New Beach Access Signs

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TDC votes to recommend redesign of beach access signs, gets updates​

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AN EXAMPLE of proposed revised beach access signs, this type applying to regional beach accesses.


By DOTTY NIST


Among other business, the Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) has voted to recommend redesign of beach access signage to provide for identification of beach accesses by number in addition to the 911 address of the access.
This was at the TDC’s Aug. 1 bimonthly meeting at the South Walton Annex.


Beach access signage proposal
Kelli Carter, director of marketing for the Walton County Tourism Department, presented the signage revision proposal to council members. She also furnished the members with examples of the proposed signage featuring a 12-inch-tall red number near the top of each sign identifying each regional and neighborhood beach access.

Carter explained that, while residents are generally familiar with the names and locations of the beach accesses, identifying beach accesses by numbers can make it easier for visitors to recall where they are—and for this reason many coastal communities use the beach access numbering system.

She said the beach access numbering system being presented to the council had been developed after much thought and “countless discussions” between tourism department staff, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), and South Walton Fire District (SWFD), entities with which the tourism department works closely with its beach safety program.

Carter said the large number identifying each beach access had been specifically requested by the WCSO to be a uniform size of 12 inches tall and in a red font on each sign, while sign sizes would range from 31 inches tall to 62 inches tall.
“Throughout the design process,” Carter explained, “I worked extensively with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the South Walton Fire District to determine all the details of the signs,” She noted that representatives of the WCSO and the SWFD were present and in support of the proposal.

Carter told the council members that signs have a life span of seven to 10 years and that the current beach access signs had been installed in 2015. With the existing signs in about their eighth year, she commented, it would make sense to change out the signs at this time.

Carter noted that the proposal would not include changing the sign hardware, just the printed portion of the signs.
She indicated that the funding source for the project was envisioned as unused funds in the current year’s budget for beach renourishment.. No dollar amount was specified.

There was some variation between examples provided of the revised signage between signs for regional beach accesses, neighborhood beach accesses, and beachside signs, with the large numbers identifying each beach access remaining consistent.
While there were all aye votes from the council members to recommend moving the signage project forward to final consideration by the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC), council members had some suggestions for tweaks to the proposed signs.

One was including rip current information, which had been removed due to space considerations, possibly with the use of a drop-down feature on the signs.

Another suggestion was to remove the words “SAFETY FIRST” from the signs so that information on the beach safety flag system and beach rules could be displayed in a larger font on the signs.

Another suggestion was to prioritize information on the flag system and rip currents over the nesting sea turtle protection information and to look at putting the latter on a separate sign to make room for the other information.

Carter pledged to bring some additional sign options back before the council in response to the suggestions.

Later during the course of the meeting Barbara Morano spoke in favor of the signage redesign project on behalf of the South Walton Community Council (SWCC).and agreed with the council members who suggested the rip current information being included.

Morano also urged for continuing with the “water closed” signs placed just past the dune walkovers during double red flag conditions, bearing the message that there is a $500 fine for violations. Beachgoers may get distracted and not read the other signs, but fortunately they always see the “water closed” signs as they enter the beach, she said.