• Trouble logging in? Send us a message with your username and/or email address for help.
New posts

Elephant Child

Beach Lover
Aug 11, 2010
183
1
While the ordinance doesn't actually exclude you from having a wedding, it's a work around to prevent homes in residential areas from being used as wedding houses.

To answer your question, if you could find a house that slept 40+ you could have the reception at the home as long as you didn't exceed the occupancy limit. I only know of one house that could hold 40+ people and it's not gulf front.

What about parking...
 

Elephant Child

Beach Lover
Aug 11, 2010
183
1
I have one other question for them; can't you find somthing constructive to do?

The BCC will never pass the ordinance, just keep delaying it until they actually have to do something. They do have someone pushing for it because he owns a building that can accomodate large weddings and his wife just happens to be an event planner. The building is located at the corner of Chat Holley and 331.

There are two excellent Letters to the editor in the Walton Sun this week...about this...and I think it will pass as there are many folks who are tired of sharing their neighborhood.
 

lenzoe

Beach Fanatic
[...]
Can everyone hear me, please please, just enforce the existing county codes for residential property use, fire safety, occupancy, noise and parking and this would be addressed.
[...]

And while you're at it, enforce the ordinances that say no glass or littering on the beach. I mean it.

If someone with the authority to write tickets actually gave some out for infringements, I bet most of these problems would be solved in one season. If violators had to actually pay a fine, they will tell their friends, and they'll tell their friends. It's a social networking thing. Instead, if anything, people infringing current ordinances seem to me to get either a light talking-to or at worst a stern lecture. There's no actual incentive other than good manners to obey most of these ordinances, and no punishment when broken. And there's a decreasing level of good manners out there.
 
Last edited:

Morning Glory

Beach Comber
Nov 8, 2010
33
6
Proposed Rental Ordinance

Do you have any proof of that? My understanding is that individual doesn't wield the power they used too. :dunno:

My proof is that I know first hand how this works, always has and always will.

If you want to see what kind of power this individual has just request the records on the Chat Holley Road/331 right of way acquisition (the records are BLUE all over).

You are correct, he has fallen from grace with the BCC. So now that he has lost his clout the BCC will delay this as long as they can.
 

WaltonIsOne

Beach Lover
Nov 14, 2009
88
40
Walton County, FL
My proof is that I know first hand how this works, always has and always will.

If you want to see what kind of power this individual has just request the records on the Chat Holley Road/331 right of way acquisition (the records are BLUE all over).

You are correct, he has fallen from grace with the BCC. So now that he has lost his clout the BCC will delay this as long as they can.

Any ideas how to end it once and for all? Maybe that answer needs to be offline!
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
Local restaurants are going to close due to lack of business if we require receptions to be held in restaurants and banquet spaces?

Property values will plummet because the only option besides 40+ weddings a year, parking problems, and noise as your neighbor is a foreclosure?

Wedding guests bring more business in to stores and restaurants than all the tourists, locals, and second homeowners combined?

Yes, I agree that the wedding industry creates income for many local businesses.

But I don't see why requiring receptions and other COMMERCIAL functions to be held in the many available commercial venues totally negates that.
 

Lake Eastern

Beach Lover
Dec 17, 2005
162
38
Walton County
Here is an interesting article in this week's edition of the Walton Sun about this topic.

A union that must not be torn asunder | weddings, asunder, torn - Walton and weddings - WaltonSun.com

Read the opinion piece very carefully and was sad that the writer was so unaware of the Bay, Walton, Okaloosa benefits of the military installations and the contractor employees that truly are the mainstays of our local economies. To say we are 100% dependent on tourism was definitely over the top. The military installations brought a diverse population to our area, the opportunity for many to receive high paying employment with retirement that was not dependent upon the weather conditions. Their children brought federal impact funds to our schools, and many of the professional people had spouses who taught in our schools. Their friends and family provided us with an ongoing tourist base. Bases on the east and west of Walton are currently expanding and it behooves us to provide zoning that allows them to buy with the knowledge that they can leave their families for follow on assignments or retain a home for retirement with the expectation that it will be what they accepted in neighborhood parameters. Code enforcement is a good thing!
 

lenzoe

Beach Fanatic
But I don't see why requiring receptions and other COMMERCIAL functions to be held in the many available commercial venues totally negates that.

I agree with this, and I think the opinion piece was a lot of puff and hyperbole which doesn't help either side of the argument.

However, this ordinance is trying to do a lot more than just regulate location of wedding venues. The occupancy thresholds, registration requirements, and per-person square footage minimums for short-term rentals have nothing to do with whether wedding businesses should be staging reception parties in residential neighborhoods.

I still don't understand why existing noise/parking/etc. ordinances are not sufficient to keep wedding parties from infringing on neighbors rights to quiet and peaceful enjoyment of their own properties.
 
New posts


Sign Up for SoWal Newsletter