Panel, Pensacola Beach residents discuss future developmentsJune 21, 2005

Fredie Carmichael@PensacolaNewsJournal.com

Rick Gordon sat quietly in the back of the room for the better part of two hours Monday and listened as people talked about future development on Pensacola Beach.

Gordon, a beach resident for less than a year, was attending the fourth meeting of the volunteer committee that will help redefine future land use at Pensacola Beach.

When it was time for those attending the meeting to speak, Gordon told the group he wanted them to listen to residents and try to focus on their overall task in future meetings.

"I don't think all of you even agree on what you're here for," said Gordon, one of a handful of beach residents who attended Monday's meeting at the Island Authority's office on Via de Luna.

"I personally like such developments as Portofino, but I'd hate to see the whole beach become nothing but a row of those things."

The 12-member committee -- made up of property owners, developers, restaurateurs, Realtors, residents and business owners -- was formed earlier this year by the Santa Rosa Island Authority. With a beach facing major redevelopment in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, the group is charged with helping the Island Authority decide how it should regulate that development.

Since the group was formed, it also has been asked to make recommendations on two land-use issues: a contentious increased density rezoning request by owners of a hurricane-damaged condo/hotel and a proposal to control the aesthetics of beach homes.

During Monday's meeting, committee member and hotel developer Julian MacQueen talked about how beach communities such as Orange Beach, Ala., have developed their land in recent years.

They also decided to focus the August meetings on the issue of beach architecture.

"I think we ought to start getting down to some specifics," said committee member and beach resident Stan Potts. "We've got a monumental task ahead of us, and we've been wandering around quite a bit."

COMMITTEE TO REDEFINE PENSACOLA BEACH

JUNE 5, 2005
TO: COMMITTEE TO REDEFINE PENSACOLA BEACH
FROM: VICTORIA CLARKIN, PRESIDENT
PENSACOLA BEACH PRESERVATION AND HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
RE: REPRESENTING THE THOUGHTS OF 600 RESIDENTS AND VISITORS
DEAR COMMITTEE MEMBERS,
AS YOU MEET TO DECIDE A POSSIBLE REDEFINITION OF A BEACH NOT MANY WANT CHANGE TO… WE HOPE TO BE A POLITE VOICE OF PRESERVATION IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS. PRESERVING PENSACOLA BEACH MEANS MANY THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. TO MOST IT MEANS NO GROWTH! VERY FEW ESCAMBIA COUNTY RESIDENTS, BOTH BEACH AND MAINLAND, WANT THE RESIDENTIAL CAP REMOVED OR CHANGED IN ANY WAY. THIS WOULD ONLY SERVE THE INTERESTS OF A FEW.
OTHERS BELIEVE THAT SLOW GROWTH MAY BE A POSSIBILITY BUT CURRENT PROBLEMS MUST FIRST BE ADDRESSED, PROBLEMS LIKE AN OVERWHELMED SEWAGE SYSTEM THAT LEAKS INTO THE SOUND ON BUSY WEEKENDS OR WITH TOO MUCH RAINFALL. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE BY ANY STANDARDS. THERE IS ALREADY A PERCEIVED PROBLEM OF NOT ENOUGH PUBLIC ACCESS. THERE ARE PARKING AND TRAFFIC PROBLEMS THAT FOUR LANING VIA DELUNA WILL ONLY MAKE WORSE.
PUBLIC SAFETY EFFORTS MUST BE FUNDED ADEQUATELY BEFORE WE GROW. POLICE… LIFEGUARDS… AND OTHER SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES MUST BE INCREASED TO MEET THE CURRENT NEED AND WHAT
WE HAVE COULD NOT HANDLE GROWTH AT THIS POINT. MANY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF GROWTH ON OUR FRAGILE AND DELICATE ISLAND… OR SHOULD I SAY GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGG. BEWARE OF THE APPETITE OF A HUNGRY FEW…. CAN WE AFFORD TO LET THEM EAT THE GOOSE FOR IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION? AN ENVIRONMENTALLY CRIPPLED ISLAND AND A RUINED AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM IS NOT A DESIRED OUTCOME OF GROWTH.
THOSE WHO ARE DRAWN TO OUR PARADISE ENJOY THE NATURAL SETTING WHERE HABITATS AND HUMANS STILL COEXIST. IT WOULD NOT TAKE MUCH TO THROW THIS OUT OF BALANCE. THE SEAHORSES FROM MY YOUTH ARE ALREADY A VICTIM OF OUR CARELESSNESS.
OTHERS ARE DRAWN TO A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, HISTORY AND CHARACTER. THE EASY GOING SPIRIT AND SIMPLE STYLE OF THE ISLAND IS A DRAW. OUR TOURIST CARE ABOUT THE ISLAND’S HISTORY, LANDMARKS AND NATURAL BEAUTY. THESE ARE THE LURE THAT BRING VISITORS BACK EACH YEAR AND THEY SHOULD BE PRESERVED AND CELEBRATED.
IF THEY ARE NOT, CONGESTION, DIRTY SEWAGE FILLED WATER, TRAFFIC AND WAITING IN LINE WILL NOT ENTICE ANYONE TO COME BACK. A BALANCE BETWEEN DEVELOPMENT AND PRSERVATION MUST BE
FOUND. NEW DEVELOPMENT MUST BE LIMITED AND WELL PLANNED, REDEVELOPMENT CLOSELY MONITORED, AND GROWTH LIMITS MAINTAINED. WE MUST DETER RAMPANT UNCHECKED BUILDING AS THE ISLAND SHOWS VISIBLE SIGNS OF STRESS BY OVERUSE.
THESE SIGNS ARE WITH US NOW… TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK, MALFUNCTIONING INFRASTRUCTURE, LOOTING, TRESSPASSING, DROWNINGS, OPEN AREAS UNREACHABLE… CAN WE SLOW DOWN HERE? TAKE A BREATH? THINK OF THE LONG RANGE FUTURE AND NOT THE IMMEDIATE GAIN OF A FEW?
SOME SAY THE COUNTY NEEDS THE INCOME. WHAT ABOUT IDEAS FOR YEAR ROUND USE? CONCENTRATE ON BRINGING TOURIST IN ON THE OFF SEASON. FILL EXISTING RESTURANTS/ SHOPS/ CONDOS/ RENTALS/HOTELS YEAR ROUND BEFORE WE EVER CONSIDER REMOVING OR CHANGING THE BUILDING CAP OR ALLOW VARIENCES FOR NEW HIGH RISES. OTHER AREAS ARE SUCESSFUL IN DRAWING AN OFF SEASON CROWD. PLEASE, LET’S CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES TO THE BUILD AND RUN MENTALITY.
IN CONCLUSION, THERE ARE MANY WINNING DIRECTIONS IN WHICH WE CAN TRAVEL TOGETHER IN DEFINING THE FUTURE FOR PENSACOLA BEACH. THESE DIRECTIONS WOULD LEAVE RESIDENTS, TOURISTS, BUSINESS OWNERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WITH A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, ENJOYMENT AND PRESERVATION. PLEASE CONSIDER,
AS YOU REPRESENT YOUR CONSTITUENTS, THE PATH LESS TRAVELED AND THE PATH OF PRESERVATON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THE PBPHS WOULD LIKE TO BRING THE IDEAS AND WISHES OF OUR MEMBERS AND PARTICIPANTS TO YOU IN THIS FORM FOR EACH OF YOUR MEETINGS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO HAVING NUMBERS FILL THE ROOM AND TRY TO SPEAK. PLEASE LOOK FOR SOMETHING EACH TIME YOU MEET. THERE ARE MANY THAT WANT TO BE HEARD.
HAVE A GREAT DAY, AND GOOK LUCK IN YOUR WORK.

