple, someone needs to buy it. It serves no one to have tons of vacant, brand new, completed homes just sitting at a price point where no one wants them. Watch what happens on that 331 corridor over the next 2-3 years. 

North of 98 is mainly St Joe and that stuff would be short term rental restricted. It seems their playbook though it to be scarce with the residential development to keep prices high. If that land was taken via eminent domain and auctioned off to developers with the condition that it’s built up within 5-10 years your “housing problem” would go poof. It’s what’s ironic with all the “St Joe sucks they’re developing too much” rhetoric. The problem, just look at the land map, is actually the opposite.

The “don’t build more housing because it’s unaffordable” argument doesn’t make sense to me. Building more always solves the supply/demand and affordability problem. The reason is simple, someone needs to buy it. It serves no one to have tons of vacant, brand new, completed homes just sitting at a price point where no one wants them. Watch what happens on that 331 corridor over the next 2-3 years. <br />
<br />
North of 98 is mainly St Joe and that stuff would be short term rental restricted. It seems their playbook though it to be scarce with the residential development to keep prices high. If that land was taken via eminent domain and auctioned off to developers with the condition that it’s built up within 5-10 years your “housing problem” would go poof. It’s what’s ironic with all the “St Joe sucks they’re developing too much” rhetoric. The problem, just look at the land map, is actually the opposite.

[QUOTE="leeboy, post: 966745, member: 29906"]
I saw it on a DOT site - it's part of the area plan.
[/QUOTE]

Got a link? I'm pretty familiar with the FDOT website, specifically here in District 3, and I can't find anything. In addition no entity has inquired or petitioned the division of forestry about it....

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="leeboy">I saw it on a DOT site - it&#039;s part of the area plan.</blockquote><br />
Got a link? I&#039;m pretty familiar with the FDOT website, specifically here in District 3, and I can&#039;t find anything. In addition no entity has inquired or petitioned the division of forestry about it....

bob bob

[QUOTE="UpNorth, post: 966757, member: 44589"]
The “don’t build more housing because it’s unaffordable” argument doesn’t make sense to me. Building more always solves the supply/demand and affordability problem. The reason is simple, someone needs to buy it. It serves no one to have tons of vacant, brand new, completed homes just sitting at a price point where no one wants them. Watch what happens on that 331 corridor over the next 2-3 years.

North of 98 is mainly St Joe and that stuff would be short term rental restricted. It seems their playbook though it to be scarce with the residential development to keep prices high. If that land was taken via eminent domain and auctioned off to developers with the condition that it’s built up within 5-10 years your “housing problem” would go poof. It’s what’s ironic with all the “St Joe sucks they’re developing too much” rhetoric. The problem, just look at the land map, is actually the opposite.
[/QUOTE]
So unlimited development results in lower housing costs?

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="UpNorth">The “don’t build more housing because it’s unaffordable” argument doesn’t make sense to me. Building more always solves the supply/demand and affordability problem. The reason is simple, someone needs to buy it. It serves no one to have tons of vacant, brand new, completed homes just sitting at a price point where no one wants them. Watch what happens on that 331 corridor over the next 2-3 years.<br />
<br />
North of 98 is mainly St Joe and that stuff would be short term rental restricted. It seems their playbook though it to be scarce with the residential development to keep prices high. If that land was taken via eminent domain and auctioned off to developers with the condition that it’s built up within 5-10 years your “housing problem” would go poof. It’s what’s ironic with all the “St Joe sucks they’re developing too much” rhetoric. The problem, just look at the land map, is actually the opposite.</blockquote>So unlimited development results in lower housing costs?

[QUOTE="bob bob, post: 966778, member: 32717"]
So unlimited development results in lower housing costs?
[/QUOTE]
Absolutely. Especially in short term rental restricted areas, the only way you keep equilibrium is if building is matched with inflows/migration. If you build in excess of that something is forced to give unless like I said, you have a developer whom is perfectly happy owning tons of newly built, vacant homes and bleeding carry cost. 

This is already happening in Freeport. It’s happening in Bay County. It’s even happening a bit in specific parts of South Walton. It’s in progress full swing with multi-family housing. Econ 101.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="bob bob">So unlimited development results in lower housing costs?</blockquote>Absolutely. Especially in short term rental restricted areas, the only way you keep equilibrium is if building is matched with inflows/migration. If you build in excess of that something is forced to give unless like I said, you have a developer whom is perfectly happy owning tons of newly built, vacant homes and bleeding carry cost. <br />
<br />
This is already happening in Freeport. It’s happening in Bay County. It’s even happening a bit in specific parts of South Walton. It’s in progress full swing with multi-family housing. Econ 101.

bob1

Stupid 101 is over building to lower costs.

Do you have any idea what builder margins look like post covid? Prices could drop 30% and they’d still be making lots of money.

Same thing that happened in the grocery store; smart business decisions translate to bad for everyday life situations for the common man. Artificially caressing supply is not a crime, but it makes things more expensive. Whether it’s the home, or stuff on the shelves at the grocery store.

Do you have any idea what builder margins look like post covid? Prices could drop 30% and they’d still be making lots of money.<br />
<br />
Same thing that happened in the grocery store; smart business decisions translate to bad for everyday life situations for the common man. Artificially caressing supply is not a crime, but it makes things more expensive. Whether it’s the home, or stuff on the shelves at the grocery store.

Professor

A great article.  It shares other hot spots residents' experiences, solutions.  

[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/advice/how-to-be-a-good-tourist/[/URL]

A great article.  It shares other hot spots residents&#039; experiences, solutions.  <br />
<br />

	

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						One of 2024’s Travel Trends Is Tourist Shaming. Here’s How to Avoid It.
					</a>
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				<div class="contentRow-snippet js-unfurl-desc">Post-pandemic travel is surging, and overtourism is pushing popular places to their limits. How can you be a good traveler when some locals just want you to go home?</div>

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Article: "Overtourism Is Out of Control. Here Are the New Rules of Tourism"

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Article: "Overtourism Is Out of Control. Here Are the New Rules of Tourism"

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2026 SoWal Sea Turtle Nesting Season Wrapup

After Hurricane Isaias: Photos of South Walton Beaches

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026