Scenic 30A reflects community’s pride in itself

The South Walton Tourist Development Council has for many years done a fantastic job of representing the Beaches of South Walton. However, the recent placement of way finding signs on Scenic 30A is a cause for concern and action. Hopefully, through positive dialog the community can work with the TDC to remedy this situation.
Soon after these signs appeared, I approached the TDC as a concerned resident of Scenic 30A, as an owner of a business on Scenic 30A for 23 years and as a former officer of the Scenic 30A Business Association. Nearly 15 years ago, representing that association, I approached the South Walton Tourist Development Council with a design for a sign that would identify and celebrate each of the beach communities. The sign design was small, made of wood, incorporated the Beaches of South Walton logo and simply named each town.
It was our dream that eventually County Road 30A would someday be designated as a state scenic route. We named the road Scenic 30A to keep that dream alive.
The intent of the wooden signs was to create a visual connectedness among the beach communities along our beautiful scenic road. We also wanted to show that a lot can be accomplished with small, tastefully designed signs. At that time, no sign ordinances existed.
Our fledgling organization was passionate about working to preserve the unique character of Scenic 30A, but at the time, we did not have the funds to pay for the wooden signs. The SWTDC graciously agreed to pay for them if we did the research to identify the borders and put them in the ground. The signs cost about $300 each and quickly became a seamless part of the fabric of our beloved road and served that purpose for many years.
When I heard that new signs were going up on 30A, I was initially excited thinking they would be a part of the scenic designation efforts of Claire Bannerman and the Scenic Corridor Advocacy Group. When the new way finding signs went up, it was immediately apparent these signs did not belong on Scenic 30A nor were they any part of a cohesive sign plan.
The overwhelming opinion is that these new signs are too tall, too big and too blue. I believe that the proper design of these signs is an essential element to the identity of Scenic 30A. I don't think the community will settle for anything less than a full redesign and replacement of the signs; I advocate removing them until this redesign is complete.
I acknowledge a lot of planning, hard work and money went into this project. I am sure the TDC had the best of intentions. However, no amount of effort or money is worth sacrificing the scenic character of our beloved road.
We are pleased the TDC board has taken the initiative and set up a workshop on this issue. It is set for March 26, at 5:30 p.m., at the Coastal Branch Library. I am sure through the efforts of Claire Bannerman’s group and other community leaders, we can work with the TDC to come up with a cohesive plan and design that fits Scenic 30A and its feeder roads. I suggest the design incorporate the TDC logo and the “Scenic 30A,” and that they be made of wood, such as cypress or sandblasted redwood.
An organization called The Scenic Pride Initiative was recently formed to work on this issue. It is a coalition of passionate citizens intent on seeing the signs replaced and working closely with the TDC on the redesign. It is our sincere hope the TDC board will recommend to the Walton County Board of Commissioners that the signs be removed so we may begin working together to preserve and enhance the beauty of the 30A corridor. The Scenic Pride Initiative will also commit to working on avenues for funding the new signs.
A few weeks ago Country Road 30A was officially designated a state scenic highway. Nine years of hard work by Claire Bannerman and the Scenic Corridor Advocacy Group came to fruition. The operative word is “scenic.” As in many ways in the past, Scenic 30A must be planned with care and sensitivity. Together, we must do all we can to preserve the scenic integrity of this beautiful place.