Destin council presses county, state over Holiday Isle park plan amid public mistrust
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Summary
City council members and residents debated management and use of the Holiday Isle parcel the state purchased, with concerns about whether the county or state controls the land, potential commercialization (boat slips), parking access and who pays. City staff said the state owns the land, no deed restrictions require a specific plan, and any county interest is not finalized.
Mayor Bobby Wagner called a lengthy public discussion on Holiday Isle State Park after residents and council members pressed concerns about who controls the property and what uses will be allowed.
The exchange centered on comments made earlier by Okaloosa County Commissioner Drew Palmer, who some attendees quoted as saying the county “owns” or had decisive authority over the property. City Attorney Kimberly Romano Cuff and City Manager Larry Jones told the council the parcel is state-owned and that staff is not aware of any deed restriction requiring a specific development plan. Romano Cuff read the relevant development order language aloud, emphasizing that any docking facilities approved previously are limited to long-term residential slips for condominium residents and that “any commercial use of the docking facilities is expressly and strictly prohibited.”
Council members and residents raised concrete concerns: how many public parking spaces exist near Noriega Pointe (estimates of 40–50 were mentioned), whether county residents would be charged to park, and whether transient boat slips or fuel docks would be permitted in a marina envisioned by some county conceptual plans. Council members repeatedly asked for clarity on the state’s expectations and whether a county interlocal agreement could change local protections; staff said they had communicated with state officials and that the packet to the cabinet included a concept plan noting collaboration with the City of Destin but did not impose a mandatory management plan or deed restriction.
Residents and council members also argued over process. Several council members said they had tried to arrange collaborative public meetings with county officials but were rebuffed; others urged using conservation zoning (the same zoning used at Noriega Point) as a negotiating step to protect local expectations while continuing talks with the county. One councilmember said rezoning the property to conservation would allow the city to use its comp plan and land development code to prohibit commercial rentals of slips while still allowing low-impact amenities such as boardwalks and docks without rented slips.
City staff said they will continue discussions with state and county officials, pursue interlocal meetings, and provide more detailed information to the council at upcoming sessions. The council also directed staff to prepare to place a rezoning consideration on a future agenda to align any park management with the city’s conservation rules.
What comes next: councilmembers asked staff to pursue further engagement with the county’s interlocal process (a meeting was noted for early March) and to return with more precise documentation on ownership, any recorded management agreements, and a proposed conservation rezoning option for council consideration.