New East-West connector from Mack Bayou to 395

[Kurt]

The County will hold a meeting at the South walton Annex 6/16/05 from 6:30pm-8pm to discuss a new roadway from Mack Bayou Road (north of Sacred Heart Hospital) to 331 and from 331 to Hwy 395 (old Point Washington / Eden State Gardens). They will have maps and drawings, and give a presentation.

I don't know if any of the new road will cross State lands, but there was loud objection when a new North-South connector was proposed recently from 98 to 30-A just East of Seagrove. It seems to me North-South connectors will be needed more.

But then again, 98 is getting crowded also.

 

[GraytonBound]

Re: New East-West connector road meeting 6/16/05

Pardon my stupidity, but why is it a bad thing to have a north-south connector

 

[JB]

Re: New East-West connector road meeting 6/16/05

Pardon my stupidity, but why is it a bad thing to have a north-south connector

I'm not seeing where it would be a problem either. Then again, I am not a full-time resident. I guess they are worried about development, but it's coming - whether another road is cut from 98 to 30-A or not. I think another road in Seagrove east would be a good thing. It would certainly eliminate some of the traffic logjams at 395/30-A.

 

[Kurt]

Re: New East-West connector road meeting 6/16/05

When 30-A becomes a parking lot and traffic does not move it may happen then.

There is a fear here that "give an inch and they'll take a mile" will happen when it comes to protected lands. There was a battle for the land that the South Walton Annex (South Walton Government and Education Center - GEC) was built on since it was part of the State Forest. The County won and maintained that the center was part of the original plan.

You Have to go back a few years to understand how SoWal got where it is today. Here's some background:

The South Walton Conservation and Development Trust (SWCDT), established by the Florida State Legislature in 1993, created a plan in 1996 to preserve this pristine, pedestrian-friendly area surrounded by open space and greenways.
The SWCDT was charged with preparing an overall environmental survey of South Walton's 56,000 acres and recommending development plans to determine how the area should evolve. Approximately 25,000 acres are owned by the State of Florida and protected from future development, leaving 31,000 acres to protect and manage responsibly.

An internationally recognized team of town planners, economists, environmentalists and transportation planners produced a blueprint for future development and a vision for the community: diversify the economy, preserve the environment, and keep the unique heritage alive for residents and visitors.
Duany Plater Zyberk were included - see their promo page.

This plan strikes a balance between on-going development and careful preservation of natural resources that make SoWal an appealing destination for those seeking a slower pace. Since the Comprehensive Plan includes strict building codes that ban buildings over four stories high, drivers can meander down Scenic Highway 30-A and experience a generous view of the destination's pristine coastline.

 

[Advance The Man]

Re: New East-West connector road meeting 6/16/05

Not that I am some crazy bleeding liberal, but there can often be some bad with this type of right-of-way. If it bisects a crucial wetland or grassy swamp, the impervious surface of a new roadway impacts the sheet flows of natural drainage of these wetlands and swamps. They have nowhere to 'flow' and become stagnant, which in turn can kill the native growth, which may impact native animal species, etc.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Re: New East-West connector road meeting 6/16/05

... and many people's objections were that the proposed road was leading right to WaterSound from Hwy 98, and thereby directly benefitting St Joe, at the expense of the Taxpayers and the State's protected forest.

Looking at the big picture, the answer is much more complicated than, "Yes, let's do it, or No, we cannot do it."

There are many examples around the State of Florida were the State Forests have been developed. Someone on this Board in the recent past wrote about the idea of a canal being made through the State Forest from the Bay to the Gulf. That idea is not impossible to conceive, and it could be rather scary. Anything can happen in this world.

 

[JB]

Re: New East-West connector road meeting 6/16/05

I think that was me who mentioned the possibility of a canal. I heard some guys talking about it in Borago a couple years ago, and it is certainly a possiblilty when things really start booming.

But I don't think they would cut it all the way through to the gulf. That would be a disaster. Probably an upscale marina basin/condo development north of Watercolor. A helluva long way to East Pass from there, though.

 

[Kurt]

Re: New East-West connector road meeting 6/16/05

Here's the ad, click to enlarge. Looks like the road will be an expanded Chat Holly as expected. The Eastern portion looks like Point Washington Road, which would change a lot of quiet neighborhoods, and/or it will cut through State Forest.

 

[phdphay]

Re: New East-West connector road meeting 6/16/05

Money is power. St. Joe's can get away with murder because of this. Watercolor and Watersound are the worst things that have ever happened to 30-A. The high-density developments have exponentially increased traffic on 30-A. I really think that the only solution to the congestion that these developments have caused is additional outlets from both Watercolor and Watersound, north to U.S. 98, to relieve the traffic on 30-A. The thought of multilaning 30-A just pukes me. If that's going to happen, I'll sell my property before the bubble bursts because it would totally destroy what attracted me to 30-A.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Re: New East-West connector road meeting 6/16/05

Money is power. St. Joe's can get away with murder because of this. Watercolor and Watersound are the worst things that have ever happened to 30-A. The high-density developments have exponentially increased traffic on 30-A. I really think that the only solution to the congestion that these developments have caused is additional outlets from both Watercolor and Watersound, north to U.S. 98, to relieve the traffic on 30-A. The thought of multilaning 30-A just pukes me. If that's going to happen, I'll sell my property before the bubble bursts because it would totally destroy what attracted me to 30-A.

I am not sure that you understand what the Mack Bayou Study (East / West Corridor) includes. It has nothing to do with 30-A, nor does it touch any St Joe land.