ShallowsNole

Trust me, we aren't bored.

Smiling JOe

They have you looking too?

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ShallowsNole

The Property Appraiser / Tax Collector does not collect the bed tax.

Dave Rauschkolb

As we speak letters are going out from the owners and executives of Seaside, Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach, All the St. Joe properties on 30-A and many others to the TDC requesting the signs be removed. They are all in full agreement with complete removal. Lowering the signs or putting flowers around the base is not an option.

There is no room for accepting the wrong signage no matter what was spent. This is far too important a representation of our community identity to accept a mistake just because it was an expensive mistake. They don't fit. If we have to, we will raise the money; I am sure we can do it for much less than the TDC did.

Jackie Gleason once said " you may have the greatest tasting dog food in the world but it doesn't matter if the dogs won't eat it."

As with all things we need to flood the Commissioners and TDC board with emails requesting the removal of the signs on Scenic 30-A.

I am very encouraged at the process so far; I have met no one who likes them. I even spoke to a TDC Board member today who voiced his dislike of them in the TDC board meetings.

I challenge all SoWallers who feel the same to write a short or long note to the TDC and copy the Commissioners on this. Next, we need to flood the next Commissioners meeting with opposition. Help us if you will.

First we have to get them removed then we will work together to come up with a design that is nothing less than awesome! Please let your voice be heard. Thanks for your support.

Dave

TDC board members

Scott Brannon
Commissioner, District One
(850) 622-3081
brascott@co.walton.fl.us

Maurice Gilbert
Realty One Services, Inc.
sandbroker@aol.com
(850) 231-5601

Mike Stange
Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
lindataylor@sandestin.com
(850) 267-8112

John Gillis
Trustmark Bank
jgillis@trustmark.com
(850) 337-1020

Tim Norris
Re/Max Southern Realty
timnorris@earthlink.net

Mary Jo Tommas
One Seagrove Place
mj@oneseagroveplace.com
(850) 231-5032

Ken Gifford
Rosemary Beach
kengifford@rosemarybeach.com
(850) 278-2020

Mary Brown
Beach Rentals of South Walton
mary@beachrentalsofsouthwalton.com
(850) 534-0600

Don McQuade
Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort
dmcquade@sandcastlehotels.com
(850) 622-3964

Kriss Titus
Executive Director
TDC Staff 850-267-1216
Ext. 126
ktitus@beachesofsouthwalton.com


County Commissioners

Ken Pridgen<prikenneth@co.walton.fl.us>,
Larry Jones<jonlarry@co.walton.fl.us>,
Sarah Commander<comsara@co.walton.fl.us>,
Cindy Meadows<meacindy@co.walton.fl.us>,
Scott Brannon<brascott@co.walton.fl.us>,

Smiling JOe

Oh. I see. I have seen them looking through websites for rentals which aren't showing up as paying the tax. Do you guys send them the overflow when they are slow?

So now you have a legitimate reason for surfing on SoWal.com/bb while at work. You are probably the only one who is legit in that way.

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Dave Rauschkolb

Great news! I just got a call from the New Interim Director of the TDC and will be meeting with him tomorrow (Thursday). Dave

Beach Runner

Yay! Thanks, Dave.

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goodwitch58

Thanks for your leadership, Dave. I have begun to send more emails...the community can set this right!

Minnie

That is good to know, so many times that is not the case.

tsutcli

Great job Dave. Sending e-mails to TDC members in the hopes that they see the light.

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BEACH LOCAL

tivoli

What "awesome" news!!!!!

NotDeadYet

From WZEP news:
"In other TDC related action, Titus said the TDC board recommends a new contract with Bohan and told the commissioners they are looking at the height and a landscaping issue for the new Wayfinder signs. Titus was asked about some beach communities opting out, specifically Alyce Beach. Titus said Alyce Beach is not a beach community. She was also asked about the sign near the Clyde Wells Bridge saying “Welcome To Walton County” and about the rest of the county. Titus said this is due to the FDOT’s required wording and noted there are other signs going up around the county, including the north end."

Smiling JOe

I don't get it. The FDOT must require a sign announcing which county you are in when you cross a bridge. Sounds like a crock of crap to me.

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wrobert

I have to agree with you on that one SJ. If you are going to come up with some excuse, at least make it plausible. Blaming FDOT for a sign that makes people think they are in a new county is just wrong.

They could change it to "Welcome, you are still in Walton County!"

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chrisv

Believe it or not.....

