BEACH OPERATIONS

Capital Improvement Highlights:

The Walton County Tourism Department continues to take an active approach to providing adequate beach access, improved parking and transportation throughout the county, as well as other projects that enhance the quality of life. Here's a look at some projects currently undergoing or preparing for improvements.

The proposed Seagrove Regional Beach Access, in the core of the Seagrove neighborhood, will be the 11th RBA when completed. All permits are done and an invitation to bid has been approved for advertisement. Construction featuring coastal architecture is expected to start in early Spring 2023 and take about one year to complete.

 

The Cessna Landing Park Improvements project, located at 1689 County Highway 393 in Santa Rosa Beach, is in the final design and permit stages. The park, with its large Bay access, is popular for water sports and charter fishing enthusiasts, and is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Plans are to add two additional pavilions, reconfigure existing driveways and parking areas as well as new piers for boat passenger loading and unloading, as well as temporary dockage. Work is expected to begin in Winter 2022 and be completed by Spring 2023.

 

The Eastern Lake Road parking project is the first of four projects to develop and build municipal parking near larger public beach accesses. The lot, located at 407 Eastern Lake Road in the Seagrove neighborhood, was purchased a few years ago with the goal of curing congestion for visitors and residents while providing adequate beach access. Plans include approximately 16 parking spaces, 12 golf cart parking spaces, and a bike parking area. Construction is expected to begin in February 2023 and be open for Summer 2023.

 

The Grayton Beach Community Center, planned at the junction of Hotz Avenue and DeFuniak Street, is in the design stage; once completed, the 1,600 +/- square foot building will house a local information station, restrooms, observation deck, and access to our transit shuttle. Work is anticipated to begin in Spring 2023 and be completed by Spring 2024.

 

 

 

Updates on Other Capital Improvement Projects:

• Walton Dunes Beach Access – 258 Beachfront Trail. Improvements will include 14 parallel ROW parking spaces, restrooms, and an ADA-accessible boardwalk.  Status: Construction is expected to begin in Winter and be completed by Summer 2023.
• Grayton Beach Municipal Parking Facility ­- located on the eastern portion of County Road 283 South, across from the Shoppes at Grayton. Temporary restroom facilities, landscaping and sail shades have been added to the area; final plan improvements include 118 +/- parking spaces, dedicated ADA, electric car, low speed vehicle and bicycle parking areas, restrooms, public transportation facilities and connectivity to the multi-use path. Status: Construction is expected to begin in early Winter 2022 and be completed by Summer 2023.
• Driftwood Road Parking Project - located at 76 Driftwood Road in Miramar Beach; plans include a parking lot, public transit and a restroom facility. Design and permitting efforts continue. Status: Design development is at 90 percent and construction is expected to begin in Spring 2023.
• Ed Walline Regional Beach Access / 393 Parking Project - Plans include 83+/- parking spaces, dedicated RV, golf cart and bike parking areas, a public transportation building and restroom facilities, as well as connectivity to the multi-use path.  Status: The project was reviewed by the Technical Review Committee in November and tabled for further discussion on the Transportation Concurrency fee assessment.
• Kellogg Park Project - Located at Indian Woman Road in Santa Rosa Beach, this proposed community/nature center will be a 1,200 -1,600 square foot assembly-style building for nature watching and community gatherings, with access to the kayak launch. Status: Design development with coastal cottage architecture is ongoing.
• Camp Creek Lake Public Access - This Coastal Dune Lake Access project is to be located on the east side of Camp Creek Lake, north of 30A. Status: Design/permitting efforts continue with a preliminary design, and are expected to take up to eight months, with another four for construction.
• Miramar Beach Municipal Parking Project - This recently acquired 4.5-acre parcel in Miramar Beach is to be used for a beach-related municipal parking project. Status: Task order for master planning has not been issued pending coordination with Public Works engineering efforts.
• Headland Street Neighborhood Beach Access - Design and permitting efforts continue with the development order application under review. Status: A community meeting was held in September 2022; construction is expected to begin in early Spring 2023.
• New Visitor Center / Discovery Center/ DMO Administration Facility: Architecture/Engineering for this project has completed final revisions for bidding; all federal/state/ local permits or letters of intent to issue have been received. Status: The project invitation to bid advertising started in September. Bid closing has been rescheduled for Jan. 12, 2023.  

More detail about Beach Operations Capital Improvements, including beach access, existing beach/bay renovation projects and other projects, is available by CLICKING HERE.

 

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:

• Visit South Walton currently maintains 58 public beach access points, including 10 Regional Public Beach Accesses complete with parking, restroom facilities, and lifeguards. South Walton also enjoys additional miles of public beach thanks to our State Parks. The customary use changes do not affect our public beaches, only privately-owned beachfront property.
• A user-friendly interactive map of public beach access points can be found here: https://www.visitsouthwalton.com/beach-and-bay-access-locations
• Many beach neighborhoods and resorts already have dedicated beach areas available for guests staying with them.

What is customary use?

• Customary use is a common-law term referring to the public access of the privately-owned beachfront property. Some Gulf-front properties in Florida have a property line that extends to the mean high-water line.

What is changing?

• Essentially, some beachfront homeowners are restricting access to the dry sandy areas behind their homes. All wet sand areas remain undisputed public property and beachgoers cannot be excluded from these areas. The Walton County Sheriff’s Department will be the governing force for any conflicts or complications that may arise on the space in front of properties now considered private property.

Does that mean I can't walk all 26 miles of our white sand beaches?

• No, you can absolutely still walk our beautiful beaches for as far as you wish. There will still be plenty of space in the wet sand area for beach-walkers to enjoy, and plenty of public beach where access is in no way under dispute. 

CONTACT US

Visit South Walton 25777 US Hwy 331 S | Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 VisitSouthWalton.com | (850) 267-1216