WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Walton County is growing at a rapid rate, and has struggled to keep up with the housing demand.
In a planning meeting Thursday morning, Walton County commissioners made headway, approving the development of more than 200 homes.
“We can’t stop people from moving here, but what we can do is provide for the supply of housing so we can counter that ever-increasing, diminishing supply with additional units,” Walton County Planning Director Mac Carpenter said. “That helps in the price point and helps us manage how much it costs to live in Walton County.”
The largest of the approved developments is C&R Freeport Properties’ ‘Black Creek Estates.’
The master plan will bring another 161 single-family lots to the Freeport area.
The site will sit off Black Creek Boulevard, north of Joyce Lane.
As part of the agreement, developers will be putting in a sidewalk along portions of Black Creek Boulevard to improve safety.
Some commissioners were initially wary of the project, since wetlands surround the location, but the developer has taken great care to preserve the wetlands.
“This particular developer has agreed to provide additional protection for wetlands that they otherwise would not have to provide if this were a standard subdivision that just met the minimum requirements of our land development code,” Carpenter said. “But through this process, the public was able to achieve a greater benefit that otherwise would be required for a developer to get a subdivision approved.”
The master plan even includes public access to recreational rails in a wetland conservation area at the request of commissioners.
While the development sits outside city limits, Freeport will provide water and sewer to the new homes.
