Do You Know JOE?

With the West Bay Sector Plan, JOE is establishing the West Bay Preservation Area, one of the largest conservation efforts in Florida history. The 41,000-acre preservation area has been designed to protect 33 miles of undeveloped shoreline and 44 miles of creeks and tributaries.

The Gold Standard in Green

Planning

PLANNING TO PROTECT QUALITY OF LIFE

Over the past decade, JOE has developed a detailed understanding of virtually every acre it owns. This knowledge allows JOE to focus on planning at all levels, from large-scale land-use plans that emphasize watershed protection to town and resort plans that preserve open space, promote community and reinforce a sense of place.

Coastal Dune Protection. Unlike the traditional model of beachfront development, JOE constructs beach communities behind the coastal dunes. This commitment means there is more protection for residents, natural resources and coastal species.

West Bay Sector Plan. In a unique public-private partnership, JOE helped develop the West Bay Sector Plan, a 75,000-acre land-use plan designed to guide growth and protect West Bay in northwestern Bay County for the next 100 years. More than 50 percent of the planning area was designated for preservation, by far the single largest approved land use. The innovative planning process included community input at a series of public forums. The Bay County Board of County Commissioners approved the sector plan in December 2002.

Wildlife-Friendly Communities. WaterColor was one of the first Walton County developments to install and maintain sea turtle–friendly lighting. Now WindMark Beach has become the first community in Florida to be Wildlife Friends Lighting certified. This national program, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, promotes protecting wildlife by minimizing light pollution.