City leaders agree to new streetscape standards along Harbor Boulevard

With a unanimous vote during their Oct. 6 Community Redevelopment Agency Board Meeting, city leaders in Destin agreed to new streetscape design standards and pedestrian lighting in the Harbor CRA along Harbor Boulevard.

The changes were designed to formalize a “standard look” for development and redevelopment projects along U.S. Hwy. 98.

City leaders were presented with about six different options that would blend concrete and pavers to create a new look. The concepts, which were designed by Tetra Tech, ranged from basic concrete to small bricks, concrete designed to mimic a wooden boardwalk and a variety of other patterns.

As part of their decision, city leaders had to also factor in the cost of the project and not just the aesthetics. For a standard 10-foot-wide concrete sidewalk, the city would be looking at a cost of about $4 per square foot installed, while the blended sidewalk and paver combination would be slightly higher at $5.50 per square foot installed.

For her part, Councilwoman Sandy Trammell told her colleagues she wasn’t necessarily a fan of pavers, as they give people using wheelchairs “brain rattle” when they cross over them.

“If we can do something about the paver part, I don’t mind the design,” she said of option one, which bares a resemblance to a wooden boardwalk.

After approving the item during the CRA Board meeting, city leaders also moved the item through during their City Council meeting the same night.