Walton County Seeks Community Input on Growth and Development: Plan for Walton 2040 Survey

SoWal Guide

Apr 14, '24 · 6:21 AM11,0601

Walton County Seeks Community Input on Growth and Development

The Residents and businesses in Walton County can help plan the future of their communities through a new initiative, Plan for Walton 2040.

“Walton County is a unique place, with world-famous beaches and resort towns, charming historic sites, large areas of conservation, and beautiful rural farmland,” says Plan for Walton 2040 Project Lead Marina Khoury. “Those areas all have their own character and a sense of community. Future growth in these communities, and the intensity of that growth, should reflect those values. Walton County also is a special place for DPZ as we have been helping to guide development there for the past 40 years.”

Plan for Walton 2040 is part of an Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) of the county’s Comprehensive Plan, a state-mandated long-range plan that must be updated every seven years. The planning effort includes a major emphasis on community outreach and engagement to ensure that residents, businesses, and stakeholders have the chance to share their ideas and opinions. This input will be combined with the technical team’s assessment to create a long-range vision plan to guide Walton County's future growth and development.

To conduct the review and planning effort, the Walton County Commission has engaged a team of consultants led by DPZ CoDesign. DPZ may be familiar to long-time residents as they helped author the Trust Plan in the 1980s and also planned and designed the town of Seaside, among others. The consulting team includes experts in transportation, green infrastructure, environmental planning, land economics, zoning analysis and legal review.

On the website, www.PlanForWalton2040.com, residents can learn more about the planning process, sign up for email updates, and take an initial survey to share their ideas and preferences for Walton County's future.

Plan for Walton 2040 also has a Facebook page of the same name where residents can ask questions and engage in the process.

“For this plan to be successful, we need to hear from the wide array of people who work, live or recreate in Walton County. So we invite everyone to visit the website, take our survey, sign up for email updates, and plan to attend all or part of the charrette meetings in May,” said Khoury.

In addition to the website, social media, and email outreach, the planning team will host a week-long workshop here in Walton County from May 1-8, 2024. That workshop, called a “charrette,” will include public presentations, workshops on specific topics such as environment and transportation, open-studio time where stakeholders can interact with members of the planning team, and “pop-up” outreach efforts in different areas of the County.

For more information, visit www.PlanForWalton2040.com or email info@PlanForWalton2040.com.

Replies

SoWal GuideAuthor

Apr 14, '24 · 6:23 AM#2

Walton County Growth & Development Survey

Take our survey and share your feedback on the future of growth and development in Walton County.

Share Your Opinion - Plan for Walton 2040

Share Your Opinion Have your say Walton County Growth & Development Survey Take our survey and share your feedback on the future of growth and development in Walton County.

planforwalton2040.com

Beach Fanatic

Apr 14, '24 · 7:22 AM#3

I took the survey and selected options which preserve natural areas and limit development. The pessimist in me believes most Walton residents will select the opposite and want unfettered growth and development.

SoWal Insider

Apr 14, '24 · 4:05 PM#4

It's not difficult to be pessimistic, but I don't think "most Walton Residents" is a proper way to put it. I think a small minority of wealthy absentee owners (some from just north of the bay) foam at the mouth when you say "unfettered growth".

Beach Fanatic

Apr 14, '24 · 5:29 PM#5

It's not difficult to be pessimistic, but I don't think "most Walton Residents" is a proper way to put it. I think a small minority of wealthy absentee owners (some from just north of the bay) foam at the mouth when you say "unfettered growth".

We have a flood of northern immigrants over the last 10 years who yearn for Costco, steak houses, trendy bars and hair salons. A million more on the way praying for cheap Townhome and 5 foot setback lookalike box homes. They crave abundant soccer fields, pools and pickle ball courts.

State parks are wonderful but not when every other square inch is paved.

SWGB

Apr 15, '24 · 9:09 PM#6

Heavy sarcasm ahead.

