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Residents press Panama City commission on Beach Drive path as DOT declines to transfer road
Summary
Speakers and commissioners debated whether the state will transfer West Beach Drive and whether environmental 'Baysaver' measures must be tied to a sidewalk project; staff said FDOT now prefers to keep maintenance responsibility and has asked for plan modifications.
Multiple residents renewed opposition to a proposed multi-use path on West Beach Drive and pressed commissioners for clarity on whether the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will transfer the road to the city.
George Carruthers and Hank Pickens, among others, told the commission they believed the project was a “done deal” and asked why the city continued to move forward if FDOT was not transferring the road. Carruthers said the city had released last-minute plan revisions and urged commissioners to repurpose grant funds if the transfer would not occur. He cited House Bill 9087 and warned that failing to reallocate the money could cost residents ward‑level improvements.
City Manager Jonathan Hayes responded that FDOT has indicated it does not intend to transfer the road at this time because of large‑truck access concerns. Hayes said staff modified conceptual plans to show 11‑foot travel lanes and a path ranging from about 8 to 12 feet depending on location, and that FDOT would have to grant a right‑of‑way construction permit for the city to build inside the state maintenance corridor.
Hayes also addressed the environmental measures proposed for the project, sometimes referred to in the meeting as “base savers” or “Baysavers.” He said the city sought a Department of Environmental Protection permit only because it planned to install 17 of the structures; if the commission chose to remove the environmental component, FDOT could potentially proceed with the sidewalk as a DOT project without the state environmental permit. Hayes added that some cost estimates for pipeline‑type piping fixtures in the grant scope totaled $480,000 for 16 fixtures, a line item that residents said raised questions about separability of the environmental work from the sidewalk.
Residents raised concerns that a separate $8,000,000 grant reportedly identified for the Baysaver work created confusion about whether the sidewalk and environmental components could proceed independently. Hayes said the city’s engineers and FDOT were reviewing modified conceptual plans and that FDOT would need to approve any changes.
Commissioners acknowledged the public concern and asked staff to collect and publish communications with FDOT for transparency. Multiple speakers asked for clearer drawings and a timetable; staff stated that emails and calendar entries documenting DOT coordination exist and can be produced as public records.
