The Walton County Neighborhood Planning Program

Walton County encourages the preparation of Neighborhood Plans to guide development within the Neighborhood Planning Area (NPA) Future Land Use district. The County has established a Neighborhood Planning Program to facilitate development based on Neighborhood Plans. The standards and requirements for the Neighborhood Planning Program are contained in Future Land Use Policy L-1.1.1(B)(3)(a)(1) of the Walton County Comprehensive Plan and Section 2.03.02 of the Walton County Land Development Code.

History and Description of the Beach Highland Subdivision

The Beach Highland Subdivision is located in South Walton County generally southwest of County Road (C.R.) 30A. It is bordered by C.R. 30A on the north and east, the Topsail Hill State Preserve on the west, and the Gulf of Mexico on the south. Exhibit 1 of this plan shows the Beach Highland Subdivision and surrounding properties.

Beach Highland was platted as a residential subdivision on October 29, 1960. The subdivision originally included a total of 91 lots. Since the original plat recording, two additional lots have been created, and several lots have been combined and boundary lines have been adjusted. The subdivision is currently served by central water and sewer service, and includes paved roads.

Covenants and restrictions that controlled land development in the subdivision were established in January of 1961. Among other development standards, the covenants and restrictions limited development in the subdivision to single-family residential uses. These covenants and restrictions expired in 2001.

Bishop Street in the Beach Highland Neighborhood

The Beach Highland Subdivision primarily contains detached single-family residential homes on lots ranging in size from approximately 0.18 to 0.50 acre in size. Approximately 39 lots in the subdivision are currently vacant. In 1982, Lot 1 of Block F was developed with a 10-unit condominium known as Journey's End. In addition, the subdivision contains one manufactured home and one duplex (two-family dwelling).

Existing Land Development Standards

The subdivision includes 19 lots located along Stallworth Lake, which is a County protected Coastal Dune Lake. Development on lots fronting on Stallworth Lake is regulated under Sections 4.02.06(B) and 4.03.03(C) of the Walton County Land Development Code and Policies C-3.2.1 and C-3.2.8 of the Walton County Comprehensive Plan. Portions of the subdivision are also located within the Coastal Building Zone as defined in Section 4.02.05 of the Walton County Land Development Code and are subject to the development standards of this section.

The Walton County Comprehensive Plan includes a Future Land Use Map series that displays South Walton County's Neighborhood Planning Areas (NPAs). Within these NPAs are five Neighborhood subcategories: Residential Preservation Area, Infill Development, Small Neighborhood Projects, Traditional Neighborhood Development Projects, and Village Scale Development Projects. All of the Beach Highland Subdivision is designed on the NPA map series as Residential Preservation Area, with the exception of eight lots in the southeastern portion of the subdivision which are designated as Infill parcels. Exhibit 2 of this plan identifies the existing land use designations of this area.

Area Development Pattern

Immediately following the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan in 1996, the County received and granted numerous requests for small scale map amendments in South Walton County to permit commercial development in areas previously designated for residential uses. This pressure for commercial and other non-residential development was and continues to be the predominate development pattern along the C.R. 30A corridor. In response to this pressure, the residents of Beach Highlands are establishing this neighborhood plan to help protect the integrity of their residential subdivision.

A.

The Beach Highland Neighborhood. The standards and requirements of the Beach Highland Neighborhood Plan shall apply to the Beach Highland Subdivision as recorded in Walton County Plat Book 3, Page 47, with the exception of the Journey's End Condominiums located on Lot 1, Block F of the subdivision. The area subject to the standards below is shown as Exhibit 3 of this plan.

B.

Purpose and Intent. The standards established in this neighborhood plan are for the purpose of protecting and maintaining the existing single-family residential development pattern in this neighborhood. For this reason, these standards prohibit further subdivision and the development of multi-family residential and non-residential uses other than the specific accessory use listed in these standards.

Unless otherwise included as a development standard, development in the Beach Highland Subdivision shall be consistent with the standards of the Walton County Land Development Code.

C.

Beach Highland Subdivision Single-Family Detached Residential District Development Standards.

1.

Permitted Uses:

• Single-Family Detached Residences.

• Recreation Facilities as restricted in paragraph #18 below.

• Accessory Apartments as defined in the Walton County Land Development Code.

2.

Minimum Lot Size: None.

3.

Maximum Lot Size: None.

4.

Minimum Front Setback: 20 feet.

5.

Minimum Side Setback: 5 feet.

6.

Minimum Rear Setback: 15 feet.

7.

Minimum Corner Setback: 7.5 feet.

8.

Build-To-Lines: None.

9.

Maximum Lot Coverage: None.

10.

Maximum Building Height: Four stories.

11.

Minimum Residential Unit Size: 1,700 square feet excluding carports, patios, porches, and garages.

12.

Use Mix: Residential only.

13.

Street Width and Blocks: N/A.

14.

Parking Requirements: Subject to the standards of Section 5.02.00 of the Walton County Land Development Code.

15.

Landscape and Architectural Control: N/A.

16.

Multi-family residential and non-residential uses (including but not limited to civic uses and bed and breakfasts) are prohibited.

17.

Manufactured homes shall not be permitted.

18.

No parcel shall be developed or used for parking or recreation except as an accessory use to an existing single-family residence on the same or on an adjacent parcel. Recreation facilities may be developed as primary uses only upon agreement of a majority of property owners in the subdivision and only if such facilities are for the sole use by the residents and guests of the Beach Highland property owners.

19.

No further subdivision of lots in the Beach Highland Neighborhood shall be permitted. Lots may be joined together into single tracts or parcels, and lot lines may be reconfigured as long as the number of proposed lots, as shown by the numbers identified on Exhibit 3 of this plan, does not increase. Lots created before January 1, 1992, shall be considered legally existing lots.

20.

Beach Access. Lots may not be reconfigured to eliminate the existing beach access located at Bullard Road and Highland Avenue.

21.

Legal Nonconformities. Uses, structures, lots, or signs legally established prior to this neighborhood plan, which do not comply with the standards of this plan, may continue as long as they remain otherwise lawful. A nonconforming use which is discontinued for more than six months may not be re-established unless in conformance with this neighborhood plan. In the event that any nonconforming structure or use is destroyed by any means to the extent of more than 50 percent of the fair market value of the structure before the calamity, such structure or use shall not be restored, rebuilt, or reoccupied for any purpose unless it shall thereafter conform to all regulations of the neighborhood plan and Walton County Land Development Code. When such a structure or use is damaged or destroyed to the extent of 50 percent or less of the fair market value, no repairs or rebuilding shall be permitted except in conformity with this neighborhood plan and the Walton County Land Development Code.

A.

Neighborhood Association. All owners of property within the Beach Highland Neighborhood will be contacted by the applicants and given the opportunity to form a neighborhood association. The association will be for the purpose of representing the interests of the neighborhood. Membership in the association may be voluntary, or shall be mandatory if the association is established in accordance with the requirements of Florida Statutes, Chapter 720, Homeowners' Associations.

B.

Neighborhood Improvements. The neighborhood association will seek funding sources for sidewalks, landscaping, common signage themes, or other desired neighborhood improvements.

C.

Updates and Modifications. All applications for updates and modifications to the Neighborhood Plan shall be reviewed by the neighborhood association prior to the submission of the change by the applicant to Walton County. The neighborhood association shall make a recommendation to the Walton County Board of County Commissioners to approve, deny, or approve with modification all such requests.

(Ord. No. 2008-35, § 2(Exh. A), 10-28-08)

Editor's note— Exhibits 1—3, referenced above, are not set out herein, but are on file and available for inspection in the County offices.