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"Eloquence is the essential thing in a speech, not information." - Mark Twain
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nowgirl

Ms. Titus needs to rethink that response. Watercolor and Watersound aren't "beach communities" either by her definition,....I think the answer is Alys didn't want a big ugly blue sign, unfortunately the one posted just west of their boundary still imposes on the pristine development....

Dave R., I love you!

Smiling JOe

I didn't even want to get into that. If Alys Beach isn't a Beach Community, is it a 30A Community? Prominence doesn't even have beach front land, but Alys does. Seaside doesn't want the public to access the beach in front of their property, yet they are called a beach community? I don't get it. One would think a person in the roll of the head hancho at the TDC would be skilled in public relations.

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nowgirl

Agreed, and it was the response to the interview question that made no sense to me.

sowalvisitor

I don't know Dave personally but I am glad to see his informative and helpful posts regarding the signs. Hopefully, the readers and residents of South Walton will follow up with emails and calls to the parties who can get a fix going for the ugly signs. Talk must be combined with action and I personally know one of the posters in this blog will be an action oriented champion. Go, Janshops!!

Smiling JOe

As I sit hear reading through some threads, it occurred to me that we could have tiny signs which would work very nicely. Problem is, we need to get our autos up to speed with onboard computers. So here is the idea, you have a sensor in your car which is able to receive information from a microchip when you go past a "sign." The sign might even be underground, so as not to interfere with view or other things. Depending on the sign, the State, County, or even TDC might program the info on the sign. People could even install their own signs on their rental houses, at the mailbox, listing the address, website, and other public info they wanted people passing buy to know. Restaurants and businesses could also buy in to the system. From your car, you would have a computer screen, maybe with split screens, so that you could see the signs most recently passed. For example, one could choose to see the speed limit, name of road currently on, or cross street most recently passed, street addresses of properties which you are passing, businesses names, town/city/state/zip. Each screen would have at minimum, the road hazard signs, stop/yeild etc, and speed limits. On top of that, the user could block everything, or pull up all of the info to show simultaneously. Maybe a voice announcement would be good too. Even invisible billboards could work, notifying people of upcoming restaurants, gas stations with current prices, or restaurants with lunch specials and prices, etc. One could go as deep in their search for info as they wanted to, going straight to each business's website. blah, blah, blah. I'll take ten percent of the profits if anyone wants to bring the invisible signs to fruition.

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SWGB

That's a great idea until someone runs off the road reading a historical marker.

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scooterbug44

Or people could just pay attention to basic road signs and landmarks and figure out to get from Point A to Point B!

Seriously, at some point we need to draw the line. The level of signage and coddling is ridonkulous. Either people are suffering from such severe cases of cranial rectal inversion that they need a babysitter or they need to actually put some effort and brain cells into their daily activities and decisions.

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"I hate to break it to you, but this year (and probably the next few) was going to suck even if Jesus himself was president. These problems were not created overnight and they aren't going away overnight." -Jdarg

up4golf

dave did the meeting take place? how did it turn out?

Smiling JOe

Actually, my idea is much safer, as someone could simply listen to the Historical Marker being read to them.

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chrisv

Ala the old Lion Country Safari, huh? I remember the attendant giving Dad a portable tape deck that we'd listen to while we drove the old Plymouth station wagon through the 'safari.' It'd educate us about the giraffes, lions and elephants we saw as we drove through while gently reminding us to 'stay within the vehicle.'

I can hear it now: 'as indicated by the large signage, you are now entering the new urbanist town of seaside, please remember to stay off the private beaches or risk the wrath of the agents representing absentee property owners...'

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"Eloquence is the essential thing in a speech, not information." - Mark Twain
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Dave Rauschkolb

I had a very cordial meeting with Sonny Mares, the interim Executive Director of the TDC yesterday at 2:00. Mr. Mares requested I take back my check for $1000 as there is no mechanism yet for accepting donations by the TDC.

He showed me a large book that outlined the process by which the TDC came to this point. He could not give me an exact figure of what had been spent on the 30-A signs but it is not the total amount quoted previously. There are more signs to go up on Hwy 98 as well. The remaining signs that are supposed to go up on 30-A are on hold for now. He and the board hoped there would be some kind of compromise with the existing signs; perhaps lowering them or changing the color.

I expressed our reasons for wanting total removal as stated in my letter. I told him the majority of the folks I spoke with feel that the signs are far too industrial looking for Scenic 30-A. I requested the TDC seriously consider removing them as soon as possible so we may work on a redesign that is complimentary to our Scenic road. I told him it would not be good for the TDC to have a continuing controversy that would only get worse when people with vacation homes arrived in the summer.

