South Walton TDC pursuing new visitor center site

[scooterbug44]

I was thinking a garden so the local schoolkids could grow food for the schools and various charities.

 

[buster]

A 2,000 seat theater would be nice.

 

[Miss Kitty]

I've been coming down to the area since 1986 and have never been to the TDC visitor site. :misskitty:

 

[scooterbug44]

I only go there to use the restroom when I am carpooling from the 331 annex on the weekends.

 

[Em]

There's nothing like mowing the roof.

 

[30A Skunkape]

I definitely think we are long overdue for a nice welcome center/rest area, but IMO there are a couple kinks to get worked out in this plan.

I think the photo area, the dog area, restrooms, and the picnic area are great things to have and will get used a lot.

But paving 5 acres of the state forest for a facility that is going to have many of the same activities and functions that we already have and that are not being fully utilized or that are being closed due to funding cuts seems crazy. A couple offices for the Forest Service would not need 5 acres so I don't find it an even trade.

Also don't see why we couldn't have all the offices/administration on the 2nd floor to reduce the size of the building's footprint.

Supporting, improving, promoting, and maintaining the existing facilities would be far better than building more redundant ones.

Scooty, I made a point of looking at the site Sunday, and if it is where I think it will be, it is already kind of desolate anyway. The layout looks like it will have a fair amount of greenspace. At first I was in the 'why do we need this' camp, but it looks like it will be a nice multi-use campus. Kurt is right, getting into the current facility is a pain-I know this from trying to get to the Tom Thumb across the street-there is no logical way to do this if you are heading east on 98.

 

[Mango]

Does the TDC post signs along heavily traveled roads now? I have never seen one and I have come in different ways to the beach. They do this in Massachusetts and the visitors centers get lots of use, especially if they have rest rooms and someone on staff to answer questions. They also have lots of brochures, maps, restaurant information, etc. Some of the larger ones have grills and picnic areas.

 

[MrMentalFitness]

I've been to the Visitor's Center a bunch of time, for no other reason that it's just nice to talk to the great folks who work there. Never know what neat tidbit you'll pick up during the conversation.

 

[scooterbug44]

I definitely think we need a new visitor center - just like to quibble about the details and make crazy suggestions. Am serious about it being LEED or at least having solar panels though.

Murray - you don't mow the roof, you plant stuff that doesn't need mowing!

 

[Kurt]

I want to hear people's ideas.