BEACH OPERATIONS
Regional Beach Access Updates:
Staff has completed the design and permitting phase for the Scenic Gulf Drive RBA (Miramar Beach) and has received approval from the Walton Co. BCC to move forward with advertising construction bids. Construction for this project is planned to begin in November and will span about eight to nine months. The access will be ready to welcome visitors come summer 2021.
The proposed Seagrove Beach RBA, located across the street from Café Thirty-A, has reached 85% completion within the design and permitting phase and construction is expected to begin next year. Construction is anticipated to span between eight to ten months and will be ready to welcome visitors in fall 2021.
The Walton Dunes RBA (Beachfront Trail) conceptual design plans were approved by the Walton Co. BCC earlier this year and staff is currently working through the permitting and design phase. This new RBA will have approximately16 parallel ROW parking spaces, restrooms and an ADA-accessible boardwalk.
The Santa Clara RBA, located in Seagrove Beach, will begin its anticipated boardwalk and dune walkover renovations starting this fall. The Walton Co. BCC has approved the invitation for construction bid and crews will begin construction in November. This renovations will take about 60 days to complete.
Public Beach Access Parking Projects Updates:
The TDC has purchased four properties to help provide more parking for our visitors and residents in South Walton. Currently, staff is incorporating community input, as well as working with feasibility study experts, NUE Urban Concepts, to help design the best plan per site.
Conceptual plans for these sites are ongoing and will be presented at a later date. The public will have the opportunity to provide input on these sites as these projects develop.
Currently, all public workshops for these proposed parking projects have been postponed due to COVID-19. Updates will be provided at a later date.
COVID-19 Response:
As summer comes to a close and we move into the fall months, Beach Operations crews are continuing to take extensive measures to help minimize the impacts of COVID-19 for visitors, residents and staff visiting South Walton’s beaches.
Crews are maintaining cleanliness on and off the beach by disinfecting all public beach access bathroom facilities and boardwalk handrails with industrial cleaners, as well as removing trash and lost/personal items from boardwalks, parking areas and common gathering areas. Staff is continuing to maintain additional trash containers that were added to all regional beach accesses and select neighborhood accesses for the busier months. Overall, protecting the public and following CDC recommendations has been a priority for the department.
COVID-19 related signage remains at all beach access points to promote and encourage safer practices when visiting South Walton’s beaches, as well as to inform visitors of executive orders put in place by our state and local officials.
Managed Beach Vendor Program:
The 2020 Managed Vendor Program experienced another successful summer season and plans to continue this trend until the end of October. A total of 12 vending companies are currently serving both South Walton visitors and locals, despite the unique limitations this year’s program brought to our beach community. In 2019, the pilot program began at the Ed Walline RBA, Inlet Beach RBA and Grayton Beach NBA and with much success. In 2020, the program was expanded to all regional beach accesses.
Expansion of the program was based off feedback from community members, partners and staff. As the program continues to work as designed, further expansion of the program to neighborhood beach access points will be considered in the future. During the winter months, staff and vendors will collaborate to assess any operational challenges to help improve the program for the 2021 season.
Program Overview
The Managed Vendor Program, overseen by the South Walton Beach Service Association, is now in effect at all regional beach access points, as well as the Grayton Beach Neighborhood Beach Access. This program has drastically reduced the amount of “ghost chairs” and has been well received by the public. With multiple participating vendors, the program has proven to be effective. As mentioned above, discussion to expand the program into neighborhood access will be considered as the program progresses.
So how does this new program work? Beach Vendors all have equal opportunity to participate in the managed vendor program. They have to be a permitted vendor in Walton County; sign the Association’s Agreement; drop off/pick up equipment as needed or store their equipment in the association’s storage boxes on the beach; are not allowed to set up/tear down equipment on their own; and pay a fee based on how many beach sets rented out.
A beach attendant, who is on site daily, works directly with guests to set up their beach equipment, whether it be chairs, or an umbrella. When the guest is done with their equipment, the attendant removes the equipment from the beach. This is designed to alleviate the issue of "ghost sets" or empty chairs on the beach.
The program regulates Walton County beach vendors for beach chairs/umbrellas. The program does not regulate or have any association to Special Event Permits/vendors, (including photographers, officiants), sandcastle lesson vendors, bonfire vendors or the like.
For more information about the program, contact Phillip Poundstone at info@swbsa.org or call (850) 832-8715.
See a complete lineup of South Walton's beach access locations.
Beach Access & Customary Use Reminder:
While there have been changes for customary use of private beachfront property, much is still evolving currently. If guests have concerns, we hope the below information will be helpful.
Things to keep in mind:
What is customary use?
What is changing?
Does that mean I can't walk all 26 miles of our white sand beaches?
Customary Use Information:
Walton County Beach Maintenance Department has been denied access to collect trash on private property by some beachfront property owners. As a result, beach garbage pickup by TDC crews is no longer available on about 40-percent of beaches. That percentage not only includes the beachfront properties that owners will not allow access to or across their property, but in some cases also adjacent properties that can no longer be accessed for garbage collection because crews are blocked on either side by property owners that will not allow collection crews to cross their property. The affected owners were notified. Public Regional and Neighborhood Beach Accesses will not be affected, and garbage collection will continue as usual on those beaches.
CONTACT US |
Visit South Walton 25777 US Hwy 331 S | Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 VisitSouthWalton.com | (850) 267-1216 |