South Walton Parking Presentation

Transcription

South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment Walton County, Florida Prepared For: Walton County Board of County Commissioners Walton County Tourist Development Council Walton County Planning Department Walton County Public Works September 17, 2014 Engineers & Planners South
Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Board
of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council
Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council AVCON, INC
AVCON, INC
Walton County, Florida
Walton County, Florida South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council
Walton County, Florida
SEPTEMBER 17, 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1:
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Purpose .............................................................................................................. 1-2
1.2
Background ........................................................................................................ 1-2
1.3
Study Limits ........................................................................................................ 1-2
1.4
Assumptions ....................................................................................................... 1-3
SECTION 2:
EVALUATION OF COASTAL COMMUNITIES
2.1.
Focus Area: Scenic Gulf Drive ........................................................................... 2-1
2.2.
Focus Area: Dune Allen ..................................................................................... 2-5
2.3.
Focus Area: Gulf Place .................................................................................... 2-11
2.4.
Focus Area: Gulfview Heights .......................................................................... 2-14
2.5.
Focus Area: Blue Mountain Beach ................................................................... 2-16
2.6.
Focus Area: Grayton Beach ............................................................................. 2-18
2.7.
Focus Area: WaterColor ................................................................................... 2-22
2.8.
Focus Area: Seaside ........................................................................................ 2-23
2.9.
Focus Area: Seagrove ...................................................................................... 2-24
2.10.
Focus Area: Seacrest Beach ............................................................................ 2-30
2.11.
Focus Area: Inlet Beach ................................................................................... 2-32
SECTION 3:
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
3.1
Pay-to-Park ........................................................................................................ 3-1
3.2
Park-N-Ride ........................................................................................................ 3-2
3.3
Park-N-Bike ........................................................................................................ 3-3
3.4
Golf Cart/LSV Parking ........................................................................................ 3-3
SECTION 4:
PARKING ORDINANCE CONSIDERATIONS
4.1
Parking Ordinances Recommendations ............................................................. 4-1
4.2
Enforcement ...................................................................................................... 4-1
SECTION 5:
CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 5-1
Table of Contents
Walton County, Florida 1.0 Introduction South Walton County is a beautiful and truly unique destination for visitors ranging from artists, naturalists, musicians, vacationers and those simply seeking tranquility. With more than 25 miles of some of the Gulf Coast’s most amazing turquoise and white beaches, South Walton County has developed into a highly sought getaway that brings together a wide variety of tourists seeking a place to unwind, to dine, to shop, to explore, to sight‐see, to play, or to escape. It is no surprise Yahoo! Travel recently named South Walton County as one of the “10 Best Beach Destinations” in 2011. Unlike many other Florida destinations, South Walton County provides 16 separate coastal communities with each offering distinctly different characteristics for visitors. Approximately 11,000 rental units are available to visitors across South Walton. In addition to the rare coastal dune lake geography and unique ecological communities, art festivals, music festivals, wine tastings, and similar events are the norm all year long and draw tourists from all parts of the country, particularly the Midwest. With the May 2010 opening of the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport approximately 12 miles east of the Walton County line (and a short 18‐mile drive from the east end of County Road 30A), visitors now have improved access to the region. Although many of the air travelers visiting South Walton County utilize ground transportation options such as shuttle services or taxis, many opt for rental cars for their stay. These cars coupled with those coming to the region by driving their own personal vehicles can translate into a significant influx of tourists—and vehicles—into South Walton County, particularly during the summer months from Memorial Day to mid‐August. Per the 2012 Florida Visitors Study provided by Visit Florida approximately 49% of Florida visitors are non‐air visitors. Walton County/Destin has been deemed one of the top five most desirable driving destinations in Florida for the last ten years. Generally speaking, visitors to South Walton County arriving by automobile are one of three types: 


Beachgoers Amenity (restaurants, hotels, shops, etc.) users Residents/Homeowners Without proper facilities to accommodate these vehicles, several issues adversely affecting residents and businesses in South Walton County continue to develop. Primary complaints observed throughout the region in the busy tourism months include, but are not limited to, the following: 




Insufficient places to park private vehicles for accessing the beaches Insufficient places to park private vehicles for restaurants and related amenities Private vehicles parking on private property Private vehicles parking in County‐owned right‐of‐way adjacent to private property Insufficient access for emergency vehicles Page 1‐1 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida Besides the physical damage to privately owned property often resulting from these issues, local residents can also feel their privacy or property rights are being compromised, especially when parked automobiles hinder their ability to safely enter/exit their own property. In addition, these parking issues can introduce related impacts such as increased erosion and pavement maintenance issues that add to the ever‐growing demand for services from County maintenance staff. 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this study is to perform four primary tasks to address many of the parking challenges prevalent in each of the individual communities comprising South Walton County today. These four primary tasks include: 1.
2.
3.
4.
1.2 Identifying and compiling an inventory of the current parking facilities Identifying existing and projected parking deficiencies Proposing improvements that can enhance parking capacity Evaluate current and planned County parking policies Background In October 2013, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) contracted (County RFP# 013‐016) with AVCON, INC. to conduct an evaluation of the current parking system in South Walton County. In addition to the existing facilities, AVCON was requested to evaluate future parking needs and to recommend a long‐term strategy for parking in South Walton County. Unlike recent studies conducted for Walton County which evaluated traffic management and related traffic issues, the purpose of this study is focused specifically on vehicular parking policies as well as existing and future parking facilities. The study was funded by the Walton County BCC with assistance from the South Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC), a responsible industry organization to address issues affecting tourism and quality of life in Walton County. 1.3 Study Limits The limits of the study generally include the corridors along Scenic Gulf Drive from the Okaloosa/Walton County line to U.S. 98, the entire length of County Road 30A, and the portion of U.S. 98 from County Road 30A to the Bay/Walton County line. The study considers parking for more than 50 public beach accesses south of these routes, parking along these routes, and parking facilities along the various north‐south connector routes north of County Road 30A where applicable. The areas along U.S. 98 between Scenic Gulf Drive and County Road 30A, including the Sandestin, Watersound, Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach, are not evaluated in this study due to these areas not having public beach accesses maintained by Walton County or the Walton County Tourist Development Council. Page 1‐2 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida 1.4 Assumptions This study generally includes an inventory and evaluation of the existing parking facilities, evaluation of planning alternatives, and a recommended improvement strategy for parking. The following assumptions apply: 1. No transportation/traffic analysis is addressed in this study. The study is limited to parking facilities and strategies. 2. The study does not include any environmental investigations. Environmental studies shall be considered additional services. 3. The Sandestin area of U.S. 98, between Scenic Gulf Drive and County Road 30A, is not evaluated in this study. 4. No specific property acquisition strategies are developed as part of this study. Page 1‐3 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida 2.0 Focus Area Summary This study encompasses 11 individual focus areas. The focus areas span from Scenic Gulf Drive from the Okaloosa/Walton County line to the Bay County line. The scope covers the parking associated with the public beach accesses located within each of the 11 focus areas. The focus areas addressed are as follows: 2.1
Scenic Gulf Drive 2.2
Dune Allen Beach 2.3
Gulf Place 2.4
Gulf View Heights 2.5
Blue Mountain Beach 2.6
Grayton Beach 2.7
Watercolor 2.8
Seaside 2.9
Seagrove 2.10
Seacrest Beach 2.11
Inlet Beach Sandestin, WaterSound, Alys Beach, and Rosemary Beach were not included in this study. The developments have private beach accesses with limited vehicular access and most of the public parking is located within privately maintained roadways and parking lots. In addition to the areas excluded above, the focus areas only include public parking associated with public beach accesses, and does not include private parking assessments or recommendations. 2.1. Focus Area: Scenic Gulf Drive The Scenic Gulf Drive focus area consists of the Scenic Gulf Drive corridor from the Okaloosa/Walton County line to the intersection of Scenic Gulf Drive and US Hwy 98. The focus area consists of two neighborhood beach accesses (NBA) and one regional beach access (RBA). Walton County has added several public parking areas throughout the Scenic Gulf Drive corridor over the last several years and they have expressed a need to continue to meet the additional parking demands. The three focus areas are as follows: 
Scenic Gulf Drive: Miramar Beach RBA 2375 Scenic Gulf Drive 
Scenic Gulf Drive: Seascape NBA 1500 Old Hwy. 98 
Scenic Gulf Drive: Geronimo NBA 735 Scenic Gulf Drive The Scenic Gulf Drive focus area consists of 294 existing parking spaces. Of the 294 existing spaces, 190 spaces (64%) are located off‐street and 104 spaces (36%) are on‐street spaces. The Scenic Gulf Drive maps (Exhibits 1 ‐ 5) highlight the existing and future parking options for each of the RBA and NBAs. Page 2‐1 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida Scenic Gulf Drive Focus Area Miramar Beach RBA (S): Miramar Beach RBA (N): Seascape NBA (N): Seascape NBA (S): Geronimo NBA: Total Parking Existing
140
50
35
69
0
294
Proposed No Change 75+ No Change No Change 27 102 Total
140
125
35
69
27
396
2.1.1. Scenic Gulf Drive: Miramar Beach RBA (Exhibit 2) Refer to Exhibit 2 for additional detail. a) On‐Site Description Miramar Beach RBA (S): 140 spaces Miramar Beach RBA (N): 50 spaces Total: 190 spaces The Miramar Beach Regional Beach Access consists of two parking areas, one to the north of Scenic Gulf Drive and one parking area south of Scenic Gulf Drive. Together they provide 190 parking spaces to support the regional beach access. As shown in the picture (above), the parking remains at capacity during the spring break and summer seasons. The parking on the north side of Scenic Gulf Drive has minimal signage but remains at capacity during the peak season. The parking on the south side of Scenic Gulf Drive accommodates the Miramar Beach Regional Beach Access patrons as well as supports the parking needs to the restaurant Pompano Joes Seafood House. This parking area remains at capacity during the peak‐
seasons and ranges from 50% to 75% full in the off‐season. There is no right‐of‐way parking along this section of Scenic Gulf Drive. The Walton County line is approximately 0.50 miles west of the Miramar Beach RBA and the sidewalk on the south side of Scenic Gulf Drive prohibits parking along the southern side of the right‐of‐way. Page 2‐2 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida Parking is also prohibited on the north side of Scenic Gulf Drive within the 0.50 mile corridor through the use of “No Parking” signs and landscape barriers. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Scenic Gulf Drive right‐of‐way is 100 ft wide with the roadway centered within the 100 ft width. The section of Scenic Gulf Drive from the Miramar Beach RBA to the Seascape NBA is approximately 0.70 miles and includes a 10 ft bike path to the north and multifamily developments and private drives along the south side of the roadway. There is only approximately 500 ft stretch along the south side of Scenic Gulf Drive within this section that is not densely developed. The Scenic Gulf Drive has an 8 ft sidewalk to the south of the roadway. Approximately 50 ft of the southern parking area is located within the public right‐of‐way with the parking isolated to the dedicated parking lot. The next closest beach access is the Seascape NBA, 0.70 miles east of the Miramar Beach Access. 2.1.2 Scenic Gulf Drive: Seascape NBA (Exhibit 4) a) On‐Site Description Seascape NBA (N): 35 spaces Seascape NBA (S): 69 spaces Total: 104 spaces The Seascape Neighborhood Beach Access services the Seascape community located north of the parking areas. The neighborhood beach access does not include public use facilities, but is heavily used by both the Seascape and neighboring communities. The parking spaces are located along the Scenic Gulf Drive right‐of‐way and remain at capacity during the peak‐
