Beautification committee asks for county funds
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com

The Navarre Beach Beautification Committee (NBBC) is one step closer to improving the aesthetics of the island's entrance as the board of county commissioners agreed to help them secure funding for the project. The county commission moved to draft a transportation enhancement grant application for $275,000.

The NBBC's plan calls for approximately $1.2 million to improve nearly 1.7 miles of the Navarre Beach corridor, and an undetermined amount for curbing and parking, committee chairman John Conner said. The committee looks to enhance the causeway that connects Santa Rosa Island to Highway 98.

"If we're going to do something, we want to do it right now and we want it to be impressive," Conner said.

The NBBC has already collected $50,000 from beach residents and is looking for $75,000 more for landscaping. A majority of the project should be funded by state grants, many of which are weighted and approved by a point system.

"You get more points if you have community support," said county transportation planner Nancy Model.

In addition to the community's contributions, $300,000 in grant funding has already been collected for bike lanes.

"The bike lanes there will help complete that 40-mile loop [around Santa Rosa Sound]," said County Commissioner Gordon Goodin. The commissioner added that the final section for the loop would be the roadway between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach.

The NBBC plan outlines the following funding: $300,000 for bike lanes $650,000 for landscaping

$200,000 for decking

$16,000 for benches and trash cans

$62,000 for a sprinkler system

$47,000 for design and engineering

When the county decided to take possession of the Navarre Beach bridge and causeway, they also received $4 million for maintenance. The NBBC plan asks for $250,000 of that funding for landscaping.

The remaining majority of funding will be supplied in the form of grants and the NBBC's plan asks Santa Rosa County to pay for paved parking and street side curbs out of pocket.

"To make this nice now and keep it nice, we need some kind of deterrent," Conner said.

The first grant application is due in May.