25 Story Condo proposed in Walton County!!!

WTH!!! NO NO NO!!!

The project has currently being reviewed by the Planning Dept. Please, this is urgent. Tell everyone you know to call and email every Walton County Commissioner and put an end to this before it gets approved.

How this story made only the second page is beyond me. This is Headline news, above the fold, page 1.

How this story made only the second page is beyond me. This is Headline news, above the fold, page 1.

The story was in the NWF Mullet Wrapper on Wednesday:


Developer proposes 25-story condominium near Freeport

FREEPORT ? A local developer is aiming for new heights with plans to build a 25-story condominium off Jolly Bay Road south of here.

At 250 feet, the high-rise would be the tallest building in Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties.

Walton County has a 50-foot height restriction south of Choctawhatchee Bay, but has not set a limit for points north.

The proposal is an example of why the county should set a height limit north of the bay soon, said County Commissioner Scott Brannon.

Brannon suggested about two years ago that the county set a 50-foot restriction along the bay and other waterways in the north and central areas of the county.
County commissioners considered it, but took no action.

Now the first high-rise could soon arrive, and it?s time to stop more of them, Brannon said.

He plans to ask his fellow commissioners to reconsider setting height restrictions north of the bay. Tall buildings are ?out of character? for the county, he said.

?We don?t have the infrastructure in place to facilitate these types of impacts,? he said.

The high-rise is part of a mixed-use project proposed by Freeport-based Jolly Bay LLC on 60 acres just north of the bay.

The project, which has not been named yet, is still in the county?s approval process. It should go before the Walton County Planning Commission sometime in October.

The development includes 55 recreational vehicle spaces, a swimming pool, a 1,500-square-foot camp store, shower house and laundry facility.

The RV area will be built first. Later amenities will include a clubhouse and commercial/retail facility, 1,600 square feet of retail space, 3,250 square feet of office space, a restaurant and bakery, and the condominium.

The 120-unit high-rise probably won?t go up for several years, said attorney Dana Matthews, who represents the developers.

Eglin Air Force Base has objected to tall buildings in the past because they can interfere with flights and/or radar operations.

Matthews said that Eglin has expressed no concerns with Jolly Bay?s project.
Bob Arnold, chairman of Eglin?s Mission Enhancement Committee, could not be reached for comment.

The developers, Walton residents Carl Post and Kim Maxwell, opted to build a high-rise rather than spread out the development and affect wetlands, Matthews said.

?They could have gone and raped this site,? he said. ?That?s not what they did.?

Carl Post and Kim Maxwell must not give a rat's a$$ about anything but their big fat pockets. GREED KILLS.

What about emergency services to their 25 story building? Will Walton county have to buy new equipment for their firetrucks to even reach 25 stories /Sounds like they are already sure of themselves since Scott Brannon said they need to make restrictions now so no others can come along and do the same, as if its already a done deal! Huh! WTH!

LAND rapers. I just love how their attorney points out that they could've raped wetlands but chose no too. Well aren't they just as sweet as sugar? Once again AS IF its a done deal. Wonder how much they've been paying to keep it on the second page of the paper as opposed to the first? Sure sounds like front page news to me. How 'bout ya'll? What was on the f627in' front page?

Carl Post and Kim Maxwell must not give a rat's a$$ about anything but their big fat pockets. GREED KILLS.

If anything, Carl & Kim are a bit late jumping in on the "greed fest" that's been happening throughout the county and state over the last 5 years.

.

They may be a little late but there's still plenty of oppurtunities to destroy the pristine natural beauty of Walton Co., right, and make a big fat $$$ doing it too, agree?

It'll be Seagrove One on the bay. Imagine the downward photo ops! Not!

It'll be Seagrove One on the bay. Imagine the downward photo ops! Not!

I have Google Earth for that. ;-) At 25 stories tall, it will have great views of the RV park down below.

What was on the f627in' front page?

Dog rescue & new birthing center at sacred heart....

Dog rescue & new birthing center at sacred heart....

the feel-good stories. Those are great additions to the area, but this story is front page, above the fold news.

I can't imagine the property owners nearby would let this go without a fight. I don't know what's around there, but doesn't state law require property taxes be levied for a parcel's "highest and best use"? This would seem like it would, um, ratchet taxes up a notch (or 25 notches ) for the neighbors.

What power does the planning department have if there are no specific laws against this? I think at this point it is up to the commissioners to pass that law right quick.

:leaving: Gotta go send some emails.

I completely agree with you .....

the feel-good stories. Those are great additions to the area, but this story is front page, above the fold news.

the feel-good stories. Those are great additions to the area, but this story is front page, above the fold news.

Maybe it was buried because they got scooped by the NWFDN. Not saying it's right, I'm just sayin'.

What power does the planning department have if there are no specific laws against this? I think at this point it is up to the commissioners to pass that law right quick.

:leaving: Gotta go send some emails.

Exactly! If there are no laws against it, the Planning Dept will shove it right up the butts of the BCC, who will pass it after saying, "We trust that the Planning Staff know what they are doing, and we see no reason why we cannot approve this project." Then, the BCC will issue a height restriction on future developments, and brag about what they did to protect WalCo. Send the emails quickly. The next BCC meeting is this coming Tuesday. The Commissioners need to stamp this out before they have a chance to vote on the approval of the project, which will be in October, according to the article.

