By DOTTY NIST
County commissioners, staff and the public recently discussed $6 million available from the state to be used in connection with the U.S. 331 bay bridge expansion project and the new bridge park that is being constructed as part of that project.
The Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) workshop hosted by the Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) held on June 1 at the South Walton Annex was the first of two such meetings, with the second workshop to take place on June 6 at Freeport Community Center.
The June 1 workshop was lightly attended, aside from county officials, county staff, and consultants. with about half a dozen members of the public present.
The $6 million under discussion had been funds collected though the county’s bridge tax, which had been approved in 2012 to pay off the loan for matching funds required from the county for the bridge project. The BCC had voted in May 2015 to sunset the tax after more-than-sufficient tax revenues were available, several years earlier than anticipated, to pay off the bridge loan.
Jay Tusa, TDC executive director, led the June 1 workshop, which included a presentation on the park, boat ramp and fishing pier that will be located under the bridge at its south end.
The park is to be known as Thomas Pilcher Park after a beloved Walton County resident, deceased in 2007, who worked the bay for the Florida Department of Conservation for many years.
The park project itself was included with the bridge project cost, and installation is already underway on timber posts for the boat ramp and pilings for the fishing pier, according to information provided by the state Department of Transportation (DOT).
Tusa told workshop attendees that ideas for projects at the north end of the bridge would be discussed, although it had not been determined whether these funds could be used for that area.
County engineering consultant Cliff Knauer presented information on the bridge park, explaining that he had been on the design team for the park and had worked on the utility design for the causeway.
It was Knauer’s opinion that the south end boat launch was well needed. He said the only good launch in the area for boats in the neighborhood of 26 feet or longer was at Cessna Landing on Hogtown Bayou.
The new bridge park, he explained, would be set up to accommodate 28-foot trailers and boats and F-250-sized trucks with 17 feet of clearance for vehicles.
A total of 17 parking spaces for boat trailers and 72 regular vehicle parking spaces are planned, Knauer continued. He told the commissioners that a 400-foot-long pier was also planned on the east side of the park, parallel to the new bridge. Gazebos are to be part of the construction, with one gazebo to be located on the fishing pier, he said.
“It’s going to be a fantastic facility,” Knauer said of the bridge park.
He confirmed that the park had been included in the design-build price for the bridge, noting that additional features could be funded for the park with the $6 million.
One of Knauer’s suggestions was for more parking for boat trailers and/or vehicles in a 300-foot-long area under the bridge.
District 5 Commissioner Cindy Meadows asked if there would be any chance for a children’s park as part of the facility.
Knauer responded that the challenge for that would be that boats and trailers do a lot of manoeuvring and that it would probably be best not to have a children’s playground in the vicinity of all that activity.
Walton County District 3 Commissioner Bill Imfeld suggested a location south of the parking area for the children’s park.
The commissioners also discussed a swimming area, which could be roped off to separate it from boat launching activity.
Knauer noted that a multi-use path would extend from Chat Holley Road under the bridge and connect with the park.
Looking at plan drawings for the park, Imfeld observed that there appeared to be a lot of additional buildable area under the bridge. He brought up Meadows’ exploration of new facilities for seniors and suggested that this could be a possible location for such facilities.
Meadows asked about the noise situation under the bridge. Knauer said it is not noisy under the bridge now and did not anticipate any noise problem.
Meadows suggested the addition of security cameras for the park and the addition of showers to the bathrooms and/or the addition of outdoor showers for rinsing off.
Knauer suggested a boat wash down area, as well.
Asked if there would be a specific area for launching kayaks, canoes and yolo boards, Knauer said this was not part of the plans but could easily be added.
Meadows was of the opinion that this should be provided separately from the regular boat launch.
“That’s a great idea,” said Walton County Commission Chair Sara Comander.
She asked if anything would remain upon completion of the bridge project of the previously-existing picnic area along the bay on the west side of the bridge.
Knauer responded no, that removal of that facility was part of the project contract.
Comander asked if it would be possible to fund projects on the north end of the bridge with the $6 million.
Knauer responded that DOT had not indicated a problem with doing so, but that the issue might be with requirements associated with how the tax funds were collected.
