Moratorium discussed for land use

[Sally]

From Walton Sun

Walton County may be growing too fast for infrastructure to keep up.
In a letter received last week addressed to the Planning Department, the Department of Community Affairs said Walton County should refrain from making any more land use amendments until the Evaluation and Appraisal Report, which outlines progress in the county?s Comprehensive Plan, has been approved by DCA officials.
The DCA expressed concerned about Walton County?s residential development. With increased urban sprawl, the county does not have the ability to provide urban facilities. ?This is a huge roadblock for land use issues in the next six to 18 months,? Blackshear said.
Blackshear believes that the DCA was not referring to small-scale amendments, 10 acres or less.
However, the county could not process any large land use amendments until EAR has been completed, explained Tita Sokolff, long-range planner, said.
Blackshear will discuss the matter further with DCA and return to the board with more information at the BCC?s Feb. 14 meeting at the South Walton Annex.

________________________

At least every 7 years, counties are required by state law to do an
EAR. The purpose of the EAR is for the County to assess how its
Comprehensive plan is working and to amend the Comprehensive Plan
as necessary. The new Comprehensive Plan should incorporate a
vision for the future.
Walton County?s EAR was due in August of 2006. According to the
State, it takes, on the average, 15 to 24 months for counties to do an
EAR and submit it to the State for review. Walton County, however,
has not even gotten started on the evaluation process. At this point,
the County cannot do a comprehensive EAR and make the deadline of
August, 2006. Therefore, the County has received permission from
the State to do a ?mini Ear? to be followed by a full EAR at a future
date. The mini EAR will result in proposed additions to or deletions
from our existing Comprehensive Plan. It will not be an exhaustive
revision of the law. Instead, the County will choose certain topics
which it feels need immediate attention and process those issues
through the mini EAR.

 

[SHELLY]

This is just a big paperwork exercise....in the panhandle only the "Golden Rule" applies: He who has the gold, makes the rules.

In Walton's case that "he" is JOE. What BOSS JOE wants, BOSS JOE gets.

 

[tailwagger]

This is just a big paperwork exercise....in the panhandle only the "Golden Rule" applies: He who has the gold, makes the rules.

In Walton's case that "he" is JOE. What BOSS JOE wants, BOSS JOE gets.

:roll: The DCA has hleped to make SoWal a better place. If it weren't for them, we would look like more like Destin. The EAR allows for valuable input from the community from all sides, including the SWCC.

 

[Smiling JOe]

I don't think Shelly's comment above is off base. I happen to agree with at least the first part.

 

[Camp Creek Kid]

I don't think Shelly's comment above is off base. I agree with it fully.

I disagree. Her statements may be true for other counties such as Bay and Gulf where St. Joe owns hundreds of thousands of acres. In Walton Co., St. Joe owns a miniscule amount compared to those counties and much of that land is already developed. Their need for "favors" in Walton County is minimal, but that also means they will be less inclined to help out the community with land donations, etc., for things like civic buildings.

 

[Santiago]

I disagree. Her statements may be true for other counties such as Bay and Gulf where St. Joe owns hundreds of thousands of acres. In Walton Co., St. Joe's owns a miniscule amount compared to those counties and much of that land is already developed. Their need for "favors" in Walton County is minimal, but that also means they will be less inclined to help out the community with land donations, etc., for things like civic buildings.

I agree with CCK and Tailwagger. Here's to Shelly flipping a lot one day and chilling out a little bit.

 

[Beach Runner]

I don't think Shelly's comment above is off base. I agree with it fully.

I agree, too. How the heck do you think they were able to build a beach-front, multi-story development at WaterColor that set a precedent for SoWal (yes, obviously some places like One Seagrove Place were grandfathered in before SoWal became so popular)? And how were they able to narrow 30-A and put in curbing, thus requiring people to drive slowly to navigate through the area (and forcing drivers to check out the real estate)? If there wasn't a person or a car on 30-A, you'd still have to drive slower through WaterColor than, say, Seaside due to the configuration of the road there.

I can't comment about DCA. I dunno about them, so I guess I should do some research on that as an informed property owner.

 

[tailwagger]

I agree, too. How the heck do you think they were able to build a beach-front, multi-story development at WaterColor that set a precedent for SoWal (yes, obviously some places like One Seagrove Place were grandfathered in before SoWal became so popular)? And how were they able to narrow 30-A and put in curbing, thus requiring people to drive slowly to navigate through the area (and forcing drivers to check out the real estate)? If there wasn't a person or a car on 30-A, you'd still have to drive slower through WaterColor than, say, Seaside due to the configuration of the road there.

I can't comment about DCA. I dunno about them, so I guess I should do some research on that as an informed property owner.

The buildings at WC are the same as anywhere on 30-A. Take a look up and down the beaches and they meet the 50-foot limit just like all the other condos.

The median / separated roadways are an effective and well-used traffic inhibitor. The county and citizens were thrilled that WC was doing something to help the public. You may not like driving slow but they will save a lot of lives. I'm surprised more people don't get plowed over in Seaside and Seagrove, etc.

You should also refrain from posting every chance you get on subjects you know little about.

 

[Camp Creek Kid]

I agree, too. How the heck do you think they were able to build a beach-front, multi-story development at WaterColor that set a precedent for SoWal (yes, obviously some places like One Seagrove Place were grandfathered in before SoWal became so popular)? And how were they able to narrow 30-A and put in curbing, thus requiring people to drive slowly to navigate through the area (and forcing drivers to check out the real estate)? If there wasn't a person or a car on 30-A, you'd still have to drive slower through WaterColor than, say, Seaside due to the configuration of the road there.

I can't comment about DCA. I dunno about them, so I guess I should do some research on that as an informed property owner.

I assume you are talking about the Inn? When we moved down here in the summer of 2001, there were already many, many 4-story (50 ft.) beach-front buildings on 30-A (not including the 2 high rises) and the Inn at Watercolor was still under construction. I hardly see how it could be called precedent-setting.

 

[John R]

FWIW, the plans for seaside include moving the street(wether speed mitigation is the reason i do not know) as well as the traffic circle at 395/30a as part of the new hotel plans.


jr