He said a lot of mail and calls had been coming into the TDC and acknowledged about 90% of the comments were negative. I have been copied on all the letters from St. Joe, Seaside, Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach and all of them request the removal of the signs.

Mr. Mares told me the best thing for us to do is to come to the next Board Of County Commissioners meeting when the TDC will make a report the Commissioners. The Board of Directors of the TDC will have to advise the Commissioners to remove the signs.

I spoke with Claire Bannerman of the Scenic Corridor Advocacy group and the Friends of 30-A yesterday. Claire and others had already done the groundwork to design a sign plan for 30-A and was disappointed when the TDC did not try coordinate with them on this.

I spoke with Claire about the possibility of the advocacy group and Friends of 30-A spearheading the new design project. It makes sense to have the people who are working to get the scenic designation create the new design. The new design should incorporate the TDC Beaches of South Walton Logo and say Scenic 30-A. Also, simply stating the town is enough, I don't belive we need to be "welcomed" at each town.

There are 19 days before the next BCC meeting to convince the TDC board to remove the signs. If you have not sent a letter to them and the commissioners I strongly suggest you do. Please be polite; the TDC is a great organization and the TDC board is made up of good neighbors who also want the best for our county. I expressed my appreciation for the TDC's outstanding work over the years representing South Walton as a Tourist destination. This should merely be a speed bump in the TDC's history that could be behind them soon. I am very hopeful and optimistic we can get the signs down and get started on a new design.

The Next Board of Commissioners meeting time is below. Please email your out of town Friends who own property here so they may send emails If you live here please attend the meeting.

Thank you for your help. Dave

Tuesday, February 12, 2008
at 4:00 pm
South Walton County Courthouse Annex
Highway 331 Santa Rosa Beach

Bob

Dave, "you the 30A man"!!!!

Smiling JOe

I told you that the TDC wouldn't know how to take your money, Dave. That is just whack-O. Nice report, and good job. As you stated, the TDC isn't a bad organization. They just had an OOPS! Listening to the people is vital for such an organization. It will make them even better. In the customer service industry, there are studies that show, when a customer has a negative experience and you can turn their negative experience into a positive one, by correcting the problems, and communicating your apology, and offering to make it better next time, the customer will think more highly of you than if they just had an average experience. It's all about how you handle the OOPS! The TDC needs to handle this OOPS!, and thus far, they seem like they are resisting and that is just upsetting the customers even more.

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Andy A.

Dave, thank you so much for your leadership in revising the new signage to something more appropriate for Scenic 30A. I have contacted our Commissioners about SoWal's strong objection to the present signage. While I disagree with you on the scenic corridor designation for Hwy 98 (although when initiated it was probably appropriate), I certainly fully support and once again thank you for your individual effort regarding the "Big Blue Signs" on 30A.

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Congress only does two things well...Nothing at all and overreacting.

Smiling JOe

I can see why people might disagree with Hwy 98 being designated as a scenic corridor, but when big box stores and fast food places open along hwy 98 in SoWal in the future (and they will), I think we will all be thanking people who made the designation happen. Well, maybe not ALL of us, but many will be.

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Tootsie

beach community = neighborhood or major resort/development = subjective. doesn't really matter. community signs probably should be limited to the general areas: grayton beach, blue mountain beach, dune allen beach, seagrove beach, seacrest beach, inlet beach... etc. and if resorts want their own signs, let them do their own. just a thought.

I hope you all will write letters now. thank you so much Dave!

anything is possible in sowal. seriously.

Smiling JOe

From what I've read in the papers, at least a few people have voiced their feelings about the area which has long been called Seacrest, has suddenly changed to the name of the development, Seacrest Beach. Was Seagrove ever known as Seagrove Beach, prior to these signs? I always called it Seagrove. I agree, toots, about only the areas being labeled on the signs. I'd guess that many of the developments bring in enough bed tax revenues that they might disagree, as long as the signs look agreeable.

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Dave Rauschkolb

Adding the word beach is an mechanism for the TDC's "branding" of the beaches of south walton. I think the integrity of the original names should be paramount. Seagrove is Seagrove, Seacrest was a name invented by the residents when I did the original research to place the signs. Grayton Beach has always been Grayton Beach and the same is with Blue Mountain beach. Dune Allen is Dune Allen, not Dune Allen Beach.

Andy A.