season months. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Scenic Gulf Drive right‐of‐way is 100 ft wide with the roadway centered within the 100 ft. This section of Scenic Gulf Drive includes a 10 ft bike path to the north and an 8 ft sidewalk to the south of the roadway and parking. The NBA is approximately 0.70 miles from the Miramar Beach Access and includes approximately 0.50 miles of public parallel parking spaces. 2.1.3 Scenic Gulf Drive: Geronimo NBA (Exhibit 5) a) On‐Site Description Geronimo NBA: 0 spaces Total: 0 spaces The Geronimo Neighborhood Beach Access services the surrounding community located south of Scenic Gulf Drive. The neighborhood beach access does not include public use facilities or parking, but is heavily used by neighboring communities and visitors. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Scenic Gulf Drive right‐of‐way is 100 ft wide with the roadway centered within the 100 ft. This section of Scenic Gulf Drive includes a 10 ft bike path to the north. The NBA is Page 2‐3 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida approximately 1,000 ft from a Walton County owned parking lot which currently serves two private beach accesses. 2.1.4 Scenic Gulf Drive Demand/Capacity The Scenic Gulf Drive regional and neighborhood beach accesses remain at capacity during the spring break and summer seasons. The parking lots do state that no overnight parking is allowed, but during the inspection period it appeared that the parking lots were utilized for overnight parking. The lots may be serving as overflow lots for the local communities located off of Scenic Gulf Drive. 2.1.5 Scenic Gulf Drive Planning Recommendations Scenic Gulf Drive has a large amount of private beach accesses with a limited amount of beach available for public use. The Scenic Gulf Drive corridor has been developed and very few parcels are available for purchase to provide additional parking within close proximity to the existing beach accesses. The most practical options to help address the parking demand are to add a pay‐to‐park for non‐Walton County residents, the addition of a parking garage, or utilizing a shuttle system through a public/private partnership. a) Pay‐to‐Park Scenic Gulf Drive would be an ideal candidate for parking meters in the parking spaces located within the public right‐of‐way. The cost associated with parking meters is discussed in Section 3. The pay‐to‐park option would relieve the demand associated with the over‐night parking and would generate revenues to help pay for future roadway and parking improvements. Walton County residents and leadership expressed a desire that Walton County residents be exempt from the pay‐to‐park requirement and that public parking stickers be provided to Walton County residents with each of their vehicle registered in Walton County. This would provide a direct mechanism for the visitors to fund the public parking expansion needs throughout Walton County. b) Parking Garage with Associated Commercial/Civic Uses on Bottom The Miramar Beach RBA parking lot area located on the north side of Scenic Gulf Drive would be an effective location for a parking garage. The average cost for a parking garage ranges anywhere from $16,000 to $30,000 per space, excluding the cost of the land. This location would serve as an ideal spot for pay‐to‐park parking garage with hourly and daily rates. The lot would pay for itself very quickly based on the large parking demand in this area. A garage with commercial uses on the bottom floor would make the parking garage more consistent with the surrounding area. The parking options within this area have been maximized and there is currently no undeveloped land within the general vicinity available for purchase to expand the parking availability. This entire corridor would benefit from a trolley/shuttle system to help transport people to/from the beach access points. A common parking lot along US Highway 98 with a shuttle service to help carry beach patrons to/from the beach would help relieve the parking demands significantly. In addition, offsite parking lot having shuttle stops to help relieve the parking burden generated by neighborhood patrons would significantly help the parking situation in this area. Page 2‐4 RIVE
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
PRIVATELY OWNED
BEACH ACCESSES
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
SCENIC GULF DRIVE (N)
0
NO CHANGE
0
SCENIC GULF DRIVE (S)
0
NO CHANGE
0
0'
TOTAL SPACES
0
NO CHANGE
0
GRAPHIC SCALE IN FEET
1" = 200'
North
SOURCE: walton county GIS DEPT., 2013
100'
200'
MIRAMAR BEACH
GULF D
100' R/W
SCENIC
1
KENNY D'S BEACH
BAR & GRILL
FOCUS AREA:
SCENIC GULF DRIVE
MARAVILLA
AVALON BLVD
BEACH RETREAT PL
BEACH
RESORT
SANDY CAY DR
EMERALD SHORES BLVD
OKALOOSA COUNTY
WALTON COUNTY
WYNDHAM BEACH
STREET COTTAGES
27 SPA
CES
MIRAMAR BEACH REGIONAL
BEACH ACCESS
(RBA #49)
42 SPA
CES
SCENIC
GULF D
RIVE
43 SPA
CES
POMPANOS JOE'S
SEAFOOD HOUSE
MIRAMAR BEACH REGIONAL
BEACH ACCESS (#49)
CES
FOCUS AREA:
SCENIC GULF DRIVE
28 SPA
BLUE SURF
TOWN HOMES
100' R/W
CES
NEWMAN DR
SUMMER
BREEZE
50 SPA
ELLIS RD
DRIFTWOOD RD
0.86 AC PARCEL POSSIBLE SPOT
FOR A PARKING GARAGE
DEVELOPMENT
VEHICLE
ACCESS DRIVE
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
MIRAMAR BEACH RBA (S)
140
NO CHANGE
140
MIRAMAR BEACH RBA (N)
50
75
125
190
75
265
TOTAL SPACES
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
2
EXHIBIT NO.:
GULF OF MEXICO
SCENIC
10' BIKE PATH
GULF D
R
IVE
8' SIDEWALK
HOLL
YWOO
D ST
ALVIN'S
ISLAND
100' R
/W
MEDITERRANEA
S HOLIDAY RD
SUMMERHOUSE
TOWNHOMES
100' R
/W
MIAM
I ST
SEACOVE
SEASCAPE
FOCUS AREA:
SCENIC GULF DRIVE
FRANGISTA
BEACH
10' BIKE PATH
DRIVE
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
0
NO CHANGE
0
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
0
NO CHANGE
0
North
0'
100'
200'
1" = 200'
3
GULF
EXHIBIT NO.:
SCEN
IC
2
3
4
PRIVATE
SEASCAPE
PARKING
4
100' R
4
/W
4
4
2
6
2
4
1HC
SEASCAPE
RESORTS
4
2
4
SCEN
IC
4
2
GULF
DRIVE
3
4
LVD.
SUMMER HAVEN TRAIL
APE B
SEASC
4
4
100' R
/W
3
7
4
SCENIC G
4
ULF DRIV
4
PARKING AREA
E
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
35
NO CHANGE
35
69
NO CHANGE
69
104
NO CHANGE
104
North
TOTAL SPACES
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
4
4
EXHIBIT NO.:
4
SEASCAPE NBA
3
VEHICLE ACCESS
POINT TO BEACHES
FOCUS AREA:
SCENIC GULF DRIVE
THE WHALE'S TALE
BEACH BAR & GRILL
EMBASSY SUITES
DESTIN-MIRAMAR
BEACH
AMALFI COAST
RESORT
100' R/W
SCENIC GULF DRIVE
REQUEST PUBLIC
BEACH ACCESS FROM
NEW RESTAURANT
GERONIMO ST
NEIGHBORHOOD
BEACH ACCESS
9
THE CRESCENT BY
RESORT QUEST
9
MONACO ST
RIVE
GRIMALDI
BARBARA R REV
TRUST
MIRAMAR BEACH DR
WALKER
PROPERTIES
INVESTMENTS
S GERONIMO ST
ALAMO ST
SUMMER HAVEN TRAIL
AMALFI COAST
RESORT
9
SUMMER LAKE
8
POINCIANA BLVD
POINCIANA
PLACE CONDO
HW
Y9
BUSTERS BAR & GRILL
WINN DIXIE
SHOPPING CENTER
TRUSTMARK BANK
GERONIMO NEIGHBORHOOD
BEACH ACCESS
US
FOCUS AREA:
SCENIC GULF DRIVE
RESTAURANT UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
ULF DRIVE
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
0
NO CHANGE
0
0
27
27
TOTAL SPACES
0
27
27
North
0'
100'
200'
1" = 200'
5
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
SURF
STYLE
NORWOOD DR
100' R/W
10' BIKE
PATH
SHIPWATCH LN
SCENIC G
AVCON, INC
Walton County, Florida Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council c) Public/Private Shuttle System Scenic Gulf Drive would benefit greatly by implementing the use of shuttles that transport the beach‐going public from the various large developments to the regional beach access points. Historical data provided by various shuttle suggests states a dedicated shuttle for beach access can dramatically lessen the parking demand if local the businesses support the system. The large developments would need to support the effort to help move the people from one point to the accesses, and remove those users from the local roadways and parking lots. Refer to Section 3 for a shuttle system summary. 2.2. Focus Area: Dune Allen The Dune Allen focus area consists of seven public beach accesses and one high traffic restaurant, Stinky’s Fish Camp. The focus are extends from Stallworth Blvd to Emerald Ridge Road along the Scenic Hwy 30A corridor. The parking associated with the neighborhood beach assess points ranges from zero to six spaces, and one regional beach access, Dune Allen/Fort Panic RBA with an improved parking area, restrooms, and several unimproved spaces. The proximity of Stinky’s Fish Camp to the beach accesses results in the parking within the public right‐of‐way near the restaurant to remain at capacity during the seasonal months therefore the private development was included in the inventory. • Dune Allen: Stallworth Preserve 140 Stallworth Blvd • Dune Allen: Beach Highlands 363 Highland Ave • Dune Allen: Bullard Road 127 Highland Ave • Dune Allen: Woodward Drive 5994 Scenic Hwy 30A 5753 Scenic Hwy 30A • Dune Allen: Dune Allen/Fort Panic • Dune Allen: West Allen Loop 5605 Scenic Hwy 30A • Dune Allen: Lake Causeway 5176 Scenic Hwy 30A • Dune Allen: Palms of Dune Allen 4850 Scenic Hwy 30A The Dune Allen area offers the Dune Allen Focus Area Stallworth Preserve NBA: Beach Highlands NBA: Bullard Road: Woodward Drive: Dune Allen/Fort Panic RBA West Allen Loop NBA Lake Causeway NBA Palms of Dune Allen Total Parking Existing 0 6 0 0 30 1 5 0 42 Proposed No Change No Change No Change 19 26 No Change No Change No Change 45 Total 0 6 0 19 56 1 5 0 87 2.2.1. Dune Allen Area: Stallworth Preserve, Beach Highlands, and Bullard Road NBA (Exhibit 6) a) Onsite Description Beach Highlands NBA: 6 spaces Stallworth Preserve NBA: 0 spaces Bullard Road NBA: 0 spaces Total: 6 spaces Page 2‐5 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida The Stallworth Preserve NBA has limited access as a result of Stallworth Boulevard being located within a gated community. No parking spaces are associated with this beach access. According to the county data, the beach access is still available to the public but vehicular access to the access is limited. The beach access was purchased to preserve the Lake Stallworth, a protected coast dune lake and outfall to the Gulf of Mexico. The Beach Highlands NBA includes six parallel parking spaces located within the public right‐of‐way adjacent to the NBA. The parking associated with this access was at capacity during the time of the inventory. The Bullard Road NBA has no parking space and this access is considered a foot path. The Stallworth Preserve, Beach Highlands, and Bullard Road NBA’s do not have public facilities (restrooms or showers) associated with the neighborhood beach accesses. The Beach Highlands NBA does accommodate vehicular parking (six spaces) as well as bike parking. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The right‐of‐way along Highland Avenue, South Bishop and Bullard Road is approximately 64 ft with vegetation extending to the edge of pavement along a majority of the roadway. The driveway spacing ranges from 55 ft to approximately 75 ft in most of these areas. The roadway elevations range from 45 ft to approximately 10 ft above mean sea level (MSL) and there are significant vertical curves associated with these three roadways. The close driveway spacing and significant changes in grade do not promote a safe environment for right‐of‐way parking. The vegetation extending to the roadway edge is also a safety concern in this neighborhood. Section 14.01.01 of the Walton County Land Development Code (LDC) states that, “Nothing shall be erected, placed, parked, planted, or allowed to grow in such a manner as to materially impede vision between a height of two feet and ten feet above the grade, measured at the centerline of the intersection.” The code defines an intersection as a driveway, residential street, collector, or arterial road and the following distances from the centerline of the intersection in relation to street type per the LDC:  Driveway or residential street. Distance from centerline of intersection—50 feet  Collector. Distance from centerline of intersection—80 feet  Arterial. Distance from centerline of intersection—100 feet The roadways do not meet the vision triangle requirements for South Bishop, Bullard Road, or Highland Avenue. In an effort to meet the LDC, the county should consider clearing the right‐of‐way for these three roads to provide the clear right‐of‐ways required for safe access by the emergency rescue vehicles. Page 2‐6 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida 2.2.2. Dune Allen Area: Stinky’s Fish Camp and Dune Allen/Fort Panic RBA (Exhibit 7) a) Onsite Description Woodward Drive: 0 spaces (Public) Dune Allen/Fort Panic RBA: 30 spaces (Public) Total Public Spaces: 30 spaces (Public Only) Woodward Drive and the Dune Allen/Fort Panic RBA are in such close proximity to each other that there is a significant amount of co‐mingling of parking between the adjacent restaurant use and the public beach use. Extensive un‐formalized parking was noted along the Scenic Hwy 30A right‐of‐way adjacent to the Stinky’s Fish Camp Restaurant that extends to the east and west of the restaurant site. The restaurant location is less than 0.17 miles from the Dune Allen/Fort Panic regional beach access. The restaurant provides onsite parking for its patrons and they have taken steps to reduce the beach going public from parking in their lot by requiring mandatory valet parking during business hours. The Stinky’s Fish Camp onsite parking has been excluded from this analysis due to the parking lot constituting private property. The Woodward Drive parking was included due to its public availability. The Dune Allen/Fort Panic RBA is located off of Scenic Hwy 30A west of Fort Panic Road. The regional beach access includes 30 asphalt paved 45‐degree parking spaces in a dedicated parking lot with improved restrooms and public access walkways. The parking lot was at capacity during the inventory period and has been at capacity throughout the spring and summer of 2014. Page 2‐7 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida b) Right‐of‐Way Description The right‐of‐way along Scenic Hwy 30A is approximately 80 ft in width along the Dune Allen focus area. The right‐of‐way is extensively used for parking, yet most of the parking has not been formalized, resulting in erosion control issues and extensive vision triangle issues. The vision triangle impacts are due to vehicles parking in close proximity to existing residential driveways. Un‐formalized parking along the Scenic Hwy 30A right‐
