By DOTTY NIST
Walton County will soon consider a neighborhood plan for a 115-year-old community in south Walton County.
Two years in the making, the Grayton Beach Neighborhood Plan is on the agenda for the Feb. 10 Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting. Hearings on the plan have been held before the Walton County Planning Commission and the BCC. The Feb. 10 hearing is to be the second required hearing for adoption.
The plan would apply to the area on the south side of CR-30A bounded by Grayton Dune State Park on the west and Grayton Beach State Park and Western Lake on the east, excluding the Lake Place community.
Stated goals of the plan are to “preserve the residential and historic character of the neighborhood, to ensure the continued stability of this historic community, and to respect individual property owners.” Grayton Beach is designated as a Residential Preservation Area by Walton County.
Building heights for new construction in Grayton Beach have previously been limited to 40 feet above mean elevation, due to an ordinance approved in 2000 applying to the community. The proposed neighborhood plan would not alter that height limitation. Neither would the plan impact the terms of an ordinance approved in 1997 applying to sale and consumption of alcohol.
The plan provides for clustering on lots for tree preservation and for reduction of rear setbacks on residential lots abutting alleys from 15 feet to five feet, per a recommendation from the Walton County Zoning Board of Adjustment.
There is also a provision for nonconforming uses, structures and properties within the community to continue as long as otherwise lawful.
No architectural or landscaping controls are mandated with the plan, but lot owners are strongly encouraged to landscape right-of-ways adjacent to their property.
In the interest of keeping the community’s “Old Florida” character, the plan provides for the neighborhood to be notified of infrastructure development or changes such as paving, road resurfacing, tree trimming, alteration of alleys, or cutting of vegetation. Per request of the neighborhood, street widths and block sizes would not be modified, roadways would not be widened, and drainage ditches, swales, or excessive removal of vegetation would be discouraged along roads in the community. Alleys would remain unpaved and used primarily for pedestrian access and/or access to corresponding residential properties. Use of alleys for commercial parking or commercial purposes would be disallowed.
The plan would limit all rental signs to four square feet beginning 90 days from its effective date.
The plan provides for emergency lanes to be designated as no parking areas in order for the South Walton Fire District to have unobstructed access to Grayton Beach.
The part of the plan attracting the most comment at both of its previous hearings is the portion applying to permitted vehicles on the beach. The plan would provide a special consideration for Grayton Beach property owners with regard to vehicular beach access permits.
Beach driving permits are issued by the county for the area leased from the state on Grayton Beach. Launching of boats is specifically authorized by the lease on this property.
Each year, property owners and registered voters countywide are eligible to renew their permits to drive on this designated area of Grayton Beach and on one in Inlet Beach, and an additional 150 beach driving permits are issued to county property owners and registered voters by means of a lottery.
In addition, the Grayton Beach Neighborhood Plan would make owners of residential lots in Grayton Beach and their immediate family members eligible for one vehicular beach access permit per residential lot. These permits would be nontransferable and would not be allowed to be used commercially. As with other beach driving permits, these would be issued and administered by the Walton County Clerk of Courts in accordance with applicable county ordinance.
Walton County Attorney Mark Davis has stated that the portion of the neighborhood plan providing for these additional vehicular beach permits would require an amendment to this county ordinance.
The hearing for the Grayton Beach Neighborhood Plan is scheduled in conjunction with the BCC Feb. 10 regular meeting, which is to begin at 4 p.m. and take place at the South Walton Annex.
Information on the plan is available from Walton County Planning and Development Services at (850) 267-1955.