Residents press Panama City commission over West Beach Drive path; staff says FDOT will not transfer road and offers alternatives

Several residents asked the Panama City Commission to halt or rethink plans for a multiuse path on West Beach Drive and questioned the relationship between that path and an environmental "base savers" element of the project. Speakers said they feared the path would be imposed without adequate community consent and urged commissioners to repurpose sidewalk grant funds for ward-level sidewalk improvements instead.

Speakers who addressed the commission included Hank Pickin, who noted a petition opposing the path and requested answers from commissioners; George (last name given in transcript as Carruthers/Brother) urged the commission to instruct the city manager to seek repurposing of remaining Beach Drive grant money to each ward. Terry Thomas and other West Beach Drive neighbors said they opposed the path because of parking and safety concerns. Several residents requested clearer timelines and more direct responses from their elected representatives.

City staff and the city manager responded with technical clarifications. City Manager Jonathan Hayes told the commission the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has indicated it will not transfer West Beach Drive to the city at this time and will only consider a construction permit if the city modifies plans to show 11-foot travel lanes. Hayes described two options: proceed only if the road transfers, or obtain an FDOT right-of-way construction permit to build within FDOT'maintained right-of-way. He also said the design engineers modified conceptual drawings to show 11-foot lanes and a narrower trail width in areas where right-of-way is constrained.

On the environmental components known as "base savers," Hayes said those features were included in the grant estimate because rerouting curbs and other changes create an opportunity to add stormwater and habitat features; if the commission prefers, the environmental elements could be removed and the city could seek to build only a sidewalk under a DOT permit. Staff said grant and design documents include line items for stormwater fixtures, and that some grant funds and separate appropriations have been identified in state legislation for Panama City sidewalk improvements.

Several public-commenters asked whether the DOT had produced any written decision. Hayes said there are email communications and calendar entries with FDOT staff and that those records could be produced in response to a public-records request. Commissioners urged staff to continue outreach and to respond to constituents' written questions; one commissioner offered to meet with a resident after the meeting.

There was no council vote on the West Beach Drive project at the meeting. Commissioners and staff described options and next steps, and the commission deferred any final action pending additional coordination with FDOT and further public engagement.