Protect Eastern Lake, Preserve the Outfall, and Preserve San Roy Road
The Issue
The Eastern Lake outfall and San Roy Road are part of the same sensitive coastal dune lake corridor. Earlier this year, residents came together to oppose development that could change the character of the Eastern Lake public access and outfall area. Protecting that area should not stop at the water's edge.
The unused 33-foot roadway reservation along San Roy Road creates another opportunity for future infrastructure or development pressure immediately adjacent to Eastern Lake. Abandoning that reservation, while permanently protecting utilities and space for a future sidewalk, is another practical step toward preserving this corridor as it exists today.
San Roy Road is a small, dead-end residential street beside Eastern Lake, one of Walton County's rare coastal dune lakes. For decades, the character of this area has remained largely unchanged. Your help will protect Eastern Lake and preserve the character of this corridor for decades to come.
Running through the privately owned properties along one side of San Roy Road is an old 33-foot public right-of-way reservation. It dates back to the original federal land patent and exists in addition to the San Roy Road that is already there today. The reservation is not being used as a separate roadway and ends approximately 340 feet before the end of San Roy Road and the Eastern Lake public access.
Important: The land beneath this right-of-way is privately owned. The County does not own the underlying land within this request. This right-of-way is unique because it is part of private property.
The property owners have asked Walton County to abandon this unused roadway reservation, but with an important compromise: protect the public uses that may actually be needed in the future.
Utility access is protected through permanent recorded easements, as confirmed and agreed upon with the applicable utility providers. Space for a future sidewalk will also be preserved through recorded easements. San Roy Road remains exactly where it is, and existing public access to Eastern Lake and the beach remains unchanged. These protections were developed through discussions with County staff and utility providers as the proposal moved through the public review process.
Importantly, a future sidewalk would provide an additional public safety benefit for pedestrians along this road, and the affected property owners support preserving the space needed for it.
So why abandon the larger 33-foot roadway reservation?
Because this is also about what happens to the Eastern Lake corridor 20 or 30 years from now.
During the County Commission hearing, commissioners themselves raised the uncertainty of what future development could look like in this area. Regional Utilities testified that its existing system has sufficient capacity for the single-family residential development currently along San Roy Road, but acknowledged that a future reclassification allowing a substantially more intensive use, such as a hotel or high-rise, could create greater infrastructure demands.
Abandonment cannot prevent someone from requesting a future zoning or land-use change. What it can do is remove this additional 33-foot public roadway reservation from the infrastructure that could potentially support a more intensive future development proposal.
There is also an environmental benefit today. Because Walton County measures building setbacks from the inside edge of this historic right-of-way, the reservation affects where future homes can be positioned on these unusually shallow lots. Abandoning it provides greater flexibility for future homes to be positioned closer to the existing road and farther from Eastern Lake, adding another layer of protection for the lake.
This is not a request to close San Roy Road. It does not eliminate existing beach or lake access. It does not remove utilities. And it preserves the County's ability to provide a future sidewalk through a dedicated easement.
It is a request to keep the public rights that have an identified purpose, while removing a broader unused roadway reservation that could affect the future of this sensitive corridor.
Walton County's Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the proposal. We are asking the Walton County Board of County Commissioners to reconsider the request and approve a balanced solution that protects Eastern Lake, preserves the character of San Roy Road, protects legitimate public needs, and provides greater certainty about the future of this special area.
Please sign this petition and ask the Walton County Board of County Commissioners to consider this decision. Together, we can protect Eastern Lake, preserve San Roy Road, and ensure that the public rights that are actually needed remain protected for the future.
Visit www.SanRoy.info to learn more about this request, see the facts behind the proposal, and explore the many public benefits of the San Roy Road right-of-way abandonment.
65
The Issue
The Eastern Lake outfall and San Roy Road are part of the same sensitive coastal dune lake corridor. Earlier this year, residents came together to oppose development that could change the character of the Eastern Lake public access and outfall area. Protecting that area should not stop at the water's edge.
The unused 33-foot roadway reservation along San Roy Road creates another opportunity for future infrastructure or development pressure immediately adjacent to Eastern Lake. Abandoning that reservation, while permanently protecting utilities and space for a future sidewalk, is another practical step toward preserving this corridor as it exists today.
San Roy Road is a small, dead-end residential street beside Eastern Lake, one of Walton County's rare coastal dune lakes. For decades, the character of this area has remained largely unchanged. Your help will protect Eastern Lake and preserve the character of this corridor for decades to come.
Running through the privately owned properties along one side of San Roy Road is an old 33-foot public right-of-way reservation. It dates back to the original federal land patent and exists in addition to the San Roy Road that is already there today. The reservation is not being used as a separate roadway and ends approximately 340 feet before the end of San Roy Road and the Eastern Lake public access.
Important: The land beneath this right-of-way is privately owned. The County does not own the underlying land within this request. This right-of-way is unique because it is part of private property.
The property owners have asked Walton County to abandon this unused roadway reservation, but with an important compromise: protect the public uses that may actually be needed in the future.
Utility access is protected through permanent recorded easements, as confirmed and agreed upon with the applicable utility providers. Space for a future sidewalk will also be preserved through recorded easements. San Roy Road remains exactly where it is, and existing public access to Eastern Lake and the beach remains unchanged. These protections were developed through discussions with County staff and utility providers as the proposal moved through the public review process.
Importantly, a future sidewalk would provide an additional public safety benefit for pedestrians along this road, and the affected property owners support preserving the space needed for it.
So why abandon the larger 33-foot roadway reservation?
Because this is also about what happens to the Eastern Lake corridor 20 or 30 years from now.
During the County Commission hearing, commissioners themselves raised the uncertainty of what future development could look like in this area. Regional Utilities testified that its existing system has sufficient capacity for the single-family residential development currently along San Roy Road, but acknowledged that a future reclassification allowing a substantially more intensive use, such as a hotel or high-rise, could create greater infrastructure demands.
Abandonment cannot prevent someone from requesting a future zoning or land-use change. What it can do is remove this additional 33-foot public roadway reservation from the infrastructure that could potentially support a more intensive future development proposal.
There is also an environmental benefit today. Because Walton County measures building setbacks from the inside edge of this historic right-of-way, the reservation affects where future homes can be positioned on these unusually shallow lots. Abandoning it provides greater flexibility for future homes to be positioned closer to the existing road and farther from Eastern Lake, adding another layer of protection for the lake.
This is not a request to close San Roy Road. It does not eliminate existing beach or lake access. It does not remove utilities. And it preserves the County's ability to provide a future sidewalk through a dedicated easement.
It is a request to keep the public rights that have an identified purpose, while removing a broader unused roadway reservation that could affect the future of this sensitive corridor.
Walton County's Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the proposal. We are asking the Walton County Board of County Commissioners to reconsider the request and approve a balanced solution that protects Eastern Lake, preserves the character of San Roy Road, protects legitimate public needs, and provides greater certainty about the future of this special area.
Please sign this petition and ask the Walton County Board of County Commissioners to consider this decision. Together, we can protect Eastern Lake, preserve San Roy Road, and ensure that the public rights that are actually needed remain protected for the future.
Visit www.SanRoy.info to learn more about this request, see the facts behind the proposal, and explore the many public benefits of the San Roy Road right-of-way abandonment.
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on September 15, 2026