New park to boast playground, splash pad and recreation building

Construction has been approved and the road has been cleared for Padgett Park in Santa Rosa Beach. The 16.7-acre park is finally coming to fruition after several years of grant requests and planning.

Located between J.D. Miller Road and South Walton High School, the park will boast a 1,400 sq. ft. recreation and educational center, two pavilions, an asphalt multi-use trail, playground, splash pad and multi-use recreation area. Other amenities will include educational kiosks, picnic tables, grills and park benches.

The park will connect to an existing trail network that extends both north and south along J.D. Miller Road, east along Seahawk Avenue and east along Community Way.  It will provide a connection to the existing wildlife corridor of the 15,000+ acre Point Washington State Forest to the east and west of the park.

The park is named after Timothy Padgett, a Special Forces medical sergeant from Walton County who died in the line of duty in Afghanistan in 2007.

Construction is expected to be complete in 2014.