We have a flood of northern immigrants over the last 10 years who yearn for Costco, steak houses, trendy bars and hair salons. A million more on the way praying for cheap Townhome and 5 foot setback lookalike box homes. They crave abundant soccer fields, pools and pickle ball courts.

State parks are wonderful but not when every other square inch is paved.

How dare you talk about our future "amenities" that way.

Beach Lover

Apr 16, '24 · 3:00 PM#7

I truly cannot relate to this...why someone would move here and want those things?!? Why not just stay where you came from? I'm sure you had all those things there.

SWGB

Apr 17, '24 · 10:10 PM#8

I truly cannot relate to this...why someone would move here and want those things?!? Why not just stay where you came from? I'm sure you had all those things there.

They moved here because they saw a logo on a sticker/hat/piece of clothing. They didn't move here for the reasons most people do, they moved here because it was trendy.

Beach Lover

Apr 18, '24 · 6:22 AM#9

They moved here because they saw a logo on a sticker/hat/piece of clothing. They didn't move here for the reasons most people do, they moved here because it was trendy.

If they're young maybe. Most came for the money and illusion of freedom.

SWGB

Apr 18, '24 · 1:42 PM#10

If they're young maybe. Most came for the money and illusion of freedom.

Ken I realize you live in a world of Fox News, News Max and probably endless "forward before it's banned" emails; but we're talking about the general population; this has nothing to do with your imagined "illegals crisis".

Beach Lover

Apr 18, '24 · 5:25 PM#11

Ken I realize you live in a world of Fox News, News Max and probably endless "forward before it's banned" emails; but we're talking about the general population; this has nothing to do with your imagined "illegals crisis".

lol you're an idiot. I was referring to yuppies wanting a DR Horton home.

Beach Lover

Apr 18, '24 · 8:27 PM#12

Y’all don’t think people want some variety? Recently purchased exactly what you described, a Huff home on a 4,000 sq/ft lot with a membership to the Beach Club. Would have preferred 2 acres with a 3,000 sq/ft colonial but those don’t exist in South Walton.

You either pay at least $2m for the right to own a slightly larger than average size home south of 98 and live amongst short term rentals, now without even assured beach access, or you can go north of 98 to the tiny lot box home developments. The third option is you can track down a pre 2000s built home, probably with more land, character and charm, but also built on sticks, totally uninsurable, and likely toast if a Cat 2 or better ever comes to town. Good luck with traffic too.

It’s a tough thing but if you want to be there you work with the options you’re given. While the development seems rampant, it’s actually quite controlled. Very little options outside of what already exists.

Beach Fanatic

Apr 19, '24 · 6:10 AM#13

Y’all don’t think people want some variety? Recently purchased exactly what you described, a Huff home on a 4,000 sq/ft lot with a membership to the Beach Club. Would have preferred 2 acres with a 3,000 sq/ft colonial but those don’t exist in South Walton.

You either pay at least $2m for the right to own a slightly larger than average size home south of 98 and live amongst short term rentals, now without even assured beach access, or you can go north of 98 to the tiny lot box home developments. The third option is you can track down a pre 2000s built home, probably with more land, character and charm, but also built on sticks, totally uninsurable, and likely toast if a Cat 2 or better ever comes to town. Good luck with traffic too.

It’s a tough thing but if you want to be there you work with the options you’re given. While the development seems rampant, it’s actually quite controlled. Very little options outside of what already exists.

Accepting what you bought and overpaying for mediocrity makes you a prime example. Why did you need to buy here so bad you accepted a generic box on a postage atamp? Or is it your dream home in the herd?

And your examples are simplistic. You know little about South Walton.

SoWal Insider

Apr 19, '24 · 8:02 AM#14

lol you're an idiot. I was referring to yuppies wanting a DR Horton home.