of‐way is utilized on both the north and south sides of the road from Woodward Avenue to Allen Loop Road to support the public beach access. The vehicles park in areas that compromise the ingress/egress to private homes and, at times, impact the bike path. Vehicles park perpendicular to Scenic Hwy 30A south of Stinky’s Fish Camp and as many as 20 vehicles have parked perpendicular in the right‐of‐way at various times of the day. The vehicles cross the Walton County‐maintained bike path and drainage swale. Parking on the bike path and perpendicular parking along Scenic Hwy 30A are prohibited per the Walton County Land Development Code. Vehicles also park along the west and east sides of Woodward Drive. The west side of Woodward Drive appears to have been stabilized with crushed rock and shell and can accommodate approximately 22 vehicles parked at a 45‐degree angle. The east side of the Woodward Drive right‐of‐way has been stabilized with a similar material and this parking can accommodate approximately four vehicles. The parcel boundaries extend to the center of the roadway; therefore Woodward Drive does not appear to have a County‐maintained dedicated right‐of‐way width. The private restaurant owns the property east of Woodward Drive and was utilizing the Woodward Drive right‐of‐way for parking until the fall of 2013. 2.2.3. Dune Allen Area: West Allen Loop, Lake Causeway, and Palms of Dune Allen NBA (Exhibits 8 & 9) a) Onsite Description West Allen Loop NBA: 1 space Lake Causeway NBA: 5 spaces, 1‐golf cart space Palms of Dune Allen NBA: 0 spaces Total: 6 spaces The West Allen Loop NBA has no public parking spaces, one emergency vehicle space, a bike rack, and a small area reserved for golf cart parking. This NBA has no public facilities and the NBA is intended to be accessed via neighborhood foot/bike traffic. The Lake Causeway NBA features five parking spaces within the parcel reserved for the neighborhood beach access. The parking lot was at capacity during the inventory period of late August 2013, with some parking noted in the right‐of‐
way at the time of the inventory. The NBA was at capacity during the inventory period and typically remains at capacity from spring till the end of summer. Page 2‐8 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida The Palms of Dune Allen has two neighborhood beach access points: one on the west and one on the east of the Palms of Dune Allen development. The accesses are not easily identified from Scenic Hwy 30A have no dedicated parking spaces. The beach access appears to be a private beach access, but both are listed as County‐maintained public beach accesses. b) Right‐of‐Way Description There is a 100 ft right‐of‐way along Scenic Hwy 30A with a 10 ft bike path along the south side of the roadway. Ten cars were parked on the north side of the roadway within the public right‐of‐way during the inventory period. The parking areas located within the public right‐of‐way are unimproved and it appears the turf has become less established due to the parking in this area. The right‐of‐way along Scenic Hwy 30A could accommodate a few parallel parking spaces along the south side of the roadway; however, the County would have to improve the parking spaces due to the sandy soils. The un‐stabilized areas result in rutting and erosion in this area. The private driveways on both the north and south sides of the road close to the Allen Loop NBA are spaced 55 to 100 ft from centerline to centerline leaving only 20 to 50 ft between drives for parking in the right‐of‐way. This area cannot safely accommodate many parallel spaces within the right‐of‐way. The right‐of‐way associated with the Palms of Dune Allen is 100 ft in width along Scenic Hwy 30A with a 10 ft bike path along the north side of the roadway. Heavy vegetation was noted along the south side of the roadway. No cars were noted parking within the right‐of‐way at the time of inspection. Typically, vehicles do not park within the public right‐of‐way in this area due to the sloped terrain and limited access to the beach. 2.2.4 Dune Allen Focus Area: Planning Recommendations This area remains at capacity during the peak season. The public parking and right‐of‐ways are at capacity and stay at capacity from spring through Labor Day. Scenic Hwy 30A is located close to the beach in this area and the beach accesses have some of the shortest walking distances to the beach. The demand is going to continue to grow as the public continues to access the beach from the developments north of Scenic Hwy 30A which continue to expand. The County should consider formalizing the right‐of‐way parking, providing additional signage to indicate the closest three RBAs when parking is at capacity, and adding beach access shuttles. a) Additional Right‐of‐Way Parking The 100 ft right‐of‐way is wide enough to accommodate some strategically placed parking spaces with careful vision triangle considerations being given to the surrounding driveways. The right‐of‐way parking should be improved through the use of gravel and/or a pervious pavement system. It should be limited to the areas that will allow for parking with clear vision triangles and will not impact existing or future driveway connections. Page 2‐9 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida b) Additional Signage Additional signage noting the three closest regional beach accesses are recommended at the neighborhood beach access points and should help distribute some of the load associated with the demand. c) Beach Access Shuttle Stop This area would benefit from a beach access shuttle that allows for residents and visitors to ride to/from the beach accesses to central points along Scenic Hwy 30A. Refer to Section 3 for a brief description of a shuttle model. d) Off‐Site Employee Parking Stinky’s Fish Camp and other local restaurants are encouraged to utilize off‐site employee parking to reduce the number of cars parking within the county right‐of‐ways. Providing public parking north of Hwy 98 near Hwy 331 would allow for a central point for employees to park and be shuttled to the various locations. Refer to Section 3 for additional parking considerations. Page 2‐10 LAKE
OUTFALL
LAKE
STALLWORTH
/
'R
00
STALLWORTH
BLVD SECURITY
GATE
STALLWORTH
PRESERVE
W
66' R
/W
Y
30
BA
IR
D
A
SB
ISH
OP
RD
.
R/
DR
.
.
RD
COUNTY
OWNED
PARCEL.
.
D
AR
LL
BU
BLVD
66
'
DR
HW
RTH
1
C
LWO
NE
I
EN
SC
STAL
DU
W
HIG
BULLARD
ROAD
6
HILL TOP DR.
BEACH
HIGHLANDS
NBA #44
STALLWORTH PRESERVE NBA
BEACH HIGHLANDS NBA
BULLARD ROAD NBA
AVE
FOCUS AREA:
DUNE ALLEN
ND
EXHIBIT NO.:
HLA
GULF OF MEXICO
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
RIGHT-OF-WAY SPACES
6
NO CHANGE
6
TOTAL SPACES
6
NO CHANGE
6
North
0'
100'
200'
1" = 200'
WOODWARD DR.
19 SPACES
STINKY'S
FISH CAMP
5 SP
ACE
S
5 SP
ACE
S
30A
5 SP
ACE
S
3 SP
7
HWY
STINKY'S FISH CAMP
DUNE ALLEN / FORT
PANIC RBA
NIC
FOCUS AREA:
DUNE ALLEN
SCE
EXHIBIT NO.:
6 INFORMAL
SPACES
ACE
S
FORT PANIC ROAD
8 SP
ACE
S
30
GULF OF MEXICO
DUNE ALLEN/FORT PANIC
REGIONAL ACCESS #43
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
WOODWARD DR R.O.W.
(FORMALIZED)
0
19
19
SCENIC HWY 30A R.O.W.
(FORMALIZED)
0
26
26
DUNE ALLEN RBA
30
NO CHANGE
30
TOTAL SPACES
30
45
75
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
ALLEN LO
OP DR.
E SEAH
ORSE C
IR.
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
WEST ALLEN LOOP NBA
1
NO CHANGE
1
LAKE CAUSEWAY NBA
5
NO CHANGE
5
TOTAL SPACES
6
NO CHANGE
6
IL
North
0'
100'
200'
1" = 200'
8
PARKING AREA
US
OLE
WEST ALLEN LOOP (W) NBA
LAKE CAUSEWAY NBA
WEST ALLEN LOOP (E) NBA
WEST ALLEN LOOP
NEIGHBORHOOD
BEACH ACCESS #42
RUE
D
FOCUS AREA:
DUNE ALLEN
LAKE CSWY
LAKE CAUSEWAY
NEIGHBORHOOD
BEACH ACCESS #41
EXHIBIT NO.:
OYSTER LAKE
NIC
HW
Y 30
A
LEN
AL
SCE
LO
OP
.
DR
PALMS OF DUNE ALLEN
WEST #40B
PR
I
PA VATE
RK
ING
PALMS OF DUNEALLEN (W) NBA
PALMS OF DUNEALLEN (E) NBA
PALMS OF DUNE
ALLEN EAST #40A
FOCUS AREA:
DUNE ALLEN
PR
I
PA VATE
RK
ING
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
SCENIC HWY 30A R.O.W. (N)
0
NO CHANGE
0
SCENIC HWY 30A R.O.W. (S)
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
0
NO CHANGE
0
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
9
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
GULF OF MEXICO
AVCON, INC
Walton County, Florida Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council 2.3 Focus Area Gulf Place Visitors and locals frequent the Gulf Place community and park in the public parking areas to accesses the beaches, shopping, and restaurants. The parking within the right‐of‐ways was at capacity during the inventory period of June, July, and August. The Gulf Place Focus area consists of three public beach accesses located within the general vicinity of the Gulf Place development. There are two neighborhood beach assess points within this focus area which have no public parking, and one regional beach access with parking and facilities available to the public.  Gulf Place: Ed Walline RBA 4447 W Scenic Hwy 30 A 
Gulf Place: Shellseekers 4201 W. Scenic HWY 30A 
Gulf Place: Spooky Lane 92 South Spooky Lane The existing parking consists of right‐of‐way parking along Scenic Hwy 30A, Hwy 393, and Ed Walline RBA. The proposed parking shall consist of a new parking lot and formalizing the right‐of‐way parking within this area. Gulf Place Focus Area Ed Walline RBA: Spooky Lane NBA: Shell Seekers NBA: HWY 393 ROW (W & E): Scenic HWY 30A ROW (N) Scenic HWY 30A ROW (S) New Parking Lot Total Parking Existing
42
0
0
12
14
0
0
68
Page 2‐11 Proposed
No Change
No Change
No Change
20
No Change
No Change
84
104
Total
42
0
0
32
14
0
84
172
Walton County, Florida 2.3.1. Gulf Place Area: Ed Walline RBA (Exhibit 10) a) Onsite Description Ed Walline RBA: 42 spaces Hwy 393 ROW: 12 spaces Scenic Hwy 30A ROW: 14 spaces Total: 68 spaces The Ed Walline RBA is located south of the Scenic Hwy 30A and County Hwy 393 intersection. The regional beach access features 42 parking spaces in a dedicated parking lot with improved restrooms and public access walkways. The parking lot remains at capacity during the peak season. This RBA experiences a high level of use due to the proximity to HWY 393 and the Gulf Place development. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Scenic Hwy 30A right‐of‐way in this area is approximately 60 ft with a 10 ft wide bike path located on the south side of the roadway. The right‐of‐way parking along Scenic Hwy 30A has been improved along the north side of the roadway west of the HWY 393 intersection as part of the Gulf Place development. There are approximately 12 parallel parking spaces along Hwy 393(W). The right‐of‐way on both sides of the road into the Hwy 393 and CR 30A intersection are heavily utilized for parking during peak hours. The lack of structured parking within the right‐of‐way results in a public safety concern because of the obstructed access emergency rescue vehicles often have during peak beach times. Scenic Hwy 30A right‐of‐way on the south side of the roadway is unimproved and the area east of the HWY 393 intersection is heavily utilized for parking. The distance between the edge of the roadway and the edge of the bike path is approximately 8 ft, which is not sufficient for safely parking vehicles within the right‐of‐way. Typically, a parallel parking space width is no less than 10 ft, and the narrow right‐of‐way results in the public parking on the bike path in most cases. The County Hwy 393 right‐of‐way in this area is approximately 75 ft with a sidewalk for public access along the west side of the roadway. There is semi‐improved parking (crushed rock/shell) located along the east and west sides of HWY 393. It extends from the Scenic Hwy 30A intersection north approximately 575 ft on the east side and 330 ft on the west side of Hwy 393. The east side of the roadway can safely accommodate approximately 15 vehicles parked parallel to the roadway and the west side currently accommodates approximately 12 parallel parking spaces. 2.3.2. Gulf Place Area: Shellseekers and Spooky Lane NBA (Exhibit 10) a) Onsite Description Shellseekers NBA: 0 spaces Spooky Lane NBA: 0 spaces Total: 0 spaces Both Spooky Lane and Shellseekers are neighborhood beach accesses with no public facilities (restrooms or showers). NBA’s do offer bike parking; however, no vehicular parking is provided on site. The NBA’s are designed to only accommodate foot/bike traffic from the surrounding communities. Page 2‐12 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Shellseekers NBA has no parking spaces Scenic Hwy 30A and the right‐of‐way in this area is approximately 60 ft with 10 ft wide bike path located on the south side of the roadway. There is only approximately 8 ft between the edge of pavement and the right‐
of‐way which does not safely allow for parking within the right‐of‐way along County 30A. Several “No Parking” signs are placed throughout this neighborhood to better identify that parking in the right‐of‐way cannot safely occur and the signs should remain for the safety of the public. Spooky Lane has a 40 ft right‐of‐way, which consists of a 22 ft roadway with raise curbs and driveway connections along the roadway. According to Walton County, the limited right‐of‐way width and short driveway lengths results in vehicles in driveways being parked very close to the roadway edge. The limited right‐of‐way width is a challenge for the emergency response personnel. Based on the limited right‐of‐way width, Spooky Lane does not appear to be sufficient to safely provide parking within the right‐of‐way. “No Parking” signs are also placed throughout this neighborhood to better identify that parking in the right‐of‐way cannot safely occur. These signs should remain for the safety of the public. 2.3.3.
