Smiling JOe said:
TFT, That is exactly what Albert Parish, Chairman of the Planning Comm, is thinking. That is probably why he bought so much land in Freeport.
It's really going to be interesting to see how this turns out.
I think Walton county, along with other Panhandle counties, has a rare opportunity to embrace intelligent growth. We have a good idea what is coming -- the U.S. population is expected to hit 350 million by 2025. That's an extra 50 million people. How many will be coming to Florida? A bunch. I would guess that 1-2 million more people in the Panhandle is not unthinkable. Maybe more?
Walton can be the jewel of the area if handled properly. I know a lot of people are upset by the development of 30-A, and I certainly understand their regret at losing a previously unspoiled beach, but my perspective is different. I was born in St. Pete and Pinellas County has been built out since I was a little girl. My dad, an architect, was one of the very few voices railing against high rises and unchecked development along the barrier islands, and he was mocked loudly and often. But he was right. I have never liked driving along Gulf Boulevard in Pinellas County. You can't even see the water in most places.
In contrast, the other side of St. Pete, near downtown along Tampa Bay, has become something wonderful in the past 15 years. There is an enormous amount of walkable, usable public parkland along the waterfront that city planners set aside decades ago. Downtown was in decline for many years but now it is vibrant. The high-rises have increased dramatically in number but they are across the street from the water and they are architecturally appealing. Nobody minds them because they still get gorgeous views of the water. Downtown has a number of beautiful shops and great restaurants, a movie theater, and tons of activity. Just north of downtown is a beautifully preserved national historic district.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a similar vibrant, well-planned community on the north side of Choctawhatchee Bay? I think development is inevitable. I think, given what I have seen elsewhere along Florida's beaches, that it has been handled reasonably well along 30-A, wonderfully in some cases. (I am pro-turtle and generally anti-seawall, for the record.) I like to see developments like Owl's Head going up elsewhere in the county because it means at least somebody is thinking about what things are going to look like in 20 years, and not just about making a pile of money. The real estate market may well stagnate for 5 or more years, but the down cycle will in the long run be just a blip. All we can hope for is that the county remembers that it has a rare opportunity, and treasures it accordingly.
Of course that makes perfect sense. 
