New big blue signs in SoWal

[Miss Kitty]

Also, for the record. I am qoted in the Sun article as saying "All should be merry together." What I was referring to was that all the signs along Scenic 30 a should be MARRIED together using a cohesive, coordinated design. It's a spelling mistake

...yikes! Thank you SO much for posting that letter. I applaud Seaside and St. Joe. Dave...how did RB and Alys find out beforehand in order to opt out of these signs?

 

[Lisa Ruby]

Also, for the record. I am qoted in the Sun article as saying "All should be merry together." What I was referring to was that all the signs along Scenic 30 a should be MARRIED together using a cohesive, coordinated design. It's a spelling mistake

thanks for noting the mistake, I was very confused by that quote in the article!

 

[wrobert]

Rapunzel,

I have been unable to find anything that requires or allows the current board to name the replacements. I think the TDC just sends suggestions and the BCC approves them because it is so hard to get anyone to serve on these things.

 

[rapunzel]

Rapunzel,

I have been unable to find anything that requires or allows the current board to name the replacements. I think the TDC just sends suggestions and the BCC approves them because it is so hard to get anyone to serve on these things.

From the Walton County website --

Term of Appointment: 4 years; 1 BCC member, 2 elected city or special taxing district
officials, 6 persons in the tourist industry. All must be county
residents and nominated through the sitting Tourist Development
Council to the BCC.

http://www.co.walton.fl.us/citizen_services/Walton%20County%20Boards%20and%20Committees.pdf

 

[chrisv]

...yikes! Thank you SO much for posting that letter. I applaud Seaside and St. Joe. Dave...how did RB and Alys find out beforehand in order to opt out of these signs?

One of the current board members is associated with RB. He was the only one to publicly object to the signs both at the February meeting and before.

 

[wrobert]

From the Walton County website --

Term of Appointment: 4 years; 1 BCC member, 2 elected city or special taxing district
officials, 6 persons in the tourist industry. All must be county
residents and nominated through the sitting Tourist Development
Council to the BCC.

http://www.co.walton.fl.us/citizen_services/Walton County Boards and Committees.pdf

I understand that, but I do not see that rule in the statute or the ordinance used to create the committee. I am going to send an email to the legal department and see where that rule came from. Remember, sometimes things are done a certain way because that is the way they were done in the past.

I found this out when researching why DeFuniak Springs City Elections are non-partisan. There is no code or law that makes them that way, they just decided that they were and now everyone follows along like little lemmings.

 

[5thGenFlo]

As county road 30-A is not not a Federal highway, FDOT is not a mandate but rather a guideline. From what I could tell at Wednesday's TDC Workshop, the TDC did not take natural beauty, scenic pride, nor aesthetics into consideration when coming up with the designs for the signs. They simply took the GUIDELINES set forth by FDOT and the MUTCD and fashioned signs accordingly. In my estimate, a no-brainer. The gentleman from the TDC, who said they had to work within these guidelines did not say WHY they had to, nor WHO was pushing them to work within the guidelines. The question I asked at the meeting was never addressed by the TDC, nor was it written on their series of large white brainstorming tablets. I suppose it is because my prelude to the question, which negated the reason for the meeting, was 'when these signs are replaced.' So, I want to pose it here and find anyone's response. Since the wooden signs that the blue monster's replaced, were so beautiful and natural, being made of wood, were acceptable by the community, had the little south Walton sun unbrellas on them giving us the continuity that the TDC wanted for their need of branding, then why don't we demand to use the old wooden signs as templates for the new signs? The TDC can have them wind tested as they did the big blue monsters and adapt the new wooden signs accordingly. Better placement as well as size of signs or letters on the signs can be adjusted within demure boundries to answer concerns by those voicing dismay over having to put up with lost tourists.

 

[seagrovegirl]

As county road 30-A is not not a Federal highway, FDOT is not a mandate but rather a guideline. From what I could tell at Wednesday's TDC Workshop, the TDC did not take natural beauty, scenic pride, nor aesthetics into consideration when coming up with the designs for the signs. They simply took the GUIDELINES set forth by FDOT and the MUTCD and fashioned signs accordingly. In my estimate, a no-brainer. The gentleman from the TDC, who said they had to work within these guidelines did not say WHY they had to, nor WHO was pushing them to work within the guidelines. The question I asked at the meeting was never addressed by the TDC, nor was it written on their series of large white brainstorming tablets. I suppose it is because my prelude to the question, which negated the reason for the meeting, was 'when these signs are replaced.' So, I want to pose it here and find anyone's response. Since the wooden signs that the blue monster's replaced, were so beautiful and natural, being made of wood, were acceptable by the community, had the little south Walton sun unbrellas on them giving us the continuity that the TDC wanted for their need of branding, then why don't we demand to use the old wooden signs as templates for the new signs? The TDC can have them tested as they did the big blue monsters and adapt the new wooden signs accordingly. Better placement as well as size of signs or letters on the signs can be adjusted within demure boundries to answer concerns by those voicing dismay over having to put up with lost tourists.

Concensus with discussions I've had with family, friends and others in the community, have ALL asked "what was wrong with the wood signs?" They were unique and said a lot in it's simplicity and naturalness. I agree, the other signs, even though high maintenance and highly collectable, would be my choice. More than likely a LOT less expensive to reporduce....$300. each 12 years ago. Make 2 or 3 of each sign so there will be one for back up if needed.

 

[NotDeadYet]

Concensus with discussions I've had with family, friends and others in the community, have ALL asked "what was wrong with the wood signs?"

They are the wrong brand. :funn:

 

[30A Skunkape]

I am still mad about that bogus phone survey the TDC paid for. I was thinking about it yesterday, and I bet if I could have a crack at calling the same numbers the pollsters did I would find out that MOST of the respondents would like to see a Wal-Mart someplace along 30-A, MOST would appreciate an Applebee's or Red Lobster somewhere along 30-A, MOST wouldn't have a problem with a McDonald's or such somewhere along 30-A, etc, etc. I realize we all need to be ambassadors for the area, however our tourist outreach ought to be tempered by preservation desired by locals.