Escambia County’s plans to expand the Galvez Landing boat launch have sparked passionate opposition from longtime residents who feel blindsided by the project. The facility, located near Hub Stacy’s in Innerarity Point, has served as a cherished retreat where families swim, picnic, and enjoy peaceful waterfront access.
Background: For generations, residents have treasured Galvez Landing as more than just a boat ramp—it’s been their community gathering place. The area features older homes that contrast sharply with newer developments spreading throughout the region. Residents worry that a major expansion will destroy the tranquil, family-friendly character they’ve long enjoyed.
Former Commissioner Jeff Bergosh, who represented the area from 2022 to 2024, understands their concerns. “There’s a lot of folks that have lived there a long time and they’re used to Galvez Landing being a place where they can relax so their children could go swimming,” he explained.
History
During his tenure, Bergosh worked to balance competing interests at the site. The county invested heavily in nearby Innerarity Point Park as an alternative recreational space and redesigned Galvez Landing’s parking lot to better accommodate larger boats and trailers. Additional improvements included vegetation removal, protective fencing, and drainage enhancements.
- “We spent a lot of money on Innerarity Point Park right next door,” Bergosh noted. “I felt like things were pretty good at that point.”
The push for expansion isn’t new—former Commissioner Doug Underhill championed the project. The location’s appeal is clear: unlike the county’s Perdido Bay boat launch, which requires a lengthy trip to reach the Gulf, Galvez Landing offers direct Intracoastal Waterway access.
Town Hall Meeting Scheduled
Current Commissioner Steven Berger has scheduled a town hall for Monday, June 30, to address community concerns about both Galvez Landing and dangerous Sorrento Road conditions. Though this comes after the official comment deadline, the County Commission can still modify the plan during hearings.
Town Hall
When: 5 p.m. Monday, June 30
Where: Liberty Church, 2221 S Blue Angel Pkwy
Keys to Effective Town Halls
Bergosh, who hosted numerous town halls, offers advice for productive meetings:
- Bring relevant staff who can answer technical questions on the spot
- Maintain structure with clear agendas and time limits
- Use comment cards to track attendees and ensure follow-up
- Control the room to prevent chaos while ensuring everyone is heard
“No one is well served if you just hand out a microphone and let people ask five or six or eight minute questions when they’re screaming and yelling,” he emphasized.
Finding Balance
This controversy reflects broader tensions in growing Florida communities between expanding public access and preserving neighborhood character. As Bergosh suggests, success requires genuine compromise: “I believe there’s a way to strike the balance. I just think the county has to find the way to strike the balance.”
The June 30 town hall will be crucial for all stakeholders. If conducted properly, it could foster genuine problem-solving rather than mere venting, potentially finding solutions that honor both community heritage and recreational needs.
- Public comments will be accepted in the following ways:
- Emailing restore@myescambia.com
- By mail: Attention: Ryan Kirby, Natural Resources Department, 221 Palafox Place, Pensacola, FL 32502
- Via the public comment portal on MyEscambia.com
I’ve had 48 years of government experience at the state federal and local level. As such I’d like to shed some light on the subject of Galvez, Landing, and the dangerous Sorrento corridor. Everyone agrees that Sorrento is a dangerous corridor to get to Perdido Key. Jeff Bergish Did a Wonderful job of working the right government agencies ,FDOT and all key players to keep the Sorrento project at a high priority level that FDOT would fund. I know Steve Stromberg well enough to know that he doesn’t possess the
knowledge or experience to do the same. When you enhance Galvez landing, you’re just inviting more traffic that will compound the problem on the
dangerous Sorrento corridor. Instead of using restore funds to further alter Galvez landing and irritate the public at large the money would be better spent as a matching fund project with FDOT to 4- Lane Sorrento. I’m sure Stromberger will use the excuse that FDOT doesn’t have the funds and that’s why 4-landing Sorrento went from a number one or two priority to now number 10 or 11th onFDOT listing. I’ve had several lengthy conversations with FDOT representative.s. They’re very receptive to matching fund projects and said such a concept would definitely put the Sorrento floor 4-lane project at a high priority. Usually only the top two prioritize projects get immediate funding. Steve Stromberger,s doesn’t have the knowledge or ability to get the job done. Jeff Bergish had it moving in a fast track mode that would’ve begun construction in a one year time frame. I hope the public realizes there’s much more that our Commissioner could do to resolve both the Galvez landing project and the much needed 4-laneing Sorrento project..
Hey Walter A, no one is trying to take away a boat launch but we also don’t want our way of life taken away! Galves is probably the only boat launch that is more than that. It is a community meeting spot. We all meet up on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights on golf carts! It is definitely a community. Everywhere else is simply a launch. People dock there to eat at hub Stacey’s and to drop off passengers! If they block golf carts from parking on the grass with their new parking plans then I’m sure we will all have a problem!
Comm. Stroberger held a Townhall 2ish months ago in the same location. He’s a little rougher around the edges than the more-polished Bergosh, but i thought it went well. Instead of comment cards for questions, you signed in on an app, and he answered questions as they came in, both for folks at the venue and online. If he didn’t know the answer, he took your info and promised to get back to you. Only demerit vs a Bergosh Townhall was the absence of Day, Moreno, et a-though Vicki Cambell did show up. I mostly appreciated that Steve didn’t do the leading question “Agree/Disagree” polling part that Jeff used to do, answers he would then turn around as “fact” when stumping on a topic. The questions were incredibly slanted and almost always had a grey area that couldn’t be accounted for on a thumbs up/down scale. Other than that, I always appreciated a Betgosh Townhall, and didn’t know what to expect from Stroberger. I was pleasantly surprised and don’t think he needs many tips on execution. The usual loud voices were there too (Downs Jr, Keith Bowe, Theresa Blackwell) but no one droned on for 8 minutes.