The Gulf County Board of County Commissioners covered several projects and community issues at its latest meeting on August 25th, but the update that caught my attention most was Back Beach Road.

There is still a long way to go before this becomes a funded road project, but county leaders are working with the City of Port St. Joe on what comes next.

Back Beach Road

County officials recently met with representatives from the City of Port St. Joe to discuss Back Beach Road and reported that the conversation was productive. Both the city and county see the proposed road as a priority.

A joint meeting between the Gulf County Commission and Port St. Joe City Commission is scheduled for September 14th at 10 a.m., with the Centennial Building discussed as the anticipated location.

During the BOCC meeting, commissioners talked about why this project matters as traffic continues to increase between Gulf County, Tyndall and Panama City. A traffic study was discussed as one of the tools that could help build the case for moving the project forward.

Public safety will also be part of that conversation. Commissioners asked Gulf County EMS to bring information on emergency transports from Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf to Panama City, including transport times. The possibility of Back Beach Road reducing those travel times was specifically discussed.

The big goal right now is getting Back Beach Road into FDOT's Five Year Work Program. That does not mean the road has been approved or funded for construction. The county is trying to get Gulf County, Port St. Joe and FDOT working together on a path forward.

The September 14th joint meeting should give us a better idea of what that path may look like, and I’ll definitely be following this one.

Workforce Housing

Commissioners also moved forward with a workforce housing proposal aimed at helping local workers who may earn too much to qualify for existing housing assistance programs but still struggle with the cost of housing in the south end of Gulf County.

The proposal would use county owned lots, with the first six designated for county, city and school board employees, including constitutional offices. Additional lots would be available to other qualifying local residents, including law enforcement, corrections, fire and EMS personnel.

The county would contribute land valued at approximately $75,000 per lot. Participants who remain in the home long term could eventually have that amount forgiven under the program.

Officials discussed homes around $200,000 with two or three bedrooms and approximately 1,300 square feet. The board voted unanimously to move forward, with more details on builders and a possible lottery expected later this year.

Indian Pass Bridge

The board approved another step toward replacement of the Indian Pass Bridge.

A water line currently attached to the bridge has to be relocated before the existing bridge can be removed. 

Officials also talked about how long the larger bridge project has been in the works and the importance of the road as an access point for Indian Pass, particularly during flooding and tropical weather.

Short Term Rental Tax Enforcement

The county also discussed software designed to identify short term rentals being advertised without properly paying the required tourist development tax.

Staff said finding even eight or nine noncompliant rentals could potentially cover the cost of the software. The discussion centered on making sure properties operating as vacation rentals are following the same tax requirements.

More to Come

There is a lot happening around Gulf County, but Back Beach Road is one I’ll be paying particularly close attention to.

For now, the important takeaway is that Gulf County and Port St. Joe are talking, a joint meeting is scheduled for September 14th, and getting the project into FDOT's Five Year Work Program is the next major goal.

I’ll share more as we learn what comes next.

Linda Surles, REALTOR®
Selling the Coast Real Estate
850-329-5771

Local Realtor serving Port St. Joe, St. Joe Beach, Cape San Blas, WindMark Beach and Mexico Beach.