Input sought on BRAC-related growth

The Draft Tri-County Growth Management Plan, a study to help local communities respond to the growth at Eglin AFB resulting from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission decisions, was released on Wednesday, Feb. 3.  “This is an important step in helping the communities in our three-county region prepare themselves for the growth we expect because of BRAC,” said Okaloosa Commissioner Wayne Harris, chairman of the Eglin Installation Growth Committee, which has oversight of the study. 

Local citizens are encouraged to review the draft document, created in an expanded Executive Summary format, and attend one of the public workshops that will be conducted in the coming weeks.  “Citizen input is critical to ensure we capture all the concerns before we finalize the plan,” Commissioner Harris said, adding, “We need the perspectives of our local residents to ensure we haven’t missed any significant issues that could result in a less than optimum roadmap for our communities to follow.” 

Public workshops have been slated for Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton County locations to provide convenient venues for citizens to participate.  Those workshops are:

• Tuesday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m., Santa Rosa County Commission Meeting Room, 6495 Caroline Street, Milton
• Wednesday, Feb. 17, 5 p.m., Walton County Commission Meeting Room, South Walton Annex, 31 Coastal Centre Blvd, Santa Rosa Beach.
• Thursday, Feb. 18, 6 p.m., Okaloosa County Commission Meeting Room, Water & Sewer Building, 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd, Fort Walton Beach.

The plan is available on-line at www.tri-countybrac.com and at public libraries in all three counties.  For more information, contact Jeff Fanto, growth project coordinator, at 850-609-3014, e-mail jfanto@co.okaloosa.fl.us, or click on the “Contact Us” link on the Web site and send a message.