scooterbug44

So all of the other signs on 30A (including those that had to be specially designed to meet the guidelines) don't meet Highway department design specifications?

Odd that some of the signs are within 50' of each other yet have drastically different heights.

__________________
"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

Busta Hustle

let's get rid of all the realtor for sale signs while we are at it....at least til spring...could we?....Please? face it if you get a call from someone riding around he/she probably can't float a loan anyway...what do you say? Please? they can pop up again in April like the state flower again! Please?

Smiling JOe

Which signs, the ones on private property, or the directional signs often placed on the right of way? I'm very much in favor of removing the former, but only when if the property sells. The latter you can remove as you please, IMO.

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sowalvisitor

I'm not sure who Tracy is but I was a visitor and my feedback is far from positive. Sure, visitors like to have information on where they are and where they are going (frankly if they get lost on 30A, they are not paying attention) but if people designed signs for visitors only at the expense of the local people who must live with these signs every day, all of the signs in America would be as ugly as those on 30A. Some visitors like traditional low key signage that preserves the atmosphere and heritage of the area. These despicable blue signs take away from that. So tell Tracy this is one visitor who says "GET RID OF THE SIGNS@!"

janshops

The signs could be resold to Pier Park in Bay County. They would fit right in... bolted into asphalt and pointing the way from Target to Dillards.

seacrestkristi

Grayt idea. They look like they were made by the same folks as the big giant beach ball. Very similar tastes.

Smiling JOe

So, if Shelly's note that Kris Titus is reSIGNing, from her position at the TDC, to whom should we now direct our emails with sign comments?

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wrobert

Why not get the list of the board of directors of the TDC and email them? These are local folks, and business people, who I am pretty sure would not be too happy to be associated with something that so many in sowal dislike.

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SHELLY

Lookee here Tracy...I'll make an effort to not close my eyes as I drive past these big blue signs--but only if you agree to stop using the phrase "wayfinding signage"....deal?


.

__________________
But hey...Top Ramen tastes a whole lot better when you eat it off of a Granite Countertop. (Mr & Mrs Too Much Homebuyer)

Florida State Flower

Smiling JOe

I've looked at the signs a bit more and I'm starting to like them -- NOT!!!
Seriously, I think changing the color from Grabber Blue, to a neutral SeaOats-tan color would help tremendously. I'm not a fan of the bus stop look, but I realize that they aren't going to spend another $260K on new signs, so I propose a change of color of the posts and boarder of the signs, to see how that looks. The TDC could keep even keep their red and white marketing umbrellas.

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yippie

In today's paper.

http://www.epaperedition.com/Reposit...sh-skin-custom

I, personally, don't understand the random heights. I think they are "in your face".

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A Local in Disguise

FLSunChaser

I have a real issue with the sign that's just south of the 331 bridge that says, "Welcome to Walton County / Home to the Beaches of South Walton" as if the people haven't been DRIVING through Walton County for the past 40 minutes to get to the beaches. . .I think it's in complete distaste, but I was willing to overlook it, then last night I was driving out to Watersound and COULD NOT get over how HIDEOUS those signs look. I normally drive an SUV, which I'm assuming would make it easier to read one of the 15 foot tall signs, but last night I was in a car and almost had to smash my head up against the windshield to read what the tall signs said. I wonder who in the hell didn't get fired for making them so tall (and paying for them) in the first place.

Smiling JOe

She resigned, according to Shelly, but I doubt that was due to the signs. I've seen the sign on 331 bridge but I don't believe I read it, because I would have questioned that too. As for the readability of directional signs, I have to smash my head against the windshield to read them, too, and that is in the day time. I bet you cannot even see them at night, especially with oncoming traffic.

