Santa Rosa Zoning Board rejects rezoning for a 159-home East Milton subdivision
A vacant lot off Hickory Hammock Road possessing what one man described as "by far the prettiest view in Santa Rosa County" was preserved for at least the time being this week when the county's Zoning Board rejected a developer's request to build a 159-home subdivision on the site.
"There's a guy I know from Pensacola that drives all the way to East Milton just for that view," said Brian Thurman, who lives on Fields Road, near the site of the requested rezoning.
Losing a view wasn't the only thing brought before the board as area residents lined up to speak in opposition to the plans put forth by Summerset Hills LLC to develop a vacant 73-acre plot at the intersection of Hickory Hammock that abuts both Carl Booker Road and Fortune Road.
Along with familiar themes about traffic, overcrowding and sewage treatment, one resident notified board members that endangered gopher tortoises reside on the land slated for development
The Zoning Board's unanimous decision to reject the rezoning request is only a recommendation. Summerset Hills LLC managing partners, Richard Steele and Aaron Davis can bring their plans before the Board of County Commissioners for a final decision.
Board members seemed Thursday to have, as a body, simply wearied of the constant pressure they've faced from developers coming to them with requests to squeeze more homes into East Milton. The area, as residents pointed out, has no easily accessible healthcare facilities, no available wastewater treatment plant and schools and infrastructure that are already straining beneath the pace of growth.
"It seems like every other meeting we get a request for something similar to this," member Ed Carson said, calling the request to change the zoning from one that allows one home per acre to single family residential, which would allow for up to four homes per acre, "a pretty big up zone."
Member Aaron Williams said he would possibly have supported the rezoning if members of the community around it had come out in support of new homes in their area.
"We've got a backlog already and the people don't support it," he said.
Member Alan Isaacson said it is past time East Milton developed an "area plan" for growth.
"I am for growth," he said. "I just can't wrap my head around this one."
Borrow Pit plans also rejected
Though he said he was seeking only to build a pond on his family's land and clean up a previous nonconforming pit installed by his father, Bobby Simmons was required to seek a PIT zoning for his land off Chumuckla Highway because he wanted to sell what sand he removed from his property.
His neighbors objected to the zoning change. They said they feared the land clearing activity would create noise, stir up dust and potentially pollute the wells they use for drinking water.
Zoning board members said they were sympathetic to what Simmons wanted to do, but fearful of what would happen if he sold the property. While Simmons might not be looking to use the land to construct a borrow pit and deposit debris, they said, the next owner would be entitled to under the PIT zoning.
Planning Department Director Shawn Ward informed Zoning Board members that Simmons would be free to obtain a permit from the Northwest Florida Water Management District to construct a pond on his property, and would be able to clear the land to do so without the PIT zoning as long as he didn't sell dirt removed from the property.
Pace Water System gets zoning needed to deposit treated wastewater
Daniel Saba, representing the Pace Water System, convinced the board to give the utility a conditional use permit that will let it construct a series of basins on 647 acres off of Woodbine Road.
The RIBS to be installed on the property will be one of several tools the Water System will utilize to remove treated waste water and return it to the environment.
Saba told the board that the property would be well buffered from neighboring residents, that no raw sewage would be introduced onto the land and the property would only be visited once each day by a caretaker of the equipment utilized on site and occasional maintenance personnel.
"This will help us keep up with what is inevitable and what development is moving toward Pace," he said.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Santa Rosa growth issues on SR 87, Chumucka Hwy heard by Zoning Board