Gulf Places Focus Area: Demand/Capacity The public beach accesses associated with the Gulf Place focus areas are at capacity during the peak season during day‐light hours, 7‐days a week. The need for parking in this area is significant and the 66 ft right‐of‐way along Scenic Hwy 30A is not adequate to safely park vehicles without impacting the busy intersections and bike path. The right‐of‐ways remain at capacity, the intersection of Hwy 393 and Scenic Hwy 30A is frequently blocked and emergency rescue vehicles consistently have issues gaining access to emergency situations within this area. 2.3.4. Gulf Place Focus Area: Planning Recommendations The Gulf Place focus area will benefit from the following improvements to increase the parking capacity for the public beach access:  Add signage for the closest three RBAs;  Add a public beach access shuttle stop to better transport the public to the beach;  Add a public parking area north of the Ed Walline RBA at the northeast intersection of Hwy 393 and Scenic Hwy 30A;  Formalize the Hwy 393(E) right‐of‐way parking;  Add parking meters for the right‐of‐way parking;  Add curbing at the intersection of Hwy 393 and Scenic Hwy 30A with no parking signage within a 75 radius around the intersection. Page 2‐13 R/W
Y3
0A
ED WALLINE REGIONAL BEACH
ACCESS #39
FOCUS AREA 3-1
RD
DR
SPOOKY LANE BEACH
ACCESS #38
FOCUS AREA 3-3
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
ED WALLINE RBA
42
NO CHANGE
42
SHELLSEEKERS NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
SPOOKY LANE NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
HWY 393 R.O.W. (W)
12
NO CHANGE
12
HWY 393 R.O.W. (E)
0
20
20
14
NO CHANGE
14
0
NO CHANGE
0
NEW PARKING LOT
0
84
84
TOTAL SPACES
68
104
172
North
10
WA
ED WALLINE NBA
SHELLSEEKERS NBA
SPOOKY LANE NBA
GULF OF MEXICO
FOCUS AREA:
GULF PLACE
SEA
SHELLSEEKERS
BEACH ACCESS
FOCUS AREA 3-2
EXHIBIT NO.:
N SPOOKY LN
DAYBREAK CT
LEISURE LN
S CO HWY 393 20
FUTURE PARKING
S SPOOKY LN
HW
SUMMER PL LN
NIC
60'
SCE
0'
100'
200'
1" = 200'
AVCON, INC
Walton County, Florida Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council No additional parking is recommended for the neighborhood beach accesses. The right‐of‐ways associated with each access are not conducive to safely park at within the right‐of‐way. Adding no parking signage at the beach access and providing additions signage highlighting the closest three regional beach accesses will help deter unsafe parking within these areas. The NBAs should be reserved for foot/bike traffic only. Safety is top priority for this focus area. Formalizing the right‐of‐way parking along Hwy 393(E), adding parking meters for the right‐of‐way parking, adding raised curbs at the intersections, and adding signage to clearly state the penalties of parking outside of the designated spaces are just a few items that can be implemented to enhance safety with this intersection and public parking. Clearly stating the fines associated with parking within an intersection and providing barriers, such as a raised curb, reduce the amount of illegal parking. Walton County will need to have staff designated for meter enforcement as well as ticketing capability to enforce the parking laws as defined by Florida Statutes. 2.4 Focus Area: Gulfview Heights Gulfview Heights focus area consists of one Regional Beach Access (RBA). Gulfview Heights Street is located approximately 0.55 miles from the Gulf Place development. This focus area experiences mostly beach users with minimal usage from private commercial users. Goat Feathers Seafood Restaurant is a popular restaurant located at the intersection of Gulfview Heights and Scenic Hwy 30A,. The beach parking and restaurant parking typically do not comingle.  Gulfview Heights RBA 186 Gulfview Heights Street Gulfview Heights Focus Area Gulfview Heights RBA: Total Parking Existing
46
46
20
20
Total
66
66
Walton County, Florida 2.4.1. Gulfview Heights RBA (Exhibit 11) a) Onsite Description Gulfview Heights RBA: 46 spaces Total: 46 spaces The Gulfview Heights RBA is located off of Gulfview Heights Street. The regional beach access consists of 29 asphalt parking spaces located within the Gulfview Heights Street at a 90‐degree angle to the roadway edge. An additional 17 spaces are located closer to the intersection of Gulfview Heights Street and Scenic Hwy 30A. The regional beach access has improved restrooms and public access walkways. The parking lot was 80% full during the inventory period of late August 2013. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Gulfview Heights Street right‐of‐way is approximately 100 ft in width. A 10 ft wide bike path is located on the east side of the roadway extending south from Scenic Hwy 30A to the RBA. The roadway has public parking available on both the east and west sides of the roadway. The parking is 90‐degree parking. The 100 ft right‐of‐way and minimal driveway spacing will allow for the County to add approximately 20 additional spaces to better accommodate the public parking within this focus area. c) Gulfview Heights: Demand/Capacity The Gulfview Heights RBA was approximately 80% full at the time of the inventory. The beach access is seeing more use in 2014 and capacity will only be reduced as additional signage is added to direct visitors to this RBA. d) Gulfview Heights: Planning Recommendations The Gulfview Heights focus area will benefit from the following improvements to the public beach access:  Add signage identifying the closest three regional beach accesses;  Add signage on Scenic Hwy 30A identifying the Gulfview Heights RBA location;  Add a public beach access shuttle stop to better transport the public to the beach;  Add 20 additional spaces along the east side of Gulfview Heights Street; Addition of signage along Scenic Hwy 30A and providing signage at the other NBAs identifying the location of Gulfview Heights for public use will increase the use at this location. Adding the additional spaces and a designated beach access shuttle stop will help reduce the total number of cars utilizing the RBA. Page 2‐15 66' R/W
4
SCENIC HWY 30A
11
LOCAL CATCH
48
6
20 SPACES
BUDDY ST
10
GULF DUNES LN.
7
6 6
BEA
CH
R
OA
D
PARKING AREA
GULF VIEW HEIGHTS DR. R.O.W.
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
46
20
66
North
0'
TOTAL SPACES
46
20
66
100'
200'
1" = 200'
11
GULF VIEW HEIGHTS RBA
PUBLIC FACILITIES
FOCUS AREA 4-1
3 GOLF CART
SPACES
EXHIBIT NO.:
OLD
GULF VIEW HEIGHTS RBA
BETTY ST
FOCUS AREA:
GULF VIEW HEIGHTS
100' R/W
GULFVIEW HEIGHTS DR.
100' R/W
AVCON, INC
Walton County, Florida Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council 2.5 Focus Area: Blue Mountain Beach The Blue Mountain Beach neighborhood is a popular beach destination for the local residents and visitors to the Blue Mountain Beach area. The Blue Mountain Beach neighborhood recently submitted a petition to Walton County to ban parking along Blue Mountain Beach Road. There are three County‐maintained neighborhood beach accesses and one regional beach access via Blue Mountain Beach Road. Prior to the petition, the neighborhood beach accesses had partially improved parking along the north side of Blue Mountain Beach Road. 



Blue Mtn: Blue Mtn RBA Blue Mtn: Gulf Point Road Blue Mtn: Seagrade Road Blue Mtn: Blue Lake Road Blue Mountain Beach Focus Area Blue Mountain Beach RBA Gulf Point Road NBA Seagrade Road NBA Blue Lake Road NBA: Total Parking 2365 S. Scenic Hwy 83 446 Blue Mountain Road 590 Blue Mountain Road 762 Blue Mountain Road Existing
22
0
0
0
22
17
No Change
No Change
No Change
17
Total
39
0
0
0
39
Walton County, Florida 2.5.1 Blue Mountain Beach Focus Area (Exhibits 12 & 13) a) Onsite Description Blue Mountain Beach RBA: 22 spaces Gulf Point Road NBA: 0 spaces Seagrade Road NBA: 0 spaces Blue Lake Road NBA: 0 spaces Total Parking 22 spaces The Blue Mountain Beach RBA (Exhibit 12) is located at the intersection of Blue Mountain Road and Scenic Highway 83. The RBA has a dedicated parking lot with 22 asphalt parking spaces at a 90‐degree angle with a 24 ft drive aisle. The parking lot is typically at capacity during the summer season. The regional beach access includes restroom facilities and a boardwalk for public use. The Gulf Point Road, Seagrade Road, and Blue Lake Road NBAs (Exhibit 13) are located east of the Blue Mountain Beach RBA. The NBAs have no dedicated parking spaces and were designed for foot/bike traffic from the surrounding communities. Each of the NBAs are located at the intersection of Blue Mountain Road and the cross streets identified in the respective NBA name. b) Right‐of‐Way Description Until recently, parking was permitted along the Blue Mountain Beach Road right‐of‐way. The right‐of‐way parking supported the RBA. With the recent Blue Mountain Beach petition, parking within the right‐of‐way is no longer permitted. The right‐of‐way is 70 ft in width with adequate space for parking in the area north of the Blue Mountain Beach RBA. The right‐of‐way east of the RBA has driveway access points located every 50 to 75 ft which does not safely allow for clear vision triangles. The NBAs are located at the intersection of Blue Mountain Road and Gulf Point Road, Seagrade Road, and Blue Lake Road. The right‐of‐way may appear to have space available for parking; however, as the lots are developed right‐of‐way parking will block the ingress/egress to the undeveloped lots. Scenic Highway 83 has a 70 ft right‐of‐way and 250 ft of the right‐of‐way from the intersection of the Blue Mountain Road to the first driveway connection on the west side of Scenic Hwy 83 is free from driveway cuts. This area would be ideal for public parking. There is also a sidewalk for public use parallel to the west side of Scenic Hwy 83. The Scenic Hwy 83 right‐of‐way can safely accommodate additional parallel parking for public use parking due to the fact that there are minimal drive connections in this area. Page 2‐17 S. CO. HWY 83
70' R/W
8
14
BL
UE
MT
RO
AD
70'
R/W
N.
BLUE MTN. RBA
PA
CE
S
FOCUS AREA:
BLUE MOUNTAIN
4S
SAND DUNES ROAD
3 SPACES
10 SPACES
50'R/W
GULF OF MEXICO
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
BLUE MTN. RBA
22
NO CHANGE
22
HWY 83 (W)
0
10
10
HWY 83 (E)
0
3
3
BLUE MTN. ROAD (N)
0
4
4
BLUE MTN. ROAD (S)
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
22
17
39
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
12
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
BLUE MTN. RBA #36
FOCUS AREA 5-1
BL
UE
LA
GULF POINT
NBA #35
KE
RO
AD
13
OAD
GULF POINT NBA
SEA GRADE NBA
BLUE LAKE ROAD NBA
TN.
R
FOCUS AREA:
BLUE MOUNTAIN
EM
EXHIBIT NO.:
BLU
SEA GRADE ROAD
70'
R/W
SEA OATES ROAD
GULF POINT ROAD
SAND DUNES ROAD
50'R/W
SEA GRADE NBA
#34
GULF OF MEXICO
BLUE LAKE RD.
NBA #33
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
GULF POINT ROAD NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
SEAGRADE ROAD NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
BLUE LAKE ROAD NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
0
NO CHANGE
0
North
0'
100'
200'
1" = 200'
AVCON, INC
Walton County, Florida Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council c) Blue Mountain Beach: Demand/Capacity The Blue Mountain Beach RBA is a very popular destination. The beach access remains at capacity during the peak season. The pristine beach continues to draw the public to this access. d) Blue Mountain Beach: Planning Recommendations The Blue Mountain Beach focus area will benefit from the following improvements: 



Add signage at each of the NBAs identifying the closest three RBAs; Removing the “Beach Access” sign located on US Hwy 98; Add a public beach access shuttle stop to better transport visitors to the beach; Add 17 additional spaces along the west and east sides of Hwy 83 and north of the RBA.  Encourage the public to bike to the access points. Promoting bike rentals and options to get the public from their vacation rental to the beach without the use of a vehicle. Adding the additional spaces, adding a designated beach access shuttle stop, and promoting bike rentals/usage will help reduce the total number of cars utilizing the RBA. Also, the continued promotion of the NBAs for foot/bike traffic access may be enhanced by adding additional bike racks. 2.6 Focus Area: Grayton Beach The Grayton Beach focus area has several areas available for public parking. This community was has two main centers of commercial and public use. The intersection of Hwy 283‐Scenic Hwy 30A and the Hotz Ave commercial area are both utilized for public parking. The local businesses along Hotz Ave have very little designated parking associated with their businesses and they rely on the right‐
of‐way to support their parking needs. In addition to the business utilizing the parking, the neighborhood beach accesses also utilize this area for public parking. Grayton Beach is also known for its vehicular accessibility to the beaches. Vehicle access on the beach is limited to Walton County residents with permits only; therefore, this parking was excluded from analysis. 



