Let me say this as simply and succinctly as I can. I have never seen an individual or group make a concerted effort to establish viable zoning and development criteria with Walton County since I have lived here. If incorporation is to take place, let it be in the gripeing East end from Rosemary Beach to Grayton Beach. Leave us out of it!
Andy,
With all due respect, you must have missed the very concerted effort about 3 or 4 years ago by a highly qualified, in fact very prestigious, group of local architects, planning professionals and others who developed a plan and gave a number of presentations to the public and to government officials, BCC, etc. It was rejected by the county without much consideration. Keep in mind that our community is very fortunate to have globally recognized experts in such matters that live here in our small community. Then, of course, the SWCC has been making a near constant effort for the better part of 20 years. The number of train wrecks the the SWCC has prevented are innumerable.
Right now there is effort to fund and complete a feasibility study of incorporation. This is the required first step in exploring the effects and determining interest, range of areas to possibly include, and level of service. There is interest from the east county line to the west county line and in every community between those two lines. I don't know how to leave out the "us" that you refer to, especially in light of the range of "include me" requests that have been received.
It is too early to make assumptions about potential city limits, services, taxes, etc. The current effort is a feasibility study, which is the formal step, and method, to educate ourselves about incorporation. Only with a feasibility study in hand we can go beyond our fears of what incorporation might mean and come to understand what it would mean. It would be nice to methodically work through the possible options. You have named two that you had not realized had been explored many times, for many years, at great expense and with great effort.
A feasibility study is an independent assessment of an area that provides information in an accurate and methodical manner. What is the harm is there in funding a feasibility study to see if just maybe incorporation can provide any potential options to improve our community? Why the rush to a wholesale dismissal of the one tool that can give us real answers about incorporation? If you are right in your guess, then it should support your guess.