Dozens of South Walton residents and business owners gathered Monday evening to discuss the first draft of a proposal aimed at getting the county?s three-mile stretch of "Old 98" designated a scenic highway. It?s expected to be a long process involving numerous meetings and presentations before the Walton County Board of County Commissioners, but residents took the first step by naming five board members to head their group.
Though they tabled a decision on a name for the group, South Walton resident Tom Machamer was named to serve as its chair. The long-term goal is to obtain scenic-highway designation from the state, he said ahead of the meeting. But the roadway first must obtain scenic-corridor status from the county.
For example, County Road 30A in South Walton is a state-designated scenic highway and therefore eligible for state grants. The section of U.S. Highway 331 that goes from the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 to the Clyde B. Wells Bridge is a county-designated scenic corridor, meaning they are eligible for funds from the county.
Walton County Planning Director Pat Blackshear, who helped lead the discussion Monday, said the first draft of the proposal is based on discussions and input from residents and area business owners.
Obtaining scenic-corridor designation for what the group is now officially calling Scenic Gulf Drive will establish standards that aim to "preserve and maximize the views of the Gulf of Mexico, to enhance the visual characteristics of the north and south side of (Scenic Gulf Drive), and to eliminate roadside clutter," the proposal says.
The proposal includes language regarding what properties the designation would affect, as well as the permitted uses and structures, which Blackshear said will be consistent with the county?s land-use policies.
"If you have mixed-use (zoning), you keep mixed-use (zoning); if you have residential, you keep residential ? I did not propose changing anybody?s land-use rights," she emphasized.
The proposal also states that temporary structures will not be allowed along the roadway, although that provision will not affect permitted vendors.
The next meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Oct. 19 and every third Monday of the month thereafter. For more information, call 231-2978.
Meanwhile, another initiative ? this one by the Scenic Corridor Association ? to beautify the 1.7-mile stretch of median from Mack Bayou Road east to County Road 30A recently was completed at a cost of about $700,000.
However, drainage problems along that segment persist, with large puddles of standing water remaining in the medians long after heavy downpours.
Leigh Moore, the association?s executive director, said the organization is in talks with the county and state Department of Transportation to resolve those issues.
Also, the SCA recently received a $100,000 FDOT grant that will be used to beautify some of the medians east of the Okaloosa County line. Moore said that work could begin sometime next year.
