From Saturday's Walton Sun, page A4...
Residents feeling threatened by private community beach accesses
By Gabriel Tynes gtynes@link.freedom.com
In a series of community meetings held over the past few months, some South Walton citizens have voiced concerns that densely visited, private beach accesses will lead to degradation of the beach and inconvenience for surrounding homeowners.
The accesses in question are proposed by two separate developments north of County Road 30A, each with an interest in marketing private Gulf access to potential investors. Both NatureWalk in Seagrove and Redfish Village in Blue Mountain Beach have purchased parcels of Gulffront property and sent proposals for development to the Walton County Planning Commission.
Last June, NatureWalk, which is being developed by Olson and Associates of NW Florida, purchased the three lots where Seagrove Villas motel has operated since the 1970s. Olson is proposing to tear down the existing buildings and construct a four-story condominium complex with 2,400 square-feet of retail space on the ground fl oor, along with a full service restaurant, two swimming pools and a dune walkover.
According to developers, NatureWalk will shuttle homeowners and visitors from their main property a mile north to use the beach club as a private access.
Redfish Village, which is being developed by Santa Rosa Beach?s New Orchard Group (NOG), recently bought two separate Blue Mountain Road parcels on either side of State Road 83. According to NOG Principal Brad Zeitlin, the proposed Redfi sh Village access will offer a simple dune walkover with private restroom facilities. It will also be served by a shuttle.
Zeitlin, along with codeveloper Steve Bradley, believe the Redfi sh Village access can function within a reasonable density in Blue Mountain Beach, and
perhaps even enhance the beach going experience for neighborhood residents and visitors.
?We are proposing a safe and convenient access point for our residents and guests that will take pedestrian traffic, bicycle traffi c and vehicular traffi c off of those feeder roads,? Zeitlin said. ?We thought it would be prudent because the (County Road) 83 access will already be overloaded.?
Zeitlin emphasized the proposal for Redfi sh Village was a small, private beach access facility with no commercial or residential construction ? not a beach club.
?We only have 140 square-feet of construction on the site,? Zeitlin said. ?That?s two, 70 squarefoot bathroom cabanas, a half-moon driveway and a dune walkover. It will also be landscaped in a way to minimize the visual impact.
?Perpendicular access is a serious challenge along the entire beach,? Zeitlin said. ?This has been an extremely polarizing issue and everybody has a stake in it. It comes down to getting everyone who wants to go to the beach down and back without diffi culty.?
At a Dec. 21 discussion regarding the NatureWalk beach club at the South Walton Courthouse Annex, Seagrove resident Tom Hidell distributed a summary of reasons why area homeowners are opposed to current plans. The reasons cited were the development?s usage estimates will exceed the property?s capacity, the plan for shuttle service and traffi c fl ow is not realistic and it fails to address overfl ow parking.
Greg Graham, a planning department engineer, said the private accesses would not be viable without the shuttles, and elements outside of the developments are already causing the traffic problems on CR 30A.
?We?ve looked at traffic analysis for years and know that 30A is over capacity,? Graham said. ?The biggest improvement we could make right now would be to signalize or roundabout the intersection of 395 and 30A.?
Olson and Associates originally submitted a Development Order and PUD application to the planning department in September detailing plans for the beach club. The condos will be served by an underground garage, but the retail outlets will have 11 or fewer parking spaces for the public. A shuttle for the 550-unit NatureWalk will carry passengers to the club and back in 30 minutes.
Residents are concerned that during peak holidays, there is the potential for thousands of people to fl ood the NatureWalk beach club, and many will opt to drive their own vehicles.
Olson and Associates marketing specialist Kristin Anderson said it is her understanding that concerns from the Seagrove community have been addressed and settled.
?We are putting a clause in the contract stating homeowners are at risk of losing their beach club membership if they are in violation of parking regulations.? Anderson said.
At the Dec. 21 meeting, Olson developer Patrick Hodges estimated the value of the club memberships to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.
?It should serve as some sort of incentive not to get in your car to make that trip,? Hodges said.
He proposed that Nature-Walk owners and visitors post decals on their vehicles so they can be identifi ed.
Blue Mountain Beach homeowner Randolph Church, who permanently resides in Atmore, Ala., said he sees the funneling of beach goers to one particular area as problematic.
?You would think if somebody finds an access that is full, they would just go somewhere else,? Church said. ?To me, it sounds like there is going to be a mass of people congregating in and around these residential areas.
?It would be nice to know how many other developments will try to do the
<picture of NatureWalk>
Developers of NatureWalk are proposing the construction of a 20-unit, four story condominium complex and beach club for owners of their 550 lots at the site of Seagrove Villas. A shuttle would make twice-hourly trips to bring NatureWalk residents and guests to the 340-foot Gulf front property. (Provided by Olson and Associates)
<picture of Wheelhouse and Seagrove Villas>
Developers of NatureWalk are proposing the construction of a 20-unit, four story condominium complex and beach club for owners of their 550 lots at the site of Seagrove Villas. A shuttle would make twice-hourly trips to bring NatureWalk residents and guests to the 340-foot Gulf front property. (Gabriel Tynes/The Sun)