Grayton Dunes NBA Ray's Multi‐Mountain NBA Hotz Ave Scenic Hwy 30A/Hwy 283 Intersection 288 Garfield St and 199 Banfill Street 125 Sandy Lane Public Parking Public Parking Grayton Beach Focus Area Grayton Dunes NBA Ray’s Multi‐Mountain NBA Hotz Ave/Garfield/Park Public Parking Hwy 30A/Hwy 283 Intersection Public Parking: Total Parking Existing
6
0
49
Proposed
27
No Change
No Change
Total
33
0
49
10
64
74
65
91
156
Page 2‐18 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council 2.6.1
AVCON, INC
Walton County, Florida Grayton Beach: Scenic Hwy 30A/Hwy 283 Intersection (Exhibit 14) a) Onsite Description Right‐of‐Way Parking: 10 spaces (South of 30A) The Grayton Beach north area does not have public beach access, but the relocation of the bike path to the north side of the roadway and the introduction of many local businesses is putting a demand on the public right‐of‐ways. There are two bike rental locations within close proximity to this intersection as well as state park access. Providing public parking along Scenic 30A and Hwy 283, with close proximity to the bike rental companies, bike path, and state park will promote a park‐n‐bike concept in this area. Changing this intersection from a rural intersection to an urban section by adding parallel parking, landscaping, and better bike path connectivity will further the community’s mission to promote the park‐n‐bike concept. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Scenic Hwy 30A and Hwy 283 right‐of‐ways are both 100 ft in width. The Hwy 283 right‐of‐way is surrounded by state forest on both the northeast and northwest sides of the intersection. The state forest abutting the public right‐of‐way presents a unique opportunity to add new parking with in the right‐of‐way without driveway conflicts and vision triangle concerns. c) Demand/Capacity The parking demand within the public right‐of‐ways continues to grow. The public is parking in right‐of‐ways on the north end of Grayton to patronize the existing businesses and is parking in the right‐of‐ways in the south to visit the beaches. d) Planning The north Grayton Beach area is growing, and by adding parking within the public right‐
of‐ways it will allow for the public to park and use alternative forms of transportation to access the beach and local business.  Additional bike rental options;  Additional shuttle stops and compatibility within the community;  Encourage the local business to continue to support the off‐site employee parking initiative; Page 2‐19 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida  Adding parallel parking in the right‐of‐ways to reduce speeds and promote a more urban setting. 2.6.2
As the areas along Scenic 30A become more urban, a greater initiative must be taken to promote non‐vehicular movements throughout the area. The businesses of north Grayton Beach have also started to support the shuttle and remove employee parking. The urban parking typical section will require reduced speeds and better pedestrian crossing capabilities. These will make this intersection a safer area for the public. Grayton Beach: South Grayton Beach (Exhibit 15) a) Onsite Description Grayton Dunes NBA 6 spaces Ray’s Multi‐Mountain NBA 0 spaces Hotz Ave/Garfield/Park Public Parking 49 spaces Total Parking 55 spaces The Grayton Dunes NBA has two NBAs with shared dune walkovers. One terminates at Banfill Street and the other terminates at Garfield Street. There are six 90‐degree parking spaces located within the right‐of‐way that serve the Garfield Street walkover location. There are no public facilities associated with this access or any of the other accesses located within the Grayton Beach area. The Ray’s Multi‐Mountain NBA is located off of Sandy Lane and there is only a 10 ft public access easement along Sandy Lane. As a result, there is very limited public use area available for parking in this area. The public parking within the right‐of‐ways is shared by the public and private businesses in this area. The public beach users frequent this area and the use of the Deer Lake has increased over the years. Page 2‐20 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida b) Right‐of‐Way Description Garfield Street has a 50 ft right‐of‐way with one vacant parcel. Currently, there are six paved spaces located on the east side of Garfield Street dedicated to the beach access. The street dead‐ends at the beach access and has limited turn‐around capability. Banfill Street also has a 50 ft right‐of‐way with no right‐of‐way parking available. The residential developments have driveways that serve the homes located off of Banfill Street with as little as 10 ft between drive connections. The public right‐of‐way dead‐
ends at the beach access and has limited turn‐around capability. Hotz Avenue also has a 50 ft right‐of‐way and with 45‐degree parking on both the north and south sides of the roadway. The parking is at capacity in both the off‐season and peak season due to the popularity of this community. c) Demand/Capacity The parking within this area remains at capacity regardless of the time of year. The popularity of the community is growing exponentially and the community has already started implementing changes to add capacity to the parking. The businesses have contributed to the local shuttle program to shuttle employees to/from the local businesses. Many have also started shuttling the visitors to and from the local businesses. The shuttle program has freed up some capacity, but the total impacts have yet to be realized as the shuttle use continues to grow. d) Planning Recommendations Adding a parking lot to increase capacity is only a start to relieving the capacity issues in this desirable destination. Changing the overall accessibility mindset for this area is key to preserving its uniqueness. By adding the following improvements, this area can continue to the see the success it has over the last 20 years:  Additional bike parking;  Additional shuttle stops and compatibility within the community;  Encourage the local business to continue to support the off‐site employee parking initiative;  Adding a beach access designated shuttle stop;  Promoting bike access to the local business and beach access points. As the areas along Scenic 30A become more urban, a greater initiative must be taken to promote non‐vehicular movements throughout the area. Grayton Beach has already implemented some of these strategies, but they will need to continue to move forward with expanded bike and shuttle use. Page 2‐21 28
3
Y
HW
UN
TY
CO
S
STATE FOREST
10' BIKE PATH TO BE
RELOCATED TO NORTH
OF SCENIC HWY 30A IN
WALTON CO. CIP
SCENIC HWY 30A
DE
FUN
IAK
STR
EET
GRAYTON
CORNERS
PANDORA'S
BEAU
HOME
INTERIORS
BORAGO
RESTAURANT
LILY PADS
5
ROCK HARD
DESIGNS
RELI
TITLE, LLC
GRAYTON
BAR & GRILL
EX. PARKING W/ 10' BIKE
PATH TO THE REAR
(TO BE REMOVED)
UPTOWN
GRAYTON
CIRCLE
GRAYTON CORNERS
5
FOCUS AREA:
GRAYTON BEACH
100' R/W
TOTAL SPACES
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
0
48
48
10
0
10
HWY 282 (W)
0
16
16
TOTAL SPACES
10
64
74
North
0'
60'
120'
1" = 120'
14
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
TOTAL SPACES
50' R/W
50' R/W
BANFILL ST.
GARFIELD ST.
PARK DR.
DEFUNIAK ST.
50' R/W
FUTURE PARKING AREA
UN-PAVED PERVIOUS
WESTERN LAKE NBA
FOCUS AREA:
GRAYTON BEACH
GRAYTON DUNES WEST NBA
WESTERN LAKE NBA
GRAYTON R/W PARKING
EXHIBIT NO.:
15
6
BANFILL ST.
PARK DR
HOT
Z. A
VE
GRAYTON BEACH
VEHICLE BEACH
ACCESS
COTTAGE ST
RED BAR
50' R/W
HOTZ. AVE
GRAYTON DUNES REG.
ACCESS
GRAYTON DUNES
(WEST) NBA
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
HOTZ AVE. (N)
17
NO CHANGE
17
HOTZ AVE. (S)
21
NO CHANGE
21
GARFIELD ST. (W)
7
NO CHANGE
7
GARFIELD ST. (E)
6
NO CHANGE
6
PARK DR. (W)
4
NO CHANGE
4
PARK DR. (E)
0
NO CHANGE
0
BANFILL ST. (W)
0
NO CHANGE
0
BANFILL ST. (E)
0
NO CHANGE
0
BANFILL ST. PARKING LOT
0
27
27
0'
TOTAL SPACES
55
27
82
1" = 100'
North
50'
100'
Walton County, Florida 2.7 Focus Area: WaterColor The WaterColor focus consists of the Van Butler RBA and parking within the Scenic Hwy 30A corridor. WaterColor was developed under a Development of Regional Impact (DRI). A private developer developed and maintains the WaterColor development and the parking included within the right‐of‐way is included under the privately maintained portion of this development. There is limited parallel parking along Scenic Hwy 30A with a majority parking for this focus area provided through several inconspicuous parking lots throughout the development. These lots are commonly screened through the use of vegetative buffers. WaterColor Focus Area Existing
Proposed
Total
Scenic Hwy 30A Parking 18
No Change
18
Van Butler RBA 102
No Change
102
Total Parking 120
No Change
120
2.7.1 Water Color Area: WaterColor Scenic Hwy 30A Parking (Exhibit 16) a) Onsite Description The Van Butler Regional Beach Access is a public beach access located between the WaterColor and Seaside developments. The parking lot is located approximately 0.15 miles from the town center of WaterColor and 0.30 miles from the Seaside town center. The parking lot was about 50% full during the inventory period of the June, July, and August months. The 102 spaces are conveniently located between the two developments, but signage for the parking area is limited. It was noted that during events such as the WaterColor Holiday market, Arts Quest, and other events additional small signs are placed outside of the parking area. The lighting on the signs during evening events is poor and typically results in the parking area being by‐passed with minimal turnaround capability during high traffic periods. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The urban section provides limited parking within the existing 100 ft right‐of‐way. Unregulated parking within the public right‐of‐way can be a concern when there are events open to the public. The 100 ft right‐of‐way has landscaped islands and does not allow for parking expansion opportunities. c) Demand/Capacity The Van Butler RBA has plenty of capacity most times of the year. WaterColor typically experiences large parking demand during special events. The average season typically does not tax the parking lots within this area. d) Planning Providing an improved parking plan during special events will be critical as this area continues to grow. Adding the following items will further the parking capacity during peak times and events:  Provide event parking plans and shuttle strategies during large events;  Add more signage highlighting the public parking areas within the development;  Add more signage to better identify the Van Butler RBA for public use. Page 2‐22 3
C
I
EN
SC
FOCUS AREA:
WATER COLOR AREA
3
3
HW
Y
ST
LT
A
M
YS
TI
C
C
O
3
B
3
A
30
R/
WATER COLOR R/W PARKING
VAN BUTLER RBA
3
W
0'
10
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
VAN BUTLER RBA
102
NO CHANGE
102
SCENIC HWY 30A R.O.W.
18
NO CHANGE
18
TOTAL SPACES
120
NO CHANGE
120
North
0'
100'
200'
1" = 200'
16
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
NA
TCH
EZ
ST
VAN
BUTLER
RBA
Walton County, Florida 2.8 Seaside Seaside was developed under a Development of Regional Impact (DRI). Similar to WaterColor a private developer maintains the Seaside development. Seaside has a right‐of‐way agreement with Walton County and the current parking within the right‐of‐way has been maximized. Seaside: Public Parking in Right‐of‐Way Proposed
Total
Seaside Focus Area Existing
Seaside ROW Parking: 77
No Change
77
Total Parking 77
No Change
77
2.8.1. Seaside: Public Parking in Right‐of‐Way (Exhibit 17) a) Onsite/Right‐of‐Way Description The Seaside right‐of‐way parking has been maximized based on the existing roadway connections and driveway locations. The parking within Seaside is privately maintained and was not included in this study. The Seaside right‐of‐way access was outlined in a right‐of‐way agreement between Walton County and Seaside. b) Demand/Capacity The right‐of‐way parking remains at capacity during most times of the year. Bike use has increased in this area significantly. Fewer visitors are driving and more are biking. Seaside contributed to the Sunshine Turtle Express shuttle program starting in May 2014 by adding a shuttle stop at Seaside. The Seaside community encouraged visitors and business patrons to use public transit. They implemented an employee shuttle program in 2013 and 2014 during the spring and summer seasons. This should start to add capacity to the already taxed infrastructure, but the results will not be quantifiable until after the system has been in operation longer. Seaside is going into their second year of requiring employees to park offsite in remote locations and utilize the contracted shuttling services. Capacity was better last year and is expected to improve this year as that initiative continues. c) Seaside: Planning Recommendations The Seaside community has been growing in popularity each year since the early 1980’s. This community is continually growing and the demand for parking grows with it each year. They have already started implementing strategies to add capacity to both their roadways and parking infrastructure, but those efforts need to continue and be expanded upon each year.  Require all employees to park remotely and utilize the shuttle service to/from local business;  Encourage visitors staying at Seaside to utilize the shuttle system to access the local businesses, restaurants, and beaches.  Provide better signage identifying the Van Butler RBA and other available public parking areas in the vicinity of Seaside. Page 2‐23 GR
AYT
ST
RESIDENTIAL AREAS
CONSIDERED
PRIVATE NO PARKING
OD
ESS
AS
T
NA
TCH
EZ
ST
ON
7
SC
PUBLIC
PARKING
EN
IC H
7
WY
30A
7
3
70'
R/W
6
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
77
NO CHANGE
77
0
NO CHANGE
0
77
NO CHANGE
77
EXHIBIT NO.:
PARKING AREA
North
0'
100'
200'
1" = 200'
SEASIDE R/W PARKING
Y
7
17
ST
3
TOTAL SPACES
FOCUS AREA:
SEASIDE
T
8
ROBERTS WA
PARKING ON SOUTH SIDE OF 30A
LIMITED TO LOADING/UNLOADING
AND RESIDENTIAL/PRIVATE DRIVES
ELO
8
TUP
8
AH
S
3
NN
30A
SA
VA
WY
US
IC H
KIN
EN
ER
SC
ST
10
AVCON, INC
