Connector Road Between 30A and 98 East of Seagrove

Fun fact the county doesn't have to buy it's right of way back. It simply needs to maintain it, because the south end gets ignored by public works people have taken things into their own hands over the decades, but in Florida it's still the counties regardless of maintenance or development.

Fun fact the county doesn't have to buy it's right of way back. It simply needs to maintain it, because the south end gets ignored by public works people have taken things into their own hands over the decades, but in Florida it's still the counties regardless of maintenance or development.

It's still OURS and grumpy neighbors should be made to remove signs, chains, obstructions!

Threads merged.

Here is a link to a thread about

One Cent Surtax Ballot Referendum​

Which was defeated last Fall and included funds for the connector road.

________________________________________________________________________________

You are hereby notified that the Walton County Board of County Commissioners will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, March 2, 2023 from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the South Walton High School Auditorium, located at 645 Greenway Trail, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459.

The purpose of this Special Meeting is to hear and discuss the South Walton Connector Road PD&E Presentation.

This meeting is open to the public. For additional information, please contact Public Information at (850) 892-8155.

Everyone needs to keep asking commissioners and planning who is requesting this road as there has been 1 paid representative who has spoken in favor of it.

Developers want it. No one else.

South Walton Connector Road Informational Meeting 

LOCATION
South Walton High School Auditorium 645 Greenway Trail 

DATE AND TIME
03/02/23 5:00pm - 03/02/23 7:00pm US/Central
 
On February 24, 2021, South Walton Community Council sent the following letter to the Board of County Commissioners:

In regard to the proposed/potential 'road through the forest', South Walton Community Council asks the Commissioners and Planning Department to please take a careful look at all alternative routes for any connector road, including the viability of putting the road on private property. The road that is proposed in the Mobility Study would negatively impact Point Washington State Forest and Deer Lake State Park and SWCC feels a very high burden must be met before use of well-established conservation lands is considered.

In particular, St. Joe owns the property just to the east of Deer Lake State Park and this land, which is already partly developed and slated for further development, could potentially house a connector road while preserving our conservation lands. Kristen Shell has stated that St. Joe’s development north of 98 in eastern South Walton and western Bay County will bring 300,000 people to the area. As a major contributor to the need for new road capacity, it seems appropriate for St Joe and St. Joe land be considered as a primary part of the solution.

By way of background, we remind the Commissioners that in May of 2019 when the Atkins Study held an Agency meeting, ALL federal and state agencies involved in the management of Point Washington State Forest and Deer Lake Park spoke on the negative impacts of the proposed road and on the state statutes that protect these conservation lands.

Regards,
Alan Ficarra
President
South Walton Community Council
__________________________________________________


Please email our commissioners if you have opinions on this project proposal

Reference "Road Through The Forest" in the subject line of your email.

Commissioner Contact Information:

Commissioner Boots McCormick

mccboots@co.walton.fl.us

(850) 835-4860


Ms. Breezy Adkinson

adkbreezy@co.walton.fl.us


Commissioner Danny Glidewell

glidanny@co.walton.fl.us

(850)892-4020


Ms. Teresa Lowery

lowteresa@co.walton.fl.us


Commissioner Mike Barker

barmike@co.walton.fl.us

(850) 892-8474


Ms. Teresa Crawford

crateresa@co.walton.fl.us


Commissioner Donna Johns

johdonna@co.walton.fl.us

(850) 835-4834


Ms. Gina Waddell

wadgina@co.walton.fl.us


Commissioner Tony Anderson

andtony@co.walton.fl.us

(850) 231-2978


Ms. Laura Ekstrom

ekslaura@co.walton.fl.us

Those of you who don't want any more development (guess we've long missed that boat) should start suggesting places for us to vacation, now that 30A is no longer the 30A we've been visiting for 3 decades! Start pushing other locations to make a point? I can remember sitting at the beaches with big spaces between us and the next chairs. Standing in the middle of the road taking pictures. Ellen

Those of you who don't want any more development (guess we've long missed that boat) should start suggesting places for us to vacation, now that 30A is no longer the 30A we've been visiting for 3 decades! Start pushing other locations to make a point? I can remember sitting at the beaches with big spaces between us and the next chairs. Standing in the middle of the road taking pictures. Ellen

A lot of people are moving east to Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe, Apalachicola and other places that will inevitably go through the same thing.