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pattyrauss

The blue signs are an abomination. Upon entering Seaside Wednesday night from Ohio to eat dinner at The Southern Cafe, we were appalled and shocked beyond belief at the large blue METAL sign announcing that we had arrived at Seaside. I have taken many pictures of the other sign with the background of beautiful houses in the background during the eight years we have been coming here. This is so not in keeping with the rusticity and naturalness and beauty of 30A. Weren't the homeowners along 30A consulted on this. To us they have ruined the pleasure of driving this road. To think that one would ever take a picture of one of these obtrusive signs to be representative of what 30A is about is unimaginable. They have got to go, even if all homeowners on 30A have to go together to pay the cost to get rid of. Even us vacationers would help. In fact, we have been here four days and I can't get them out of my mind and every time I pass them I want to scream!!!!!! How HORRIBLE!!!!!!!

Smiling JOe

" However, he understands that the signs are there for visitors whose money drives the local economy.

Mares said tourism brought in about $1 billion last year. The signs also help with the county’s branding and marketing, he added. "

(SJ) - and the $1 billion came without these signs. Surely they aren't suggesting that the signs will help to bring in more money.

"Mares said the signs can’t be repainted, but the TDC is reviewing placing some native plants at the bottom of them, so long as they do not obstruct a driver’s view. "

(SJ) - I'm not paint expert, but I got $5 that says that they can be painted. Maybe she intended to say that painting the signs wasn't in the budget.

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tsutcli

The sad part is that the TDC doesn't care what the locals have to put up with. After doing all this damage and causing a PR meltdown Kris Titus leaves. Guess she couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen.
Frankly we would be better off if they disbanded the TDC - who needs them with St. Joe and all the other large developers advertising this area around the country, and on their nickel. Anyone have an idea how this could be done??

goodwitch58

[QUOTE=yippie;346746]In today's paper.

http://www.epaperedition.com/Reposit...sh-skin-custom



They (the signs) all conform to DOT regulations.


I wonder what DOT regulations? The ones for Interstate Highways?

tsutcli

As appealing as repainting sounds, unless they remove the signs and do a thorough job of prepping the surface, the paint will just start peeling almost immediately. And then the bright blue will show through which will look worse. The maintenance dept. couldn't keep up. The only answer is to take them down.

Smiling JOe

Wayfinding signs up to par?
Walton Sun
• TDC says they’ve yet to correct installations
By Sean Boone sean_boone@link.freedom.com

If it looks too tall, it probably is.
The South Walton Tourist Development Council said that in the process of adding 49 new wayfinding signs that some might not have been correctly installed, but will be corrected as soon as the entire project is complete.
“Right now I can’t speak with full confidence the signs are all at their right height,” said TDC Director of Public Relations and Visitor Services Tracy Louthain. “Inspections of all the signs will take place once they are complete.” According to Louthain, the new signs were designed for gateway welcoming, County Road 30A beach community identity and also to connect those communities. “We’ve been working on these signs for many years,” she said. “We wanted them to match the kiosks at the beach. Since the flag-warning signs were a great product that was durable during storms and against salt air, we decided to go with those.”
Some residents in South Walton like Georgeen Newell, say the new sign materials hurt the beach communities

(Article was continued on p A3, but as is, I cannot copy and paste it here.)

(Note to Walton Sun, your epaper ran together this story and Orbie's, in the pop up window. Also, when I went to pA3 to copy and paste the second part of the article, the pop up is for the Sen Nelson article.)