Walton County, Florida Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council 2.9 Seagrove Seagrove is the largest focus area within the study area. This focus area consists of 23 neighborhood beach accesses and one regional beach access. The total parking within this focus area is very limited; yet this area covers the largest amount of mileage along Scenic Hwy 30A. The focus area is so large, it is split into four areas of assessment for evaluation: Seagrove Area 1 (Exhibits 18 & 19)  Seagrove: Dogwood/Thyme NBA 2560 E Scenic HWY 30A  Seagrove: Hickory NBA 2624 E Scenic HWY 30A  Seagrove: Live Oak NBA 2680 E Scenic HWY 30A South end of Nightcap Street  Seagrove: Nightcap Street NBA  Seagrove: Highway 395 NBA 2790 E Scenic HWY 30A  Seagrove: Holly NBA 2845 E Scenic HWY 30A  Seagrove: Azalea/Camelia NBA 2920 E Scenic HWY 30A  Seagrove: Gardenia NBA 3020 E Scenic HWY 30A  Seagrove: Headland Avenue NBA 30 Montgomery Street  Seagrove: Greenwood NBA 118 Montgomery Street  Seagrove: Andalusia NBA 52 S. Andalusia Street  Seagrove: Dothan Avenue NBA Intersection of Dothan and Montgomery Street Seagrove Area 2 (Exhibits 20, 21, & 22)  Seagrove: San Juan NBA 3458 E Scenic Hwy 30A  Seagrove: Santa Clara RBA 3468 E Scenic Hwy 30A  Seagrove: Montego Avenue Bay NBA 3512 E Scenic Hwy 30A  Seagrove: Pelayo NBA 3576 E Scenic Hwy 30A  Seagrove: Campbell Street NBA 3694 E Scenic Hwy 30A  Seagrove: Beachwood Villas NBA 3874 E. Scenic Hwy 30A  Seagrove: One Seagrove NBA 57 Seagrove Place Seagrove Area 3 (Exhibit 23) 679 Eastern Lake Road  Seagrove: Ramsgate NBA  Seagrove: Eastern Lake NBA 491 Eastern Lake Road Seagrove Area 4 (Exhibit 24 & 25)  Seagrove: Port Property NBA 188 San Roy Road  Seagrove: Sugar Dunes NBA 11 Beachside Drive 258 Beachfront Trail  Seagrove: Walton Dunes RBA Seagrove Parking Summary: Seagrove Area Seagrove: Area 1 Seagrove: Area 2 Seagrove: Area 3 Seagrove: Area 4 Total Parking Existing
20
82
0
16
118
15
4
10
25
54
Total
35
86
10
41
172
Walton County, Florida 2.9.1. Seagrove: Area 1 (Exhibits 18 & 19) Seagrove Area 1 consists of a large cluster of neighborhood beach accesses west and east of Hwy 395. The NBAs do not have parking associated with them. Right‐of‐way parking in this area is limited due to the road’s proximity to the existing houses and business. Most of the NBAs are 10 ft easements between private residences and businesses. a) Onsite Description Seagrove: Dogwood/Thyme NBA 0 spaces Seagrove: Hickory NBA 0 spaces Seagrove: Live Oak NBA 0 spaces Seagrove: Nightcap Street NBA 0 spaces Seagrove: Highway 395 NBA 20 spaces Seagrove: Holly NBA 0 spaces Seagrove: Azalea/Camelia NBA 0 spaces Seagrove: Gardenia NBA 0 spaces Seagrove: Headland Avenue NBA 0 spaces 0 spaces Seagrove: Greenwood NBA Seagrove: Andalusia NBA 0 spaces Seagrove: Dothan Avenue NBA 0 spaces Total Parking: 20 Spaces There is no onsite parking available for these neighborhood beach access points. During the time of inspection there was no right‐of‐way parking occurring within this general area. Recently parking has been added to east side of Hwy 395 to support the local business and beach access within this area. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Scenic Hwy 30A right‐of‐way width is 70 ft along this corridor. The bike path is located on the north side of the roadway and the private driveway spacing is approximately every 40 to 60 ft. The right‐of‐way width coupled with the driveway and roadway geometry does not allow for parking to safely occur within the right‐of‐way. The Hwy 395 right‐of‐way is also 70 ft. The eastern side of CR 395 was just recently improved by a private business owner who added approximately 10 spaces to an area that was in need of expanded parking. c) Planning Recommendations Currently, the only area feasible for adding parking is along east side of Hwy 395. The beach access points are neighborhood beach accesses and are intended to be accessible through foot/bike traffic only. The recent addition of 10 spaces on the northeast corner of Hwy 395 and Scenic Hwy 30A has increased vehicular access to the NBAs. The following improvements are recommended to provide better access to the NBAs in this area:  Encourage businesses to park employees off‐site and utilize the shuttle service;  Provide more advertising about the existing shuttle stops at the intersection of Hwy 395 and Scenic Hwy 30A;  Add additional parking along Hwy 395; Page 2‐25 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida  Add a beach access shuttle stop to service this general area;  Provide signage at each NBA identifying the three closest RBAs. 2.9.2
Seagrove: Area 2 (Exhibits 20, 21, & 22) a) Onsite Description San Juan NBA: 16 spaces Santa Clara RBA: 35 spaces (South of Scenic Hwy 30A) 31 spaces (North of Scenic Hwy 30A) Montego NBA: 0 spaces Pelayo NBA: 0 spaces Campbell Street NBA: 0 spaces Beachwood Villas NBA: 0 spaces One Seagrove Place NBA: 0 Spaces Total Spaces: 82 spaces The San Juan NBA (Exhibit 20) is located off of San Juan Ave south of Scenic Hwy 30. The parking lot has 16 asphalt 90‐degree parking spaces with two loading/emergency spaces reserved for emergency personnel. The drive aisles are standard 24 ft wide asphalt paved drives. The beach access includes restroom facilities for beachgoers and a boardwalk for better access to the beach. The Santa Clara RBA (Exhibit 20) is located off of Santa Clara Street with parking located on both the north and south of Scenic Hwy 30A along the Santa Clara Street right‐of‐
way. The parking spaces located on the south side of Santa Clara Street are located in a dedicated lot. The spaces are 90‐degree asphalt parking spaces with 24 ft drive aisle. The spaces are located adjacent to public use facilities and a boardwalk. The parking located on the north side of Santa Clara Street is located off of the public use right‐of‐way and includes 90‐degree asphalt paved spaces. The parking spaces were recently constructed by the Walton County Tourist Development Council. The current parking configuration along the north side of does not comply with the Walton County Land Development Code landscaping requirement which requires landscape islands between every 10 continuous spaces. The Montego and Pelayo Avenue NBAs (Exhibit 20) currently have no improvements and are both footpath beach accesses. The Campbell Street NBA (Exhibit 21) has no parking spaces associated with the public beach access. The beach access is located through a public easement that is accessible via a drive along the eastern side of the Beachside townhome development. The boardwalk is located parallel to a private beach access boardwalk. Page 2‐26 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida The Beachwood Villas NBA (Exhibit 21) is located off of Scenic Hwy 30A west of the Legacy Condo development. The NBA includes a boardwalk for public access with a bike rack available for bike parking only. The One Seagrove Place NBA (Exhibit 22) is located east of the One Seagrove Place condominium and on the south end of One Seagrove Place Drive south of Scenic Hwy 30A. The right‐of‐way for One Seagrove Place is 50 ft. b) Right‐of‐Way Description Scenic Hwy 30A has a 70 ft wide right‐of‐way with a 24 ft wide roadway and a 10 ft wide bike path south of the roadway. The Scenic Corridor Development Guidelines within the Walton County Code of Ordinances prohibit parking within the Scenic Hwy 30A corridor unless the parking is placed along the sections of Scenic Hwy 30A that are designed as “town” sections. This area does not have a “town” designation; therefore there is no parking within the right‐of‐way. There is a privately owned parcel at the corner of Montego and Scenic Hwy 30A where cars park perpendicular to Scenic Hwy 30A and back into the right‐of‐way upon exiting which is specifically prohibited in the Walton County Ordinances. This area could be reassessed to formalize a parallel parking concept, which could in turn provide parking to support the Montego and Pelayo NBA accesses. c) Planning The Montego parcel is an ideal parcel to add a small beach access. The county records indicate the parcel is owned by Walton County, but the community disputes the ownership of the parcel. Prior to formalizing recommendations for this parcel, we recommend that the ownership of this parcel be confirmed.  Confirm ownership of Montego Avenue parcel;  Add four parking spaces along Scenic Hwy 30A to support the Pelayo and Montego footpaths;  Provide better signage to identify the San Juan and Santa Clara beach access points;  Add additional signage at the NBA locations identifying the closest three RBA locations.  Add a beach access shuttle stop at the Santa Clara RBA. Page 2‐27 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
AVCON, INC
Walton County, Florida Seagrove: Area 3 (Exhibit 23) a) Onsite Description Ramsgate NBA: 0 spaces Eastern Lake NBA: 0 spaces Total: 0 spaces The Ramsgate NBA (Exhibit 23) is located at the end of Easter Lake Road. There are no dedicated parking spaces associated with the beach access, but the access includes bike parking and an improved boardwalk. The Eastern Lake NBA (Exhibit 23) includes a bike rack, improved boardwalk, and partially improved right‐of‐way with un‐formalized parking on the south side of Eastern Lake Road. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Eastern Lake roadway right‐of‐way width is 66 ft and the parking area is partially stabilized with a lime rock or crushed aggregate base material. The partially stabilized parking area is approximately 230 ft in length and, if improved to meet Walton County standards, approximately ten parallel parking spaces could be accommodated at the Eastern Lake NBA. Approximately the last 1,200 ft of Eastern Lake Road does not have an established right‐
of‐way and the road appears to be located within an easement associated with the adjacent parcels. The lack of dedicated right‐of‐way would make it difficult to add parking for at the Ramsgate NBA. c) Demand/Capacity These NBAs are utilized heavily by the local community. The bike traffic to the Eastern Lake NBA was much higher than most of the other NBAs at the time of inspection. Vehicular parking was limited to the right‐of‐way and there was remaining capacity within the right‐of‐way at the time of inspection. d) Planning Recommendations: The Eastern Lake and Ramsgate NBAs are primarily frequented by foot/bike traffic. We would recommend the following to increase capacity in this area:  Add ten parallel parking spaces along Eastern Lake Road to support Eastern Lake NBA;  Add additional signage at the NBA locations identifying the closest three RBA locations.  Add additional bike racks at the Eastern Lake NBA. Page 2‐28 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
AVCON, INC
Walton County, Florida Seagrove Area 4 (Exhibit 24 & 25) a) Onsite Description/ Right‐of‐Way Description Port Property NBA: 0 spaces Sugar Dunes NBA: 0 spaces Walton Dunes NBA: 16 spaces Total: 16 spaces The Port Property NBA (Exhibit 24) is limited to a vehicular access point. There are no dune walk‐overs, or boardwalks for this beach access. There is no public parking available as well. The Sugar Dunes NBA (Exhibit 24) includes a dune walk‐over/boardwalk with no parking. The NBA is accessible from Beachside Drive, which is a privately maintained roadway on an access easement with no dedicated right‐of‐way. The Walton Dunes NBA (Exhibit 25) does not include any parking on site, but does have a parking lot available for public use approximately 880 ft from the beach access as highlighted in Exhibit 25 The parcel is owned by Walton County and is zoned for a public park. The beach access does not include any amenities, but has approximately 334 ft of roadway frontage. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Sugar Dunes roadway right‐of‐way is not feasible for the addition of right‐of‐way parking due to the lack of public right‐of‐way and the proximity to the protected dune systems northwest of the site. The San Roy Road right‐of‐way is approximately 33 ft in width and is not large enough to accommodate parking within the right‐of‐way. The Beachfront Trail right‐of‐way is approximately 75 ft in width. The Walton County‐
owned parcel is located south of the roadway and the county has had rights to the parcel to the north for a parking lot development in the past. The parcel to the north of the roadway is privately owned and would require an agreement from the current owners prior to developing on the site. c) Demand/Capacity The neighborhood beach accesses experience high demands during the peak season. Seagrove Beach only has one regional beach access and Walton County owns a large parcel associated with the Walton Dunes NBA. This location appears to be an ideal place for a small regional beach access. Seagrove Beach has the largest population of all the focus areas. The parcel is limited by the coastal dune line and can support approximately 25 parking spaces along with restrooms and shower facilities. d) Planning The Walton County‐owned parcel would be ideal for accommodating a new parking lot on the site with heavy native vegetation and sidewalks. The right‐of‐way width is Page 2‐29 T
ST
ME
S
RY
EO
AK
NIC
HWY 395 NBA
#25
HWY
30A
INGH
AM S
T
HOLLY NBA
#24
MON
TGO
GARDENIA
NBA #22
AZALEA NBA
#23
DOGWOOD, HICKORY,
LIVE OAK, NIGHTCAP,
HWY 395, HOLLY, AZALEA,
GARDENIA, HEADLAND
ST
SCE
BIRM
FOCUS AREA:
SEAGROVE
NIGHTCAP
NBA #26
HEADLAND AVE
LIVE OAK NBA
#27
DEN
DOGWOOD/
THYME NBA #29
WHISKEY
BRAVO
COWGIRL
KITCHEN
CAM
ELIA
AZA
HICKORY
NBA #28
GAR
9
ST
V
ST
THE
LEA
30A
7
HOL
LY
ST
WY
S.
IC H
1
4
70'
R/W
EN
CO
.H
WY
AP
S
LIV
SC
395
T
7
NIG
HT
C
HIC
ST
KO
T HY
7
MER
Y ST
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
HWY 395 R.O.W. (E)
20
15
35
HWY 395 R.O.W. (W)
0
NO CHANGE
0
DOGWOOD THYME NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
HICKORY NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
LIVE OAK NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
NIGHT CAP NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
HWY 395 NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
HOLLY NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
AZALEA NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
GARDENIA NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
HEADLAND NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
North
TOTAL SPACES
20
15
35
0'
100'
200'
1" = 200'
18
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
HEADLAND NBA (COULD
NOT FIELD LOCATE)
ERY
ST
PERIWINKLE LN
GREENWOOD
NBA #21
19
OM
GREENWOOD NBA
ANDALUSIA NBA
DOTHAN NBA
NTG
30A
FOCUS AREA:
SEAGROVE
MO
NIC
HW
Y
EXHIBIT NO.:
70' R
/W
SCE
ANDALUSIA NBA
DOTHAN NBA
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
0
NO CHANGE
0
0
NO CHANGE
0
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
60' R/W
SANTA CLARA ST
60' R/W
FOCUS AREA:
SEAGROVE
SANTA CLARA RBA
MONTIGO NBA
PELAYO NBA
20
PL
SAN JUAN NBA
16 SPACES (EX.)
MONTEGO NBA
0 SPACES (EX.)
4 SPACES (PR.)
CRYSTAL CT
PELAYO AVE
VE
RO
G
LE
MB
70'
A
BR
35
30A
R/W
NIC
HW
Y
HIDDEN BEACH VILLAS
HIDDEN BEACH VILLAS
WA
LK
SCE
EXHIBIT NO.:
30' R/W
CIR
17SPACES (EX.)
