At the July 18 meeting, Wakulla County Commissioners voted to designate Shell Point an official golf cart community, pending receipt of a safety study.  The measure, which is supported by Sheriff David Harvey and the majority of Shell Point residents, will enhance safety by alerting motorists that they are sharing the roads with golf carts and reducing speed limits in the area.


Shell Point residents Alan Lamarche, Chip Perkins, and Ron Wagner spoke in favor of the measure and presented Commissioners with a petition signed by 150 Shell Point residents, as well as a variety of news articles and photographs documenting the need for the designation.  Among the factors discussed were the general lack of opposition to the measure by residents, the vital role golf carts played in the aftermath of Hurricane Dennis,  and the accessibility golf carts afford handicapped individuals.


According to Chip Perkins, President of the Paradise Village Homeowners Association, golf carts proved indispensable after the Hurricane Dennis storm surge made roads nearly impassable.  "Immediately after the waters subsided, golf carts were being used to check on the welfare of area residents and to clear debris from streets and yards," Perkins said.  Ron Wagner, a disabled veteran, stated that his golf cart enables him to go places in the area that he could not otherwise access, and Alan Lamarche pointed out that Shell Point already is a golf cart community and that safety and liability issues will be resolved by making it official.  Lamarche added that area residents will pay for whatever road signs the County designates as appropriate.

No Shell Point residents voiced opposition, and following a brief discussion, a majority of Commissioners voted in favor of the proposal, which  Commission staff members recommend be adopted.  Final approval will be granted  once the traffic safety report is submitted.  

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