Is Walton County buying land for public access ?

[steel1man]

I'm for building jails, but I don't want one next to me! If I'm the home owner next to this site and had a property worth north of $7M last week and now maybe $4M..someone is getting SUED especially if I've owned this property for decades. This new site will see excess of 50-70 families per day in season....

 

[jodiFL]

Where would you suggest that these 50/70 families go to the beach then? Park in someones yard? On the side of 30A? Then unwittingly walk on someones "private" walkover to get to the beach? Then run into someone like Vizcaya guy? I see this as the county and the TDC trying to alleviate some of the beach access problems that arent going to go away without more purchases like this one.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

If the criteria for expanding beach access is that everyone is in favor and no one may be inconvenienced, then there is nowhere in South Walton where any additional access may be purchased or developed. Beach access is not like a jail where you can go out in the middle of the woods and build. Beach accesses by definition must be located on some of the most prime real estate that exists. As far as parking and the congestion at this site, once again, there is no place on 30-A where the same conditions do not also apply. We cannot wait until all these issues are solved to everyone's satisfaction before we begin the process of acquiring property. So we must move forward with purchases while we also address the parking and congestion issues or we will never improve the beaches. Property owners may want to consider how they will pay for their properties if they kill off tourism.

 

[FactorFiction]

If the criteria for expanding beach access is that everyone is in favor and no one may be inconvenienced, then there is nowhere in South Walton where any additional access may be purchased or developed. Beach access is not like a jail where you can go out in the middle of the woods and build. Beach accesses by definition must be located on some of the most prime real estate that exists. As far as parking and the congestion at this site, once again, there is no place on 30-A where the same conditions do not also apply. We cannot wait until all these issues are solved to everyone's satisfaction before we begin the process of acquiring property. So we must move forward with purchases while we also address the parking and congestion issues or we will never improve the beaches. Property owners may want to consider how they will pay for their properties if they kill off tourism.

I actually agree with you, Danny; however, I think one of the ways to help nearby owners who have concerns feel more comfortable is to try and develop solutions to projected problems BEFORE they become problems. I expect that the County will buy more properties, especially if this one does not get derailed. More properties will spread people out, but the other properties are likely to have similar issues to this one, so let's look for solutions ahead of time. More people with cars will never alleviate the congestion on 30-A, only public transportation is likely to help that. There is more than one way to kill tourism. If the character of South Walton continues to change from a quaint, friendly, family-oriented area to a Destin/Panama City Beach type over-developed, over-crowded area, the tourists who come here now may decide to look for a quieter place. Almost everyone I have encountered over my 30+ years of meeting people who visit our area loves it because it is not like Destin or Panama City Beach.

 

[LarsAtTheBeach]

@Danny Glidewell: While I do not know exactly why there is opposition, here are some things I have heard:

1) Fear of making their property difficult to rent or sell due to influx of people to the beach in an area that has typically been relatively free of others beside the condo owners/renters. Extension of this is the concern that property values might go down.
2) Traffic congestion: There are times (generally at night, sometimes at lunch) that 30A gets backed up waiting for people to turn into Stinky's to valet park.
3) If people come to park and the parking is full, there is concern that overflow parking will extend to areas of 30-A and/or neighboring streets, some of which are in nearby neighborhoods.
4) Some people feel that this will become Stinky's parking paid for by taxpayers.

I know there is a lawsuit attempting to stop this purchase. I don't know what the complaints are in the lawsuit. The above mentioned items are things I have heard from people who live nearby, but are not actually in the adjacent condos.

It is worth noting that the parking that is drawn on the lots is a proposed plan that was a suggestion of how parking might be done by someone representing the seller, I believe. It may be that there will not be that many parking spots. If the County does NOT allow overflow to park on 30-A (except in specifically designated parking spots) and they don't allow beach parking in the neighborhoods nearby (and enforce the no parking), then that might allay some concerns. In terms of the financial aspects of rental, selling, or property values, those questions may not have an answer right now.

In terms of Stinky's parking, most of the excess demand occurs in the evening when may beachgoers have left the beach, but that is another unknown.

WoW
That's a great point about stinkys parking.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

I actually agree with you, Danny; however, I think one of the ways to help nearby owners who have concerns feel more comfortable is to try and develop solutions to projected problems BEFORE they become problems. I expect that the County will buy more properties, especially if this one does not get derailed. More properties will spread people out, but the other properties are likely to have similar issues to this one, so let's look for solutions ahead of time. More people with cars will never alleviate the congestion on 30-A, only public transportation is likely to help that. There is more than one way to kill tourism. If the character of South Walton continues to change from a quaint, friendly, family-oriented area to a Destin/Panama City Beach type over-developed, over-crowded area, the tourists who come here now may decide to look for a quieter place. Almost everyone I have encountered over my 30+ years of meeting people who visit our area loves it because it is not like Destin or Panama City Beach.

I agree. 30-A is a multi-faceted problem and several steps need to be taken simultaneously. Mass transit and off-site parking to reduce vehicle traffic, better enforcement of the rules on the beach, more parking and better enforcement of parking rules and more beach access with better amenities are just some of the solutions needed. But most of all the community needs to recognize the need to work together and help find and implement solutions. We cannot allow the NIMBY attitude to stop improvements and hinder solutions to our problems.

 

[FactorFiction]

I agree. 30-A is a multi-faceted problem and several steps need to be taken simultaneously. Mass transit and off-site parking to reduce vehicle traffic, better enforcement of the rules on the beach, more parking and better enforcement of parking rules and more beach access with better amenities are just some of the solutions needed. But most of all the community needs to recognize the need to work together and help find and implement solutions. We cannot allow the NIMBY attitude to stop improvements and hinder solutions to our problems.

I agree. The one thing I would strongly recommend is that people not dismiss concerns on the basis of the "NIMBY" classification. Let's face it, until something is in most people's backyard, they are not likely to notice or get involved. IMO, the people most affected are the very ones that we should be listening to and trying to mitigate as many issues as possible, so that they know they are heard even if they don't get everything they want. It reminds me of a very wise mediator I know, he said that in mediation, nobody gets 100% of what they want, but everybody goes away feeling like they got something. That's not a bad outcome.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

Compromise has become a bad word as more and more people think they must achieve total victory in every debate or on every issue. However, sometimes you have to be willing to give a little so that everyone can move forward.

 

[Matt J]

The lawsuit claims the TDC is violating state statute with this purchase which is completely false. This lawsuit will only delay the inevitable and cost money in terms of legal fees.

A sign is not necessary as the county is buying property. Once they have the property (which is seriously in jeopardy thanks to the lawsuit) then a sign would be needed for any land use changes or construction.

 

[BeachArkie]

The neighbors on both sides of this proposed beach access are condos. The complex that hired the lawyer doesn't have a single full-time resident, they are all rental units. I can't think of a better place to put a new public beach access - the only people potentially bothered by tourists will be tourists!