South Walton community comes together
This subject has been well-covered by the local newspaper, but before too much time has passed I wanted to journal my observations of an event I think was important for South Walton. Last month, our SoWal 30A community won a battle of principle over the proposed 90 room Hampton Inn. The 2 quasi-judicial meetings were really well attended. A lawyer representing the community spoke calmly and knowledgeably, citing codes and intention, etc., against permitting the proposed Hampton Inn while the lawyer representing the developer came across as the big bad wolf trying to tie it all up quickly with his interpretation of a word or two. Resident after resident presented heartfelt and passionate reasons why the community was against the Hampton Inn on 30A: our small town way of life jeopardized, lack of beach access, lack of parking, preservation land threatened, and opposing interpretations of VMU, incompatibility with the neighborhood, etc. But in my opinion the purely pragmatic points were the points that the commissioners gleaned onto to deny the permit. As Commissioner Meadows pointed out, South Walton is at a tipping point. Mistakes have been made in the past, decisions made that have literally strained the infrastructure to the cracking point. Our little scenic "highway" and the beach it borders at the south end of Walton County are why people come here to stay and to visit. They are also the golden egg for the county coffers. Until serious, long-term, solid provisions are made for the care and maintenance of South Walton residents (and tourists) including thoughtful planning and code enforcement, we really can't handle any more high density projects. Pedestrian safety, the ability for law enforcement and EMT's to do their jobs on a daily basis, stormwater considerations, are all affected by increased traffic. Thank goodness the community spoke out and thank goodness, in spite of the developers attorney that looked like he was straight out of central casting, the county commissioners listened to the people. It was inspiring. And hopefully, after this win, we have some policy changes that will ensure that we move forward with less drama and more thought toward the future. The meeting brought out the best of south Walton, it's caring residents. No one expects the growth to stop but growth management is in the best interest of everyone. This is a wonderful place to live. To keep it that way and to make it even better, it's very clear residents want county officials do the right thing in order to grow responsibly. I think we got their attention. With so much at stake, I sure hope so.
