| Business & Outdoors BAY MAGNOLIA: WOODSY AND SERENE |
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| It was a beautiful October
day. The weather was perfect. Those of us lucky enough
to live on the Emerald Coast are proud to brag to visitors
about this exquisite time of the year to all who will listen.
It was a perfect Sunday morning drive in the country to historic Point
Washington. I was meeting Bob Canady of Beachwalk Resort Properties at a new subdevelopment he's promoting in Walton County -- Bay Magnolia. The name conjures up visions of stately magnolia trees and a laid-back way of life. And, I wasn't disappointed. The directions were simple. It was an easy 20 mile straight shot from the Destin city limits east down Highway 98 to the north turn at Bay Drive immediately past Highway 283. Now, it gets a little rustic. After a mile and a little, there's a right turn onto a dirt road named Point Washington Road. Then it's .7 mile to the entrance to Bay Magnolia. It's close to Destin, but seems very removed from the hubbub of the resort life. When asked about paving Point Washington Road, Canady said, "The County won't give me a commitment on it, but they will say it should be completed in the year 2000. My understanding is that they have the budgeting, but they don't have a scheduled date at this time." Bay Magnolia will consist of 44 three quarter acre or larger wooded homesites on 51 acres bordered by the shores of the Choctawhatchee Bay, McQuage Bayou and extensive wetlands associated with a nature preserve. One of the first homes to appear in this residential subdivision was a historic house moved from Defuniak Springs. Much to the dismay of the developers, many trees were destroyed moving this home into position. They don't want to repeat that experience and have set stringent setback requirements to protect the integrity of the area. "There's a 30 foot total setback designed to be a natural buffer all around these roads," said Canady. "It's much like Bluewater Bay. I don't think the developers will approve of any more houses being moved in if they damage the trees. You can only clear enough to put your driveway in." |
"There's no area that I know of where the development covenants
require a 20 foot natural buffer from the road. Most
subdevelopments don't require any kind of a buffer, they just go in and
clear the whole area and come back to plant small trees after building.
This development is going to retain its natural environment,"
insists Canady. According to Canady, the developer is Lanier Williams of Panama City whose father owned the land for many years. Plans for Bay Magnolia have been in the works for two years. Amenities of the development include a nature trail, private Bay-front park with pier and gazebo and underground utilities. Although county sewer is not yet available to this area, cable television is expected to be added in the near future. Proximity to the entrance to the Panama City Intercoastal Waterway is an added attraction. "The master plan is, except for seeing the houses through the trees, the woodsy look you see now is the way it will continue to be. These trees are not going to come down," said Canady. Six of the 44 private, secluded lots have been sold. Bayou front lots begin at $60,000 with interior lots bordering the Bay Preserve being offered as low as $35,000. Three generous bay front lots are priced at $165,000 to $275,000. There will be an open house for the public on Sunday, November 7 beginning at 1:00 p.m. Another open house specifically for builders and developers will be held on November 8. Complete information will be available and refreshments will be served. For more information on Bay Magnolia, call (850) 231-1223. Angela Parkhurst is a real estate agent with Anchors Resorts Realty in Destin and specializes in the sale of condos and beach property. She can be reached at (850) 585-3993 or emailed at Ang4Destin@aol.com. She can be visited on the internet at Angela4Destin.com. |