Hampton Inn Seagrove Beach on Chateau Hotel Property

Since the main concern for most posters seems to be beach access for the 90 room hotel, I was curious about thoughts on beach access for the proposed 400 plus townhomes at Prominence.

No kidding. Deer Lake State Park? Eastern Lake?

If you think people are stirred up now, wait until the very likely rubber stamping approval occurs tonight.

An approval would definitely speed up and strengthen the movement to incorporate South Walton.

Correct me if I am wrong but I was under the impression there is no planned beach access?? I wonder if the developer is advising people interested of purchasing of that fact?

At the risk of getting off the subject of a Hampton Inn, I heard that D.R. Horton retains the mineral rights to the property they sell. Isn't Prominence a D.R. Horton development?

Awesome turnout at tonight's meeting!!!!

Since the main concern for most posters seems to be beach access for the 90 room hotel, I was curious about thoughts on beach access for the proposed 400 plus townhomes at Prominence.

Exactly why we need to resist the Cypress Dunes effort to cut an access through a state park. That would set a precedent for this gang. I have no idea what Prominence sales are like, but I wonder why anyone would ever want to move into a neighborhood so close to the beach without direct beach access. My guess would be that these folks would invade the Lakewood area to hit the beach, maybe Bramble, a few of the small access points between Prominence and Inlet Beach and the big access in Inlet Beach.

I think the lack of access concern at the proposed HI site is that there IS a public access due south of the property, but it is devoid of parking. But people will try anyway. There isn't any public access anywhere near Prominence, so those folks will to some degree have to fan out to find the sand.

How did it go?

Still going strong. Great points being presented!!

Yes, great points being presented. Perhaps common sense can prevail.

Correct me if I am wrong but I was under the impression there is no planned beach access?? I wonder if the developer is advising people interested of purchasing of that fact?

I was told by a real estate agent they will be offering a shuttle service to the closest public beach access. This could be something hotels could offer.

Watched the meeting live and outside of Cindy Meadows I did not see any our elected officials - Great involvement by the community but to no avail - Planning approved it 3-2 and it will go to the BCC as the project fits the current land code in plannings opinion.

Time to voice concerns to the county commissioners

I was told by a real estate agent they will be offering a shuttle service to the closest public beach access. This could be something hotels could offer.

That was exactly the same pitch Cypress Dunes used back in the day. Now they want an access through the state park. Prominence will likely trod down that path eventually.

That is correct. Now the recommendation goes to the county commissioners for a vote.

We just went through Round 1. I heard a lot of good warm up speeches tonight.

Write all the commissioners, not just ours.

That was exactly the same pitch Cypress Dunes used back in the day. Now they want an access through the state park. Prominence will likely trod down that path eventually.

I thought that the Cypress Dunes beach access was denied.

I was told by a real estate agent they will be offering a shuttle service to the closest public beach access. This could be something hotels could offer.

According to http://www.visitsouthwalton.com/beach-and-bay-access, there are two types of accesses that are in play.
Regional Beach Access - Includes parking, restrooms, and several are ADA accessible. Each regional beach access point also has a flag indicating current surf conditions. Neighborhood Beach Access - Neighborhood beach access is primarily for walk-up traffic. Many of these also have flags indicating current surf conditions.

Ramsgate and Eastern Lake are the closest neighborhood accesses to the proposed Hampton, but shuttling people in defies the intent of walk-up traffic. Also no parking or restrooms. A bus load of people wouldn't work at Ramsgate because they would have to use the Summer's Edge or Dalton Place private walkovers to get to the Ramsgate access. They could avoid the private walkovers if they drove to the south side of these two developments. But that's essentially a one-lane road. It's hard for a car to turn around in there unless it pulls into someone's driveway, and I don't think that those owners would want a bus turning around in their driveways on a regular basis.A drop-off point could be at the Eastern Lake Neighborhood access, but a shuttle bus would have trouble unless it dropped the passengers off at the corner of Eastern Lake and S. Gulf.I wonder what people would do if they needed to go to the restroom and there isn't one? Wait on the next shuttle? Little kids and older people have trouble holding it that long.
The only solution would be to bus them to the Santa Clara Regional Access. But there's parking there (as well as restrooms), so people might as well drive their own vehicles and not have to wait for a shuttle, thus adding to the already overcrowded 30A in Seagrove.

If a developer doesn't advertise beach access, how is it an issue? If I buy a home without beach access and I know it, who the hell cares?

That was exactly the same pitch Cypress Dunes used back in the day. Now they want an access through the state park. Prominence will likely trod down that path eventually.

Deer Lake State Park is just to the west of Prominence which I heard they would bus people to. Not sure of the facilities there but is not the kind of situation I would consider acceptable if I were considering paying the prices they are asking there.

At the risk of getting off the subject of a Hampton Inn, I heard that D.R. Horton retains the mineral rights to the property they sell. Isn't Prominence a D.R. Horton development?

Yes.

Deer Lake State Park is just to the west of Prominence which I heard they would bus people to. Not sure of the facilities there but is not the kind of situation I would consider acceptable if I were considering paying the prices they are asking there.

They'd have to pay for a yearly pass for Deer Lake State Park.

I recently had one county commissiioner tell me that if the request met all the requirements in the land use code, they would have to vote for the project. Our land use code is so vague and, in many respects, so useless that any vote can be justified. Compatibility, density, traffic congestion and storm water runoff are the principal factors here. A vote against this project can certainly be defended whether we have land use codes or strict zoning. I am amazed that three planning commission members didn't realize that.

I recently had one county commissiioner tell me that if the request met all the requirements in the land use code, they would have to vote for the project. Our land use code is so vague and, in many respects, so useless that any vote can be justified. Compatibility, density, traffic congestion and storm water runoff are the principal factors here. A vote against this project can certainly be defended whether we have land use codes or strict zoning. I am amazed that three planning commission members didn't realize that.

I have not read the land use code and you say "a vote against this project can certainly be defended", how?

One day South Walton will take charge of it's own future as an incorporated city. I hope that day isn't too far off.

I have not read the land use code and you say "a vote against this project can certainly be defended", how?

Good question. From what I read the majority of the Commissioners agreed that the developers met all the the guidelines to the letter and therefore had no choice but to approve it. It sounds like the opposition made the mistake of using more of an emotional argument instead of a legal one.

One day South Walton will take charge of it's own future as an incorporated city. I hope that day isn't too far off.

I understand what you are saying but I really wish someone would tell me 1. What areas would the incorporation include? 2. What services do you want? 3. How is it going to change what is currently happening now? 4. Are the land use codes and the like established by the county or do the cities get to establish their own? These are just a few questions and I am sure more would be forthcoming.

The opposition apparently thinks "blame and shame" arguments are a viable alternative to logic, reason, and above all, the law.