Why should you say NO! on the Panama City's Referendum.

1. The city wants to narrow W. Beach Drive to 10-foot lanes (or 11 foot lanes - they’re not sure). After two years and spending over $1 million for planning, you would think they would know! Either way, the city must gain enough from the roadbed to build this massive sidewalk which is designed to be near the road, not the water. About 35 feet from the existing sidewalk already in place on the north side of the street. Think about the school buses, emergency vehicles, firetrucks and commercial vehicles who use this road constantly. Road narrowing will immediately produce a safety hazard for drivers and pedestrians. Also think about the year or more that Beach Drive will be torn up. Is that wise, especially since so many other roads are torn up around the city now?

2. The city wants to remove over 250 trees and vegetation along the south side of Beach Drive. Again, we can’t be sure how many because the city’s plans keep changing, but sooooo many. The city asserts it is less, but only because they don’t consider palms to be trees, so the numbers of palms coming down are not included. Even if the city plans to plant new trees, saplings cannot replace the mature landscaping that survived Hurricane Michael that is there now. Beside other environmental contributions such as nesting habitat for larger shorebirds (an osprey can’t nest in a sapling), the trees and vegetation with their root structure in place, hold the shoreline’s surrounding sand and soil base and provides a buffer during hurricanes and high winds. Removing trees makes homes in this neighborhood more vulnerable to storm damage and Beach Drive itself more likely to flood. Also, the city claims it will plant saplings, but where? The city will have used up the maintenance easement with its massive sidewalk.

3. The city wants to build a 12-foot concrete multi-use path on the south side of Beach Drive. (Maybe 10 feet or maybe 12 feet, the city’s plans continue to change)

Think about the aesthetics of a sidewalk larger than the traffic lane next to it. Think about the safety of having this huge sidewalk next to the road. Will vehicles make a mistake and drive on it? Think of everything that will be destroyed in order to build it.

4. The city wants to have 7 (flashing) lighted crosswalks, 150 lighted bollards and 150 puck lights. The city has already changed the street lights to higher wattage. While we can appreciate the lighting on the Las Vegas strip or the Home Depot parking lot, do you want it next to your Beach Drive shoreline? Think of how devastating this will be to the wildlife habitat and to the residential neighborhood.Also, a “sidewalk” never closes so all the lights, flashing and otherwise, will be on 24/7.

5. The city wants to place 120 new signs. Just visualize what that is going to look like. It’s a whole lot of signs for a 1.5 mile “sidewalk”! This just speaks for itself.

6. There is question as to whether the state funds granted for the sidewalk will be enough to build it and if not, where will money to complete it come from? What will it look like if it is not completed? Even if completed, where will the funds come from in the city budget to maintain it? Do you think this project is more important than existing city infrastructure issues like replacing fire hydrants, paving streets, fixing potholes, installing curbs, gutters and sidewalks where there are none?

7. The only city owned property on the south side of Beach Drive is the lift station. Until a few months ago, W. Beach Drive was a United States highway. Its ownership has been transferred and it is now a state highway. The state owns the road and the road has a maintenance easement. The property on the south side of the road is owned by homeowners on the north side of the road.

8. Remember "Cherry Street" and how things changed for the WORST after it was voted in by the Commissioners. Just because the plans are complete today in NOT what the path could become. It only takes 3 commissioners to change the outcome of any project. Remember Cherry Street.