Commission fronts TDC $325K for bike lanes
BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

More bike lanes on Navarre Beach, the elimination of skateboarding at the county's parks, and how to get people to stop walking over dunes on the beach were all topics discussed at last week's Santa Rosa County Commission meeting.

The Santa Rosa Tourist Development Council, headquartered in Navarre, asked commissioners to front them the money to complete more bike paths on Navarre Beach. "Tourist Development wants to finish up the bike paths on the beach, but they don't have the money right now," Commissioner Gordon Goodin said. "So they are asking that the county pay the $325,000 and then they will pay back the money at $50,000 a year for seven years from bed taxes collected down there."

The commissioners voted unanimously to give the Tourist Development Council the money.

Commissioners have been getting a lot of complaints from people at the county's parks about skateboarders. Commissioner Bob Cole said people cannot use the sidewalks at parks during some events because they are being taken overtaken by skateboarders.

The commission voted to immediately change the ordinance covering skateboards to ban skateboarding in any county park - including the recreation parks - unless there is a specially designated area for skate boarding. Skateboarders can only use that designated area.

Goodin raised the issue of dune restoration on Navarre Beach and the concern about people already walking over the dunes.

"We have vacant properties out there where people are parking on the side of the road and walking to the beach behind those properties," Goodin said. "We do have the road posted saying it is against the law to park alongside the highway there and walk over, but in many cases it doesn't seem to matter much.

"I guess not many people really care, except us who are concerned about the $18 million investment of the dune restoration. Can we put some kind of orange plastic fence up to cause an obstruction to stop people?"

County Engineer Roger Blaylock said, "Anyone out there who has fenced yards to keep people off the dunes is in violation of the law. But we have fenced a few areas where we want people to use the boardwalk, and that has been effective. But I will have to check to see if we can do that in the residential areas. I do not believe we can."

Cole wants a hefty fine charged.

"The fine out there now is $50 for the first time you are caught parking alongside the roadway and walking over the dunes, and $100 for the second time," Cole said. "I think there should be a really large fine to get people's attention - like $500 the first time caught. Give a few of those fines, and the word would spread."

Blaylock agreed to address the matter again next month.