You can face change once, or spend the rest of your life running from it.

Developers want it. No one else.

This is true! Who do the Commissioners really serve?!? It's more apparent that it's NOT local citizens.

Those of you who don't want any more development (guess we've long missed that boat) should start suggesting places for us to vacation, now that 30A is no longer the 30A we've been visiting for 3 decades! Start pushing other locations to make a point? I can remember sitting at the beaches with big spaces between us and the next chairs. Standing in the middle of the road taking pictures. Ellen

There have been other beach communities that have managed growth and limited development. Not here and not in this time. The wave of greed over the last 20 years was like a hurricane that is still pummeling our once simple county. We went straight from good ole boys who liked to fish to good ole boys who cut bait for developers.

There have been other beach communities that have managed growth and limited development. Not here and not in this time. The wave of greed over the last 20 years was like a hurricane that is still pummeling our once simple county. We went straight from good ole boys who liked to fish to good ole boys who cut bait for developers.

I like the idea of putting "The Road" on St Joe land.
They are eventually going to decimate all the trees in that area anyway for more "Water Something" communities! So build it there and leave "our" trees alone. We are going to need all the trees we can save, as this RAMPANT" development continues on into the future.

I like the idea of putting "The Road" on St Joe land.
They are eventually going to decimate all the trees in that area anyway for more "Water Something" communities! So build it there and leave "our" trees alone. We are going to need all the trees we can save, as this RAMPANT" development continues on into the future.

hoo boy - St. Joe's reinvention from developer to land sales and landlord was a complete sellout of our environment and their touted environmentalism. They even had environmentalists on staff. Now they either sell to DR Horton types that take everything down to the dirt or do it themselves. They've learned from the worst.

Thankful Watersound Beach and Watercolor got developed when they realized creating great places meant more profit.

Anyone go to meeting? I imagine it was to keep pushing for the road and find new funding.

I did get a spam email from a former county commissioner candidate begging for support of the road. Chaz Galloway I guess is paid by developers. Something to keep in mind next time he runs.

hoo boy - St. Joe's reinvention from developer to land sales and landlord was a complete sellout of our environment and their touted environmentalism. They even had environmentalists on staff. Now they either sell to DR Horton types that take everything down to the dirt or do it themselves. They've learned from the worst.

Thankful Watersound Beach and Watercolor got developed when they realized creating great places meant more profit.

Excerpt from Ecology of a Cracker Childhood...

Clearcut

If you clear a forest, you’d better pray continuously. While you’re pushing a road through and rigging the cables and moving between trees on the dozer, you’d better be talking to God. While you’re cruising timber and marking trees with a blue slash, be praying; and pray while you’re peddling the chips and logs and writing Friday’s checks and paying the diesel bill – even if it’s under your breath, a rustling at the lips. If you’re manning the saw head or the scissors, snipping the trees off at the ground, going from one to another, approaching them brusquely and laying them down, I’d say, pray extra hard; and pray hard when you’re hauling them away.

God doesn’t like a clearcut. It makes his heart turn cold, makes him wince and wonder what went wrong with His creation, and sets him to thinking about what spoils the child.

You’d better be pretty sure that the cut is absolutely necessary and be at peace with it, so you can explain it to God, for it’s fairly certain He’s going to question your motives, want to know if your children are hungry and your oldest boy needs asthma medicine – whether you deserve forgiveness or if you’re being greedy and heartless.

Excerpt from Ecology of a Cracker Childhood...

Clearcut

If you clear a forest, you’d better pray continuously. While you’re pushing a road through and rigging the cables and moving between trees on the dozer, you’d better be talking to God. While you’re cruising timber and marking trees with a blue slash, be praying; and pray while you’re peddling the chips and logs and writing Friday’s checks and paying the diesel bill – even if it’s under your breath, a rustling at the lips. If you’re manning the saw head or the scissors, snipping the trees off at the ground, going from one to another, approaching them brusquely and laying them down, I’d say, pray extra hard; and pray hard when you’re hauling them away.

