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KATO

Beach Comber
Dec 20, 2006
6
0
Nature Walk Beach Club and retail development NOT approved yet!! There is still time!
The development

Nature Walk purchased the Old Seagrove Motel Beach front property. If approved, it will include 20 gulf front condos, retails shops with minimal parking and a Beach Club with beach service, pool, alcohol etc.. The Beach Club was added in an effort to help sell the 500+ lots in Nature Walk subdivision. Anyone that is an owner in Nature Walk will be a member of the club. They are projecting that they will shuttle bus 2500 people in per day during high season. The Seagrove Motel at full capacity was 200 people per day.

The Problems

If this Beach Club is approved, it will set the standard for all developers to be able to buy a parcel of beach front property (not designated as residential) and build a beach club on it for their development regardless of the location of their subdivision. This is not just a Seagrove problem-- This is a 30-A problem. If approved, these "beach clubs" will start popping up all over 30-A whenever the right parcel is for sale.

Walton County does not have the manpower or infrastructure in place to support all the traffic, illegal parking, beach clean up and patrol required to support this many people in such a concentrated area. That is why Walton has so many public beach accesses in place. To keep people and cars spread out. Walton also has a 50' height limit on all buildings. That is to prevent the building of high rise condos. Another method of preventing a large number of people in a concentrated area. Busing in 2500 people per day to 340' of beach frontage is just like having a high rise condo!!

Who is going to pay for all the additional support/services that will be required to handle the increased head count? As this will probably cause a decrease in property value and Walton will be forced to decrease property tax, who will bear the burden of the expenses? It is clear that one piece of property//beach club itself will not generate enough revenue to cover all the expenses it creates the county and us. What if the developer has a subdivision in another county and only has to pay taxes on one small piece of property?? Are we talking decrease in property value and increase in property tax?

Everyone has the right to enjoy and use the beach but I doubt that everyone in Nature Walk would end up in the exact same area if there was not a beach club to attract them there. But, if it is "their" club, then they will come and all those that do not want to take the shuttle will drive. Imagine all the traffic with the cars and shuttle buses!!

Then there are the beaches. What kind of impact will 2500 people per day have on 340' of beach? Goodbye sea turtles and sea oats. Will dunes ever recover with that kind of traffic? Again.. this will be a 30-A problem ...not just a Seagrove problem.. Greed can cloud peoples better judgement... Beach Clubs will spring up everywhere if just ONE is approved.

Everyone needs to consider the long term impact an approval of the Beach Club will have on all of 30-A. We need to fight to preserve the charm and way of life of this precious area. There are so few coastal areas like ours left. Please help to preserve this area!!

I urge everyone to not only email all the commissioners but to also attend the PUBLIC hearing where the commissioners will decide if they are going to approve the Nature Walk Retail and Beach Club development. I beleive the meeting date is Jan 24th. You can verify this on the Walton.gov site.
Below are the commissioners email address. Please ask them to deny at minimum the approval of the Beach CLub.

meacindy@co.walton.fl.us

brascott@co.walton.fl.us

prikenneth@co.walton.fl.us

jonlarry@co.walton.fl.us

comsara@co.walton.fl.us

Best and thanks for your support!!!!!!!!
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Re: Nature Walk Beach Club & Retail Developement NOT yet approved! THere is still ti

I have a question for you. Where do you suggests that beach goers living further than walking distance drive and park to access the beach? Sure, there are many public accesses, but how many have parking? How many have parking for more than 20 vehicles? How many in the Seagrove area allow parking on the streets? I hear you b_tching, but where is your solution? If Nature Walk will have 2500 beachgoers at maximum in one day, where do you suggest they park to access the beach? Bramble doesn't have parking for that many vehicles, the Seaside/WaterColor Access has the largest parking area but that access won't come close to handling that capacity, plus, people tend to drive the shortest distance. I guess that means that they will park up and down the streets and in people's yards, until onwers get pissed. The County will still need just as much service employees whether or not these people are spread between five existing public accesses or on private access. Are you suggesting that Nature Walk should not have been allowed to be developed?


As I stated in another thread regarding this same issue of Nature Walk, the real problem here in SoWal is the lack of public parking and restrooms at public beach accesses. If parking was adequate and restrooms were available and clean, these developers wouldn't have to try to find a place to dump their owners and guests.

Also as I stated earlier, there is more than 340' of public beach in that area and there is no private beach. Do a little research so that you will know what you are saying if you decide to speak at the meeting tomorrow.


Take it or leave it, it is just my opinion. I like the old bumper sticker I saw a few years back, "Stop b_tching and start a revolution."
 
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Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Re: Nature Walk Beach Club & Retail Developement NOT yet approved! THere is still ti

Here is my post from the other thread. Apparently it was in response to this issue, but in the Redfish Village access thread:

This one is slightly different than the one in BMB for Redfish Village because the beach in front of Seagrove Villas was dedicated to the public for Swimming Park , on the plat book 2, page 50, recorded in 1950. See attachment of plat. Seagrove Villas property consist of lots 14-17, Blk 7.

So, while the access is intended to be private, the owners will not be dumped onto a short stretch of privately owned beach. In fact, I don't see privately owned beach property within 500 ft in either direction.