It is my understanding that the area, at least on the south side of Hwy 98 from somewhere close to Hwy 83 to Inlet Beach is Pt Washington National Forest, therefore no commercial or residential building cannot take place. Please correct me if I am wrong. Also, since the speed limit along this stretch of 98 is 65 mph, what good is a "scenic corridor" designation. Once again, I am totally supportive of scenic corridor designations where they make sense. IMHO, along Hwy 98 they do not.

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Congress only does two things well...Nothing at all and overreacting.

Smiling JOe

I am confused by the TDC's plan to make this one place, "The Beaches of South Walton." IMO, if they want to create unity of the entire area, it would be "The Beach of South Walton," as in one beach, and they wouldn't have so many different names for every mile you travel along 30A. They wouldn't be identifying the communities at all. What they are doing is really a contradiction, IMO.

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Smiling JOe

Andy, speed limits will changed when businesses move in. Look at the 45mph limits around CoCo's strip mall. You are correct that much of the eastern end of 98 is State owned, but what about the privately owned properties? I think one has to think pro-actively, rather than reactively, otherwise, we end up with a couple of 13-story buildings in an area where there is a 50ft height limit.

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BeachBebe

Sometime during the last year new signs have been placed outside smaller developments in eastern Seagrove, ex. Majestica Drive now has a sign denoting "Majestica Beach". I believe there is another at a development next door to Majestica. Does this play into the private beach/public beach controversy, or status as a South Walton beach community?

Beach Runner

Took daughter to lunch for her BD today. She commented on the big blue signs. She said she thought they needed vandalizing because they are just SO out of place.

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Dave Rauschkolb

I can see how some might feel that way but I sincerely hope SoWallers will take the high road and not do anything of the sort. I know we are better than that. We need to respect the TDC and the individuals who designed them even if the signs don't fit on our road.

nowgirl

Cube McGee came up with the byline "Seagrove Beach, Where Nature Did It's Best" and I think most would consider him the first to promote the area.
Incidentally, the original boundary of Seagrove Beach started with and included what is now Seaside and ended just after Seagrove Villas.

Beach Runner

Heck, no she wouldn't do that. She behaves appropriately and is well-mannered, just like her Daddy.

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full time

Dave, your money would not have been returned had any of the other complainers on this board matched your generosity. Drop off the check to me made payable to Midnight Demolition and the signs will disappear. Thank you very much!

wrobert

I found out yesterday that the Land Developement Code specifically exempts government agencies from having to comply. This begs the question of how can businesses be sold all of these restrictions on signs and colors, when the government turns around and writes in an exemption for itself at the end?

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I Am Woman

I knew when I first wrote about the horrid blue signs some aesthetically-challenged individual or committee saw fit with which to blight our lovely South Walton County, that something was gnawing at me but I could not quite figure out what it was. Aha! Then it came to me. Now...I was and am a huge admirer of Janet Reno; I agreed with her decisions, voted for her when she was running for office, and even made a financial contribution to her. But let's face it--and she would be the first to agree--Ms. Reno was not and is not very physically attractive. Thus it is that I almost laught each time I see one of these tall blue signs: Filled with accurate information, yes. But look at them: they are very large, very blue, and certainly very noticeable.
So...here we are in South Walton County, so over-populated by Republicans, but we have these "subtle memorials" to Janet Reno posted every block or so. Yes, there is a silver lining behind every cloud!

wrobert

My treks along 30-A will never be the same. Thanks!

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Tootsie

I didn't know! thanks for this info!


this is truly fantastic. thank you for making this issue so hysterically funny! at least for the moment. and cruising down 30A shall never be the same for me either.


charles

sunsetbaby

From the way the sign reads on 331 South coming from Freeport to the south end (just as you come off the big bridge), the "South Has Rose Again". It truly puzzled me at first...

The sign reads...

Welcome to Walton County
Dash
Home of Beaches of South Walton

We did it...they have moved the county line...the north side doesn't even exist any more, I guess!

Can you imagine being a tourist and driving 12+ hours, to only find that you are just...once again passing the Walton County Line! This time though at least there is water instead of just a bunch of trees!

Justify this one TDC! Who discided the lines, and what would be posted at these made up lines...It's all Santa Rosa Beach...With communities inside of it!

Whatever...

kurt

Letter to the Editor - Walton Sun

Reader offers a fix for ‘scenic’ signs Connie Church-Brady Seagrove Beach

Minnie

Well said. Even if in jest, the powers that be, that have the authority to make the changes are reading this thread and believe me they will not take seriously anyone making such suggestions to vandalize even in jest.

Tootsie

I like charles' janet reno analogy.