14 SPACES (EX.)
SEA
SAN JUAN AVE
SAN JUAN AVE
80' R/W
PELAYO NBA
0 SPACES
SANTA CLARA RBA
35 SPACES (EX.)
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
SAN JUAN NBA
16
NO CHANGE
16
SANTA CLARA RBA
35
NO CHANGE
35
SANTA CLARA ST. - MONTIGO
31
0
31
MONTIGO NBA
0
4
4
TOTAL SPACES
82
4
86
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
30A
BEACHWOOD
VILLAS NBA
CAMPBELL ST. NBA
BEACHWOOD VILLAS NBA
WY
SUGAR SAND LN
NIC
H
FOCUS AREA:
SEAGROVE
SOMERSET BRIDGE RD
70'
R/W
EMERALD HILL
CAMPBELL ST
SCE
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
0
NO CHANGE
0
0
NO CHANGE
0
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
21
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
CAMPBELL ST
NBA
SANDALWOOD
LN
CIRC
WAY
YRT
LE
DR
SINE
N. M
CAS
ROBERT ELLIS ST
MAKO DR
PALMEIRA WAY
CASSINE GARDEN
HW
CYP
R
GR
O
VE
GU
LF
PIN
EL
FOCUS AREA:
SEAGROVE
N
LN
ONE SEAGROVE
ONE SEAGROVE NBA
ESS
NATURE WAY
Y3
0A
R/W
SEAGROVE PL
NIC
75'
SCE
ONE SEGROVE
NBA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
0
NO CHANGE
0
0
NO CHANGE
0
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
22
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
GULF OF MEXICO
CAMELOT AVE
S. GULF DR
DALTON DR
FOCUS AREA:
SEAGROVE
10
EASTERN LAKE RD
RAMSGATE
NBA
EASTERN
LAKE NBA
RAMSGATE NBA
EASTERN LAKE NBA
CHELSEA LOOP
LAK
ER
D
WILLIAM ST
R/W
70'
ERN
S. RYAN ST
MELODIA LN
EAS
T
COUNTY OWNED
PARCEL
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
EASTERN LAKE RD R.O.W. (N)
0
NO CHANGE
0
EASTERN LAKE RD R.O.W. (S)
0
10
10
0
10
10
TOTAL SPACES
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
23
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
GULF OF MEXICO
BEACH SIDE DR
30' R/W
SAN ROY
RD
PORT
PROPERTY NBA
SUGAR DUNES
NBA
PORT PROPERTY NBA
SUGAR DUNES NBA
FOCUS AREA:
SEAGROVE
BEACHSIDE
SUGAR DUNES
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
SAN ROY RD. R.O.W.
0
NO CHANGE
0
BEACH SIDE DR. R.O.W.
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
0
NO CHANGE
0
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
24
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
GULF OF MEXICO
66' R/W
30' R/W
WALTON DUNES NBA
FOCUS AREA:
SEAGROVE
EX. TDC
PARKING LOT
16 SPACES
3
3
SEAWIND
3
4
3 BEACH FRONT
S CT
TRAIL
9
COUNTY OWNED
PROPERTY
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
TDC PARKING LOT
16
NO CHANGE
16
LAKEWOOD VBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
WALTON DUNES RBA
0
25
25
TOTAL SPACES
16
25
41
North
0'
100'
200'
1" = 200'
25
WALTON DUNES
REGIONAL BEACH
ACCESS
EXHIBIT NO.:
LAKEWOOD VEHICLE
BEACH ACCESS
Walton County, Florida adequate to accommodate parking, but it may be preferable to develop parking on the County‐owned parcel and stabilize the existing roadway. Walton County may consider the following improvements for this focus area:  Add a Regional Beach Access at the Walton Dunes NBA;  Add signage identifying the Walton Dunes TDC parking area;  Add signage at the local NBA locations highlighting the closest three regional beach accesses. 2.10
Focus Area: Seacrest Beach The Seacrest Beach focus area consists of three neighborhood beach accesses and no regional beach access points. This area is the most underserved areas within the study limits from a public parking and beach access perspective. 


Gulf Lakes Beach Estates NBA 8040 E. Scenic HWY 30A Sea Breeze NBA 8286 E Scenic HWY 30A Seacrest Beach NBA 8520 E. Scenic HWY 30A Seacrest Beach Parking Summary: Seacrest Beach Area Existing
Proposed
Total
Gulf Lakes Beach Estates NBA 0
No Change
0
Sea Breeze NBA 0
12
12
Seacrest Beach NBA 0
8
8
Total Parking 0
20
20
2.10.1. Seacrest Beach: Gulf Lakes Beach Estates (Exhibit 26) a) Onsite Description Gulf Lakes Beach Estates NBA 0 spaces Sea Breeze NBA 0 spaces Seacrest Drive NBA 0 spaces Total: 0 spaces The Gulf Lakes Beach Estates NBA (Exhibit 26) includes a dune walkover/boardwalk with no associated parking. At the time of inventory, no vehicles were noted in the adjacent right‐of‐ways along Scenic Hwy 30A. The Sea Breeze NBA (Exhibit 26) includes a dune walkover/boardwalk with no associated parking or support facilities. At the time of inventory, no vehicles were noted in the adjacent right‐of‐ways along Scenic Hwy 30A. The Seacrest Beach NBA (Exhibit 27) includes a dune walkover/boardwalk with no associated parking. At the time of inventory, no vehicles were noted in the right‐of‐ways along Scenic Hwy 30A. Page 2‐30 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida b) Right‐of‐Way Description Scenic Hwy 30A has a 100 ft wide right‐of‐way with a 24 ft wide roadway and a 10 ft wide bike path south of the roadway. The beach access is surrounded by single family and townhomes along Scenic Hwy 30A with driveways spaced approximately every 50 ft. The Scenic Corridor Development Guidelines within the Walton County Code of Ordinances prohibit parking within the Scenic Hwy 30A corridor unless the parking is placed along the sections of Scenic Hwy 30A that are designed as “town” sections. This area does not have a “town” designation; therefore it is recommended that the County modify the designation of the roadway segment to allow for parallel parking. The other option would be to consider a layout as shown in Exhibits 26 and 27. The proposed parking improvements are off of a separate access drive. c) Demand/Capacity The Gulf Lakes Beach Estates NBA is surrounded by single family and townhomes along Scenic Hwy 30A with drives spaced approximately every 50 ft. However, approximately 850 ft from the NBA there is a site along the north side of Scenic Hwy 30A within the 100 ft right‐of‐way that would be an ideal space for parallel parking on a separate access drive. This area could accommodate as many as 12 spaces and still comply with the Walton County Scenic Corridor requirements for Scenic Hwy 30A. The Sea Breeze NBA is surrounded by single family homes and townhomes along Scenic Hwy 30A with drives spaced approximately every 50 ft. It is approximately 150 ft from the proposed parking area referenced in the Gulf Lakes Beach Estates NBA planning summary. This parking lot could serve both neighborhood beach accesses and the 12 spaces referenced above could serve both areas based on the demands documented during peak periods. The Seacrest Beach NBA is surrounded by single family homes and townhomes along Scenic Hwy 30A with drives spaced approximately every 50 ft. Approximately 300 ft from the NBA is an open area in front of the Seashadows Townhome development. There is approximately 50 ft from the southern edge of Scenic Hwy 30A and the right‐of‐
way line which would allow for a one‐way drive with parallel parking on each side of the drive. This option would require the bike path to be relocated to the south side of the parking area but would provide approximately eight new parking spaces. d) Planning Recommendations Seacrest Beach is the only focus area without a regional beach access. There is currently no beach access/public parking associated with the neighborhood beach accesses in Seacrest Beach. The following recommendations will add additional capacity to an underserved Seacrest Beach area:  Add 12 parallel parking spaces to support Gulf Lakes Beach Estates NBA and Sea Breeze NBA;  Add 8 parking spaces to support the Seacrest Drive NBA;  Provide signage identifying the closest three RBAs. Page 2‐31 SE
AB
RE
E
ZE
C
IRC
LE
BR
E
EZ
E
BL
VD
GULF LAKES
ESTATES NBA
SE
AB
RE
E
ZE
T
EN
IC
H
WY
30A
SE
AB
RE
EZE
CO
T
TA
GE
S
12
GULF LAKES NBA
SEABREEZE NBA
SC
FOCUS AREA:
SEACREST BEACH
RA
IL
W
BO
O
TO THB
WN
A
HO Y
ME
S
100
' R/
SE
A
CO MIST
ND
O
SE
A
DU
V
VIL ALLS
LA
S
SEA BREEZE
NBA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
GULF LAKES NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
0
12
12
0
NO CHANGE
0
SEA BREEZE NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
0
12
12
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
26
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
GULF OF MEXICO
LN
GA
NL
N
IC H
WY
30A
TR
AN
QU
IL
100
' R/
WA
W
SEASHADOWS
TOWNHOMES
SEACREST
BEACH NBA
SEACREST BEACH NBA
EN
FOCUS AREA:
SEACREST BEACH
SC
CHATEAU LANE
8
Y
BLUE TIDE
CONDOS
SEACREST LN
CLAREON LN
PA
T
INA
MO
R
TRANQUILITY ON
THE BEACH
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
0
NO CHANGE
0
0
8
8
SEACREST BEACH NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
0
8
8
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
27
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
GULF OF MEXICO
Walton County, Florida 2.11 Focus Area: Inlet Beach The Inlet Beach focus area consists of one regional beach access and three neighborhood beach accesses. The neighborhood beach accesses are limited to foot/bike traffic and the regional beach access was designed to accommodate 120 vehicles. 


Winston Lane 188 Winston Lane Wall Street 264 S. Wall Street Inlet Beach Regional Access 438 South Orange Street Center Inlet Beach Park Place 435 Park Place Road Inlet Beach‐ West Park 18 West Park Avenue  Phillips Inlet Beach Access 202 South Walton Lakeshore Drive Inlet Beach Focus Area Existing
Proposed
Total
Winston Lane NBA 0
No Change
0
Wall Street NBA 0
No Change
0
Inlet Beach RBA 120
No Change
120
Philips Inlet Beach NBA 0
No Change
0
Total Parking 120
No Change
120
2.11.1 Focus Area: Inlet Beach (Exhibits 28, 29 and 30) a) Onsite Description The Winston Lane NBA (Exhibit 28) includes a dune walk‐over/boardwalk with no parking. The NBA is accessible from Winston Lane, which has a sharp 90‐degree turn at the beach access point. The Wall Street NBA (Exhibit 28) includes a small dune walk‐over/boardwalk with no parking. The NBA is accessible from the end of Wall Street, which dead‐ends at the beach access point. The Inlet Beach Regional Beach Access (Exhibit 29) consists of a large parking facility with 120 spaces, three dune cross overs/boardwalks, and one set of public restroom and shower facilities located in the center of the park. Parking was observed at approximately 30% occupancy during the inventory period of July and August 2013. The existing parking spaces are 120, 90‐degree spaces located off of W. Park Place Ave and Emerald Cove Lane. The parking appears to meet the needs of the community with plenty of capacity for future demand. Signage along US Hwy 98 directing the public to the beach access may be helpful to better direct the beach going public. The Phillips Inlet Beach NBA (Exhibit 30) is limited to a vehicular access point and is considered unimproved. There are no dune walk‐overs or boardwalks for this beach access. There is no public parking available and signs are posted at the beach access that includes the address of the inlet beach regional beach access that offers public parking. b) Right‐of‐Way Description The Winston Lane roadway right‐of‐way is 33 ft wide and not feasible for the addition of right‐of‐way parking. The location of the beach access is situated at a very sharp turn in the roadway. Page 2‐32 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida The Wall Street roadway right‐of‐way is 66 ft wide and not feasible for the addition of right‐of‐way parking due to the spacing of the driveways along Wall Street. The private drives are spaced approximately 50 ft apart, which does not allow for right‐of‐way parking due to vision triangle requirements. The West Park Place Ave and Emerald Cove Lane right‐of‐ways are approximately 66 ft in width with parking offered on the south and west sides of the respective roadways. This parking configuration appears to be effective within this low traffic area and provides very little impact to the surrounding community. The parking introduces minimal conflict with existing residential drives. The South Walton Lake Shore Drive and Walton Magnolia Lane right‐of‐
ways are approximately 66 ft in width and currently include “no parking signs” along both roadways. c) Demand/Capacity The regional beach access was observed to offer more than 50% capacity remaining during the peak season. The neighborhood beach access points each have a sign identifying the nearby Inlet Beach RBA and vehicle parking is prohibited in these areas. d) Planning Recommendations Through the use of better signage, the regional beach access should start to experience more use. The County recently added signage along US Hwy 98 identifying the regional beach access and provided signage at each of the NBAs with the regional beach access address. A few recommendations this regional beach access can incorporate to increase use and add capacity in the future are:  Add signage at the NBAs along 30A identifying the Inlet Beach RBA as a beach access alternative;  Add a beach access shuttle stop to incorporate this access into the beach access shuttle system. Page 2‐33 WINSTON LN
POMPANO ST
WINSTON LANE NBA
WALL STREET NBA
FOCUS AREA:
INLET BEACH
S. WALL ST
WINSTON
LANE NBA
POMPANO ST
GULF OF MEXICO
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
WINSTON LN. R.O.W.
0
NO CHANGE
0
POMPANO ST. R.O.W.