I am not saying that this private access is what is needed in Seagrove. I think the reoccurring problem I continue to see is the lack of public parking at public beach accesses to accomodate the public's use of the beach. I can understand the reasons why developments want to provide a way for their owners and guests to access the beach. This problem will not go away until the County or TDC buys or takes property near the public accesses to the public beaches so that ample parking is provided. If the County wants to keep the tourists and the locals, they better get to work at buying property for public parking.
 

KATO

Beach Comber
Dec 20, 2006
6
0
First of all, I did not say that the beach is "private" -- It is not and I have done my research. I said they have 340' of frontage. Let's be logical about it. They are not going to spread out past the 340' regardless of the beach being public or private. Everyone is going to want to be close to the bathrooms, pool, and bar. Not to mention the people setting up the chairs. You really thing they are going to drag those things 500' down the beach. Of course not. There will be a density problem...and it will look like like Sandestin. I am pretty sure everyone coming to 30-A comes here for a reason...because it is NOT Sandestin.

As for the parking, it IS a problem and has always been a problem and this will create a bigger problem than we already have since most of these people will opt to drive to the Beach Club. Bottom line, if you are going to build a "private" Beach Club then you should provide enough parking to accomodate all your members. If they want the beach club then maybe they should nix the condos and the retail shops and use that space for parking. But no, the developer wants to maximize their profits and make their problem our problem.

Maybe Walton should use some of our tax money to buy frontage and put in some additional public access points with parking. But considering the access point at Greenwood ( for Example) has not been rebuilt since 05, I do not see that happening.

And NO I do not think the county should have approved Nature Walk subdivision on such a large scale. That is poor planning and Walton should have considered the infrastructure that is currently in place and what options there are to expand it before setting the area up for disaster.

Speaking of disaster, when all those lots sell, it will sure make evacuating from a hurricane interesting!

If you have any answers on how to resolve this mess, I'd love to hear them.
 

jimmyp5

Beach Lover
Mar 1, 2006
104
0
Seagrove
Re: Nature Walk Beach Club & Retail Developement NOT yet approved! THere is still ti

Are you suggesting that Nature Walk should not have been allowed to be developed?

No, not at the upzoned density that was granted. And then after final approval, they even went back and asked to upzone a portion of the single-family to higher-density multifamily. All on a piece of land with no contiguous beach frontage, no off-site beach frontage (at the time of review & approval) and only one long, skinny vehicle way in & out, except for a construction access road running along the back of our subdivision that'll be in use no doubt for years to come.
 
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Sandie

Beach Comber
Jul 12, 2005
37
1
KATO--
I'm unable to send email to the addresses you have listed. I want to email each one (several times) for I love Seagrove just as is. I can't imagine what this will do to the beautiful area--we call our 2nd home. Please let me know how to email each one. Thanks SPB
 

Sandie

Beach Comber
Jul 12, 2005
37
1
By the way, it is my understanding Nature Walk is also trying to purchase the Old Wheel House area, this will become their access road. Golf carts will be able to drive to the beach club. Now--that will be just great!! Not only a ton of people but golf carts crossing 30-A. What are those people thinking, oh, I see they are not THINKING!!!!!!:bang:
 

jimmyp5

Beach Lover
Mar 1, 2006
104
0
Seagrove
By the way, it is my understanding Nature Walk is also trying to purchase the Old Wheel House area, this will become their access road.

You don't mean access from the NatureWalk development to the beach club .... and there'd be no reason to drive to the Wheelhouse in a car/bus and then drive your golf cart across the street .... what do you mean?
 

Sandie

Beach Comber
Jul 12, 2005
37
1
They may bus people that are renting in Nature Walk, I don't believe everyone will have a golf cart, but some will. I'm just saying what I heard about Nature Walk trying to purchase Wheel House and making an access road to the beach club. Sorry if I didn't make any sense.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Re: Nature Walk Beach Club & Retail Developement NOT yet approved! THere is still ti

No, not at the upzoned density that was granted. And then after final approval, they even went back and asked to upzone a portion of the single-family to higher-density multifamily. All on a piece of land with no contiguous beach frontage, no off-site beach frontage (at the time of review & approval) and only one long, skinny vehicle way in & out, except for a construction access road running along the back of our subdivision that'll be in use no doubt for years to come.
I hear your concerns and they are valid. Kato, you also make a valid point about lazy people not walking further than they have to once they reach the access.

So if you were a County Commissioner, where would you draw the line? If Nature Walk shouldn't have been allowed, should any further development in WalCo be allowed? What about Owl's Head, Freeport Plantation, Hammock Bay, Windswept, etc, none of which have contiguous beach frontage nor off-site beach frontage? It sounds like you want to require a developer to buy and create private beach access parking for each of a developments properties, but you are simulatenously agains private access dumping these people onto the beach? Where should the line be drawn? Don't you think those owners in Owl's Head will want to visit the beach on occasion?

Again, the lack of parking is the issue and the County is going to suffer greatly in the future if the issue is not resolved.

BTW, Golf Carts are illegal to operate on the roads in WalCo, so even crossing the road would be a violation.
 
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