4 hotels (300 rooms) potentially built in SoWal with no beach access

[Smiling JOe]

What are you saying? That someone will buy a piece of property and rent parking spaces? Someone will buy up all of the Beach Front lots and charge beachgoers to use the restrooms, accesses, beaches?

 

[Beach Runner]

I understand your question, but find it to be irrelevant in this case because the price for that lot was fixed terms. As more homes are built on the existing lots, and more developments are added, our parking will be inadequate. At some point, you have to address that lack of what I'm calling infrastructure. If not, there will be a point in time when buying or leasing parking lots for beachgoers may be too expensive or unattainable. My Grandfather taught me not to put the cart before the horse, and I thought it was funny that he liked to state the obvious, but I guess there is a reason why he liked to state the obvious -- not everybody sees it.;-)

What he said.

 

[Busta Hustle]

VMU in general has been an overrated concept for investors and is now considered toxic in most places in sofla...

comments in this thread about the county attorney not speaking up on some issues: it should be pointed out again that a few law firms "act as consultants" to the BCC and have been used since the last "county attorney" quit and no one else was hired...some of those same consultants are major developers.

wasn't our long range planner also the planner for the destin area?

i also find it interesting that walton county is the only 1 in the panhandle that does not provide a web section with info on the tracking of development orders.

 

[seacrestkristi]

Very interesting, Busta! :scratch:Thanks for tellin' us.

 

[Andy A]

If the project is allowable in the code, asking them to deny the project is probably not going to work.

Why not just fix the code? I have spoken to Anita Paige about this extensively and really think that we need some sort of a zoning program. This land use thing is a confusing piece of local legislation that is very difficult to apply to any specific project or problem.

This is an absolute truth and the crux of the whole matter. Walton County needs substantial, strict zoning codes and until we change our method of land usage, we are going to be faced with these kind of problems. The planning dept. and the planning commission should, IMO, get together and review some good zoning codes, see what other cities and counties have done and then adopt a comprehensive zoning ordinance. Until this is done, all problems concerning land usage will remain the same. By the way, how long have some of the planning commissioners been on the board? Maybe we need some new blood.

 

[Andy A]

One correction. The ordinance should be presented to the BCC for adoption.

 

[Smiling JOe]

The Planning Commission has term limits of 3 years I think, but it seems like Albert Parish has been up there forever.

BTW, has anyone notice the Gulf Front home, across from Gulf Place, with the For Sale -- VMU sign in the front yard? Maybe we could get another hotel built there.

 

[Busta Hustle]

if you think of it this is a perfect county to be a commissioner...a small rural population with not to many wants or needs...and a huge out of state investor population supplying you millions of dollars with no voice in government...no where else can so few provide so little for so many.

 

[wrobert]

if you think of it this is a perfect county to be a commissioner...a small rural population with not to many wants or needs...and a huge out of state investor population supplying you millions of dollars with no voice in government...no where else can so few provide so little for so many.

No voice in a vote. But from what I see, they still get hundreds of emails on issues that affect investors. I have yet to see a commissioner dismiss someone's point of view, or problem, because they felt that they were only visitors.

 

[Busta Hustle]

Take a look at the counties own organizational chart and who do you see at the top? County Taxpayers? NO look again and you see County Voters...Sure when 85% or so of your taxes collected come from non homesteaded properties you will listen intently to what an email has to say, and to all the complaintants that show up at a meeting...but if then all you do is approve one mixed use D.O. after another you just are not paying attention to what the national commercial markets are screaming...no big time money making developer has those types of plans on the horizon...but they are approved all over walton along with just about all other residential request...it's all just so underwhelming