God doesn’t like a clearcut. It makes his heart turn cold, makes him wince and wonder what went wrong with His creation, and sets him to thinking about what spoils the child.

You’d better be pretty sure that the cut is absolutely necessary and be at peace with it, so you can explain it to God, for it’s fairly certain He’s going to question your motives, want to know if your children are hungry and your oldest boy needs asthma medicine – whether you deserve forgiveness or if you’re being greedy and heartless.

Clear cutting is proof there is no God.

I read that the BCC voted 3-1 to continue trying to make the road. Lots more taxpayer money is going to be spent for studies, surveys, etc. They are a long way from actually being able to do it.

I read that the BCC voted 3-1 to continue trying to make the road. Lots more taxpayer money is going to be spent for studies, surveys, etc. They are a long way from actually being able to do it.

The road will be step one. Once it's approved JOE will go after what they've always viewed as theirs, the State Forest. Make no mistake that the sole local pushing this has no idea, as usual, that he is a TOOL and will regret this more than he can imagine.

I read that the BCC voted 3-1 to continue trying to make the road. Lots more taxpayer money is going to be spent for studies, surveys, etc. They are a long way from actually being able to do it.

Very discouraging.

St Joe still has a lot of undeveloped land north of Hwy 98 (blue). They'll want more roads to 30A as their development progresses.....

Very discouraging.

St Joe still has a lot of undeveloped land north of Hwy 98 (blue). They'll want more roads to 30A as their development progresses.....

View attachment 98955

That and the expressway over the canal will open up our beaches to 1000 times more land to be developed in addition to what you're showing. See Walton-Bay sector plan thread.

I read that the BCC voted 3-1 to continue trying to make the road. Lots more taxpayer money is going to be spent for studies, surveys, etc. They are a long way from actually being able to do it.

This is extremely upsetting. That anyone in our community and government reps would even consider for one second cutting a road through protected STATE FOREST shows what a lack of leadership we have, and exhibits a complete and utter disrespect for our precious environment and natural resources.

Keep your greedy hands of our public lands!!!

By DOTTY NIST


In a split decision, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) has voted to continue to pursue putting in a new road connecting CR-30A with U.S. 98 through Point Washington State Forest.


The BCC held a March 2 special meeting featuring a presentation on the nearly-completed project development and environment (PD&E) study for this potential project, known as the South Walton Connector Road. The meeting took place at South Walton High School.


A PD&E study is aimed at determining location and conceptual design for “build alternatives” for roadway projects, along with examining associated social, economic and environmental effects.


Gregory Garrett and Kaleb McClellan, Engineers from Atkins, consultant to Walton County for the study, furnished the presentation.


The study stated the primary purpose of the connector road project as enhancing the local transportation network connecting U.S. 98 to CR-30A—and secondary purposes as addressing congestion, improving emergency service and evacuation times, and increasing the connectivity of the local multi-modal transportation network.


Among the potential benefits of the project, according to the study, were improved emergency access and transportation network redundancy for emergency evaluation, improved connectivity and safer access to local schools, the possibility of removing traffic “trips” from U.S. 98, and improved multi-modal (trail) connectivity.


Disadvantages of the project identified in the study included environmental impacts on the state forest lands, impacts to wildlife and habitat, temporary construction disruption, and impacts on fire management routines.


Mitigation measures that have been proposed with the project include adding land in the western area of Point Washington State Forest and adding an access point to the forest from the proposed road to enhance accessibility for fire fighting.


Two alternatives identified by the consultants as viable were labeled as C2 and D2. Both alternatives would extend from the area of Bud’s Lane, a short distance east of Lakewood Plaza—and traverse through Point Washington State Forest, running close to the existing power line easement, to a point south of U.S 98 near Dune Lakes Elementary School. The two alignments take slightly different courses within the forest, C2 bearing to the west and D2 bearing to the east.


