FORT WALTON BEACH The city s website lists the Bay Drive Water Access as a neighborhood park, set aside for the public to enjoy as a location for passive recreation.
What was at one time a more expansive recreational area now consists of a single park bench overlooking a small swath of white sand fronting Choctawhatchee Bay that s about as wide as the roadway whose name it shares.
Many who live in the affluent neighborhood near where Brooks Street and Bay Drive meet have a great affinity for the water access. They say it offers a perfect location to launch kayaks and paddle boards or simply to take in a sunset. Some recall days spent at the beach, which they say has been listed as a recreational area since 1945, with children and grandchildren.
Many who attended the meeting and spoke against the rezoning said they felt they d been hoodwinked by the council and city staff. I m just shocked. I don t understand, said Farrah Kitchens, whose husband Bryan said they had bought a house next to the park six months ago after being told by a Realtor the land next to them would always remain a green space.
The biggest complaint from the several subdivision residents who spoke against the rezoning was that they were not given sufficient notice of the pending sale. They said notifications went to very few residents and arrived too late to do them any good.