District 4 Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger invites the public to provide input on the Pensacola Beach Gateway design, part of her overall improvement project to welcome visitors to Pensacola Beach.
- She asks residents to provide their input on three design options via the online form. The deadline to submit comments is 5 p.m., Wednesday, June 11.
The latest gateway designs incorporate public input (criticisms?) received during the initial project development phase. The announcement notes that the final gateway sign may differ from the cartoon renderings on the survey, or at least we can hope.
The press announcement states the project’s goal is to provide an improved gateway to Pensacola Beach at the south end of the Bob Sikes Bridge, creating a more aesthetic greeting to keep tourism thriving on Pensacola Beach. Plans for the new gateway project include a new welcome structure, landscaping, shared multi-use path, and roadway improvements. By removing the existing toll booth facility, the project also seeks to improve traffic efficiency while collecting the toll.
- For more information about the Pensacola Beach Gateway Improvement Project, visit the project page.
- To pick your favorite cartoon sign, click here
Background
The Gateway is a keystone project for Commissioner Hofberger. She cancelled a Public Changing Rooms project and got the BCC to go with this project. When she unveiled the designs in April and asked for public feedback for the $1.6 million project, Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger discovered that one option used the Innisfree Hotels’ logo.
DIG DEEPER: After she was sworn into office in October to fill that last few weeks of Commissioner Robert Bender’s term before the General Election, Hofberger ordered county staff to halt work by JNB Contracting LLC of Daleville, Alabama, on a new 800-square-foot building in front of the Pensacola Beach Public Safety Building that would house six individual and two family-sized public-use dressing rooms. The TDC, SRIA and Board of County Commissioners had approved the dressing rooms in 2023 and awarded the contract in April 2024. The building would have been available this spring.
Instead of giving the public new renderings, Hofberger offers cartoon versions. You really can’t make this stuff up.
Her survey portal doesn’t seem to be working that great according to some users. Good thing they are just voting on a sign most Beach people don’t seem to want and not trying to, for instance, access housing, or potentially life saving public services. Brought to you by another District 4 Bwana Beach Barbie moment. Happy Friday!