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Smiling JOe

Letters to the Editor
Walton Sun

Mapping out the 30A franchise
Hooray! I’ve found a new way to save gas money. Rather than drive all the way to Panama City or Destin to see garish, tacky and obnoxious tourist signs, I can now drive down beautiful County Road 30A and see a whole bunch of them.
They are every couple of miles and they are big and blue. You can’t miss them.
Although all of them seem a little too tall, some of them are even taller. I’ll bet places like Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach, WaterColor, WaterSound, Seaside and Grayton Beach, who have always gone for more low-keyed, tasteful and classy kind of signage (that seemed to fi t in with the natural environment), are kicking themselves in the rear for not coming up with such great BIG BRIGHT BLUE SIGNS.
It must be heartwarming for them to know, after all that trouble designing and defining themselves as destinations unique and distinguished from all others, they are now just another franchise of the TDC. Just like Burger King!
Of course, you have to remember that the tourists who come to South Walton are inherently stupid. They have no idea where they are.
Their rental agency or Mapquest got them here, and by God, how are they going to get to their condos unless they have big blue signs to tell them where they are. Don’t get me wrong, it is important to know that you are near Grayton Beach (which, by the way, has the tallest sign) and not in Blue Mountain, even though you are nearly five miles from Grayton.
I think if we can just install more of these signs, we should be able to lower the intelligence level of our tourists so that they have no idea whether they are in South Walton or Panama City Beach or Daytona Beach.
If not, the immense shade that these big blue signs produce will possibly help solve global warming.
In short, why doesn’t our county government ask us what we might like to see (or not see) along our beautiful highway?
Garrett Horn
Seagrove Beach


I am so confused
My mailing address says I live in Panama City Beach but I don’t live in Bay County.
I thought I always lived in Seacrest since that was what the sign said along 30A.
Now that the old sign has been replaced with a new one that says, “Welcome to Seacrest Beach,” would the TDC and the county please tell me which one?
The only Seacrest Beach I know of along 30A is the resort near High Point with the tall white chairs at the entrance, but I don’t live there. I live in Seacrest.
Also, notice the two signs on the east end of 30A that are across from one another that point you to Seacrest Beach but each sign points you in the opposite direction?
But, what I really want to know is what did they do with Seacrest?
Yep, just what we need along 30A, more signs to confuse travelers and slow down traffic along 30A. Hey, those signs confused me and I live here. I’m still looking for Seacrest.
I was talking to a neighbor about our new sign just the other day and she wanted to know how they could just come in and change the name of our community like that. I told her they just did.
I will let others comment on the appearance of those signs. They are well suited for Pier Park but not here.
Pauline Sutcliffe
Seacrest (yes, just
Seacrest)


The passing of Dear Old 30A
The new 30A road signs are up. I‘m sure the TDC paid a lot for the signs, but they look so out of place, over designed and Disneyesque.
Yes, the old sand carved wooden signs were deteriorating. But, to me, those signs represented a wonderful period for 30A that 90 percent of today’s visitors never experienced: when 30A in South Walton was a sleepy, authentic beach retreat.
My strongest objection is the bright blue color. That color is OK for the beach; but there is a reason carefully planned developments on 30A use earth tones in their signage.
Do you wonder why Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach opted out of allowing the signs?
Decades of effort by South Walton residents have spared the native ecosystems we boast about today. That bright blue color is not consistent with 30A’s personality. If the purpose is to ensure the signs are noticed, the familiar red and white umbrella logo would have suffi ced.
I hope the TDC will, at least, repaint the signs a more aesthetic color.
Hordes of tourists have discovered our area, but I mourn the passing of our dear old beach road 30A. It is now offi cially (Scenic) Highway 30A, the tourist route.
Rob Koehnemann
Seagrove

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jdarg

Shocking- no glowing supportive letters.

I am all for a volunteer work day- if the TDC can figure out a way to get some new paint to stick, adjust the sign heights, and get some plants (that will be expensive but necessary), then maybe volunteers can assist in the "wayfinding sign beautification project". Maybe even groups can "adopt" a sign, like portions of the highway are adopted.

Smiling JOe

I don't like it. I LOVE it. Adopt a Sign. Perfect!

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seacrestkristi

My retirement beach home is in Seacrest too, just one word.
'Alys Beach' is just a development like 'Seacrest Beach'. Both are in Seacrest. It makes it so confusing when developments name themselves as if they were a town, isn't it? What is their motivation for doing this? I miss the bike path thru nature too. Now it's like hollyhood with armed guards parked at both ends 24/7. Does the speed limit still jump from 20 straight to 45 there, then straight back to 35 within a few hundred feet? Why not a consistent 35 from and up to their 20 mph?

