New Connector Road Between 30A and 98 East of Seagrove

This is the County wanting bids for the forest road. Conservative estimates put the new connector road at minimum of $10-12 million not including mitigation land.

Review Committee Meetings - RFQ 018-027 and RFQ 018-025

 

Thanks for sharing. Is there any information about where they want to put the forest road?

 

Thanks, Kurt!

 

I applaud looking long term at traffic needs. Unfortunately the critical time was 20-30 years ago before state lands were established and development took hold.

Building roads through sensitive habitats and and taking state lands is not the answer. We must take a stand and manage traffic, improve the roads we have, and discourage additional development and traffic.

I encourage everyone to get familiar with the history of state lands in SoWal ...
LET IT BE

If you look at the map of Point Washington State Forest, you'll see a powerline just west of Deer lake State Park, cutting through the state forest land. Any such road across preservation land would be unacceptable.

Point Washington State Forest / State Forests / Our Forests / Florida Forest Service / Divisions & Offices / Home - Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

Any connector road east of state land would seem to be too close to WaterSound Parkway to be of much use, accept for commercial interests and developers.

 

Any other suggestions? As you say this should have been done 20 years ago. Whats going to happen in another 20 years?

 

I believe in planning for the next 20-50 years. My frustration is that many of our roads near the beach are "locked in". Development has happened too close to roads. Shoulders are minimal or nonexistant in areas on Scenic 30A and adjacent roads. Essentially we have "neighborhood" roads where we expect more and more people to use. We have advertised too heavily and built too much to have "neighborhood roads". We're still making decisions that are shortsighted and/or motivated by greed/who you know. (Bike path on north side of 30A at 395 ring a bell?)

For all the talk of new urbanism and genius design, apparently all those guys are blind to what happens around them. Blind to the millions of potential visitors and cars. Sidewalk Cafes I love but who is the genius who thought they could put them on 30A? Because the Walton BCC loves golf carts they lower speed limits to 35 on a 20 mile highway? Was that planned? No. Simply approved.

The coming Tsunami though is the tens of thousands of homes and apartments that are coming over the next 20 years between 30A and I-10. We can plan for those roads but 30A is where a large portion of those people are going to recreate and work. Our current issues will look quaint. A connector road will do nothing but set the precedent for many more.

In days gone by Walton County planning and governing was way, way behind the curve. The curve could not be seen. Some say we are still blind to it.

 

What curve? All I see is a windshield coming fast.

 

Flying cars!!!

 

I dont disagree with most of what you are saying but I guess my point is that whats done is done. We can't turn back the clock and redo everything perfectly. So now the question is what CAN we do RIGHT NOW with what we have?

 

I like your style Skunk! Put me down for one of those.

 

Require more responsible development with strict parking requirements, institute a tree ordinance, reduce quantity of tourists while maintaining revenue, stop letting residents and businesses take our right of ways away, continue adding turn lanes and traffic lights when prudent (new one in seagroe seems to be doing the job for now). defend our public lands, require the TDC to use funds for projects that improve the quality of experience (new state law allowing this for certain things with accountability), elect leaders who can use their brain and maintain balance instead of answering to their masters, promote green initiatives and environmentalism, be a renewable energy and recycling leader, require utitlities and resort towns to follow the rules every other business has to.

I could go on. It's not rocket science. The first step is to become educated about what other successful communities are doing. Hire real professionals to research and implement instead of Jim Bob Cooter's cousin.

 

We need you to run for district 5 commissioner when Tony's term is over.

 

I hope you dont take this offensively but I feel like your head is a bit too high in the clouds. More rule and more regulations is what takes away rights away....not the other way around. Reduce quantity of tourist? How in the heck do we go about doing something like that? We're a tourist community and I think a lot of people forget about this fact. I agree with you on a lot of what you are saying though, specially maintaining a balance. I do disagree with "answering to their masters" unless "their master" is the comp plan/code because by law the Commissioners are required to approve any and all building that follows the comp plan/code. Thats in my opinion is where we start. Lets change the code to eliminate more monster houses and yes require more parking. I appreciate you discussing you ideas with me and I believe that there can be a balance. With that said in my opinion reducing tourism isn't the answer. Hey after customary use goes away July 1st we might not have to worry about tourist anymore anyways.

 

Perhaps you forget how S. Walton got so crowded long before CU was imposed. Looked to me that tourism was flourishing without CU, and it will continue to do so. If you'll get on 98, 30-A or Scenic 98 right now and through mid-August, you'll see why the limiting factor for tourism is not a lack of beach, restaurants, shopping, and other such amenities. It's the lack of roads, not to mention drainage. It rains now and again, you know.

We live on a barrier island with a finite capacity which we presently have exceeded. Until such time in the unforeseeable future when we solve the capacity problems of the present, we would be well-served by no further increases in the tourist hordes.

And your statements re Comp Plan and code are disingenuous at best. The chicanery involving the insiders in and around our local government is obvious to anyone who cares to look. We have an opportunity to change for the better in two BCC races in August.

I don't know who Truman is, but if he's interested in running for Tony's slot in 2020, I would like to know more about him. His post above shows he would almost certainly be a major improvement in that position. Of course, that is a pretty low bar to clear, so Truman, I apologize if I offended you. I mean to praise your comments, not bury them.

 

Of course tourism flourished before the CU ordinance and that was also before all of the private property signs, rope fences, and a-holes like Mr. Vizcaya. You cant tell me that having less beach for tourist to spread out isn't going to affect the tourist numbers....which I will assume is really what you want. I agree the lack of roads is a huge factor, which is what this whole thread is about (a connector road to help 30a traffic). The tourist come down for the beaches and not the roads. They dont come down for restaurants or shopping. ATL, NOLA, and Nashville have that in spades. They come for one reason only and that is the beaches.

My whole point about limiting the quantity of tourism is how? Who gets to make that call? Isn't South Walton in the free county of America? Maybe we should just put a gate on the 331 bridge and you can let in whoever you feel is worthy. You might have made your money already but for a massive amount of Walton residents tourism is their livelihood.

The truth is that 2 new commissioners won't solve any problems. If anything it will create more problems because these 2 new candidates are anti-building. If the county votes no on a project that follows all county, state, and federal building laws/codes the county will be sued for denying it. Again Ill come back to my "disingenuous" point that the code/comp plan needs to be changed. Nobody likes these monster houses that sleep 30 but if the code allows it then legally it cant be denied. Can we at least agree on that?

 

My intent was to reduce volume while maintaining revenue. Easier said than done? Catering to the rich? Possibly.

Houses that sleep 30 are unfortunate. Splitting rent among 3 families in one house has brought problems. Being a family friendly destination is not what it used to be.

Rampant development has created too much competition, lowering prices. The alternative is to be more exclusive which I'm sure many would not prefer. But it would help to preserve our environment and place less stress on resources and people .

 

I don't know who you are(pun intended) and don't know who/where you get your information, but it is wrong in saying I am anti-building. I am pro-sustainable development. I vote for projects that meet the code. I vote against projects that use variances to increase density or harm the public. Increases in density are not entitlements nor are variances. But I am certainly in favor of economic growth.