Naturewalk at Seagrove

[rapunzel]

Re: Stunning Decision, Not !

rapunzel, please don't stop with only the three emails. Be sure to let Commissioners Commander and Meadows know that you are thankful for their votes against Comm. Brannon's motion, last night. They need to know that their decision was the right decision. Too often, Commissioners here only the negative.

Excellent point, SJ. I have sent them both a quick thank you. It is my intention to send them both contributions come election time.

 

[rapunzel]

Re: Stunning Decision, Not !

Has anyone seen renderings or literature detailing the plans? As far as developments go, the main area of NatureWalk seems like such a nice one ... so much green space and thoughtfulness. What on earth is the beach club supposed to look like, exactly?

I believe NatureWalk paid $16 million for the Villas, so I guess they will be trying to recoup some of the investment on condos at the beach club. But it is odd to me that someone who got kudos on this site and in the community for taking great care with site planning would want to throw up something huge and unsuitable on a the beachfront parcel.

I just expected more. So someone, please elaborate more about the beach club plans. I want to hear what these commissioners agreed to.

Well, Gypsea and I were looking at lots a few months ago during a rainstorm and took a drive through NatureWalk. It may look nice on paper, but the a small January storm had resulted in standing water all over the place. A plat of the development shows green space, but much of it is open to future development. It may look nice, and I did find it attractive -- but the drainage problems scream of a problem with quality to me. See, I have this thing about water and drainage and hurricanes.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Re: Stunning Decision, Not !

Last year, I saw some sketches and arch plans for the Beach Club. However, they have "scaled it back to (get this) meet the Comp Plan." It exceeds density in the comp plan by 50% so that is a bunch of horse pooh. Also, they are pushing it through as Mixed Use zoning with residential and commercial, when in the past, it has been used strictly for commercial, so in reality, they are changing it from the variance which has been allowed, and that in itself is not allowed in the Comp Plan. One other factor which doesn't work for the Bch Club is the fact that in the Comp Plan, it states that commercial cannot be within 250 ft from RP neighborhood. OOPS. Cnty Planner Tim Brown screwed that one up too, and even though he stated that the caught the mistake only three days ago, the Commissioners still let pushed it through, thereby throwing the Comp Plan out the window. This project is full of holes, most of which were brought forth last night, yet the Commissioners still ignored the Comp Plan and the Walton County Seal, "Pride, Conservation, Protection." I just remembered one other point which Planner Tim Brown made. He stated that this project passed only because the Beach Club was considered to be "a civic use." I say we all crash the gates at the Club, if they try to keep us out. Afterall, it is declared to be civic.

Personally, I think the State Attorney General should be allerted as to what took place last night. The BCC was so wrong on so many aspects of what took place, and I think their actions last night should cost them their jobs. They are public servants who are not doing their job of protecting Walton County.


Edit: back to your question TFT, yes, I saw plans, yet they are not using those. In fact, according to the County Planner in charge of this project, he has yet to recieve the building designs from the developer, so again, he has sent this through to the BCC without even having the a set of plans.

I would also like to inform you that even though the density of units has gone down slightly (while square footage has increased from 22,000 sf to 66,000 sf), the County Planner is comparing the number of units which presently exists as tiny motel rooms, to the number of units which are expected to be 2-3 bedroom units.

This thing has bad news written all over it. Personally, I will never take a listing in NatureWalk simply because of the way this was ramrodded up our butts. NatureWalk had some potential to be a nice place, but this Beach Club just ruined any respect I had for the project.

 

[30A Skunkape]

Re: Stunning Decision, Not !

Last year, I saw some sketches and arch plans for the Beach Club. However, they have "scaled it back to (get this) meet the Comp Plan." It exceeds density in the comp plan by 50% so that is a bunch of horse pooh. Also, they are pushing it through as Mixed Use zoning with residential and commercial, when in the past, it has been used strictly for commercial, so in reality, they are changing it from the variance which has been allowed, and that in itself is not allowed in the Comp Plan. One other factor which doesn't work for the Bch Club is the fact that in the Comp Plan, it states that commercial cannot be within 250 ft from RP neighborhood. OOPS. Cnty Planner Tim Brown screwed that one up too, and even though he stated that the caught the mistake only three days ago, the Commissioners still let pushed it through, thereby throwing the Comp Plan out the window. This project is full of holes, most of which were brought forth last night, yet the Commissioners still ignored the Comp Plan and the Walton County Seal, "Pride, Conservation, Protection." I just remembered one other point which Planner Tim Brown made. He stated that this project passed only because the Beach Club was considered to be "a civic use." I say we all crash the gates at the Club, if they try to keep us out. Afterall, it is declared to be civic.

