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Article Courtesy of The North West Florida Daily News
By Jennie McKeon
Published June 13, 2016
NAVARRE — One local woman is hoping to put the kibosh on
proposed housing development on Navarre Beach before the first shovel hits
the ground.
Local developers Ron Ward and Vic Deal are planning to build a 134-unit
housing complex on a nearly 6-acre privately owned parcel of the
county-owned Navarre Beach Marine Park. The land is zoned for commercial, so
developers are seeking a lease amendment to begin construction.
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But Nancy Forester —
and more than 600 signers of her petition — said she wants
the park to remain a place for recreation.
“It’s pristine,” she said. “It’s the very essence of what
the park is supposed to be.”
Forester lives on the sound, but as a Navarre resident she
feels a sense of ownership over the public park. She said
she would rather see “parties and picnics” on the beach
instead of residential buildings. She’s also concerned for
the wildlife that reside there.
“That’s state habitat for black skimmers and least terns,”
she said.
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An aerial view of Navarre Beach shows where the
proposed condominium will be located.
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The decision to amend the lease agreement lies with the
Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners. Forester has sent letters out to
commissioners, including Chairman of the Board Lane Lynchard, who wrote back
to her that he did not support any changes that would promote development on
the eastern end of Navarre Beach. He also said he has pushed for preserving
the “passive/recreational nature” of the area there and would continue to do
so.
The lease amendment has yet to come before the board, Lynchard told the
Daily News.
In a letter sent May 17 to Navarre Beach Leaseholders Association, Deal said
the project is based “on a lifetime of going to Navarre Beach and enjoying
its beauty.”
The condominium will not be a high rise, but will consist of four low-rise
buildings (four to six floors) and two mid-rise buildings (six to eight
floors) and will be built to withstand hurricane-force winds. Environmental
consultants have confirmed with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission that there are no endangered species of any type on the property,
according to his letter.
Deal also said it will be on par or will surpass the quality of Portofino
Island Resort on Pensacola Beach. In a report, the developers project that
condo would add $1,097,478 in taxes, but Forester said tax dollars are not
worth “destroying the park.”
Navarre Beach Leaseholders & Residents Association President Gary Buroker
said the organization has sent information about the condominium out to
leaseholders and will discuss it at their June 19 meeting.
In the meantime, Forester is working to rally community support and get more
signatures to her Change.org petition.
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