New big blue signs in SoWal

[Dave Rauschkolb]

Maybe signs this big and bright would be actually useful if placed on Hwy 98. I should think that directions to the respective beach communities would be more needed in a situation where a turn from the main drag (Hwy 98) is necessary. How hard is it to find a particular beach in a case where they are all lined up on one street (30A)? The simple place markers that we had were fine. The beach you are looking for is either straight ahead- keep going, or you have passed through it already- turn around and go back. Anyway- at highway speeds the signs would not be so bad- maybe they can revised and moved to better locations so the money already spent would not be wasted.

Your are right those signs are more in scale with a big highway but not on a two laner.

 

[Dave Rauschkolb]

Just curious, and I know Kurt will know. Is this approaching the largest viewed thread ever on SoWal? I remember the "led away in handcuffs" one as a big one.

 

[GoodWitch58]

...and I bet if we ever were able to see the review by the FDOT we would find that:

a. no one from FDOT ever came down and looked at 30A locations; and
b. the design/sign review was for a state highway or an Interstate....not a road like 30A.

 

[Jdarg]

Well, I believe the word "notice" might me misconstrued here. I am assuming the TDC did more than post a notice in the paper. I believe, and I may be giving more credit than is due, that the TDC showed the design in an article, perhaps with photos or a drawing. That is the type of "notice" I was talking about. I don't think it was in a "legals" format. My beef is that the public was "informed" in a relatively obscure paper and only one paper at that.

My beef as well. Granted, I didn't move here until fall of 2006, but by that time I had met enough "plugged in" people that would have had a conniption fit had they seen what these signs would really look like. At the meeting I sat near a life long resident who saw an artist's rendering of the sign- and said "the rendering didn't even come close to what these signs would look like in real life".

We have so many people in this area who pay attention to what is happening, and for the TDC to say that people should have seen the coverage in the one newspaper AND still have this issue on their radar since it's 2002 inception is ridiculous.

Dave, Ms. Bannerman, Ed W. and a few other people that I don't know did an excellent job speaking!

I do have to give a big thumbs down to the yay-hoo who cheered and clapped (by himself) when Mr. Mares of the TDC was describing how somebody took out the 331 sign with their vehicle. Many of us may be opposed to the signs, but we don't think the destruction of property is cool. So Mr. Yay-hoo, if you are reading this, please stay home the next meeting- we don't want you associated with our group.

Hey TFT- your letter rocked! I had a big ol' grin on my face when I heard your name!

 

[30A Skunkape]

I have always been under the impression that they have more positions than people to fill them. I do not think you are going to step up into some positions immediately, but if you started serving somewhere, it would seem that you could easily move into a position that was something you had a passionate interest in. And you never know, Cindy Meadows was once on the planning commission and look at her now.

JDarg, want to jump in here??!

I agree that it is very aggravating to not see a paid representative at a meeting. I just volunteer for my position and I only think I have missed 3 meetings in 3 years due to conflicts.

But that certainly smells like a campaign issue to me, and we all know what a great organizer you are.........

Honestly, he seems much loved north of the bay. I imagine that most of the voters in the district live in that area. Unfortunately, he seems to dismiss the segment of his district in South Walton completely. In fact, I'm much more likely to get responses on issues from Cindy Meadows and Sara Comander than my own commissioner. I'd much prefer to find a way to get him to realize that there are a few concerned citizens down here than to try to wage a quixotic charge against a young man from an old and prominent Walton County family who seems to have been groomed for political office beyond the stepping stone of his current office.

 

[Kurt]

Just curious, and I know Kurt will know. Is this approaching the largest viewed thread ever on SoWal? I remember the "led away in handcuffs" one as a big one.

When you are in forum view you can click on the "views" header and it will sort by number.

 

[Joefromseagrove]

I would like to see the Blue monsters go away, but I do think there is a need for signs along the roads that connect to 30-A that give tourists an idea which way to go to their destination. I think the blue signs along 30-A are totally inappropriate, and each community should have its own in sign that fits its character. This whole "branding" approach is completely out of touch with what makes 30-A so special to all of us. If we really have to tie each community together for "cohesiveness" perhaps a small tribute to 30-a's scenic corridor status would be more appropriate than the TDC's Resort style marketing. I think we are reaching an identity crisis here. Are we a resort or are we a community? It is getting harder and harder to tell anymore.

 

[GoodWitch58]

Great points!, JoefromSeagrove

 

[rapunzel]

This whole "branding" approach is completely out of touch with what makes 30-A so special to all of us. If we really have to tie each community together for "cohesiveness" perhaps a small tribute to 30-a's scenic corridor status would be more appropriate than the TDC's Resort style marketing. I think we are reaching an identity crisis here. Are we a resort or are we a community? It is getting harder and harder to tell anymore.

Excellent point.

One visit to the TDC meeting is enough to explain this. I get the sense that the board members largely see this area as a resort, and the people that move here and choose to live here as not so much members of the Walton community, but extended stay tourists. SoWal is the resort area that generates income for the rest of the county, and is to be exploited to insure maximum returns.

One member of the board kept emphasizing that the branding and signs were not just for 30-A, but continued all the way to Miramar and Sandestin. It seemed very important in the eyes of the board to tie Rosemary and Seaside and Grayton and Miramar and Sandestin into one entity collectively known as the Beaches of South Walton. The driving force behind this was a small sample of target area tourists who, when asked where they went on vacation, responded that they had been to Destin. When questioned about where they specifically stayed, 6 of 14 had actually stayed in South Walton (though only one on 30-A). Apparently, the TDC sees this as problem that threatens the very lifeblood of our economy, because these people then go home and tell people they had fun in Destin.

A modest observation -- If someone asks me where I live, I try to figure out how likely they are to be familiar with the area. If they are likely to know the area, I say Seacrest. If they are not, I say near Grayton Beach -- between Destin and Panama City. If they are not from the Southeast, I just say near Destin. I have never said, "I live in the Beaches of South Walton." I'd feel like a pretentious wanker. I suspect the same goes for tourists. Call it SoWal, and I think you might get better results.

I keep going back to what the guy said about tying in 30-A and Miramar/Sandestin. As I was driving along 30-A last night, it hit me that this is a really bad idea. The two places have little in common -- Miramar and Sandestin are just coastal anyplace. They are not very different from any other area between Gulf Shores and Panama City, or Clearwater to Sarasota. Okay, Miramar and Sandestin are nicer than most, but they don't feel fundamentally different. Why would we want to tie 30-A to those places? The communities of 30-A have their own sense of place, individually and collectively. Celebrate that. Cultivate that. Market that, if you must.

 

[scooterbug44]

Seriously, the rest of the country has no idea where we are unless they visit or have friends/family here. If you want a reality check on US geography skill level, there is a great clip in the lounge of someone attempting to figure out geography on "smarter than 3rd grader."

I do the same routine when telling people where I'm from - start general and get more specific based on their familiarity with area.
-Florida
-Florida Panhandle/redneck riviera
-"between Destin and Panama City"
-near Seaside/the Red Bar/Watercolor

Hideous blue signs will not keep people from saying they vacationed in "Destin," as no matter how many signs they put up, anything west of 30A is Destin, anything east is Panama City, and Pensacola is the only other Panhandle City most of the country has heard of.

People they tell about their trip will be wanting to book where their friends stayed and near the places/restaurants etc. that their friends told them about. A cohesive marketing/publicity campaign will help the area much more than trying to teach Joe Tourist a minor point of geography.