0
NO CHANGE
0
S. WALL ST. R.O.W.
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
0
NO CHANGE
0
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
28
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
WALL ST
NBA
S. ORANGE ST
10
9
2 HC
1 HC
10
10
5
10
10
INLET BEACH
RBA
9
10
INLET BEACH
WEST PARK
W. PARK PLACE AVE
29
COUNTY OWNED
PARCEL
10
INLET BEACH PARK PLACE
INLET BEACH RBA
INLET BEACH WEST PARK
INLET BEACH
PARK PLACE
W. PARK PLACE AVE
FOCUS AREA:
INLET BEACH
10
EXHIBIT NO.:
10
EMERALD COVE LN N.
4
GULF OF MEXICO
PARKING AREA
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
INLET BEACH RBA
117
NO CHANGE
117
HANDICAP SPACES
3
NO CHANGE
3
120
NO CHANGE
120
North
TOTAL SPACES
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
INLET SAND
CONDOS
FOCUS AREA:
INLET BEACH
SHORELINE
TOWNHOMES
PHILLIPS INLET
NBA
WALTON MAGNOLIA LN
PHILLIPS INLET NBA
WALTON MAGNOLIA LN
66' R/W
EXISTING
PROPOSED
TOTAL
WALTON MAGNOLIA LN. R.O.W.
0
NO CHANGE
0
PHILLIPS INLET NBA
0
NO CHANGE
0
TOTAL SPACES
0
NO CHANGE
0
North
0'
50'
100'
1" = 100'
30
PARKING AREA
EXHIBIT NO.:
GULF OF MEXICO
Walton County, Florida 3.0 Other Considerations In addition to the short term improvements associated with additional parking, signage, and modifications to existing parking ordinances, there are other elements to consider when considering the long term planning elements. Many public beach access points are at capacity and the burden at the access points is growing each year. Through the use of pay‐to‐park, park‐n‐ride, and park‐n‐bike options, the traffic and parking congestion can start to be relieved. Communities throughout the United States are shifting their thinking to multimodal uses to provide relief to the growing congestion problems taxing their transportation networks. 3.1 Pay‐to‐Park As the beaches of South Walton become more developed, land becomes scarcer and the cost per acre becomes increasingly higher. Similar to more urban areas, the public right‐of‐way of South Walton is in high demand for right‐of‐way parking and that parking has a high value. In an effort to fund enforcement efforts, parking improvements implementing a pay‐to‐park option could be considered in the urban right‐of‐ways. Areas where right‐of‐way parking is currently being utilized, formally or informally, these areas could be modified to include parking meters. Parking meters now have the ability to accept credit cards and payments via mobile phone applications are also available. The upfront cost with parking meter installation can range from $1,600 to $3,000 per meter. However, revenues generated from the meters can typically range from $2,500 to $4,000 per meter annually assuming a pay period of 8‐16 hours each day at $0.25 per 15 min interval. Additional considerations associated with the installation of parking meters:  Reduces overnight and employee parking in public spaces.  Generates income to fund Walton County Code Enforcement and parking expansion.  Modification of the parking ordinance would be required to include fines associated with meter violations.  Enforcement would be necessary to monitor parking meter activities throughout the year. Page 3‐1 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida 3.2 Park‐N‐Ride Park‐N‐Ride options have become more popular as roadways are becoming more congested and the parking demands are increasing. The movement has grown exponentially throughout the last ten years and local Walton County businesses have started using different forms of park‐n‐ride options for their employees and patrons. Local businesses have leased parking lots and have been implementing employee shuttling options along the Scenic Hwy 30A corridor. The shuttle program has become so successful that more businesses are planning to implement similar programs in 2015 with private shuttle companies. The following communities and business have already started supporting a local shuttling program:  Sandestin  Seaside  Grayton Bar & Grill  The Bowery  723Whiskey Bravo  V Seagrove  Café Thirty‐A  Rivard of South Walton Rentals  The Grayton Beach Neighborhood Association The public parking demand is also growing as the demand for the beaches continues to grow. Private businesses are starting to utilize shuttling systems and are paying into the system to provide shuttle stops along Scenic Hwy 30A. This has started to relieve some of the public parking demand along Scenic Hwy 30A, but the beach access parking is still a primary factor contributing to the public parking deficiencies within South Walton. Walton County should consider supporting seasonal use of the park‐n‐ride system for the beach access points. Working with the local business community, Walton County could expand the existing shuttle network by provide shuttle stops at the regional beach accesses to help relieve the parking congestion at these beach access points. The expansion of the system would provide a more complete network by providing connectivity from Scenic Gulf Drive to Inlet Beach. The large influx of tourist and second homeowners over the spring and summer months may support such an operation. Historically, shuttle systems will work if the network is complete, the shuttles are on‐time, and the community supports the system. Recommendations:  Develop a public private partnership to support the beach access shuttle stops.  Consider remote parking lot options for beach access pick‐up points.  Prepare a study to identify the preferred network limits to support the park‐n‐ride option throughout the system.  Explore funding through the use of Tourist Development Council collections. Page 3‐2 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida 3.3 Park‐N‐Bike Walton County has been working to grow the bike path network along Scenic Hwy 30A. The bike path extends from east to west along a majority of Scenic Hwy 30A with plans to connect the western end of the bike path to US Highway 98 within the next few years. By extending the bike path connections along the north‐south feeder roads, this will provide more connectivity between the communities from US Highway 98 to Scenic Hwy 30A. Additionally, providing additional public parking close to bike rental companies will help further promote the park‐n‐bike mentality throughout South Walton. The bike rental companies already offer free delivery, but providing the north‐south connectivity and a dedicated path off of US Highway 98, the park‐
n‐bike movement will continue to grow. Currently the bike path extends up portions of Hwy 283 and Hwy 395. Once the network is more complete, the north‐south use can increase. Recommendations:  Extend the bike path along the north‐south roadways Hwy 83, Hwy 283 (complete to Hwy 98), Hwy 395 (complete to Hwy 98)  Work with the Florida Department of Transportation to program for a separate bike path along US Highway 98 to provide a complete network from north to south. 3.4 Golf Cart/LSV Parking Walton County has started providing accommodation for golf cart/LSV parking along Scenic Gulf Drive and Scenic Hwy 30A. The Walton County Code of Ordinances Section 20‐50 prohibits the use of privately owned golf carts or utility vehicles on the multi‐use/bike paths. Florida Statutes 3.16.212 allows the use of golf carts on roadways within the “State Park Road System if the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less.” Also there are restrictions on the time when a golf cart may be used and they must be equipped with headlights, brake lights, turn signals, a windshield, reliable steering apparatus, safe tires, a rearview mirror, and red reflectorized warning devices in both the front and rear. Due to portion of Scenic Hwy 30A having a speed limit greater than 35mph, the network for golf cart access is incomplete and limited to the more urban areas. In the urban areas, it is recommended that the County convert limited vehicular parking to golf cart/LSV parking at the beach access points. The number of golf cart spaces added at the beach access points should be limited due to the inability of the golf carts/LSVs to access the roadways because of the speed limit restrictions. Page 3‐3 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida 4.0 Parking Ordinance/Enforcement The parking ordinance addressing right‐of‐way parking was reviewed as part of this project scope. The ordinance and the associated enforcement are directly related. When considering modifications to any county ordinance, the enforcement component will be instrumental in ensuring the success of the ordinance revisions. 4.1 Parking Ordinance Recommendations Section 20‐20 of the Walton County Code of Ordinances states “the county administrator or his designee shall be empowered to designate certain public areas within the unincorporated sections of the county to be "no parking" areas, limited time parking areas, or parking meter zones. In determining the necessity for the designation of an area, the county administrator or his designee shall evaluate the safety hazard within a given area that public parking would pose to other vehicle or pedestrian traffic, right‐of‐way damage or such other factors as the county administrator may deem reasonably appropriate. However, this section shall not apply to law enforcement, fire or ambulance, or county vehicles that are parked in furtherance of their public service responsibilities.” The current ordinance requires the County to determine if parking should be prohibited and they then can install no‐parking signs in accordance with Section 20‐
23. Right‐of‐way parking is generally permitted according to the current ordinance unless otherwise identified through signage. Based on this study, right‐of‐way parking can often introduce safety concerns and should generally be prohibited. Areas where right‐of‐way parking is permitted should be specifically defined through formalized parking spaces and/or signage identifying the areas where right‐of‐way parking is permitted. The allowable parking areas would be identified by the County and signage could be installed identifying the permitted public parking areas. Below are some examples of parking signs identified throughout the United States. In addition, providing signage identifying the parking fines associated with parking outside of a designated parking area is recommended to ensure compliance. 4.2 Enforcement The Walton County Sheriff’s office has indicated that, with training, Walton County Code Enforcement officers can be equipped with ticketing capabilities. The enforcement officers would have the ability to issue tickets for non‐moving traffic violations, for illegally parked vehicles and for unpaid meter fees within public parking areas. Per Florida Statutes (F.S.), parking violations issued through a county or municipality parking ticket shall be considered a non‐criminal violation. F.S. 316.1967: Liability for payment of parking ticket violations and other parking violations. (2) Any person who is issued a county or municipal parking ticket by a parking enforcement specialist or officer is deemed to be charged with a noncriminal Page 4‐1 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida violation and shall comply with the directions on the ticket. If payment is not received or a response to the ticket is not made within the time period specified thereon, the county court or its traffic violations bureau shall notify the registered owner of the vehicle that was cited, or the registered lessee when the cited vehicle is registered in the name of the person who leased the vehicle, by mail to the address given on the motor vehicle registration, of the ticket. Mailing the notice to this address constitutes notification. Upon notification, the registered owner or registered lessee shall comply with the court’s directive. Florida Statute 318.18 currently has a fee structure identified for traffic violations which include fines associated with non‐moving traffic infractions. Non‐moving traffic infractions penalties are currently $18.00. Florida Statute 318.325 allows for the County to adopt an ordinance to further impose the violations and the procedures for non‐moving traffic infractions. F.S. 318.325: Jurisdiction and procedure for parking infractions.—Any county or municipality may adopt an ordinance that allows the county or municipality to refer cases involving the violation of a county or municipal parking ordinance to a hearing officer. Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 318.14 and 775.08(3), any parking violation shall be deemed to be an infraction as defined in s. 318.13(3). However, the violation must be enforced and disposed of in accordance with the provisions of general law applicable to parking violations and with the charter or code of the county or municipality where the violation occurred. The clerk of the court or the designated traffic violations bureau must collect and distribute the fines, forfeitures, and court costs assessed under this section. Based on interviews with the Walton County Sheriff Department and South Walton Fire District, the need for more code enforcement officers during the spring and summer seasons is a high priority. The Sheriff’s office cannot enforce the large number of parking violations with their current staff. By having trained code enforcement officers ready to enforce parking violations within South Walton during these months, the right‐of‐way accessibility for the emergency rescue personnel would be significantly improved. Recommendations:  Modify the parking ordinance to prohibit right‐of‐way parking for the South Walton area, south of US Highway 98 unless otherwise designated.  Modify the parking ordinance to define additional non‐movement parking violations and the associated fines.  Formalize parking areas through parking improvements or the use of signage.  Add signage in parking areas identifying the penalties for parking violations.  Add trained Walton County Code Enforcement officers to enforce parking violations throughout the spring and summer months. Page 4‐2 South Walton County Parking Needs Assessment
Walton County, Florida 5.0 Conclusion This study generally assesses the public parking areas within the corridors along Scenic Gulf Drive from the Okaloosa/Walton County line to U.S. 98, the entire length of County Road 30A, and the portion of U.S. 98 from County Road 30A to the Bay/Walton County line. The public parking for more than 50 public beach accesses south of these routes were evaluated as well as various north‐south connector routes north of County Road 30A where applicable. This study identified 972 existing parking spaces across the eleven focus areas and the addition of 453 spaces throughout the study limits. The proposed plan results in 1425 public parking spaces and the recommendations contained in this study are presented for board consideration. South Walton Public Parking Summary Existing Proposed Total Focus Area Spaces Spaces Spaces
2.1 Scenic Gulf Drive 294
102 396
2.2 Dune Allen Beach 42
45 87
2.3 Gulf Place 68
104 172
2.4 Gulfview Heights 46
20 66
2.5 Blue Mtn Beach 22
17 39
2.6 Grayton Beach 65
91 156
2.7 Watercolor 120
0 120
2.8 Seaside 77
0 77
2.9 Seagrove 118
54 172
2.10 Seacrest 0
20 20
2.11 Inlet Beach 120
0 120
Total Number of Parking Spaces
972
453 1,425
In addition to the recommended public parking improvements, it is also suggested that Walton County review and consider revisions to the public right‐of‐way parking ordinance to implement a prohibitive ordinance. The ordinance revisions would also require revisions to the Walton County enforcement policies. The enforcement of the existing policies and any future ordinance revisions will be an important part of maintaining safe public right‐of‐ways. In addition to the parking ordinances, the County should to consider implementing additional transportation elements such as pay‐to‐park, park‐n‐ride, and park‐n‐bike systems to address the growing demand for public parking spaces in South Walton. The implementation of pay‐to‐park, park‐n‐
ride, and park‐n‐bike systems appear to be the most likely next step in addressing the County’s future parking needs. Page 5‐1 Engineers & Planners 320 Bayshore Drive, Suite A Niceville, Florida 32578 Phone: 850.678.0050 Fax: 850.678.0040

South Walton Parking Presentation

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