Projects
Under Construction:
The Grayton Beach Municipal Parking Facility is located at 1505 South County Highway 283 and should be completed in Spring 2025. The facility will have 204 parking spaces, with dedicated ADA, electric car, LSV, and bicycle parking areas, as well as restrooms, public transportation facilities, and connectivity to the multi-use path. Limited parking is available while construction is underway.
The 393 Municipal Parking Facility is expected to be completed in Fall 2024. This facility is approximately ¼ mile from the Ed Walline Regional Beach Access and will contain 83 parking spaces with dedicated parking for ADA, LSV, bicycles, and a 1,300 square foot transit building with a restroom facility.
The Pelayo Neighborhood Beach Access Renovation Project is almost complete. This project involves relocating the current boardwalk/dune walkover to the western edge of the property. The beach remains open to the public during construction.
Beach Access Updates:
Seagrove RBA, our newest regional beach access, will be located in the heart of Seagrove. The construction contract has been awarded, and construction is expected to begin in Spring 2024, taking approximately 10 months to complete. This project includes parking with dedicated spaces for standard vehicles, ADA, and bicycles, a 1,011 square foot restroom facility, handicap-accessible dune walkover, and connectivity to the multi-use path.
The Grayton Beach Community Center is located at 44 Hotz Avenue in Grayton Beach. Once completed, the 1,600 square foot building will house a local information station, restrooms, observation deck, a boardwalk to the beach, and access to our Beach Tram. The development order has been issued and the final permitting has almost been completed. We expect to have the project ready to be placed out for bid this spring with construction beginning in the fall.
Walton Dunes Regional Beach Access is located at 258 Beachfront Trail. Currently under appeal with the Zoning Board of Adjustments, the Walton Dunes project is on hold until a final determination of the validity of the Development Order can be made. Improvements are expected to include 14 parallel ROW parking spaces with dedicated ADA, LSV, and bicycle parking, restrooms and an ADA-accessible boardwalk.ll.
Updates on Other Capital Improvement Projects:
The Walton County Tourism Department continues to take an active approach to improve parking and transportation throughout the county. Here's a look at some projects currently undergoing or preparing for improvements.
Camp Creek Lake Canoe & Kayak Launch is located at 121 S. Camp Creek Road South just north of 30A. This coastal dune lake access park will include ADA and bicycle parking, landscape, an ADA-accessible pier with canoe/kayak launch, and stormwater systems. Status: The contract will be awarded mid-May 2024 and construction is anticipated to take six months to complete.
The Driftwood Road Municipal Parking project is on a 1.119-acre parcel located at 76 Driftwood Road in Miramar Beach. Plans include a 67-space parking area with dedicated parking for ADA, LSV, and bicycles, an air-conditioned public transit stop, and a restroom facility. Status: Receipt of a development order is expected by June 2024.
Kellogg Nature Center is located at 855 Nursery Road in Santa Rosa Beach. This Nature Center will be an 1,800 square foot assembly-style building for nature watching and community gatherings, with access to the kayak launch. Status: An application for a Minor Development Order has been submitted.
Headland Street Neighborhood Beach Access is located in the South Headland Avenue right-of-way and will provide improved pedestrian access with a new sidewalk, boardwalk, dune walkover, and connectivity to the multi-use path. Status: Design/permitting efforts continue. Construction is expected to begin in early Fall 2024.
Miramar Beach Municipal Parking Project is a 4.5-acre parcel in Miramar Beach is to be used for a beach-related municipal parking project. Status: Task order for master planning has not been issued pending coordination with Public Works engineering efforts.
Beach Access & Customary Use Reminder:
While there have been changes for customary use of private beachfront property, much is still evolving currently. If guests have concerns, we hope the below information will be helpful.
Things to keep in mind:
Walton County Tourism currently maintains 58 public beach access points, including ten Regional Public Beach Accesses complete with parking, restroom facilities, and lifeguards. South Walton also enjoys additional miles of public beach thanks to our State Parks. The customary use changes do not affect our public beaches, only privately-owned beachfront property.
A user-friendly interactive map of public beach access points can be found here: visitsouthwalton.com/beach-and-bay-access-locations
Many beach neighborhoods and resorts already have dedicated beach areas available for guests staying with them.
What is customary use?
Customary use is a common-law term referring to the public access of the privately-owned beachfront property. Some Gulf-front properties in Florida have a property line that extends to the mean high-water line.
What is changing?
Essentially, some beachfront homeowners are restricting access to the dry sandy areas behind their homes. All wet sand areas remain undisputed public property and beachgoers cannot be excluded from these areas. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office will be the governing force for any conflicts or complications that may arise on the space in front of properties now considered private property.
Does that mean I can't walk all 26 miles of our white sand beaches?
No, you can absolutely still walk our beautiful beaches for as far as you wish. There will still be plenty of space in the wet sand area for beach-walkers to enjoy, and plenty of public beach where access is in no way under dispute.