Jim Tucker
Beach Fanatic
The Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) voted 3-2 in favor of granting final approval to the controversial 24-story, 246-unit Echelon condominium tower in Miramar Beach, overruling the Walton County Planning Commission’s recommendation to deny the project. The final decision, which was made despite a year-long battle with Scenic 98 residents over heavy traffic, overcrowding, and potential tourism decline, gives the go-ahead for the Major Development by H and S, LLC.
The Echelon project, located at 100 Seascape Drive, gained approval largely due to its twenty-five-year-old “grandfathered status,” which exempts it from newer height restrictions. This history, combined with the Land Development Code (LDC) requirements being technically met, led County Attorney Clay Adkinson to caution that appellate litigation was expected regardless of the vote. Dissenting Commissioners Dan Curry and Donna Johns argued that the massive development was not in the best interest of the community’s safety and well-being. At the same time, proponents of the approval, including Chair Brad Drake, Commissioner Danny Glidewell, and Commissioner Tony Anderson, secured the motion to approve the Final Order.
The Echelon project, located at 100 Seascape Drive, gained approval largely due to its twenty-five-year-old “grandfathered status,” which exempts it from newer height restrictions. This history, combined with the Land Development Code (LDC) requirements being technically met, led County Attorney Clay Adkinson to caution that appellate litigation was expected regardless of the vote. Dissenting Commissioners Dan Curry and Donna Johns argued that the massive development was not in the best interest of the community’s safety and well-being. At the same time, proponents of the approval, including Chair Brad Drake, Commissioner Danny Glidewell, and Commissioner Tony Anderson, secured the motion to approve the Final Order.