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Danny Glidewell

Beach Fanatic
Mar 26, 2008
725
914
Glendale
My wife and I took a road trip Sunday and drove over to Port St. Joe and drove 98 back to SanDestin. We were very impressed with Port St. Joe. The city looks good, clean and it is clear that they are all working together as a team to build a quality destination. Mexico Beach looked good as well and Panama City Beach was far better than the last time I went through. But I was disappointed and ashamed by the conditions on 30-A. The grass along the roadway looked as though ...it had not been cut since last year, the garbage was piled up and you could not even see the water for umbrellas and tents. Not to mention the lack of parking, the traffic and the apparent lack of upkeep on the roadway itself. We need to get our act together and fast if we are going to call ourselves a world-class destination. We collect and spend almost 20 million in bed tax money and we cannot mow the grass and pick up the garbage? We collect millions of dollars in taxes and cannot provide adequate parking or even fix the numerous potholes on the roadway? Or build turn lanes and make other improvements to move traffic? It is past time to stop blaming each other and throwing up our hands and get busy fixing problems. Spend money to hire enough employees to keep the garbage picked up and mow the grass. I did not post this for a couple of days because I needed time to calm down a little. But we need a change in priorities right now. It is not right to advertise and lure people down here for what they are paying and not provide the basic functions of government. I know it was Memorial Day weekend and the traffic and such were far worse than normal. But what does that have to do with cutting the grass and fixing broken pavement? We should have spent the past few weeks fixing things to put our best foot forward and it is obvious that did not happen.
 

Jimmy T

Beach Fanatic
Apr 6, 2015
918
1,299
My wife and I took a road trip Sunday and drove over to Port St. Joe and drove 98 back to SanDestin. We were very impressed with Port St. Joe. The city looks good, clean and it is clear that they are all working together as a team to build a quality destination. Mexico Beach looked good as well and Panama City Beach was far better than the last time I went through. But I was disappointed and ashamed by the conditions on 30-A. The grass along the roadway looked as though ...it had not been cut since last year, the garbage was piled up and you could not even see the water for umbrellas and tents. Not to mention the lack of parking, the traffic and the apparent lack of upkeep on the roadway itself. We need to get our act together and fast if we are going to call ourselves a world-class destination. We collect and spend almost 20 million in bed tax money and we cannot mow the grass and pick up the garbage? We collect millions of dollars in taxes and cannot provide adequate parking or even fix the numerous potholes on the roadway? Or build turn lanes and make other improvements to move traffic? It is past time to stop blaming each other and throwing up our hands and get busy fixing problems. Spend money to hire enough employees to keep the garbage picked up and mow the grass. I did not post this for a couple of days because I needed time to calm down a little. But we need a change in priorities right now. It is not right to advertise and lure people down here for what they are paying and not provide the basic functions of government. I know it was Memorial Day weekend and the traffic and such were far worse than normal. But what does that have to do with cutting the grass and fixing broken pavement? We should have spent the past few weeks fixing things to put our best foot forward and it is obvious that did not happen.
Danny, thank you for noticing. I think we can probably stop spending money trying to bring folks here and start spending it to maintain and improve what we have.
 

Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,692
9,477
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
There is no one at the wheel here in South Walton.

Yes, Port St Joe and Apalachicola towns are very nice and our go to spots to get away. The beaches in Cape San Blas and Indian Pass are pristine with nothing on them whatsoever.

We have a very strong TDC doing a huge job. We need that balanced with an excellent governing body to lead and look to the future for residents and businesses and tourism. That isn't happening and isn't going to happen any time soon.
 

Misty

Banned
Dec 15, 2011
2,769
752
Danny, thank you for noticing. I think we can probably stop spending money trying to bring folks here and start spending it to maintain and improve what we have.


With the planning department giving a nod to 11 new projects including an 84-room hotel at Grand Boulevard, a 25-room bed and breakfast in Inlet Beach, a farmer’s market, two stores, a medical office, another office building, and four new subdivisions it's only going to get worse.
Defuniak Herald Grand Boulevard hotel, 25-room B&B in Inlet Beach, nine other proposals, get nod from Planning Commission |
 

LarsAtTheBeach

Beach Fanatic
Jul 19, 2008
702
327
Danny, thank you for noticing. I think we can probably stop spending money trying to bring folks here and start spending it to maintain and improve what we have.
As I understand it, the TDC has finally agreed to do just that. After all it's reported they have 60 million in reserves.
 

Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,692
9,477
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
With the planning department giving a nod to 11 new projects including an 84-room hotel at Grand Boulevard, a 25-room bed and breakfast in Inlet Beach, a farmer’s market, two stores, a medical office, another office building, and four new subdivisions it's only going to get worse.
Defuniak Herald Grand Boulevard hotel, 25-room B&B in Inlet Beach, nine other proposals, get nod from Planning Commission |
We are a growing town with much more to come. It's good for us.. But it requires long range planning and excellent management of resources and infrastructure. We do some of this in a reactionary form responding to the immediate problems.. when it's too little and much too late.
 

Misty

Banned
Dec 15, 2011
2,769
752
We are a growing town with much more to come. It's good for us.. But it requires long range planning and excellent management of resources and infrastructure. We do some of this in a reactionary form responding to the immediate problems.. when it's too little and much too late.


It's not good for you if you can't manage what you already have Teresa.
 

PoppaJ

SoWal Insider
Oct 9, 2015
8,336
20,139
Miramar Beach ROWs and medians are trash filled weed infested wastelands. when they are cut there is no follow up trimming so weeds fill the cracks and hang over the curbing and roadway. Leaving behind the well maintained medians of Okaloosa one would be justified in believing they had just entered the poorest county in Florida. It's sad and inexcusable.
 
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