New Connector Road Between 30A and 98 East of Seagrove

[Kaydence]

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

 

[Jimmy T]

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?

 

[Kurt Lischka]

https://www.co.walton.fl.us/Documen...PDandE-Study-for-South-Walton-Connector-Roads

The anticipated alignment for the connector road will provide a new connection between County Road (CR) 30A and State Road (SR) 30 (US 98). The exact connection points forthe facility will be as determined during the study but are anticipated to be east of Seagrove and west of Watersound Parkway.

.......

The CONSULTANT shall develop constraints maps of the area of interest and provide alternatives for potential connection points of the proposed connector. This shall include
a review of the sociological, historical, and environmental constraints. Base maps of the
various alignment alternatives shall be generated and provided to the COUNTY for
discussion. At a minimum, the scenarios shall include a “No Build” scenario, a
transportation system management scenario in which existing infrastructure is upgraded,
and a minimum of three alternative alignments for the proposed connector.

 

[Jimmy T]

https://www.co.walton.fl.us/Documen...PDandE-Study-for-South-Walton-Connector-Roads

The anticipated alignment for the connector road will provide a new connection between County Road (CR) 30A and State Road (SR) 30 (US 98). The exact connection points forthe facility will be as determined during the study but are anticipated to be east of Seagrove and west of Watersound Parkway.

.......

The CONSULTANT shall develop constraints maps of the area of interest and provide alternatives for potential connection points of the proposed connector. This shall include
a review of the sociological, historical, and environmental constraints. Base maps of the
various alignment alternatives shall be generated and provided to the COUNTY for
discussion. At a minimum, the scenarios shall include a “No Build” scenario, a
transportation system management scenario in which existing infrastructure is upgraded,
and a minimum of three alternative alignments for the proposed connector.

Thanks, Kurt!

 

[Kurt Lischka]

6/1/18

A Road Through the State Forest Could Be in South Walton's Future

Tuesday, Walton County commissioners approved to move forward with a traffic study.

The study would lay out the nuts and bolts of new road possibilities, such as cost, environmental impacts, and how long it would take.

The decision wasn't made without some people speaking up about one of the possible options which would run a road along a power line access through the state park and forest.

"You have the sports park that was mentioned, you have the school and yes it's a matter of convenience but its also a matter of taking people off of 30A during the most congested times," supporter of power line road, Dave Rauschkolb said.

"Just realize you've got to stop development because its highly unlikely you're going to get a road through the forest and parks," Celeste Cobena, who is against proposed power line road said.

No decision was made on whether a road will be constructed, the board only approved to fund the traffic study.

 

[Kurt Lischka]

4/5/16 ... Greenways not Roadways

Residents discuss Point Washington State Forest 10-year management plan

POINT WASHINGTON STATE FOREST, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Since the early 1990's Point Washington State Forest has been a place for locals and visitors to explore.


Residents like Celeste Cobena want to keep it that way.


"It stays as a healthy forest and provides paths of recreation," Cobena said.


Tuesday, the Florida Forest Service met with locals to discuss the Point Washington State Forest 10-year management plan.


"That can include forest management," said Mike Mathis, Forestry Operations Administrator for the Chipola District. "It can include recreation, invasive species and soil and water conservation and within that we base our activities within those objectives."


Cobena says she has some ideas, "We've got a greenway network that would connect up all the state parks through the forest and private communities where necessary or where it would work, to make this a more walkable, bike communities through our greenways."


Many who spoke Tuesday say they want this management plan to be about recreation and restoration and not revenue.


"But I don't want to see in the future this turned into a business where logging becomes a major purpose here," Jacquee Markel, another South Walton resident said.


Currently a company is removing Sand Pines in certain areas, since forest officials say those trees are not good for this forest's ecosystem.


Once those trees are removed, within a year Longleaf Pines will be replanted. Forest officials have to assess the area first to make sure Sand Pines do not grow back, before them can plant the Longleaf.


And residents like Cobena, will continue to be advocates to make sure this forest has a management plan that keeps it in its natural state.


"And we want to make sure the wording in the plan is very clear that restoration, logging and removing trees is only for the good of the forest," she said.


Mathis says after this draft plan is complete, it will go in front of the departments director and then to the Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) in Tallahassee.

 

[Truman]

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.

 

[Wouldnt You Like To Know]

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?

 

[Truman]

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.

 

[Lake View Too]

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