Hampton Inn Seagrove Beach on Chateau Hotel Property

[Beach Runner]

If not classy is your argument at the BCC you will get laughed at.

Public beach accesses are first come first serve for parking. You can't charge for public parking since tax money paid for them but you can tow from private property. Thing is, almost all road right of ways are public and should not cause towing. Some property owners are trying to keep people off by putting up fences and signs on public property. We shouldn't allow that.

Deer Lake is a State Park not a county public access.

I'm too smart to use the "classy" argument to the Planning Commission. It would sound elitist. But we do have to pay a fee to the state for our beach access at Deer Lake State Park.

So if you lived in Summer's Edge or Dalton Place, you'd be okay with people parking in your front yard and trespassing through a private development to get to a public beach access?

 

[Jim Tucker]

I'm too smart to use the "classy" argument to the Planning Commission. It would sound elitist. But we do have to pay a fee to the state for our beach access at Deer Lake State Park.

So if you lived in Summer's Edge or Dalton Place, you'd be okay with people parking in your front yard and trespassing through a private development to get to a public beach access?

I wouldn't like it but I wouldn't have a choice if the street is county owned and maintained. I'm not sure about the places you reference as to what is private and what is public. If the streets are public but the land you have to cross on foot to get to the access might be private?

The bottom line is that Scenic 30A is getting more and more crowded and it is going to get over run by cars and people. I think the horse has already left the barn for the most part but hopefully this hotel will get nixed somehow.

 

[m1a1mg]

How about Walton County parking permits. Some benefit to being a local?

 

[Beach Runner]

I wouldn't like it but I wouldn't have a choice if the street is county owned and maintained. I'm not sure about the places you reference as to what is private and what is public. If the streets are public but the land you have to cross on foot to get to the access might be private?

The bottom line is that Scenic 30A is getting more and more crowded and it is going to get over run by cars and people. I think the horse has already left the barn for the most part but hopefully this hotel will get nixed somehow.

Hopefully it will get nixed. I have a crowd of people who know our history of success at stopping developments that are counter to the 30A style. Please take this seriously and attend the meeting and/or send Brian Underwood an email. The building of a Hampton Inn would be a precedent that would make every other non-30A-style proposal gain acceptance by the Planning Commission. It's all about money, but keeping 30A the way it has been is not about money. It's about a lifestyle, and you can't put a price on that.

 

[bentley williams]

Hopefully it will get nixed. I have a crowd of people who know our history of success at stopping developments that are counter to the 30A style. Please take this seriously and attend the meeting and/or send Brian Underwood an email. The building of a Hampton Inn would be a precedent that would make every other non-30A-style proposal gain acceptance by the Planning Commission. It's all about money, but keeping 30A the way it has been is not about money. It's about a lifestyle, and you can't put a price on that.

I know from experience that your words will backfire on you. You can't talk about lifestyle and 30a and non 30a or you will be seen as elitist.

It's about conforming use, density, traffic count, parking requirements, preservation, etc.

 

[Beach Runner]

I know from experience that your words will backfire on you. You can't talk about lifestyle and 30a and non 30a or you will be seen as elitist.

It's about conforming use, density, traffic count, parking requirements, preservation, etc.

Then tell me what I should say to win my points. Or are you the developer?

 

[bentley williams]

Then tell me what I should say to win my points. Or are you the developer?

Not a developer just seen this movie before.

It's all about COMPATIBILITY.

Seems like this should be classified as a "major development order". A more involved process with more hoops to jump through. If it's not yet then making a little noise with planning will have them push it to a major D. O. Major D. O. includes language about compatibility. If enough people who live there argue it is not compatible there is a possibility of nixing it. It then becomes political. Might not work since there are a couple of big condos near there.

If it comes down to a compromise then you may get the number of rooms reduced, limit lighting and parking, and maybe even force a more pleasing design.

I've seen a few Hampton Inns in downtown areas that kind of match the architecture. Also would be good to have all the parking out of sight.

Condo owners, associations, and small hotels should be leading the charge. A chain hotel will bring competition and lower rents.

 

[Andy A]

In the first place, I believe bw's post is pure BS, but I do agree that you would be better off sticking to the facts. Parking issues, a two way road already overburdened with traffic, especially in the season, incompatibility with the surrounding neighborhood and don't forget the 50' height limit if it is applicable. I don't drive at night unless it is an absolute emergency or I would attend the meeting. Although it is not in Blue Mountain Beach it still impacts the whole 30A area. For many reasons, it should not be built.

 

[JKBeach]

I guess I understand why the county is obligated to consider proposals like this, but I can't imagine why the county would approve this for any property along 30A, especially in the Seagrove area. I know these areas will be developed, but a 90 room hotel is not what is needed. This will add to an already dismal traffic situation on 2-lane 30A. If this happens, the "30A" Life Style is doomed (it may already be too late).


The additional load on the Ramsgate and Eastern Lake Beach entrances would be a disaster. These are neighborhood entrances. There is no parking at Ramsgate, and what is available near Eastern Lake is a mud hole, or else people park in front of homes or on the street and side streets. There are no bathrooms at these entrances and the return trip to the hotel would be 1/2 mile which means more folks "doing there business" in lake outfall, the gulf, and on the beach. Is that what we want? More tents left up all night - exactly what the turtle watch folks want to see. More folks to dig out the lake outfall. More litter on the beach.


We live (year round) on a street just south of the proposed development area and use these neighborhood beach entrances, that are already overrun in the high season, and have little or no parking, litter, etc. enforcement by the county.


In addition to more people, the church, the storage area, and strip mall already have a large concrete slab footprint that produces considerable runoff. Do we really need 2.4 acres of additional concrete and the associated petroleum based runoff into Eastern Lake and the surrounding neighborhoods? Also, ask the poor folks on the north end of Brown St. about runoff and flooding. Earlier this year they flooded and the county ran a pump with a hose for 1/4 to 1/2 mile from Brown to near Eastern Lake to drain the flood waters from Brown. I imagine that more concrete will just add to that problem.


The more I think about it, I can’t imagine why the county would even allow this type of development to be proposed.


Several folks from our neighborhood are planning to attend the meeting in opposition to the proposal. Perhaps I’ll see some of you there. I also plan to send an email to Mr. Underwood.

 

[bentley williams]

In the first place, I believe bw's post is pure BS, but I do agree that you would be better off sticking to the facts. Parking issues, a two way road already overburdened with traffic, especially in the season, incompatibility with the surrounding neighborhood and don't forget the 50' height limit if it is applicable. I don't drive at night unless it is an absolute emergency or I would attend the meeting. Although it is not in Blue Mountain Beach it still impacts the whole 30A area. For many reasons, it should not be built.

What I wrote is from firsthand experience with prior developments. What part of what I wrote do you have an issue with?