Destination Improvement Committee highlights bridges, gears up for Public Space Design Charrette

By DOTTY NIST
Could distinctive bridges along CR-30A come to mind with thoughts of Walton County?
This is a vision of the Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC)’s Destination Improvement Committee (DIC).
Design features for bridges to be constructed along CR-30A have been a matter of discussion for the committee for approximately the last six months. Discussion continued at the committee’s Nov. 5 regular meeting at the TDC office.
For the past few years, Walton County has prioritized the replacement of culverts across CR-30A in the area of a number of coastal dune lakes with bridges in order to improve water quality, plus enhance and restore fish and wildlife habitat and wetland systems associated with the unique and globally rare water bodies.
A bridge project for Oyster Lake was completed last year. Now under construction is a bridge project to replace a temporary bridge and culverts at Draper Lake, funded with $623,000 received from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in July 2014.
Several years ago the county began applying for funding to replace culverts with bridges at five coastal dune lakes along CR-30A, including not only Draper Lake but Big Redfish Lake, Little Redfish Lake, Deer Lake, and Alligator Lake. Funding has been requested both through the Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) and the RESTORE Act processes. These bridge projects are also in place as county priorities for lobbying the state and federal government for funding.
“We’re such a visual community,” said south Walton County resident/committee member Jacquee Markel.
She saw the potential for the design of these bridges along CR-30A to become an important part of the community brand. Markel referenced states such as Vermont and New Hampshire where visually appealing bridges are icons and a draw for visitors and photographers.
DIC member Leigh Moore agreed, clarifying that committee members were not asking for elaborate bridges but just for some design components in connection with the bridges to be built over the next few years. Those should make a big difference, she noted.
Committee member Marilue Maris was of the opinion that each of the bridges could become a destination for photographers.
Committee member Kurt Tape brought up the possibility of the TDC funding the aesthetic components of the bridges.
Moore suggested contacting a Florida company that designs large bridge projects and seeing if they might be willing to provide some pro bono work on the CR-30A bridges.
In September, the DIC had voted to recommend the addition of the dune lake bridges to the Public Space Design Charrette to be hosted by the TDC. To involve residents and property owners, business owners, and other stakeholders, the charrette will focus on defining a vision for public spaces south of the bay, incorporating signage, fencing, street furniture, landscaping, pedestrian/bike circulation, and lighting.
“The bridges got left out for whatever reason,” said committee member Andy McAlexander.
The RAM company, facilitator for the charrette, is scheduled to meet with the DIC at 4 p.m. on Nov. 17 for a preliminary meeting to discuss goals, objectives, and concerns in connection with the event and to plan for workshops to make up the charrette. To be held at the TDC office, the Nov. 17 meeting is open to public attendance and participation. On Nov. 18, RAM is scheduled for individual meetings with local officials, community members, and other charrette stakeholders.
It was discussed that the addition of the bridges could affect the $85,000 charrette cost.
The committee members questioned whether there would be time to get the dune lake bridges added to the charrette process. Stan Sunday, acting TDC director, responded that there would be ample time, as the charrette workshops would not begin until after Jan. 1.
With all aye votes, the committee members voted to obtain cost data and recommend to the TDC and the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) that the dune lake bridges be included in the charrette process.
The recommendation is to be brought before the TDC at its 9 a.m. Dec. 1 regular meeting.
In other business, committee members heard from Melinda Gates, coastal resources liaison for Walton County, about a project initiated by the committee, the interpretive signs being placed adjacent a number of the coastal dune lakes. Gates discussed locations and informational topics for signs to be installed at Camp Creek Lake, Little Redfish Lake, Draper Lake, Oyster Lake, and Allen Lake.
Markel commented that the committee is “extremely proud” to see these signs installed as a result of their combined effort with the TDC, BCC, and the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA).
Committee member Bob Sullivan brought up concerns with some areas along the multi-use path on Scenic Gulf Drive not being maintained. There was discussion of confusion in connection with right-of-way maintenance agreements with owners of property adjoining the path. TDC staff indicated that some owners may have been under the impression that maintenance in their areas would be handled by Valley Crest Landscaping, a company under contract with the TDC for path maintenance and landscaping. Brian Kellenberger, TDC beach operations director, pledged to get in contact with those property owners with the goal of getting maintenance started up again in areas where it has been lacking.
In other discussion, Markel brought up the workshop that the BCC had scheduled to examine options for the TDC organization, including privatization. She asked how privatization, if it were to occur, would affect the TDC volunteer committees. Kellenberger noted that a number of organizational scenarios would be possible. Sunday responded that he would imagine that the committees would continue to remain in place.
McAlexander was of the opinion that the committees were quite beneficial. “It brings more voices to the process,” he said.
A previous workshop set to examine organizational options for the TDC was cancelled. The workshop is to be rescheduled for sometime after Jan. 1.