How did Rosemary get out of the blue signs though? They are a real town, aren't they?...not a development name. Well good for them, they also don't have public beach access there? Wonder why everyone wasn't given the same opportunity to opt out if they diidn't like the huge blue signs too? What a waste...

I've only seen the pix so far and can't understand why our little complex had to get special permits and approval before even replacing our little sign, if the county isn't held to the same supposed strict corridor beauty rules. If a kid or adult wrecks their bike on the path, it seems those concrete posts could really cause some possible head injuries. At least wood has a little give to it. Could that be a lawsuit for the county waiting to happen?

Smiling JOe

I'm not sure what gives you the impression that Rosemary Beach is anything more than a community.

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TooFarTampa

This is the problematic part. I can only imagine that the paint had to be applied in a controlled environment, was sprayed on, and is oil-based (or maybe even resin based or some type of powder coating). Even a pro might have trouble getting new paint to adhere properly and neatly, and if it isn't done perfectly it will reduce the life of the signs.

I say, reduce the life of the signs to zero. Hey TDC -- you screwed up! Everyone does it, some people even do it in front of a huge number of people (btdt). Do what any good mama would say you should do -- admit your mistake, apologize, and put a plan in place to make it right. And make those plans public! Period.

It is very simple. The signs do not belong and from all accounts they are highly offensive, even painful, to the vast majority of people who love SoWal. So make it right.

seacrestkristi

You mean it's just a development too, not a real town recognized by the county? I've seen them on maps outside of that area, I believe.

John R

If someone got a wild hair and wanted to do some midnight sign razing, I think the beast way to do it would be to attach a 2x12 to the front bumper of a heavy (1ton) pickup truck and nudge the signs until they fall. (They are breakaway for safety, but may have a minimum impact rating.) At the end of the exercise, all that would need to be done would be to sand down the now blue colored board and integrate it into the flooring system of a new home. A little piece of monkeywrenching history in one's own home. If.

__________________
click >> Filter your water instead of using bottled water << click

jodiFL

Maybe they just havent gotten to them yet, but RMB is just another development community like all the rest. Correct me if I am wrong, but the only ones that used to be "towns" were Dune Allen, BMB, Grayton, Seagrove, Eastern Lake, Camp Creek, and Seacrest.

Smiling JOe

Now that was a good book, The MonkeyWrench Gang.

SeacrestKristi, seeing a name on a map doesn't make it a town. Rosemary has their own Post Office branch so that owners don't have to put the city of Panama City Beach as their mailing address, but that doesn't make it a town. They do have the only traffic lights on 30A, but that doesn't make it a town either. It is still just a development community. When completed, WaterSound will be more of a town than any other development along 30A, with maybe the exception of WaterColor, but WaterSound is still not a town any more than Sandestin is a town.

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seacrestkristi

Wow, really thanks jodiFL. How about Inlet? It's on a lot of maps.

jodiFL

yep..I forgot IB. But it is after 30A goes back into 98 so Idont really think of it as a part of the "towns" on 30A.

Smiling JOe

I still think of each of these as communities, not towns. What defines a town? I may have to look that one up, but I don't think a development makes a town. I think of signs in PCB identifying Sunnyside. Its just an area of PCB.
After reading the definition, I can see definitions which fit many people's thoughts. I identify with #1, including the part about having local gov't.

town –noun 1.a thickly populated area, usually smaller than a city and larger than a village, having fixed boundaries and certain local powers of government. 2.a densely populated area of considerable size, as a city or borough. 3.(esp. in New England) a municipal corporation with less elaborate organization and powers than a city. 4.(in most U.S. states except those of New England) a township. 5.any urban area, as contrasted with its surrounding countryside. 6.the inhabitants of a town; townspeople; citizenry. 7.the particular town or city in mind or referred to: living on the outskirts of town; to be out of town. 8.a nearby or neighboring city; the chief town or city in a district: I am staying at a friend's apartment in town. 9.the main business or shopping area in a town or city; downtown.