PNJ Viewpoint submission

Tourism vs Development "
Reading Gary Holt's comments of June 1, 2005, you would think that he has only the best interest of the children at heart. Folks, he is a real estate developer, not an educator. He wants to build things on every piece of property he can access. He makes money this way. Don't be fooled by his appeals to better the future generations.
Pensacola Beach is at a crossroads. Should it retain its local charm and reputation as a family-friendly vacation destination or sell out to the high rise developers and go for the cash?
I am not a resident of the State of Florida. I am a tourist. I am a cog in the wheel that supports your community. For the past ten years, when I could afford a vacation (and sometimes when I could not), I have taken my hard-earned dollars to Pensacola Beach. I have no other destination when I think of vacation. I stay at Five Flags Inn. I eat at Pegleg's and Flounders. I fill my car with gas at Tom Thumb. I buy my snacks and drinks at The Market. I buy souvenirs and supplies at the various markets on the Boardwalk. I don't leave the island because everything I need is there. There are thousands of others just like me.
If you need proof of others like me, visit the Pensacola Beach Forum on this newspaper's website and read the threads about development, fond memories of past vacations, and encouraging comments about reconstruction of our favorite haunts. Visit a website built by and for those us that consider Five Flags Inn the best little motel in the world, www.savefiveflagsinn.com. People there, from across the nation, are offering time, labor and money to help restore the inn. The impact that one place has had on the lives of so many from other places that visit your community is incredible. Do you see anyone rushing to help any of the chain hotels?
When I am planning my vacation, I show my friends, family and co-workers where I am going and tell them why and how much I love it there. I point out the differences between Pensacola Beach and other Florida destinations. They all agree that it sounds great. (Just today at work I told a former Florida resident about Pensacola Beach and showed her a couple of websites!) Some have followed up on my advice. As a satisfied visitor, I am one of your greatest advertising tools. Don't believe me? Call the Chamber of Commerce and get their opinion. What are those differences between Pensacola Beach and other Florida destinations? I can get a room at a reasonable rate. There isn't a t-shirt hut or sunglass hut or other tourist rip-off every 50 yards. The traffic is not at a standstill because of volume. (This last reason alone is why I don't go to Panama City Beach.) Pensacola Beach is not overrun with chain stores and I like dealing with locally owned businesses. There is a peace and quiet found in Pensacola Beach that I cannot find other places.
But, if Pensacola Beach becomes overrun with highrise condos and over-developed, you will never see me or my friends or our money again. I can go anywhere for that. I choose something else.
With the highrise condos, you will have more traffic, more pollution, more crime and the public utilities will have to be upgraded and the roads will have to be widened and repaired more often. Who will pay for that? The developers? Ha! They are cashing their checks and smiling. Local taxpayers will be saddled with the costs.
When you are deciding which way to go at the crossroads, consider this: Are you falling for a line by those that want to make money or are you taking a direction that brings back tourists year after year?
I hope the citizens of Pensacola Beach will choose to be that "something else" many seek. Set your town apart from others. Tell your local leaders to limit new construction, limit the height of buildings, limit the numbers of floors, or you will limit their term in office. Make them vote the will of the people, not the influence of the developers.
See you soon, I hope,

Joe Smotherman"