MAYOR'S COLUMN: Challenges of the past position city for a bright future

Asked whether or not the city of Destin met the goals of its original incorporators over its first twenty-five years in existence, my studied opinion would have to be “I’m not quite sure.”

To say the least, the answer to this question is elusive in that as far as I can gather, there doesn’t even seem to be consensus on what those original goals were.

I was still in middle school at the time and thus wasn’t immersed in the substantive debate, but over the years I’ve talked with some who were and it’s obvious there were at least two distinct camps of opinion.

One flatly states the intent of incorporation was to control (limit) development, while the second camp is just as emphatic that the goal was only to give the citizens of Destin (and henceforth their elected leaders) the ability to exert local control over all decisions so that its government would be more responsive to citizen concerns.

While it likely wasn’t evident as the incorporation debate unfolded, it did become clear over the following decade that a local government’s legal authority to control (or limit) real estate development was marginalized to the point that it is essentially non-existent.

The State of Florida’s system of financing government is inextricably tied to population growth — and thus new development. Therefore, its growth management laws provide entitlement for all development requests which comply with a community’s development regulations and even pre-empt local governments from changing those regulations (for example down zoning the allowable development density) in ways that lessen a property owner’s investment-backed expectations without justly compensating those owners whose rights were diminished by the change.

So much has land-use law evolved since Destin’s incorporation debate ensued that the spirit of its original intent is likely no longer valid for either camp of opinion.  Perhaps then, a more pertinent qualifier of success might be: Given the seemingly insatiable demand for real estate development over the course of its first twenty-five years in existence, has the city adequately enhanced the quality of life for its permanent residents and positioned itself as a premier destination of choice for its visitors?

It is undeniable that there have been daunting challenges and significant bumps in the road along the journey, so a candid answer to that question must include a mixed bag of “yes” and “no.” In fact, Destin’s growth pangs began not long after incorporation when the city codified its first land development regulations, adopting Okaloosa County’s existing development density thresholds (which is quite the enigma if the true premise of incorporation was to control/limit development as some suggest), promoted growth that did not adequately locate lodging accommodations in proximity of supporting commercial businesses, and catered wholly to the automobile as the only means of transit.

As a consequence, Destin’s high-density zones are nearly built-out with private high-rise condominiums that are surrounded by asphalt parking for automobiles. Lodgers must drive every time they want to eat a meal, see a movie, or shop — not a very conducive situation for a city which happens to be located along a peninsula with a single east-west arterial roadway.

But, early this decade the city began to change the way it envisioned its future and has worked tirelessly since embracing progressive urban planning strategies and uniting consensus.  In fact, Destin became the very first city in Florida history to implement a leading-edge design concept called a “multi-modal” transportation district.

This designation provides incentives to create multi-use live, work, and shop-at-home districts which incorporate a wide array of pedestrian transport.  The economic downturn has chilled new growth, so to date there has been no construction under the new incentive guidelines. But, over time these improvements will promote a more sustainable growth pattern that will significantly diminish our reliance on the automobile and minimize traffic sprawl.

The city has also positioned itself for a prosperous future by crafting ambitious plans for its Harbor District. The cornerstone purpose for the plan is to accentuate Destin’s famous charter fishing fleet and thereby preserve and enhance our link to our heritage.

To achieve this objective, the plan includes a public gateway to the Destin Harbor (which will be called the Royal Melvin Heritage Park), a public boardwalk stretching in excess of a mile, a public parking program, a first-class museum of the history of Destin, and much more.

Once completed, this effort will have helped preserve our heritage, enhanced public access to our waterways, and shaped a world-class destination attraction in Destin for future generations to enjoy.

Yet despite many of our collective accomplishments, I am often reminded that the true measure of success is often judged best through the eyes of another. So, I take special interest in listening and learning from others’ perception of Destin. Admittedly, it is universally true that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

But, the adjectives I repeatedly hear used to describe our slice of paradise convinces me that the quality of life we enjoy in Destin stacks up favorably in comparison to that offered by any of their own hometowns. So, though it has not always been easy, by working together we have managed to overcome some daunting challenges and we should all take pride in how far our city has come in its first twenty-five years of existence.

Mayor Craig Barker has served as Destin’s mayor since May 2002. His term will expire in 2010.