The Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved sending a letter of intent Tuesday to work with Eglin Air Force Base on reopening East Pass Beach Park near Destin, locally known as Redneck Beach, which was closed by the Air Force in 2020 due to mounting environmental and safety issues.

The scenic beach site at the foot of the Destin Bridget has a long history of public coastal access. The land originally belonged to the state of Florida before being officially swapped with Eglin Air Force Base in 1991 for the NWFSC Fort Walton Beach campus property through a congressional land transfer act.

• That federal legislation stated the Air Force must maintain the same level of public recreational access to the beachfront parcel as the state had allowed previously, according to the county. 

For decades, locals and tourists alike enjoyed the emerald waters and sandy shores at East Pass Beach Park before growing problems like overflowing trash and traffic congestion resulted in restricted access.

At Tuesday’s county commission meeting, passionate support and gratitude was voiced by Destin community leaders regarding the proposal to partner with Eglin on reopening and restoring the beloved beach.

• “I encourage you to support the interlocal agreement. We need to do this, but we need to do it right,” said Former Destin Council-member Parker Destin. “It’s going to require, likely, duplication of some of the infrastructure we have at the Brackin Park. Everything from bathrooms to the sheriff’s presence.”

Current Destin Mayor Bobby Wagner also backed the county’s letter-of-intent, emphasizing the need for more public beaches locally. “I support any green initiative, walkability from Fort Walton to Destin and to our communities that are neighboring us,” Wagner said.

In presenting the proposal to commissioners, Deputy County Administrator Craig Coffey estimated around $2 million investment would be required for proper infrastructure like parking improvements, bathrooms, boardwalks, lifeguard facilities and regular trash removal to maintain the site year-round.

Rather than outright purchasing the land, the county letter offered Eglin various in-kind services as compensation such as building a protective dune to shield Highway 98, assisting with managing adjacent military recreation areas or providing seasonal lifeguard staffing.

Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel represents the district where East Pass Beach Park is located and strongly advocates for increased public beach access points for constituents.

• “Destin needs public beach. We need more public beach everywhere,” Ketchel said while making the motion to approve sending the letter-of-intent to Eglin leadership.

Commissioner Mel Ponder seconded the motion, citing fond memories of taking his daughter to the beach site when she was young due to the convenience and safety.

Ponder praised Eglin’s newly appointed leadership under Brig. Gen. Jeffrey T. Geraghty and civil engineer director Dale Marks for their willingness to negotiate shared use of the property. 

• “I think it’s a home run, for our area [and] for that end of the beach,” he told commissioners. “Factor in bringing the multi-use trail that Commissioner Ketchel’s been working on, that whole end of the island will come alive to the locals and tourists alike.”

Commissioner Trey Goodwin said he regretted the manner in which Eglin restricted public access in 2020 by sending a unilateral directive letter rather than inviting county discussion on resolving issues collaboratively. But Goodwin added the current leadership seems very willing to forge community partnerships moving forward.

The unanimous approval of the letter of intent marks initial progress toward negotiating a potential land use agreement between the county and Air Force for restoring public access to the beloved Redneck Beach site.