Mark Davis, county attorney, commented that the county had been told that spending from the excess tax funds would be confined to the bridge area but that recently there had been indications that it could be expanded to the bridge approaches.
Meadows and District 2 Commissioner Cecilia Jones asked if the following would be provided with the park: electrical outlets, water spigots, and wi-fi service. Knauer said these were not planned but should be able to be added.
“I’d like to make this a really nice facility that people will enjoy and want to come back to,” said Imfeld.
Knauer noted that the park would be fully landscaped and irrigated.
. Several citizens provided public comment. The first of those, Danny Copeland, emphasized the need to be able to park and throw a cast net from the southwest end of the bridge causeway as has been traditionally done.
He also brought up the old Bay Grove Store area at on the northwest side of the bridge, suggesting that the area be cleaned up—and parking put in there for access to a “beach” area that parents have long used for swimming with their children. Palm trees are already in place on that property, Copeland said.
District 1 Commissioner Bill Chapman said he had spoken with the project engineer and had learned that a 15 to 20 foot section on the west side of the southbound lanes should be available for pulling off and throwing cast nets.
He agreed that the bay in the vicinity of the old store area that Copeland had referenced would be a good place for swimming with children. Chapman said he had learned that 2.41 acres were for sale at that location. He was of the opinion that the property was close enough to the bridge that use of the $6 million should be allowed for the county to obtain and fix up that property. However, Chapman said that if that were not the case, funding from other sources would be a possibility, including the RESTORE Act or the Triumph Corporation.
Walton County Administrator Larry Jones brought up that the BCC had recently made the decision to proceed with a look at the county acquiring a former bait store property on the east side of the north bridge causeway. This is between Bay Loop Road and the shore. He said he would be bringing an appraisal of that property before the BCC. The BCC, Jones continued, had also directed staff to look at several properties that could possibly be acquired in the same general area on the west side of the bridge. Based on that direction, staff was looking at those opportunities and possible funding sources, he said. These acquisitions would be aimed at providing for parking, fishing, and other recreational opportunities as have traditionally been available in the same area.
Copeland told the commissioners that people want to fish—and that in his opinion parking for fishing areas in the bay on the north side of the bridge would be as full or fuller than such facilities on the south side. He said that it has been his experience that once people get to the south end, they are headed for the gulf rather than the bay.
Administrator Jones said landscaping for the north approach of the bridge would be on the list of items to be presented to DOT for consideration. This had been requested by Commissioner Jones.
Landscaping that DOT has agreed to install in medians and along the roadside between the south end of the bridge and U.S. 98 was discussed. The county/TDC has committed to maintenance of the landscaping beyond the two-year period that DOT would be providing maintenance, and, with that understanding, DOT has agreed to install irrigation and what was referred to as “lush landscaping,” as opposed to less water-reliant plants, rock gravel and boulders.
L. Jones noted that, based on input, he would be taking a list of requested landscaping materials before the BCC that would be provided to DOT upon BCC approval.
Representing the Scenic Corridor Foundation, Leigh Moore suggested a variety of landscaping, mentioning native live oaks, cypress, muhly grass and saw palmettos. “The use of the palm should be minimal,” she recommended, adding that palms would not be a good idea in the area of the traffic light at the south end of U.S. 331.
Moore also suggested design features to “dress up” the interior walls of the bridge.
The Herald/Breeze spoke with L. Jones on June 7 about the workshop held on June 6 in Freeport.
He said that 18-20 people had attended, with good public comment provided.
Jones said that “better news” from the county’s consultant for the bridge tax referendum had been received in a conversation just prior to the meeting. Based on advice from the consultant, Jones said the BCC should be able to take action to define the bridge approach areas (north and south), which could be included as areas where the excess bridge tax funds could be expended.
Jones said the county’s greatest concern is for the tax funds collected to be used in a way that is consistent with the tax referendum approved by the voters.
He credited the BCC for taking care to proceed correctly with the funds—and expressed appreciation to the citizens who had come to the workshops and provided the county with their thoughts. “There was a lot of great input,” he said.