The Plan for Walton 2040 is an effort sponsored by the Walton County Board of County Commissioners to develop a Vision Plan for the future development and preservation of Walton County. Technically, this process will create what is called an Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR), which will guide future amendments to the Walton County Comprehensive Plan.

Under Florida Law, every municipality (including Walton County) must submit a long-range growth plan to the State every seven years. This plan, known as a Comprehensive Plan or “Comp Plan,” includes an inventory of current conditions and identifies long-range needs, goals, and policies to balance future economic, social, physical, environmental, and fiscal development of the area.

The next update to Walton County’s Comprehensive Plan will begin in 2025. At the request of the County Commission, the Plan for Walton 2040 will collect community input and opinions on the future growth and development of Walton County. Your feedback will be combined with state-of-the-art technical analysis and community planning practices to create a vision that guides the Comp Plan amendments and updates, and thus the future development and preservation of Walton County into the next two decades.  The Plan builds upon the existing 2011 Comprehensive Plan and subsequent amendments that were filed over the past few years.

If you live, work, own property, or have a business in Walton County, you should have a voice in the future of this community! Your input can help determine where growth should happen, what type of growth should be allowed, and where growth should be limited. This plan will also identify infrastructure and transportation needs to support future growth, areas to be preserved, and guidelines for ensuring that future growth is compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods and communities.

A charrette is an intensive planning session where citizens, designers and others collaborate on a vision for community planning. The design team and consultants set up a full working office in the community, with computers, printers, drafting supplies, copy machines, and wall maps. This provides a forum for real-time brainstorming and drawing of ideas submitted from residents and stakeholders. More importantly, it allows everyone who participates to be a mutual author of the plan.

This interactive process achieves several goals. First, everyone who has a stake in the project develops a vested interest in the ultimate vision. Second, the design team works together to produce a set of finished documents that address all aspects of design. Third, since the input of all the players is gathered at one event, it is possible to move forward with a true community-supported vision for future planning. Finally, the process is more cost-effective and efficient due to the intensive focus and community participation throughout the week.

A “charrette” is a fancy French word meaning “cart.” In the late 1800s, the Paris School of Fine Arts would send a cart to students’ apartments for them to turn in their art projects. Not unlike today, some students were cramming at the last minute to finish their work, so they would jump into the cart and finish the project while on their way back to school. Today, we use the term “charrette” in a similar fashion – we are collaborating and working together on the project on our way to the destination of a Vision Plan.   

We aim for this process to be open, transparent, inclusive, and grounded in reality. Our team of professional designers, engineers, planners, analysts and engagement specialists are here to listen, learn, and work with you to form a vision for the future of Walton County. This means that everyone will have the opportunity to participate and share their opinions through surveys, emails, workshops, etc. Walton County’s growth will continue, but it can and should be managed in a way that supports property rights, enhances surrounding areas, respects existing communities, and improves the quality of life for everyone.  We hope you will join us in this effort!