URGENT!!!! Send those emails, don't stop at just one to each Commissioner. Send one per day to each Commissioner and call their offices and homes daily, and let your voice be heard loud and clear.

I'll help you out for those without much time on your hands. You can use this verbatim, or feel free to add your own comments to it.
Email it often, starting right now!



There email addresses are (simply copy and paste):

scott brannon <brascott@co.walton.fl.us>,
Cindy Meadows <meacindy@co.Walton.fl.us>,
Sara Commander <comsara@co.Walton.fl.us>,
ken pridgen <prikenneth@co.walton.fl.us>,
larry jones <jonlarry@co.walton.fl.us>


Dear Commissioner,
I understand that there is a 25 story project proposed for Walton County, which is currently before the Planning Dept. I urge you to make a motion and vote for the passage of the height restriction, currently on the books for South Walton, to be extended for all of Walton County. This should be done right away, at the next BCC meeting, prior to this proposed 25 story project coming before the BCC.

Sincerely,

(your name)

I just fell out of my chair reading this... then !

Are there any buyers for such a place? I'm not dissing Freeport, but aren't there a kajillion condos for sale in Destin and PCB that have lots of amenities, close to restaurants and shopping, and are on or close to the Gulf?

Other than a bay view, what is there? Oh yeah- a resident would be on the right side of the bridge for a hurricane evacuation.

Done, done, done, done and done.

I just fell out of my chair reading this... then !

Are there any buyers for such a place? I'm not dissing Freeport, but aren't there a kajillion condos for sale in Destin and PCB that have lots of amenities, close to restaurants and shopping, and are on or close to the Gulf?

Other than a bay view, what is there? Oh yeah- a resident would be on the right side of the bridge for a hurricane evacuation.

Quote from the article: "The 120-unit high-rise probably won?t go up for several years, said attorney Dana Matthews, who represents the developers."

Methinks they are trying to get it approved now in hopes of being first in line for whatever "boom" comes when the airport is built. ie, it may never happen (right SHELLY) but they are trying to get it past the planners now.

I wonder if there is a statute of limitations on the planners' rubber stamp?

There is a time frame once a DO (development order) is issued, for the infrastructure construction to begin. If the DO expires, they would have to start all over again. However, notice the article states that they will begin with the RV camp, which would likely suffice as having commenced the installation of the infrastructure, and building an RV camp wouldn't cost much out of pocket.

Thanks for makin' this so easy, Smiling Joe
My letter is sent! Also, btw, I do not know either of the parties mentioned above. For all I know their a$$es could be bring world peace, as someone on this board once suggested to me when speaking of seaturtles and beach vehicles.;-)It was only my opinion on the emotionally charged topic. Otay, buckwheat?

I will definitely write letters. This proposed project will go to the Planning Department before it goes to the Board of County Commissioners. So you need to express your concerns to Pat Blackshear, Director of the Planning Department, as well as the members of the Planning Commission. Her contact info is:

Walton County Planning & Development Services
Pat Blackshear, Planning and Development Services Director
31 Coastal Center Blvd, Ste 130
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Telephone: (850) 267-1955
Fax: (850) 622-9133
blapat@co.walton.fl.us

One thing I can't find online is the contact info for the Planning Commission members. Does anyone have that list?

That is true that it goes to the Planning Dept first, but the Planning Staff just follows the rules, and there are no rules for such buildings in NoWal. Don't let that stop you from clogging up Pat's phone lines, but make your first calls to the County Commissioners.


With Albert Parish sitting on the Planning Commission, you may be wasting your time. He owns much land in NoWal.

I just saw the article and could not believe what I was reading. unbelievable.

jdarg, you are right, there ain't nuttin' there. at least not now. I don't get the RV and/or condo thing in jolly bay.

I do know the owners have tried to sell the acreage for quite some time. perhaps they have decided to put together the DO and sell it to a developer. there is something behind this proposal that we don't know.

That is true that it goes to the Planning Dept first, but the Planning Staff just follows the rules, and there are no rules for such buildings in NoWal. Don't let that stop you from clogging up Pat's phone lines, but make your first calls to the County Commissioners.


With Albert Parish sitting on the Planning Commission, you may be wasting your time. He owns much land in NoWal.

I have found the Planning Department staff to be very helpful.

Does anyone know which particular parcel this is? Is it the old McDaniel's Fish Camp property?


BeachRunner, I know some of the Staff in the Planning Dept may be helpful, but they are going to go by the rules (usually), and in this case, they would be, unless a rule is made in limiting. They are not elected officials and usually bend over for the developer, in some shape or fashion. Pat has stated on several occasions that she is just doing her job within the means of the law, and she points out in some cases that the law is ambiguous. For this project, there is no ambiguity. There is no height restriction on buildings in NoWal.

BeachRunner, I know some of the Staff in the Planning Dept may be helpful, but they are going to go by the rules (usually), and in this case, they would be, unless a rule is made in limiting. They are not elected officials and usually bend over for the developer, in some shape or fashion. Pat has stated on several occasions that she is just doing her job within the means of the law, and she points out in some cases that the law is ambiguous. For this project, there is no ambiguity. There is no height restriction on buildings in NoWal.

I think that both the Land Development Code and the Comprehensive Plan need revisiting to have the best interests of Walton County in mind ... that is, unless the goal is for Walton County to become another four-laned, high-density area like Destin has become. That would make me sad.