Designs approved for new regional beach access in South Walton

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - It’s no secret thousands of people like going to the beach, and in South Walton, the beach experience is impacted by public parking availability.

A proposed new public beach access would add parking spots to the Walton Dunes beach access.

Right now it is in the design phase.

This regional beach access would be built on Beachfront Trail.

It would have bathrooms, a spot for loading and unloading, and golf cart parking.

Some neighbors by Walton Dunes are opposed to the project.

They said it will bring too many tourists to the area and harm the environment.

“Put a stop on this now before you get any farther down the road with it. Unlike some of the other locations that the TDC (Tourist Development Council) is working on to try to improve beach access, this one has no commercial whatsoever, this is a fully developed residential neighborhood,” Lisa Minshew, attorney for the Beach Front Town Home Owners Association, said.

Some Walton County residents said it’s a good thing for the county to build the new regional beach access and additional parking.

“What about all the other houses in that area that might be suffering from the fact that they don’t have those kinds of facilities. If we asked the neighbors for everything we try and do we wouldn’t have any roads, bridges, parks, or anything,” Chas Galloway, a Walton County resident, said.

The designs have been approved by the board of county commissioners.

A multi-use path from 30A to Beachfront Road is also out for bids for construction right now.

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