I lived in DR Horton home for 15 years and was very satisfied. They went above and beyond backing their product even redoing my shower tens later because the subcontractor used an inferior backer board.
I also know a number of real estate agents who live in them.
There is one agent I know born and raised here living in one. His father was a home builder and told him he couldn’t build the house he bought for the asking price due to their purchasing power for the materials.
My home was one block from the bay and 1/3 mile from the beach and I was able have enough money left to add a pool.
It was a great neighborhood with stable neighbors and an oasis for my grandchildren growing up.
Not everyone can afford a custom built home with craftsman made railings and staircases they will only use a few weeks a year.
I always love seeing people of moderate means being able to find something affordable that suits their needs in this area. Could be because I have never been able to afford the view from a high horse.

Edited Apr 19, '24 · 10:38 AM

Beach Lover

Apr 19, '24 · 6:05 PM#15

I lived in DR Horton home for 15 years and was very satisfied. They went above and beyond backing their product even redoing my shower tens later because the subcontractor used an inferior backer board.
I also know a number of real estate agents who live in them.
There is one agent I know born and raised here living in one. His father was a home builder and told him he couldn’t build the house he bought for the asking price due to their purchasing power for the materials.
My home was one block from the bay and 1/3 mile from the beach and I was able have enough money left to add a pool.
It was a great neighborhood with stable neighbors and an oasis for my grandchildren growing up.
Not everyone can afford a custom built home with craftsman made railings and staircases they will only use a few weeks a year.
I always love seeing people of moderate means being able to find something affordable that suits their needs in this area. Could be because I have never been able to afford the view from a high horse.

I never said anything about quality. It's about American low standard that have people living in cookie cutter boxes 15 feet from their neighbor's house and no it's not affordable they start at $400k because of greedflation. Their 2 car garages are full of toys and junk owed on their credit cards.

SoWal Insider

Apr 19, '24 · 6:11 PM#16

I never said anything about quality. It's about American low standard that have people living in cookie cutter boxes 15 feet from their neighbor's house and no it's not affordable they start at $400k because of greedflation. Their 2 car garages are full of toys and junk owed on their credit cards.

There are multi-million dollar homes here that are closer to each other than that with garages full of the same belongings.
So glad you’re someone else’s neighbor.

Beach Lover

Apr 19, '24 · 6:35 PM#17

There are multi-million dollar homes here that are closer to each other than that with garages full of the same belongings.
So glad you’re someone else’s neighbor.

What's your point?

Beach Lover

Apr 19, '24 · 6:49 PM#18

Strange thing to be so bothered by.

SoWal Insider

Apr 19, '24 · 7:45 PM#19

What's your point?

That was my question

SWGB

Apr 19, '24 · 7:48 PM#20

That was my question

Good luck .

Beach Lover

Apr 19, '24 · 8:33 PM#21

That was my question

You didn't ask a question. You made a nonsensical statement. Just say what you mean, if you have a point, other than a limp insult attempt.

SoWal Insider

Apr 20, '24 · 6:57 AM#22

You didn't ask a question. You made a nonsensical statement. Just say what you mean, if you have a point, other than a limp insult attempt.

It was a question to myself.
“Why is this guy so concerned with how others spend their money on housing and personal possessions?”
Seems like a strange obsession though most likely harmless so I give up you win.

Beach Lover

Apr 20, '24 · 7:19 AM#23

It was a question to myself.
“Why is this guy so concerned with how others spend their money on housing and personal possessions?”
Seems like a strange obsession though most likely harmless so I give up you win.

It's directly related to the topic of the thread and the survey about growth. The illusion of freedom. That life will be better here because it's booming here and the beach means permanent vacation in their minds.

But the reality is overpriced, bland, cardboard box homes, Walmarts and overcrowded schools. And limited Beach Access to boot.

We should aim to preserve what we have left for future generations and a reasonable number of visitors.

Can we prevent Walco from more mistakes like golf carts and clear cutting?

