Okaloosa County BOCC — October 22, 2015 — I. e. Veterans Park Conceptual Plan

TOURIST DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM DATE: October 22, 2015 TO: Tourist Development Council FROM: Ed Schroeder, Tourist Development Department Director Erika Zambello, Marine Economic & Tourism Development Resource Coord. SUBJECT: Veterans Park Conceptual Plan STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Request approval of the Conceptual Plan for Veterans Park at Baywalk and permission to initiate the permitting process. BACKGROUND: Veterans Park at Baywalk hosts a variety of wildlife, large pine trees, wildflowers, native grasses, and other vegetation, providing unique habitat on Okaloosa Island. The park is a birding hotspot, with nearly 200 species found here throughout the year. The Board of County Commissioners has directed staff to develop a design & management plan that will reverse the erosion occurring along Choctawhatchee Bay at Veterans Park and improve the upland area to provide for easier public access. The direction from the Board and local stakeholders was to keep the park as natural as possible and minimize hardscaping while maximizing the use of the park by local citizens and tourists alike. This conceptual plan has been approved by the Okaloosa Island Leaseholders Association and other local stakeholders. Letters of support have been provided. The erosion along the shoreline will be addressed by a living shoreline project that will not only reverse the erosion currently occurring but will create new habitat, enhance the aesthetics of the park and avoid the alternative of a costly and high maintenance seawall. The upland section of the park will feature a Veterans memorial, an ADA-compliant elevated walkway, educational signage and other "soft" amenities, while a multi-use dock/breakwater will connect Choctawhatchee Bay with the upland section of the park. The costs associated with permitting this project are included in an existing Board-approved Task Order with Taylor Engineering, Inc. OPTIONS: Approve or Disapprove RECOMMENDATION TO BCC: Approve the Conceptual Plan for Veterans Park at Baywalk and authorize staff to begin the permitting process. Okaloosa County Baywalk Project October 2015  Okaloosa County Baywalk Project • Project Overview – Background – Conceptual Project Design – Project Elements • Project Partners and Stakeholders • Project Costs and Funding Opportunities 2  Project Overview Background • Eroding Shoreline • Noticeable Property Losses • Losses of: – Recreational Area – Shoreline Habitat – Upland Resources and Habitat • Threatened Upland Infrastructure • Minimal Recreational Uses 3 Shoreline Erosion 4 Shoreline Erosion 5 Shoreline Erosion 6 Shoreline Erosion 7 Shoreline Erosion 8 Shoreline Erosion 9 Shoreline Erosion 1994 Shoreline 10  Conceptual Project Design Project Goals • Stabilize the Eroding Shoreline • Protect Upland Property, Infrastructure, and Amenities • Protect Natural Resources • Restore, Create, and Enhance Natural Habitat for Aquatic and Terrestrial Species • Increase the Biodiversity and Sustainability of Choctawhatchee Bay • Create New Recreational and Educational Opportunities for Tourists and Residents 11 Conceptual Project Design 12 Conceptual Project Design Coastal Scrub Upland Boardwalk Coastal Dune Saltwater Marsh Offshore Breakwater Oyster Reef Breakwater / Oy