Okaloosa County officials presented a draft management approach for the newly acquired Noriega Point parcel and faced unified opposition from Destin city leaders and scores of residents who said the plan would commercialize a small, storm‑exposed beach and harm neighborhood safety, water quality and scenic views.

"The county essentially is stepping into the shoes as a developer and must comply with local regulations," said Kimberly Romano Cupp, city attorney for the City of Destin, who told the meeting the parcel sits entirely inside city limits and that the county’s draft plan appears inconsistent with Destin’s adopted comprehensive plan and land‑development code. She said any nonresidential uses would require comprehensive plan amendments and multiple public hearings.

Commissioner Drew Palmer (Okaloosa County, District 5) and county staff framed the meeting as an early public outreach step after the state’s governor and cabinet approved the acquisition and designated Okaloosa County to manage the site. Palmer reviewed a timeline of county outreach and said county staff will post materials and answers on a project page and hold further meetings. "This is the first of several that we'll have," Palmer said as he opened public comment.

County staff described the parcel as about 3.99 acres with an existing 53‑slip marina (the majority of slips are 40–66 feet), seawalls on multiple sides and existing utilities. Deputy County Administrator Craig Coffey said staff have not selected design professionals or finalized engineering, and that the draft plan is conceptual. He described potential improvements under consideration — parking, boardwalks, restrooms, pavilions and limited fishing platforms — and said an amphitheater is not being proposed.

City and resident objections were broad and consistent. Council member Tory Guile said the plan’s commercial elements clash with the property’s current high‑density residential land‑use designation and warned that added transient and livery traffic could worsen an already congested harbor; she referenced an Army Corps study that raised capacity and safety concerns. Residents and multiple elected council members asked whether Destin could be asked to bear added costs for increased harbor pumping and maintenance.

Neighbors living on Gulf Shore Drive and Holiday Isle emphasized traffic, security and neighborhood impacts. "Traffic. Traffic. Traffic," said Laurie Sanders, a full‑time resident of East Pass Towers who described narrow, two‑lane local streets with no shoulders and repeated instances of trespassing and after‑hours disturbances; she asked whether the park would have full‑time rangers or security and what the opening hours would be.

Public‑safety staff addressed emergency response logistics. Pat Maddox, director of public safety, said emergency vehicles and staging already use nearby Coast Guard and boat assets and that responders use side‑by‑side vehicles, ATVs and boats to remove people from sand — adding that response protocols would not fundamentally change if the site becomes a park. "It doesn't matter if there's 4 lanes or 2," Maddox said, describing how vehicles clear the way for emergency apparatus.

Environmental and fiscal concerns were raised. Anne Henzey, a long‑time resident, criticized the draft plan for lacking an engineer’s capital estimate, an operations and maintenance budget, and a quantified storm‑damage or recovery plan; she urged pausing further development and commissioning full analyses given the site's exposure to tides, storm surge and wave action. Several residents and speakers recounted past storm damage and questioned the wisdom of paving or adding heavy infrastructure at a narrow coastal parcel.

Some speakers urged compromise: limited transient slips rather than a full commercial marina, modest low‑impact amenities, improved pedestrian access and parking management (one resident suggested a shuttle or ticketed access model similar to Pigeon Key). Other commenters alleged a lack of transparency about the acquisition price and the prior sale, and asked for audits or investigations; county officials declined to answer questions about the seller’s negotiations and said the county was not involved in the original acquisition decision.

No formal motions or votes occurred at the town hall. Multiple Destin officials told the county staff that, in their view, any nonresidential or commercial uses would require statutory consistency with the city's comprehensive plan and appropriate development approvals. County staff repeatedly characterized materials shared as conceptual and said more public engagement and design work will follow.

The meeting ended with Commission Palmer saying he would continue dialogue and attend local homeowner‑association meetings; staff said questions submitted during the session would be added to the project website. Next steps provided verbally were further public meetings and staff refinement of the draft management plan before any formal approvals are sought.