Personally, I think the State Attorney General should be allerted as to what took place last night. The BCC was so wrong on so many aspects of what took place, and I think their actions last night should cost them their jobs. They are public servants who are not doing their job of protecting Walton County.

Edit: back to your question TFT, yes, I saw plans, yet they are not using those. In fact, according to the County Planner in charge of this project, he has yet to recieve the building designs from the developer, so again, he has sent this through to the BCC without even having the a set of plans.

I would also like to inform you that even though the density of units has gone down slightly (while square footage has increased from 22,000 sf to 66,000 sf), the County Planner is comparing the number of units which presently exists as tiny motel rooms, to the number of units which are expected to be 2-3 bedroom units.

This thing has bad news written all over it. Personally, I will never take a listing in NatureWalk simply because of the way this was ramrodded up our butts. NatureWalk had some potential to be a nice place, but this Beach Club just ruined any respect I had for the project.

RECALL PETITION!!!

 

[Smiling JOe]

Re: Stunning Decision, Not !

How about a FIRING Petition?

 

[TooFarTampa]

Re: Stunning Decision, Not !

Thank you for the clarifications SJ and Punzy. This is so upsetting. SJ, frankly I think you have the best idea. Who polices the county officials if not the commission? Has to be the state. Who at the state? The attorney general's office.

Crist made the AG's office a very populist place during his tenure and I don't believe that attitude has changed. I am not an expert in legal issues, but it seems to me that a detailed report to the AG's office would be more effective even than a drawn out civil suit against the planning commission for not following county law.

Can someone step up here and file a detailed report with the attorney general, specifiying what the planners have agreed to, what the various attorneys said last night along with a copy of the county development codes? Do this, post here and legions of SoWallers will follow with complaints to the AG's office. In an ideal world they would investigate, warn, come down hard, etc., and the commissioners who have been ignoring the laws in small and big ways (read: seawalls) are cowed into submission.

Can it work?

 

[pgurney]

Re: Stunning Decision, Not !

Alerting the State Attorney General sounds like a good idea to me. Shouldn't the commissioners also be wary of lawsuits for not following their Comprehensive Plan? I hate lawsuits, but they seem to be effective at getting government type groups to follow their own rules/laws/regulations and such.

 

[seacrestkristi]

Re: A few Walton County Commissioners For Sale

Can you imagine the mess when construction begins!!!!!

What a mess in Seacrest where the developers were allowed to dig out the bluff there for underground parking. Now they even have a big chunk right across 30A. Huge coplexes, as high as limits permit. Enough is enough. It will be a huge noisy mess.

And for those of us behind Cindy Meadows and Sara Commander and opposed to the others, it is up to us Walton County voters to make sure these names are remembered at the voting boxes this next time!!!

I live off 30-a & Andalusia and can't imagine what a mess this is going to bring to our area!!! The traffic has been horrible just for Spring Break this year - the worst is yet to come - thanks guys - we will remember this!!!

Thanks for letting us know exactly who is voting for what!

If anyone would like to comment directly to Walton county Commissioners, please do so.



Commissioners
Scott Brannon brascott@co.Walton.fl.us
Kenneth Pridgen prikenneth@co.Walton.fl.us
Larry Jones jonlarry@co.Walton.fl.us
Sara Comander comsara@co.Walton.fl.us
Cindy Measows [EMAIL="meacindy@co.Walton.fl.us"]meacindy@co.Walton.fl.us[/EMAIL]

Thanks for the links I just e-mailed Ken Pridgen , who I previously thought cared about over devlopment and let him know I did not appreciate his vote for more development last night, and also how I felt about the bluff in Seacrest. I thought he cared morally about preserving the area.

 

[kathydwells]

Re: Stunning Decision, Not !

So has the concept changed since this?

 

[30A Skunkape]

Re: Stunning Decision, Not !

Chicken wire rocks in the swimming pool!

:shock: