Two Huge Events Next Week on Fire Service Infrastructure for District 1

On Tuesday--the BCC will be voting on an agreement with the US Navy to acquire 5 acres of property to construct the new Fire Station 20 in Paradise Beach.  The previous station 20 was shut down in 2018 by Administrator Jack Brown.  I have been working ever since to get a replacement, and we are taking another step forward on Tuesday at the meeting.  We have already surveyed this property and purchased some equipment for this station.  It is coming.

And also, on Thursday of next week, we will be cutting the ribbon on Beulah's brand new, state of the art 14,500 SF fire station, the "Bradshaw McNair" fire station.  See the county's press release on this event, below:

"The Bradshaw-McNair Fire Station, serving the residents of the Beulah community, is named after the late District Chief Dwain Bradshaw and retired ECFR District Chief Steve McNair. Chief Bradshaw died in the line of duty while responding to a call on Nov. 6, 2019. Chief McNair served the Beulah community as a volunteer firefighter for over 50 years before retiring. 

The 14,503-square-foot facility will feature four vehicle bays for fire trucks. Along with the standard features within a fire station, such as a kitchen, living room area, gym, bedrooms, and shower facilities, the new Beulah fire station will include a community meeting and training room for public use.

Construction of the Bradshaw-McNair Fire Station was completed by Emerald Coast Constructors, Inc., and was fully funded by Local Option Sales Tax, or L.O.S.T.

"With the opening of the brand new Bradshaw-McNair Fire Station in Beulah, this community will have a state-of-the-art facility, a full-time staff, and multiple pieces of new firefighting and lifesaving equipment that will help protect the citizens and property," said District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh. "This is a fitting tribute to the two men for whom this station is named, Dwain Bradshaw and Steve McNair, as this facility and those who man this station going forward will continue the legacy of service that Mr. Bradshaw and Mr. McNair epitomized. I am thankful for all the staff who worked for the last seven years to keep this project going, and I want to thank my predecessor, Commissioner Wilson Robertson, for his efforts to get momentum behind this project nearly a decade ago. A project like this requires patience, persistence and teamwork, and in this case, the team had it. This station is the fruit of this teamwork."

The Bradshaw-McNair Fire Station is located directly behind the former Beulah Fire Station, which has served Beulah residents since 1977. Numerically, the fire station will remain as ECFR-Station #2.

"This is an exciting time for the community of Beulah and for Escambia County Fire Rescue," said Fire Chief Adam Harrison. "We have seen tremendous growth and opportunity in this community, and we're honored to continue the elevation of Beulah with the addition of this fire station, which will serve the Beulah citizens 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

The Story behind the Story of the Big Development on Perdido Key:They'll be Sticking with the Perdido Key Master Plan on my Watch!

Today's PNJ has a story on a big development proposed for Perdido Key in District 1.

This concerns me for multiple reasons, not the least of which is the traffic situation we already are dealing with as it pertains to the "Doug Underhill roundabout" which has been a failure.  Which I am having re-designed so it will actually work-which I will fix to work properly.

So this new development is proposed for the footprint of the old Best Western motel that was wiped-out during Hurricane Ivan.  In addition, it will encompass some additional parcels to the east of the Best Western footprint.

This additional development will exacerbate already significant traffic bottlenecks--which is why the permitting of this development has to be thoughtfully considered and scrutinized.

It is also why we DESPERATELY need traffic mobility fees/concurrency to put the onus for widening roads on developers when such developers' projects degrade capacity of exising roadways.  I've brought it multiple times, and staff is working on this and will be studying what other like sized counties are doing and then they will be bringing recommendation(s) back to the board for our consideration.  More to come on that in the months to come.

For my vote, if I get one on this project, I will NOT support any variations from the established Perdido Key Master Plan.  That plan is widely embraced by the folks at Perdido Key and so I will demand it be followed. (Just like I am doing with proposed developments at OLF 8 in Beulah).

More importantly than that, we have responsibilites to ensure the Perdido Key Habitat Conservation plan is followed to the letter, which staff will do.  Additionally, the platting of the subdivision portion of this development will require the requestor go through the county's subdivision platting process, which could take 12-18 months or more.  Additionally, I am told all impacts to the wetlands will require mitigation and impacts to beach mouse habitiat will require the developer to donate similar mouse habitat elsewhere on the key, where such property will be placed in conservation, and not be buildable.

And finally, the roadway proposed directly impacts wetlands, meaning DEP and Federal permits from the Army Corps of Engineers will be required, and can take between 6-months and a year to acquire.  It is unknown at this time as to whether or not this developer, Joe Mirabile, has obtained such permits.

All this to say this development will not be a slam dunk, lots of existing state, federal, and local laws, codes, and ordinances will have to be met to the letter, and lots of eyes on this project.

Including mine.

I'm a rule follower.  Time for us all to become keenly attenuated to the adopted, accepted, and widely embraced PK Master Plan....

Galvez Landing: We can Have Both a Boat Launch and a Recreational Area---And WE WILL

As long as I am commissioner of District 1--the issue on Galvez Landing where the artificial binary choice (Either a Boat Launch OR a Recreational Area) was the topic------my answer is simple.

Both.

Not everything is a binary choice.  Having a great little area with a swing, picnick table, and areas for children and parents to wade in the water is perfectly fine at Galvez Landing---and the Boat launch and rebuilt docks the county has built for a first class boat launch are also just fine.

You can have both, and we will so long as I am around.

Because not everything in life comes down to an either/or decision point.

At Galvez, it can be, will be, and IS-------- BOTH.