D2 was identified as the preferred build alignment due to minimization of impacts on fire management in the forest. Advantages of C2 were stated to be reduced cost and less environmental impact.


A 150-foot-wide right of way was also identified as viable for the connector road, with two 11-foot-wide travel lanes and eight-foot-side shoulders, with a 12-foot-wide multi-use path separated by a swale, and with the right-of-way flanked by fences.


Since the potential right-of-way area is owned by the state, it would be necessary for Walton County to acquire ownership or an easement for the connector road. Approval of the state Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) in Tallahassee would be a requirement in order for such a purchase to take place. ARC is composed of representatives of state agencies and appointees of the agencies and the governor.


Public comment at the special meeting was almost evenly divided for and against the connector road, with a couple of dozen attendees addressing the commissioners. Sound quality was generally lacking due to the alternate meeting location and was worse for the microphone used mainly by the project opponents.


Speaking in opposition, south Walton County resident Celeste Cobena noted that the county had already heard from the agencies represented on the ARC that they did not support the project. She was critical of the money that had been spent on studies for the project for “a road that you’ll never get.”


Cobena also maintained that the proposed road would not do anything to reduce traffic but would increase the St. Joe Company’s development north of U.S. 98 and in Bay County.


Cobena said the commissioners were ignoring the fact that a road could be put in on St. Joe Company property on the western boundary of Deer Lake State Park adjacent to the park, where there is an existing dirt road.


“The smarter way to do it, is don’t do it,” Point Washington resident James Foley said of the connector road project.


Blue Mountain Beach resident Buz Livingston was in agreement with Cobena that the connector road would not reduce traffic, saying that it would instead create more traffic on CR-30A. He spoke in favor of using money that would be spent on the project studies to instead address traffic safety issues and repair sidewalks.


Preservation of Point Washington State Forest was a common theme among those speaking in opposition. Santa Rosa Beach resident Bonnie McQuiston spoke of residents’ efforts over the years to protect the forest. She warned that the road would be “beginning of the end” for the forest lands.


Concern for public safety was a refrain for supporters of the project. “We do have a public safety problem,” said south Walton County resident Charles Galloway.


Supporters were confident that the road could be constructed in a way to avoid negative impacts on the forest. “I think there’s a way,” Galloway said.


Among others speaking in favor of the project were South Walton Fire District Chief Ryan Crawford and county residents Gary Shipman, Reynolds Henderson, Bob Brooke, Neill O’Connell, and Bo Wills.


With public comment concluded, District 4 Commissioner Donna Johns said she had received “tons of emails” from people opposed to the road and did not believe she had received any in support of it. She made a motion for the “no build” option


Johns reasoned that opening this new right-of-way would not help with providing emergency services, “because the road is going to be just as packed as all the other roads are, and unless it’s dedicated only to emergency services, I don’t think it’s going to be of any benefit.”


Johns indicated that she would be in favor of such a smaller, dedicated road for emergency vehicles that would not be used by the public.


Her motion did not get a second.


District 5 Commissioner Tony Anderson moved to select Alternative D2 and continue pursuing the project as funding becomes available, and his motion was seconded.


County Commission Chairman Danny Glidewell said he understood Johns’s position and the public safety aspects—but that he did not think taxpayers such as parents taking their children to school would be in favor of the county spending the money it would take for a road and the public not being able to use it for a shorter route.


He said he thought it was unfair for people in areas such as Seacrest, Camp Creek, and Alys Beach for north-south roads along CR-30A to be in place every couple of miles along CR-30A but for one to be lacking in this area where those residents needed one.


“There is a way to do this responsibly,” Glidewell said.


Anderson’s motion was approved in a 3-1 vote, with Johns voting no and the District 3 seat still unfilled from the recent resignation of District 3 Commissioner Mike Barker on Feb. 23.


Upcoming steps for the project are to be revisions to the PD&E Impact Report and associated documents to reflect the selected road alternative, circulation of the report for public review, a public meeting on the selected alternative, and a summation of the public meeting to be added to the Phase 1 Final Project Environmental Impact Report by April 30.


Information on the public meeting will be forthcoming.


