(ESCAMBIA COUNTY) --- The Escambia Board of County Commissioners voted July 23 to schedule a public hearing for August 6 on proposed changes to the OLF-8 master plan.
The decision came after more than an hour of public comment from residents who asked the board to send the items back to the Planning Board before moving forward.
The discussion was held during the consent agenda portion of the meeting and focused on the OLF-8 development and proposed land development code changes.
Residents who spoke said the process lacked transparency and technical review. Several speakers pointed to a late rewrite of the application and to new uses not included in the original agreement for the property.
Residents also pointed out that two of the Planning Board members regretted their votes at the June 7 Planning Board meeting.
Francesca Yabraian cited Florida Statutes 163.3177 and asked where the groundwater and drainage analysis was in the record. Yabraian said these analyses are not on the record, and questioned whether competent, substantial evidence was used to prove these applications.
"You cannot ask a community to set up more density without proving it," Yabrian said.
Kristi Rosen, founder of If Not Us, said the OLF-8 code change was introduced at the last Planning Board meeting with little time for review.
"The community members of Beulah fought for the agreement reached with the DPZ design," Rosen said. "This last-minute change and push through is very suspect when we asked for transparency."
Rosen also noted the proposed change to the plan has a separate item on data centers and questioned why the code was being changed now.
John Moore listed ten concerns with the OLF-8 items. Moore said the application was rewritten 13 days before the Planning Board meeting and the June version added warehouse and distribution as allowable uses.
Moore also said the developer's design code added data centers of up to five megawatts in three of the five districts.
"The developer's own design code filed with the same application on June 23 adds data centers up to five megawatts," Moore said. "That is what these amendments are built to enable."
(Photo: Resident John Moore at the Board of County Commissioners meeting)
Moore said there was no impact analysis for those changes in the 94-page data and analysis document, also noting the traffic information in the packet was a screening memo from December 2025 and not a full transportation impact analysis that would fit the proposed changes.
Theresa Blackwell agreed, referencing a Pensacola News Journal column to describe three changes in the proposed design code. She said travel lanes would be widened from about 10 feet to 12 feet, on-street parking would be removed or restricted, and block size standards would be eliminated.
"Wider lanes encourage faster driving and increased crossing distances," Blackwell said. "Removing on-street parking makes walking less safe and less comfortable."
(Photo: Resident Theresa Blackwell at Board of County Commissioners meeting)
Several residents said infrastructure costs were being shifted to taxpayers through British Petroleum oil spill Triumph Gulf Coast grant money.
Margaret Hostetter said the design plan for OLF-8 had been "completely obliterated" and that the contract should have been put out for rebid.
(Photo: Resident Margaret Hostetter at Board of County Commissioners meeting)
Brandy Johnson said the county staff presentation was defective and that some Planning Board members did not understand what they were voting on.
"The developer no longer wants to honor his commitment to our community and wants to bring data centers in against the will of the entire county," Johnson said.
County Attorney Alison Rogers told commissioners that the purchase and sale agreement for OLF-8 is still active and does not expire until February, and that the board previously voted to reduce the acreage and price. Rogers added the contract anticipated the buyer would seek changes to land use during due diligence.
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"That does not mean that you're obligated to grant their request," Rogers said. "You are obligated to process them in good faith."
Rogers recommended the board wait until the August 6 public hearing to take any action to remand items to the Planning Board, adding the buyer should have the opportunity to be present.
Commissioner Steve Stroberger made a motion to send the proposed changes back to the Planning Board to review each change line by line, with the developer's explanation of why.
"I think it needs to go back to the planning board for their approval," Stroberger said.
(Photo: Commissioner Steve Stroberger at Board of County Commissioners meeting)
Commissioner Lumon May said the county should get out of the development business, noting the board should set the zoning and parameters and then sell the property.
May said the original purpose of OLF-8 was job creation and economic development, adding the county has spoken with many developers over the years, and none have said the current master plan works on the ground.
The current buyer is pursuing amendments to the future land use map, zoning, and master plan before closing on the sale. The board voted to schedule a public hearing for the proposed amendments on OLF-8.
Check out OpGov.News’ meeting summary to see what all ten speakers had to say. 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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