I don't see the requirement of being on a map. Now that I think about it, Google Earth lists Devil's Swamp on their maps, but not other beach communities. Devils Swamp (north side of the IntraCoastal in Pt Washignton) sure isn't a town.

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seacrestkristi

So to me that explains why they didn't get a county sign if they are not a real township, right? Did Inlet get theirs yet?
Yeah, SJ, you're right, it depends whose making the map. Can Rand McNally be bought?

jodiFL

Yea, I dont think of them as "towns" either, just parts of the community. But they were how folks described where on 30A they lived before the "Seasides,WaterColors,RMBs".

scooterbug44

Considering how fragile* and out of compliance* the old signs were, it's AMAZING that they lasted for so many years.

Thank goodness we spent all that money on new ones you can't even read from inside a car!





*sarcasm

__________________
"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

Sea Sothebys

Who resigned Smiling Joe? Do you or Shelly know? Did the paper accurately post the poll?

Tootsie

kristi:

these are all names of neighborhood communities within Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. we are all part of Santa Rosa Beach, which is just a community within Walton County. I live in Pt Washington - it isn't a town. It's a neighborhood community within SRB. just as Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, Seacrest Beach, Seagrove Beach, etc. it does get confusing for those who don't live here.

see the upper portion of sowal.com page (front page, or this page) for all beach communities, plus destin, carillon, PCB, etc (a few outside of walton county).

or take a look at the TDC's website for info on the 14 beach communities in south walton.

Beach Communities
Blue Mountain Beach
Dune Allen Beach
Grayton Beach
Inlet Beach
Miramar Beach
Rosemary Beach
Sandestin Beach
Santa Rosa Beach
Seacrest Beach
Seagrove Beach
Seascape Beach
Seaside Beach
Watercolor Beach
WaterSound

don't forget, these are only the beach communities within Santa Rosa Beach, Walton County, Florida. Santa Rosa and Pt Washington make up most of the northern portion.

Smiling JOe

This is what Shelly posted in the thread titled, " "

Walton TDC executive director stepping down
Friday January 18th, 2008

After nine years at the helm of the Walton County Tourist Development Council, Executive Director Kriss Titus is stepping down.

Titus is planning on starting her own tourism consulting company, said Tracy Louthain, spokeswoman for the TDC.

Titus will make a formal announcement at a special meeting on Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the TDC office on U.S. 98. The TDC will then decide on how to replace Titus, Louthain said.

The resignation will take effect on Feb. 15, said Walton County Commissioner Cindy Meadows.

Titus could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon because she was “on the road,” Louthain said.

Titus shepherded South Walton from a loose collection of 14 different beach neighborhoods into one beach community, Louthain said.
“She’s done an amazing job,” she said. “She really came in and took hold of it and took it to the next level. It’s a little sad for us. We’ll miss her.”


************************************************
The source is NW FL Daily News.

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Smiling JOe

Where the eff is Seacape Beach? Is that adjacent to One Seagrove Place Beach? Looks like the TDC left off Alys Beach.

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Sea Sothebys

Does Alys Beach do short term rentals? I wonder if they were left off or just not added. If they don't pay a heads in beds tax, they may not be included.

jodiFL

Seascape (Beach) is the resort near Sandestin. And of the ones posted alot of those are actually "developments/resorts"
Notice this list is put out by the TDC which knows where most of its bed tax $$ comes from. Its not the areas, that used to be or are for the most part, single family dwellings of full time residents that mainly compromise the ones not marked as "resort/Development".

Dave Rauschkolb

No JOe, I don't think it is right to assume that they will not be replacing the signs. I believe this is a powerfully important element essential to the identity of SCENIC 30-A. I don't think we or the visitors should settle for anything less than full redesign and replacement, period.

