Destin beach lot expansion approved

CRESTVIEW — The parking lot at the Okaloosa County-owned James Lee Park in Destin is at capacity every single day, says county Public Works Director Jason Autrey.

He shared that observation on Tuesday with the County Commission, which unanimously gave its approval to an expansion project that will increase the lot’s total number of parking spots to 201.

The expansion, which likely will occur at the end of the busy summer season, will involve 16 additional parking spots for cars and trucks and 21 spaces for golf carts. The golf-cart spaces will the first ones at the park, which is at 3510 Scenic Highway 98.

County officials have $300,000 worth of county bed-tax revenue budgeted for the project, which also will include the installation of new crosswalks. Part of the enlarged parking lot would encroach on the city’s right of way, but the expansion would not change the park’s commercial square footage, according to county information.

The overall project “is necessary and very doable,” said Commission Chairman Kelly Windes, who represents District 5, including Destin.

In other business on Tuesday, the commission:

• Approved a more than $6.8 million reclaimed water transmission main project to be performed by the county Water and Sewer Department. Reclaimed water is treated effluent and used primarily for irrigation, Water and Sewer Department Director Jeff Littrell said.

The county- and state-funded project will consist of an 11-mile reclaimed water transmission main from the county’s Arbennie Pritchett Water Reclamation Facility to the city of Niceville and Eglin Air Force Base service areas, according to county information.

• Approved paying about $161,500 in county money to Orlando-based DRMP Inc. to provide preliminary engineering/design services for a project to widen and resurface County Road 2 between State roads 189 and 85 southwest of Laurel Hill.

The preliminary services will include evaluating the Big Horse Creek and Yellow River bridges on CR 2. The latter bridge was built in 1949 and doesn’t meet current design standards.

The project area runs through District 1, represented by Commissioner Graham Fountain, and District 3, represented by Commissioner Nathan Boyles. They both noted that many local residents have asked for the roadway upgrades and the replacement of the Yellow River Bridge.