Resident presses county over pole‑barn enforcement and alleged behind‑the‑scenes variance discussions
A Walton County resident, Mark Douglas, urged stricter, consistent code enforcement after a neighbor built a pole barn in alleged violation of setbacks and permits; county staff explained the magistrate process, available remedies, and how subsequent permit pathways and land purchases affected compliance options.
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Mark Douglas of Santa Rosa Beach addressed the commission at length to protest a neighbor’s pole‑barn construction that Douglas says violated setback rules and continued after multiple code-enforcement visits and a magistrate ruling. Douglas said the neighbor accrued daily fines of about $250 and that closed-door meetings with planning staff and developers led to a permit pathway he described as unfair and opaque.
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