WileCoyote
Beach Lover
You need to read this carefully.
Can you read between the lines - goodby garbage collection.
From the WZEP News
Walton Commissioners Meet With Sansom
Not letting any opportunity go, the Walton Commissioners met with Representative Ray Sansom to discuss the needs of four lanes for all of U.S. 331. While most of the numbers and current work has not changed, the commissioners pitched their desire to see construction move forward. The meeting also noted a change towards the positive, the state will allow the use of the causeway for a new bridge.
Previous the state has said they would not let a new bridge be built unless it was from shore to shore. The requirement pushed the cost up tremendously. FDOT, DEP and County staff have been looking at alternatives, including a toll bridge, and now the state has agreed to using the current causeway. This means a drop back to $300 million for a new bridge to supplement the current Clyde Wells bride across the bay. County officials have not been receptive of a toll bridge since there is no other driving option if one was built. One reason a new bridge is needed is to help with emergency evacuation. Walton is reported to have the second slowest evacuation time next to Key West.
Sansom is scheduled to become the Speaker of the House in November. He told the commissioners and other assembled, the Northwest Florida Delegation has 331 as a high priority. He said he wants to build partnerships between the state and local government.
Walton Administrator Ronnie Bell agreed with partnering, but included not just the state and county, but local government and private enterprises. Commissioner Larry Jones said they need a letter from the FDOT to get federal aid moving. Jones and others from Walton recently visited D.C. to push Walton projects including 331 widening. Sansom said he would talk to the FDOT about a letter.
Freeport Mayor Mickey Marse said all growth is practically stopped because of concurrency. Walton County and the cities are working on new state laws requiring private developers to pay for improving transportation. There is also a similar concurrency law being formed for schools. This will mean a higher cost to build homes, resulting in higher costing homes in a slow market. With the uncertainty in how the concurrency law will work, some developers have chosen to not move forward with projects.
DeFuniak Springs Mayor Harold Carpenter said the widening of 331 is vital for his city. Mayor Pro-Tem Buddy Huffman talked about the economic viability and the bottleneck at U.S. 90 and U.S. 331. DeFuniak Springs has been looking at possibilities for a by-pass, secondary loop or other alternative route through or around town. Huffman told Sansom the bottleneck has already contributed to the move of one distributor.
The meeting also had a discussion about an effort to get the dirt to pave measures out of a proposed bill. Dirt to pave is where counties like Walton are trying to pave the dirt roads. While paving has a high up front cost, the long term maintenance can be much less. Dirt roads also contribute to erosion, sediment, stream blockage and stormwater problems. Several years ago Representative Don Brown was successful in getting legislation allowing Walton to pave roads without having to pay the state DEP for extra environmental work. This was based on the understanding the benefits of the paved road are greater than any problems construction over sensitive areas would generate. Walton has its own paving crew and claims it can pave at a cost about half what a private contractor can do. Apparently road paving contractors are working for legislation changes that will make local government paving not as viable an option.
Can you read between the lines - goodby garbage collection.
From the WZEP News
Walton Commissioners Meet With Sansom
Not letting any opportunity go, the Walton Commissioners met with Representative Ray Sansom to discuss the needs of four lanes for all of U.S. 331. While most of the numbers and current work has not changed, the commissioners pitched their desire to see construction move forward. The meeting also noted a change towards the positive, the state will allow the use of the causeway for a new bridge.
Previous the state has said they would not let a new bridge be built unless it was from shore to shore. The requirement pushed the cost up tremendously. FDOT, DEP and County staff have been looking at alternatives, including a toll bridge, and now the state has agreed to using the current causeway. This means a drop back to $300 million for a new bridge to supplement the current Clyde Wells bride across the bay. County officials have not been receptive of a toll bridge since there is no other driving option if one was built. One reason a new bridge is needed is to help with emergency evacuation. Walton is reported to have the second slowest evacuation time next to Key West.
Sansom is scheduled to become the Speaker of the House in November. He told the commissioners and other assembled, the Northwest Florida Delegation has 331 as a high priority. He said he wants to build partnerships between the state and local government.
Walton Administrator Ronnie Bell agreed with partnering, but included not just the state and county, but local government and private enterprises. Commissioner Larry Jones said they need a letter from the FDOT to get federal aid moving. Jones and others from Walton recently visited D.C. to push Walton projects including 331 widening. Sansom said he would talk to the FDOT about a letter.
Freeport Mayor Mickey Marse said all growth is practically stopped because of concurrency. Walton County and the cities are working on new state laws requiring private developers to pay for improving transportation. There is also a similar concurrency law being formed for schools. This will mean a higher cost to build homes, resulting in higher costing homes in a slow market. With the uncertainty in how the concurrency law will work, some developers have chosen to not move forward with projects.
DeFuniak Springs Mayor Harold Carpenter said the widening of 331 is vital for his city. Mayor Pro-Tem Buddy Huffman talked about the economic viability and the bottleneck at U.S. 90 and U.S. 331. DeFuniak Springs has been looking at possibilities for a by-pass, secondary loop or other alternative route through or around town. Huffman told Sansom the bottleneck has already contributed to the move of one distributor.
The meeting also had a discussion about an effort to get the dirt to pave measures out of a proposed bill. Dirt to pave is where counties like Walton are trying to pave the dirt roads. While paving has a high up front cost, the long term maintenance can be much less. Dirt roads also contribute to erosion, sediment, stream blockage and stormwater problems. Several years ago Representative Don Brown was successful in getting legislation allowing Walton to pave roads without having to pay the state DEP for extra environmental work. This was based on the understanding the benefits of the paved road are greater than any problems construction over sensitive areas would generate. Walton has its own paving crew and claims it can pave at a cost about half what a private contractor can do. Apparently road paving contractors are working for legislation changes that will make local government paving not as viable an option.
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