UNWELCOME SIGNS
30A markers create friction among residents
By ANDY MEINEN andym@nwfdailynews.com
SANTA ROSA BEACH — The 49 bright blue signs being installed along Walton County Road 30A and other sites in the county are drawing a lot of criticism. County Commissioner Cindy Meadows said she has received telephone calls, e-mails and has been stopped while running errands by people who dislike the new signs. “They say they are intrusive,” she said. Ann Clifford, 39, of Seagrove Beach has lived in South Walton for 11 years. She said she will probably never get used to seeing the sky blue signs, especially those that stand about 15 feet tall. “You’d have to be in a semi-truck to read them,” she said.
Roy Dollar put it bluntly. “I think they are hideous,” said Dollar, who has lived in Blue Mountain Beach for 15 years. “When I come out of my driveway, literally to my right is one of those massive blue signs.” The signs are part of a way-finding program that has been in the works since 2002, said Sonny Mares, director of administration for the Walton County Tourist Development Council. “They all went through the design review board process,” he said. It took several years to get the signs in the ground because of some wrangling over mapping issues with the Florida Department of Transportation. The TDC is spending about $260,000 for the signs. The money comes from the occupancy tax — not local property taxes, officials say. There are welcome signs on highways at the borders of the county and at each beach community such as WaterColor and Dune Allen Beach. There are also taller directional signs that point drivers the right way. The signs will be more durable than the wooden ones that were removed. They can withstand wind up to 130 mph and are more resistant to the salt air, officials say. The direction markers start about 7 feet off the ground and are the same height as speed limit signs on the highway, Mares said. They all conform to DOT regulations. If Clifford had her way, she would have the signs removed, but she knows that would be a waste of resources and taxpayer money. She suggested planting vegetation at the bottom of the signs or possibly repainting them a more pleasing shade of green. Mares said the signs can’t be repainted, but the TDC is reviewing placing some native plants at the bottom of them, so long as they do not obstruct a driver’s view. The bright blue signs look out of place against the lush vegetation along CR 30A and detract from the feel of its unique communities, Dollar said. Dollar said he would have left the old wooden signs up. However, he understands that the signs are there for visitors whose money drives the local economy. Mares said tourism brought in about $1 billion last year. The signs also help with the county’s branding and marketing, he added. Clifford said the signs take away from the special quality of South Walton. “On 30A we have all these gorgeous architecturally renowned communities that people come from all over the world to study,” she said. The signs “don’t fit. The color is too bright for the environment. They look like something you’d find at Disney,” she added. Daily News Staff Writer Andy Meinen can be reached at 654-6905.
Tall blue signs like this one along Walton County Road 30A have some residents seeing red. The welcome and directional signs do not fit in with the area, they say. DEBI HAUSSERMANN Daily News