Information on the South Walton Connector Road Project is available on the Walton County website at the link: /www.co.walton.fl.us/1256/South-Walton-Connector-Road-PDE

Other than Chief Crawford, are any of the proponents of this not directly or indirectly developers and their agents?

The writing is on the wall folks, you just have to read it.

Account Suspended

By DOTTY NIST


In a split decision, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) has voted to continue to pursue putting in a new road connecting CR-30A with U.S. 98 through Point Washington State Forest.


The BCC held a March 2 special meeting featuring a presentation on the nearly-completed project development and environment (PD&E) study for this potential project, known as the South Walton Connector Road. The meeting took place at South Walton High School.


A PD&E study is aimed at determining location and conceptual design for “build alternatives” for roadway projects, along with examining associated social, economic and environmental effects.


Gregory Garrett and Kaleb McClellan, Engineers from Atkins, consultant to Walton County for the study, furnished the presentation.


The study stated the primary purpose of the connector road project as enhancing the local transportation network connecting U.S. 98 to CR-30A—and secondary purposes as addressing congestion, improving emergency service and evacuation times, and increasing the connectivity of the local multi-modal transportation network.


Among the potential benefits of the project, according to the study, were improved emergency access and transportation network redundancy for emergency evaluation, improved connectivity and safer access to local schools, the possibility of removing traffic “trips” from U.S. 98, and improved multi-modal (trail) connectivity.


Disadvantages of the project identified in the study included environmental impacts on the state forest lands, impacts to wildlife and habitat, temporary construction disruption, and impacts on fire management routines.


Mitigation measures that have been proposed with the project include adding land in the western area of Point Washington State Forest and adding an access point to the forest from the proposed road to enhance accessibility for fire fighting.


Two alternatives identified by the consultants as viable were labeled as C2 and D2. Both alternatives would extend from the area of Bud’s Lane, a short distance east of Lakewood Plaza—and traverse through Point Washington State Forest, running close to the existing power line easement, to a point south of U.S 98 near Dune Lakes Elementary School. The two alignments take slightly different courses within the forest, C2 bearing to the west and D2 bearing to the east.


D2 was identified as the preferred build alignment due to minimization of impacts on fire management in the forest. Advantages of C2 were stated to be reduced cost and less environmental impact.


A 150-foot-wide right of way was also identified as viable for the connector road, with two 11-foot-wide travel lanes and eight-foot-side shoulders, with a 12-foot-wide multi-use path separated by a swale, and with the right-of-way flanked by fences.


Since the potential right-of-way area is owned by the state, it would be necessary for Walton County to acquire ownership or an easement for the connector road. Approval of the state Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) in Tallahassee would be a requirement in order for such a purchase to take place. ARC is composed of representatives of state agencies and appointees of the agencies and the governor.


Public comment at the special meeting was almost evenly divided for and against the connector road, with a couple of dozen attendees addressing the commissioners. Sound quality was generally lacking due to the alternate meeting location and was worse for the microphone used mainly by the project opponents.


Speaking in opposition, south Walton County resident Celeste Cobena noted that the county had already heard from the agencies represented on the ARC that they did not support the project. She was critical of the money that had been spent on studies for the project for “a road that you’ll never get.”


Cobena also maintained that the proposed road would not do anything to reduce traffic but would increase the St. Joe Company’s development north of U.S. 98 and in Bay County.


Cobena said the commissioners were ignoring the fact that a road could be put in on St. Joe Company property on the western boundary of Deer Lake State Park adjacent to the park, where there is an existing dirt road.


“The smarter way to do it, is don’t do it,” Point Washington resident James Foley said of the connector road project.


Blue Mountain Beach resident Buz Livingston was in agreement with Cobena that the connector road would not reduce traffic, saying that it would instead create more traffic on CR-30A. He spoke in favor of using money that would be spent on the project studies to instead address traffic safety issues and repair sidewalks.


Preservation of Point Washington State Forest was a common theme among those speaking in opposition. Santa Rosa Beach resident Bonnie McQuiston spoke of residents’ efforts over the years to protect the forest. She warned that the road would be “beginning of the end” for the forest lands.