Beach Lover

Apr 20, '24 · 8:01 AM#24

Seems like it’s just perspective. Sure you cant cram much more into 30A, and outside of state owned land there’s not a lot left above 30a and below 98. But at least as an outsider, you look at north of 98 between 395 and the Bay County line, and there’s really a whole lot of nothing. If there weren’t the couple Publix and soon to be second Walmart, there’d literally be nothing. Do we not need groceries? I don’t get it.

My first thought some years back was actually the opposite. Maybe if they incentivized more development people will finally start having some options.

SoWal Insider

Apr 20, '24 · 9:23 AM#25

Seems like for some it’s the old draw bridge mentality. Your neighborhood and your home was once unspoiled but that’s ok just don’t build anymore because that would be too much development.
I do agree that building 4 storey 12 bedroom 10 bath homes with parking for two cars is a bit much, but property owners should be able to develop their land to its highest and best value within reasonable local ordinances.
This area was always going to be developed because of its proximity to existing easily expanded infrastructure and multiple accesses from the north along with its location between highly developed Destin/Fort Walton Beach and Panama City/Beach.
Take a look at your map app and notice the millions of acres of unspoiled beauty to the north and east of us.
In the pre drone days we would charter helicopters for aerial photography of properties.
Sometimes we would have the pilot fly over these areas, especially between here and Mexico Beach and marvel at the beauty.
We were forced to land one day to await a passing storm and it felt as though we could have been in the wild of an African savanna.
To get a good idea of the beauty that is near us spend a couple of days driving leisurely along 98 through PCB, Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe, Apalachacola and just passed Carrabelle head north on 319 to Tallahassee. It really is a short relaxing getaway.

Beach Fanatic

Jun 23, '24 · 9:07 AM#26

Landing - Plan for Walton 2040

Plan for Walton 2040 BOCC votes unanimously to accept report! Click the button below to review the slide presentation. View the Slides Here plan for the future Walton County will continue to grow and evolve. How do we best shape future growth? Record growth in Walton County has created...

planforwalton2040.com

It has been 6 weeks since we completed the visioning charrette and wanted to provide you with an update.

We are working on a few parallel tracks:

reviewing and summarizing your feedback from the community planning workshops,

completing our assessment of the existing comprehensive plan,

describing and illustrating the possible Place Types, and

collaborating with our technical team on recommendations for managing future development and preservation of Walton County.

Place Types Coming Soon

In the next few weeks, we will begin to share with you our recommended Place Types as a visual reference for the Walton County’s Comprehensive Plan updates. If you remember, these place types help to more clearly define the intended character and intensity of future development for rural, suburban, and urban areas in the county.

Countywide Growth Scenarios

We will also be developing a handful of different scenarios for future growth planning. These scenarios will provide the community with options for how much growth to allocate at specific locations throughout the county. These have to be reconciled with the existing Zoning and Future Land Use Categories as well.

Joe Minicozzi / Urban3 Presentation

Plans are currently underway to schedule a presentation by Joe Minicozzi to the Walton County Commission in July. This presentation will be similar to the “Economics of Land Use” talk that Joe presented during the Charrette. The presentation will occur on July 23rd at the regular Commission meeting.

Commission Presentations

DPZ will present the results of the visioning workshop to each commissioner individually between July 23 - 29.

Heads Up: Public Records Request

Finally, we wanted to inform you that we received a public records request from a Chas Galloway for the email addresses submitted during our surveys. Florida Public Records Law requires us to retain, and provide if requested, that information. We have responded to that request, but felt it important for you to know as we had to share your email addresses.

As an important note, the Plan for Walton 2040 team is not affiliated with any other organization, political campaign, or advocacy effort. We will only send you emails about the Plan for Walton 2040, and like any reputable email outreach, you can find the “unsubscrlbe” option clearly visible at the bottom of our email. (Or right here, if you so choose.

Next Steps

Stay tuned for more information coming soon about Place Types, Development Scenarios, and any follow-up presentations or engagements on behalf of the Plan for Walton 2040 team. We appreciate your commitment to this effort, and look forward to sharing more with you soon!