This well crafted letter from the TDC is an attempt to make it a forgone conclusion that the signs are staying. They assumed (wrongly) that because no one made a flap with the design of the beach signs that they could mirror them and we would just roll over and accept this nonsense all along SCENIC 30-A.

Judging from this thread and most everyone I speak to, this community is not about to roll over and accept this. To say that they have gotten positive feedback from visitors is just outrageous. Perhaps the Montgomery School for the Blind put in a good word.

At any rate, my suggestion is to approach the TDC along with Claire Bannerman, and other community leaders including representatives from St. Joe, Seaside, Alys beach, Sowallers, Rosemary Beach ect... and come up with a cohesive plan and design that fits. The new signs should comply with traffic safety standards and wind loads but should look nothing less than awesome.

One of the most important signs (no pun intended) of a great leader and organization is the ability to admit quickly when you have made a mistake and quickly work towards remedying the situation. I recently received a letter from a SoWaller suggesting we contact the Pier park folks and see if we can sell the signs to them. Not a bad idea really.

I think we all have the creative ability and energy to come up with a win win solution for the TDC and this community. I will pledge the first $1000.00 towards the replacement of these signs; my check will be hand delivered to the TDC Monday Morning at 10:00 A.M. Anyone wishing to join me is welcome.

Dave Rauschkolb
Full time resident

NotDeadYet

No, I don't think it does. As has been pointed out, some of these are more developments than they are towns. I personally think Rosemary and Alys were able to opt out, well, because they were able to.

wrobert

Since this is such a hot issue in relation to tourism, maybe the TDC can find a tourism expert on this area, and hire them as a consultant, to work through what would be acceptable to both the local residents, yet still allow the tourists that can find us from several hundred miles away, be able to find the beach. Just a thought. I still think your best bet is to start personally contacting the local members of the TDC board and put pressure on them to do something.

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Smiling JOe

Dave, I love the passion, but I've attended too many BCC meetings, hence my tainted view. You want to get them changed, put pressure on the BCC. If everyone flooded the next BCC meeting with their input, that is the only way I see a change happening. Given the tightening budget with which they are working, they won't be quickly doing anything. Just my two Euros.

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goodwitch58

I think if one would look closely at this situation, it just might be a consultant that came up with this idea and pushed these signs through...



BTW, Walton GOP, I think your idea of contacting the TDC Board members is a good one; any idea of where to find that list of contacts? They are not on either the Walton County Online list or on the Beaches of South Walton website...at least not so that I have been able to find so far.

I think mass mailings/emails to these folks, to the BCC, and to the media groups is in order. The TDC by definition does not care about the local community: their mission is to market and recruit tourists.....

wrobert

From the county website list of committee members. This is pretty up to date, Tim Norris was just put on that committee a couple of months ago. He also sits on the Design Review Board. Louthain was quoted as saying that these signs went through the process of Design Review, and the DRB were the ones I thought instrumental in coming up with an approved color palette, the many shades of tan, for some areas of south Walton. I work with the guy on a lot of political issues and he is a pretty straight shooter. In the real estate business.



Don McQuade Tax Collector/Operator 11/30/2007
Scott Brannon Elected official 11/20/2008
Ken Gifford Owner/Tax Collector 11/30/2008
John Gillis Tourism Related 11/30/2008
Maurice Gilbert Elected Official 10/25/2009
Mary Jo Tommas Owner/Tax Collector 10/25/2009
Mary Brown Owner/Tax Collector 10/25/2009
Mike Stange Elected Official 2/23/2011
Tim Norris Tourism Related 11/27/2011

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jodiFL

I always thought that the rules of the 3T's applied to the Scenic Corridor..................
TAN, TEAL & TAUPE!

TooFarTampa

Here's a great list of emails. To say it is buried on on their site is an understatement. Here is the link. Have at it folks!

http://www.partners.beachesofsouthwa...ncil_info.aspx

goodwitch58

thanks...buried is an understatement!