The Walton County Board of County Commissioners and the Walton County Tourism Department held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Scenic Gulf Drive Regional Beach Access on Wednesday, Oct. 27th. The new regional beach access will be located at 907 Scenic Gulf Drive in Miramar Beach.

“This new regional beach access will include a restroom building with a large plaza, an ADA accessible boardwalk to the beach, as well as vehicle, golf cart and bicycle parking,” said Beach Operations Director Brian Kellenberger. “There will also be a picnic pavilion with access to the beach.”

Since August 2016, Visit South Walton has purchased a total of seven parcels to be used as new regional access points, as well as future parking facilities. One of the most notable properties is the “Grayton Grand” project on County Road 283.

The properties were purchased and will be maintained using bed tax dollars, a 5 percent tax collected on short term rentals. Residents do not pay the bed tax unless they are taking a “staycation” in a local rental property or accommodation.

“Anytime we have an opportunity to provide additional beach access for our residents and visitors to enjoy, it’s a priority for Walton County,” said District 5 Commissioner Tony Anderson. “We understand that it can sometimes be a long process from the time we purchase a property until we open a new access, but it’s always great to see these important steps begin. This new beach access is going to be a great addition to Miramar Beach and our county.”

Once construction is completed on the Scenic Gulf Drive access, as well as the proposed regional beach access in Seagrove Beach, across from Café Thirty-A, the total number of regional beach access points in South Walton will increase to 11. Each regional beach access point includes parking, bathroom facilities, and a lifeguard station.

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