Concern for public safety was a refrain for supporters of the project. “We do have a public safety problem,” said south Walton County resident Charles Galloway.


Supporters were confident that the road could be constructed in a way to avoid negative impacts on the forest. “I think there’s a way,” Galloway said.


Among others speaking in favor of the project were South Walton Fire District Chief Ryan Crawford and county residents Gary Shipman, Reynolds Henderson, Bob Brooke, Neill O’Connell, and Bo Wills.


With public comment concluded, District 4 Commissioner Donna Johns said she had received “tons of emails” from people opposed to the road and did not believe she had received any in support of it. She made a motion for the “no build” option


Johns reasoned that opening this new right-of-way would not help with providing emergency services, “because the road is going to be just as packed as all the other roads are, and unless it’s dedicated only to emergency services, I don’t think it’s going to be of any benefit.”


Johns indicated that she would be in favor of such a smaller, dedicated road for emergency vehicles that would not be used by the public.


Her motion did not get a second.


District 5 Commissioner Tony Anderson moved to select Alternative D2 and continue pursuing the project as funding becomes available, and his motion was seconded.


County Commission Chairman Danny Glidewell said he understood Johns’s position and the public safety aspects—but that he did not think taxpayers such as parents taking their children to school would be in favor of the county spending the money it would take for a road and the public not being able to use it for a shorter route.


He said he thought it was unfair for people in areas such as Seacrest, Camp Creek, and Alys Beach for north-south roads along CR-30A to be in place every couple of miles along CR-30A but for one to be lacking in this area where those residents needed one.


“There is a way to do this responsibly,” Glidewell said.


Anderson’s motion was approved in a 3-1 vote, with Johns voting no and the District 3 seat still unfilled from the recent resignation of District 3 Commissioner Mike Barker on Feb. 23.


Upcoming steps for the project are to be revisions to the PD&E Impact Report and associated documents to reflect the selected road alternative, circulation of the report for public review, a public meeting on the selected alternative, and a summation of the public meeting to be added to the Phase 1 Final Project Environmental Impact Report by April 30.


Information on the public meeting will be forthcoming.


Information on the South Walton Connector Road Project is available on the Walton County website at the link: /www.co.walton.fl.us/1256/South-Walton-Connector-Road-PDE

And afterwards all the commissioners went for drinks on the county credit card.

Put a local fire station on that stretch along 30a like in Watercolor... rather than pave through the only stretch of protected state forest and last bit of undeveloped land this place has left so some Watersound moms can save 10 mins on taking their kids to school, people can zip up to the new Walmart, and St Joe can have easier access to 30a. Unconscious development means busy roads... deal with the consequences. All connector roads were there before that land became the state forest. The road wasn't there when you bought... "How unfair".... People just want to bulldoze our protected land for their own convenience. Welcome to the new 30a. Long gone are the types of people who started it all, and what they loved about this place so much - not that there's much of it left these days. If they get this, give it a few years later till there's a road between 395 and 283 around Seaside and Watercolor - like Davis has always wanted. Old 30a is long gone, but this town is being ruined more and more as time passes. The love of money.....

Hopefully there will be a big turnout at the next meeting against this, but doubtful. Not that I think it would make a difference with most of these commissioners.

But that's just my two cents. The new majority that has bought up the town runs the show now. We're all different people with different values and perspectives living in different worlds in our own heads. You do what you can and deal with the outcomes, whichever way they go. People think they are the good guys and that they are right and justified on either side. Not like a road being there or not ultimately makes much of a difference in saving this place anyway. Think we are way past that with where we are at and what is yet to come... still worth trying though. At least to stick it to St Joe. Once they build the bridge over the intracoastal, they need a road for everyone to get to the beach more easily, and not have to go through their precious Camp Creek. Wait till everyone wants to go to the beach but there's not enough room or public land/parking. They'll have more and more shuttles and satellite parking lots up and running. Ruin the all the natural beauty and sanctuary this place once provided for the sake of a worthless dollar.

People used to move here for what it was, now they move here for what they think it should be.