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What do you think of the new blue signs being installed on 30-A?

  • Love them!

    Votes: 21 7.0%
  • Somewhat like them

    Votes: 12 4.0%
  • Neither like nor dislike them

    Votes: 24 8.1%
  • Somewhat dislike them

    Votes: 32 10.7%
  • They're horrid!

    Votes: 210 70.5%

  • Total voters
    298

chrisv

Beach Fanatic
Nov 15, 2004
631
75
Freeport, Florida
Re: Big Blue Sign Removal Information Thread

I finally remembered to look for the remains of the missing sign from the 331 bridge. The signs are supposed to be break away signs, I'm guessing for safety reasons. However, there is not any evidence remaining that a sign ever existing at that sign. If it was cemented in like the others, they would have needed a backhoe to dig that sucker out. I'm guessing that if a vehicle would have ran over the sign, knocking it down, the County wouldn't have removed the anchoring base of the sign, too. I'm guessing that there may be more to this story.

Ok, the day I posted that the sign was gone I did see a work crew attaching chains to the bases to pull them out. I did not see the sign itself. One of the bases, the bay-most one, was torqued such that it would make sense that the sign was struck by a vehicle. I just didn't want to start any speculation on the fate of the sign, but since it has been stated that it was hit, I figured I'd fill in my eye-witness statement.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
robertsondavies, someone wanted to use the signs for ramps at a new skate park, and someone else suggested that we donate them to Pier Park. Coincidentally, they almost perfectly match the new street signs being installed at Pier Park. They certainly match the big beach ball in front of the Grand Theatre.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Re: Big Blue Sign Removal Information Thread

Thanks for the fill, chrisv. So, as I predicted, if one of those signs was struck, regardless that it is "break away" design, the entire base would have to be uprooted, as the bolts would likely be stripped from the base.
 

chrisv

Beach Fanatic
Nov 15, 2004
631
75
Freeport, Florida
I saw a timeline today that this whole sign thing, the first meeting about it, was in 2002. Six years later this is what we have. Things sure move quickly around here.

Was this timeline being put together for the upcoming TDC and BCC meetings?
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Regarding what to do with the signs after they are removed, I think each of the County Commissioners' offices should get one, and one should be in the office of the TDC Director, as BIG reminders of wasteful unnecessary spending, and if they don't have space for the big signs, tough!
 

wrobert

Beach Fanatic
Nov 21, 2007
4,134
575
61
DeFuniak Springs
www.defuniaksprings.com
There you go, serving the whole county over SoWal...


YEAAAA! I found it. You guys really need to read this. The reason it seems that no one knew about the signs is that the decisions were made back in 2003/2004 if I am understanding the paperwork. I converted what I got to a pdf. Sorry about quality, trying to keep it small. Funny that they say that they had to redesign the footings due to modifications in the area. So the area has changed since 2004, imagine that.
 
Last edited:

chrisv

Beach Fanatic
Nov 15, 2004
631
75
Freeport, Florida
Last edited:

wrobert

Beach Fanatic
Nov 21, 2007
4,134
575
61
DeFuniak Springs
www.defuniaksprings.com
Thanks for the pdf.

Seems like the 2 year hiatus from 2005 to 2007 is what took this project off the radar. Cannot find links to the NWF Daily News story mentioned in the document.

I got the document through a public records request to a commissioners office. While I was not told, I got the impression the TDC prepared it for the BCC members to have as a response to questions they were getting.

This does bring up an interesting question. If we have a public hearing to spend a million dollars on something stupid, but we agree we will do it when we get the money, do we let it die for a couple of years, then go do it without having to go through the public process again? You only have so long after a private project is approved to start moving forward, why is the county not held to those same rules? Heck this thing occurred over 3 election cycles with new people coming and going the whole time. No wonder it is surprising so many.
 
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