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South Walton Community Council

Community Organization
Jan 17, 2007
270
78
www.southwaltoncc.org
South Walton Community Council (SWCC) is community-supported nonprofit dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the quality of life and unique natural environment in South Walton.

Since 1995, SWCC has been working in partnership with South Walton residents, property owners, neighborhood associations, community leaders, business owners, and others to achieve a better South Walton for everyone.

Each year, SWCC identifies a selected number of high profile initiatives where we think we can help the community strike a better balance between development and preservation. Some recent examples include:

  • In Seascape (Miramar Beach), SWCC helped owners successfully challenge a developer’s plan to sell and build on an undisturbed parcel that had previously not been slated for development.
  • In the Draper Lake area, SWCC has helped lead an effort to challenge ambitious plans by DR Horton to build 186 units in this sensitive area. This project remains a work-in-process, but after making significant design changes the developer is now going to propose a scaled down version with 31 single family homes.
  • In Miramar Beach, SWCC worked with a large group of local residents to secure purchase of the Golf Garden parcel by Walton County for use as a public park and recreation area. Despite a tough fight the county declined to purchase the entire parcel, but did agree to purchase a 10-acre portion of the property for recreational use.
  • Participated in the ten-year plan with Topsail State Preserve and supported the main entrance of one beach access.
  • SWCC helped defeat a proposal for the county to purchase a parcel adjacent to Stinky’s Fish Camp for a parking lot. The proposal would have closed Woodward Ave. access to 30A, resulting in traffic congestion in the Beach Highlands neighborhood.
  • SWCC continued its opposition to the Cypress Lake development on the west end of 30A. We are waiting for a ruling from the First District Court of Appeal.
Beyond individual projects, SWCC also looks for opportunities to improve or change Walton County laws, policies, and practices in ways that create enduring benefits for all of us. For instance:

  • Seeking improvements/clarifications to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) procedures to reduce exploitation by developers to bypass the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code.

SWCC also works hard to ensure residents and property owners are fully informed in regard to local issues and challenges. In 2020, SWCC helped local voters learn more about the candidates positions on various issues. This was done via a questionnaire sent to all Board of Commissioners and Mosquito Control Board candidates. We then published their responses on our website. Many citizens commented that this information was helpful in their voting. SWCC also co-sponsored virtual election town hall meetings which were also very well received.

Please Support SWCC

To help us continue our good works in 2021, we ask you to consider making a generous donation to SWCC.

While SWCC is largely volunteer driven, your donation helps us pay for skilled professionals and other operating costs that are essential in helping us achieve our goals.

SWCC is a 501c3 nonprofit and your contribution may be tax deductible.

If you have recently made a contribution to SWCC, we thank you for your gift!

Become a Member

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Venmo
 

liz coats

Beach Lover
Jun 19, 2012
118
55
Too bad there wasn't a group dedicated to "making a difference" 40 years ago. But hey, we can always ban plastic straws.
 

Dawn

Beach Fanatic
Oct 16, 2008
1,203
519
Too bad there wasn't a group dedicated to "making a difference" 40 years ago. But hey, we can always ban plastic straws.
I don't get your reference about straws but yes they should be banned. There was a group of heroic citizens decades ago that helped to protect much of the wild lands we see around us today in South Walton. Unfortunately no one was looking, or cared before that, when all the gulf front was platted and sold. There have always been people who live here who love the beach and the forests and did not come here to develop and profit.
 

Matt J

SWGB
May 9, 2007
24,646
9,496
Too bad there wasn't a group dedicated to "making a difference" 40 years ago. But hey, we can always ban plastic straws.

Maybe they could have prevented you from moving here and constantly bitching without ever helping or doing a damn thing.
 

liz coats

Beach Lover
Jun 19, 2012
118
55
Maybe they could have prevented you from moving here and constantly bitching without ever helping or doing a damn thing.
I've never lived "here", but I remember enjoying it the way it was. I suspect the next financial meltdown that's coming may bring some changes.
 
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