(ESCAMBIA COUNTY, F.L.) --- The Escambia Board of County Commissioners voted 5-0 on August 6 to transmit the Outlying Field 8 (OLF-8) future land use amendment to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for state review.
The vote came after public comment lasted over an hour on OLF-8, following a meeting where item three, a Future Land Use Map Amendment for OL-8, and item four, a text amendment to the OLF-8 Comprehensive Plan, were combined into one hearing and public speaking time was reduced from three minutes per person, per item to two minutes per person for both items.
Procedural confusion marked the meeting. Developers gave a 25-minute presentation before public speakers were allowed to address the board. Chad Henderson and David Bear received additional time to respond to commissioner questions throughout the hearing.
Commissioner Lumon May questioned why speakers who did not address the planning board were allowed to speak on the item.
(Photo: Lumon May questions who can speak about OL-8 at the BCC meeting)
“Typically you go to a zoning or planning board, and only people that spoke can speak, and so I’m just trying to figure out in my mind what’s different,” May said.
Interim County Attorney Will Nelson responded that the hearing was a transmittal and not a traditional quasi-judicial review.
“This is a transmittal hearing, which means that this situation ends up being different procedurally than what we would often do in reviewing something in that capacity,” Nelson said.
The transmittal covers a proposed amendment changing the future land use for portions of the 540-acre OLF-8 property in Beulah to Mixed-Use Urban OLF.
Multiple residents said they expected the item to be sent back to the planning board for corrections, and several questioned why the county would transmit the plan to Tallahassee for state approval when unresolved issues remained at the local level.
(John Moore states that the whole plan needs to be sent back to the Planning Board)
John Moore said there’s a reasonable theory that this process is being accelerated expressly because the land is contracted with zero relevant appraisal analysis or studies.
“Send this back to the developer for corrections that don’t violate the contract,” Moore said.
Theresa Blackwell said the process itself had been compromised and directly challenged how the item was presented.
“Stroberger can’t even tell me what the item is. He says, no, it’s not about the future land use,” Blackwell said. “This whole process here has been subverted; this is not different. This is a review on an ordinance, and don’t let them tell you different."
Kristy Rosen said there was not adequate time for appropriate study of the most current change.
“It is not right to be sent to Tallahassee; please don’t obfuscate your role here and pass it off to somebody else,” Rosen said.
Zack Campbell, a fourth-generation Beulah resident, spoke in favor of the transmittal.
(Photo: Zack Campbell says Chad Henderson is the perfect buyer of this property as a local)
“Accountability is going to be crucial for all of this,” Campbell said. “He’s (Chad Henderson) local. That’s the difference,” Campbell said.
Cece Campbell said she trusted the developer to deliver on promises.
“We truly like what we see in the design plan for outline fields,” Cece Campbell said. “We’re confident that the proposed Mixed-Use Urban OLF and the requested future land use percentages are not in serious conflict,” Cece Campbell said.
Chad Henderson, representing the development team, said the Mixed-Use Urban OLF designation created enforceable limits.
(Photo: Chad Henderson says they will use new Urbanist principles for OLF-8)
“You cannot do all residential here. Henderson said. “The whole point of this is to create enforceable guidelines that are law, not just good ideas,” Henderson said.
Commissioner Steve Stroberger said he reviewed 19 changes from July 7 and was comfortable with the transmittal.
“Remember, like I said, this is just a transmittal,” Stroberger said. “We’re gonna get to fight about this again when it comes back.”
Commissioner Mike Kohler said the process had taken too long.
“We have literally put these people through the meat grinder,” Kohler said. “We’ve got to be open for business, and it shouldn’t take 10 years.”
The board approved transmitting both items three and four. The future land use amendment will return to the board for a final public hearing after state review.
Along with live coverage, OpGov.News picks up the meeting. Read OpGov.News’ meeting summary here
To add to or correct any information in this report, please get in touch with me at pepper.w@lead4earth.org.
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