Landowner says Boardwalk could ruin Destin Harbor
Instead of boosting business along the Destin harbor, the city's policies are killing the harbor economy, landowner Claude Perry says.
"It's hard to find (business) tenants," Perry told Destin City Council at Monday's meeting. "Nobody wants to come to the harbor ... What I'm trying to do is survive until there's an opportunity for redevelopment."
Perry said two businesses want to move into the two homes on the north side of his harbor property, but to receive a permit to renovate the buildings, he will have to build a 25-foot boardwalk on the waterfront. He told the council that would wipe out the parking the businesses needed.
The council directed City Manager Greg Kisela to keep working with Perry on a solution, but told Perry they couldn't guarantee one would be found.
The boardwalk is a key part of the city's plan to redevelop the harbor and create a "festive marketplace" that will draw tourists and boost the west Destin economy. Kisela said Monday that his goal is to have the boardwalk running from Destin Yacht Club to Emerald Grande within three years.
To speed that along, city rules require landowners build the boardwalk, which must average 25 feet wide, when they develop their property.
Perry told the council Monday that until he was ready to completely redevelop his land, he'd appreciate some flexibility:
- Change the rules to exempt minor redevelopment projects from requiring a boardwalk.
- Allow Perry time to persuade the Department of Environmental Protection to let him build the boardwalk out over the water.
- If the DEP says no, allow Perry to build a 10 to 12 foot boardwalk until it's time for a major project.
Perry said if he knew the 10 to 12 foot boardwalk was an option should the DEP refuse the over-the-water plan, he could proceed without worrying about his parking. If he had to wait and hope for DEP approval, he said, his tenants "are going to walk, they're exhausted with this process."
Kisela said the city's boardwalk designs hadn't reached the point they could guarantee the flexibility Perry wanted, and they couldn't issue a permit based on the assumption DEP would approve Perry's request.
The council took no action beyond encouraging Kisela to keep working on a solution. City Attorney Jerry Miller said that it was City Council's job to decide the rules for development, not to decide how they applied to a particular property, or who was entitled to an exemption.
"I think Mr. Kisela will work out an agreement that will let that flexibility be a reality," Councilor Dewey Destin said.
Perry said the changes and delays to the city's redevelopment plans made it hard to keep going: "All I want to do is make it to the finish line, but they keep moving the finish line."