Menu
🚧 Walton County’s Technical Review Committee reclassified the proposed 10,086 sq. ft. Sunliner Diner on 30A as a major development after community concerns over traffic, safety, and compatibility.
🏡 Residents from seven HOAs and nearby subdivisions voiced opposition, citing potential damage to the character and infrastructure of the Blue Mountain area.
📝 Developer representatives maintain the project complies with code, but concerns about scale, traffic access, and neighborhood fit prompted further scrutiny.
The proposed Sunliner Diner, an eatery with a Rockin’ 50s theme, has been in the spotlight over the last few months, with most of the Blue Mountain neighborhoods concerned that the group will place this tourist attraction in their ‘backyard.’
The diner, which was considered a minor development by Walton County Planning and zoning standards, received pushback from residents near the proposed site of the 10,086-square-foot development.
The Technical Review Committee (TRC) of Walton County met to discuss a topic that has sparked significant concern among residents in the Blue Mountain subdivision of 30A – and ultimately decided to send the project proposal to the Planning and Zoning Committee as a major development project.
The Sunliner Diner is described by the Hangout Hospitality Group (developer of the chain) as “the quintessential symbol of American Culture, where family and friends can connect over burgers and apple pie and listen to rock-n-roll.”
After the Planning and Zoning Committee of Walton County gives it a look, it will go to the Walton County Commission for a final up or down vote.
RELATED: Is this the beginning of a Walton County Recession?
The concerns of the many citizens present at the TRC meeting involved a myriad of issues that they feel will negatively impact the community. Of the many who spoke to the Committee, concerns included noise levels that could affect all adjacent neighborhoods from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, parking issues, danger to pedestrians and bikers on the sharp curve at Jetty Rd., and anticipated increased traffic issues on a hazardous section of 30A.
In addition to all the technical issues that were addressed, there was a deeper look at the “fit (good/bad) and compatibility” as the primary issues for placement of the Sunliner Diner on 30A.
Leigh Moore, representing Scenic Walton, said, “…when you look at the other Sunliner Diner locations,[Pigeon Forge, TN, and Gulf Shores, AL] they are in a drastically different environment. Drastically different. And they are trying to put that here…making very little changes to the concept. [We appreciate the color changes [from red to teal] that was a suggestion at a community meeting. I think that made a difference. But there are so many other issues here…We are losing the character of 30A. It is a gem, that is why people are desperate to be there. [on 30A] And for a lot of different reasons, and it has been coming on for years, it is ‘death by a thousand cuts’ if we are not careful. And there is a tipping point and I just feel that this might be it – in my gut – because of what I just said. They are putting a concept into a place that it does not belong…From a more technical side, this would be, from my understanding, the largest restaurant by far on 30A. I would say that there are enough “fit and compatibility” issues here that it rises to a major development order status and needs to be reviewed further.” She concluded by saying that there are ‘red lights and sirens’ about this development – blaring. Please don’t ignore it because you feel like it might technically meet the land development codes.”
David Smith, a representative for Innerlight Engineering Corp on behalf of Bluewater Landing LLC, spoke to the TRC as well. He acknowledged that a new Chair, Stephen Schoen (replacing Mac Carpenter , who retired over the last week) might appreciate the original and complete presentation that was presented at the TRC meeting on May 7.
Smith offered a condensed version of the original presentation, beginning with the history of development that dates back to July 5, 2021. Smith focused on the agreed-upon development order and stated that the proposed Sunliner Diner is the Phase II development, which is just half the size of the approved or allocated development site. He stated, “We meet all the rules. There are no deviations and we meet code.” (indicating that 5% of the development is commercial.) Smith underlined that 20,000 square feet is allocated for development, but only half is being proposed for use in the development of the Sunliner Diner.
After Mr. Smith completed his presentation, Mr. Schoen asked for greater explanation and detail regarding the sound and light studies that were conducted to the concerns of loud music that would be part of the outdoor environment when guests arrive at the 50’s diner. Levi Weigan, Associate Principal with DAG Architects, gave the results of the studies conducted at the Gulf Shores, Alabama location.
Brad Webster, a resident of Blue Water Landing, spoke and said he was never made aware of the three public meetings held with the developer in 2024 and 2025. Webster stated, “They have never reached out to the residents of Blue Water Landing.” He also claimed that when he tried to reach out to the developer, his calls were never returned. Webster also mentioned that the road (Jetty Rd.) used to enter his gated subdivision requires the entry of a code or RFID Reader that necessitates all vehicles to move from the right lane to the left lane when approaching the gate. Webster stated that so many of the improvements listed for consideration in the TRC meeting that day had to do with accessibility for properties. His point was that this entry and exit road will have a great deal of traffic in a minimal space due to the subdivision and the traffic on a small road that all motoring patrons to and from Sunliner Diner will use.
Barbara Morano, resident of Draper Lake, was the last resident to speak in opposition to the Sunliner Diner and began by listing the names of all seven HOAs and The Pines subdivision , stating that, “all of those board of directors are concerned about this project.” She compared the Sunliner Diner to “a square peg that does not fit into a tiny circle on 30A.”. She said, “This does not fit the code – no matter what you heard – it does not fit the Code of Small Neighborhood.”
Morano distributed a copy of the code to the Committee and highlighted several sections that she wanted to bring into special focus. She stated, “It’s a Small Neighborhood…It encourages economic diversity and sustainability within the area…that shopping center [as opposed to the Sunliner Diner] would give you more economic diversity and sustainability than one large, 10,000 square foot, single-use restaurant – the largest restaurant on 30A, and I can venture to say the largest restaurant in Walton County. The largest restaurant in Walton County.”
She referred to the Sunliner Diner as a “tourist attraction – an event center” – and not a restaurant. Marano added, “…waitresses will be wearing the same color red lipstick, uniforms, 50’s music, and as the applicant said at the first meeting, ‘We are going to be the Las Vegas of 30A.”
Mr. Smith gave a rebuttal to many of the concerns presented. Regarding the implication that the Sunliner Diner was going to be the largest restaurant, Mr. Smith said, “I failed to mention that Shunk Gulley has 400 seats. Old Florida Fishhouse has more than 500 seats. We [Sunliner Diner] have 275 seats with no outdoor seating.”
Schoen said, “This development meets the code – Land Development Code… except what I consider to be a bit of a ‘gray area’ as it relates to the special development standards under Small Neighborhood. I have a question about the ‘scale’ and the ‘character’ of this development as it relates to the existing built environment.” He indicated that he was making this a Major Development that will go through Planning Development.
Smith, the representative for Hangout Hospitality, expressed his irritation that the restaurant concept had been moved to Major Development status. Typically, major development status means increased scrutiny of the project by the county.
Schoen attributed his decision to sub-section G.2 of the Small Neighborhood zoning language about the scale of the former plan submitted by Hangout Hospitality and the current proposal.
He added that he did not want to make the decision based on the scale and the character of the project and, he added, because of the hundreds of pages of public comments from people who will have to deal with this development daily. Schoen said, “It may meet the standard of this code, but I have serious concerns about that access [Entry into the Blue Water Landing subdivision]. It is going to take a mishap with that gate and folks are going to be backed up there. It is going to take five parties coming at one time to short-term rent, and the first one can’t get into the gate. It is going to be rush hour, and it is going to block 30A up… I do have that concern. Those are the things I am worried about. Those are the reasons why I don’t want to make this decision, and that is why I am going to ask the Committee to make that motion.
The motion was made and seconded to make Sunliner Diner a Major Development.
Pro Communi Bono
