Santa Rosa County Commissioners this week did not approve a lease amendment request to build an RV park on Navarre Beach. The board is also taking steps to improve the notification process when beach lease amendments are sought.
According to an August 4 memo from county staff to commissioners, developer Ron Ward made the lease amendment request for a motor home park on behalf Chris Ferrara, leaseholder for a parcel located on the north side of Gulf Boulevard — across from the Springhill Suites construction site.
It’s the second time Ward and his business partners have recently sought a beach lease amendment.
In July the developers rescinded a request they had made to amend a lease on a separate 6-acre parcel located inside Navarre Beach Marine Park. They had sought to develop a 134-unit condominium unit on that parcel for which the lease only allows for a marina.
During the board’s August 8 committee meeting, Commission Chairman Lane Lynchard expressed concern that beach lease amendments do not require the same public notification process as rezonings, which require mailouts be sent to neighboring property owners among other notices.
Therefore, the commission directed staff to present recommendations to improve public notifications for beach lease amendments at the board’s August 11 meeting.
Other matters on the board’s August 11 agenda included:
– Thursdays in the Park concert series for 2016 at the county-owned Navarre Park (approved). Approval was made after the 2016 series started because of recent changes to county ordinances related to alcohol consumption inside county parks.
– The 3rd Annual Dead Pirate Color Run 5K Run/Walk scheduled for October 22 on Navarre Beach. Krewe of Karibbean representative Mike Hernadez assured commissioners the group would take steps to mitigate distribution and clean up of the colored corn starch used during the event (approved).
– Navarre Beach kayak dune walkover construction in the amount of $109,385 with construction to begin in mid-November.
– Matching funds for the Tom King Bayou Pedestrian Bridge project.
– Madura Road sidewalk construction in the amount of $74,700.00. The sidewalk will be built from Tiger Point Boulevard to East View Place using impact fees.
– James M. Harvell Road sidewalk construction in the amount of $23,186.40. The sidewalk will be built from Hwy. 87 S to the existing sidewalk just east of Presidio Street.
– Transfer of $72,306 from the District Five Recreation Fund to the Parks Department for a pour-in-place surface for Tiger Point Park playground.
