Height Restrictions and Fast Food Restaurants

[Smiling JOe]

The fast food chain restuarants are already there right on 30-A- Subway, PJ's Coffee, Starbucks off the top of my head. And if there's a subway, I'm not sure how you can also keep out the concept of a McDonald's.

But you can get even what are the usually gaudiest fast food restaurants to blend in. Keep the ban on new drive-throughs and make it holy and sacred. Dictate other strict architectural and landscaping guidelines and even paint colors if need be to keep out the giant plastic clowns and playscapes visible from the street.

There are any number of big city fast food restaurants that go into odd-sized commercial spaces with architectural limits and that consequently, manage to fit in well enough to seem inobtrusive in between the bodega and the Duane Reed on either side. No reason that Walton County couldn't say that if you did want to go in, you need to come in on our strict terms.

So true. I've been in a three story McDonald's in NYC. In Asheville, NC, there is a McDonald's located at the entrance to Biltmore Estate, and the McDonalds has a different look, to fit in with the rest of Biltmore Village, AND, the servers wear tuxedos, and there is a self-playing Baby Grand piano in the restaurant.

I've also seen a Home Depot in Wyoming or Montana, which had a green colored sign, and the building was covered in river rock, rather than the concrete block. Businesses will blend in, if they are required to, and they want to be in that market.

 

[Smiling JOe]

98 will likely be more developed over the years, but we have the state forests that line the highway and thats what makes us different then destin and pcb. i for one am grateful for that and is the main reason why pt washington was my choice to live. those who support such franchises will no doubt be the cause of our demise. it cheapens the area and will destroy the architecural integrity that brought me here and what has made our community as unique as it is. its not just the beaches....

Those whom support franchises are the same people whom support us -- tourists, though locals will also frequent a place such as chic-f-let.

We ARE fortunate that much of 98 is state land, but much is also owned by JOE and there are ample strips of privately owned. They will be built out, no question. That in mind, building conformity codes can be established to help prevent the remainder of South Walton from looking like the area from the outlet mall to the west.

 

[Groovegirls]

The most effective way to vote is with your pocketbook. Support the businesses you like in your neighborhood.

 

[Will B]

Phew...for a a second after reading the title, I though I was going to see signs of giant cartoon crab and shrimp saying "To eat at this establishment, you must be this tall!"

 

[GoodWitch58]

actually they were going to say you have to be this short

 

[Rita]

The fast food chain restuarants are already there right on 30-A- Subway, PJ's Coffee, Starbucks off the top of my head. And if there's a subway, I'm not sure how you can also keep out the concept of a McDonald's.

But you can get even what are the usually gaudiest fast food restaurants to blend in. Keep the ban on new drive-throughs and make it holy and sacred. Dictate other strict architectural and landscaping guidelines and even paint colors if need be to keep out the giant plastic clowns and playscapes visible from the street.

There are any number of big city fast food restaurants that go into odd-sized commercial spaces with architectural limits and that consequently, manage to fit in well enough to seem inobtrusive in between the bodega and the Duane Reed on either side. No reason that Walton County couldn't say that if you did want to go in, you need to come in on our strict terms.

.
Agree.

It would seem that just banning the drive-thru would make fast food chains think long and hard about the profitability of opening on 30-A.

.

 

[gmarc]

If there is ever a fast food restraunt like mcd's on 30-a it will be a very small one as the offseason is brutal from the view pt of business. I could see one on 98 parallel to 30-a or even in the publix watercolor location but right on 30-a will be tough

 

[poppy]

Oh dang, I didn't see that! So is it best to write letters or what to keep it the way it has been?

G

Keep it the way it has been since when, last week, last month, last year, 5 years ago, 10, 20, 30 years ago or since you moved here? Change happens but it can be controlled.
beachmouse is right, chain stores are fine if they conform to local design and building codes.