The proposed subdivision is located on 188 acres near Eglin Air Force Base Reservation - an area zoned for agricultural use. Before the subdivision could move forward the property would have to be rezoned to a Planned Unit Development District, which would allow, in this case, three times the amount of housing per acre. The current zoning allows one home site per acre.

Last month, Eglin Air Force Base’s Mission Enhancement Committee Chairman Robert Arnold sent a letter to the Santa Rosa County Commission stating that he feared increased development would interfere with the base’s missions.

“(Eglin) was praising anyone who would bring in affordable housing to get prepared for the military people to live,” said Dan Gilmore, the property’s developer. “There was no opposition from anybody at anytime. Nobody ever said it was an issue until last month.”
Gilmore said he created plans for an affordable housing development that included sidewalks and other amenities not typically found in average subdivisions. Throughout the last two years, he met with various county departments to plan the property and no one ever expressed any concern, he said.

In September, he filed his preliminary plat plans and was told he would be on the Local Planning Board’s Jan. 10 agenda. The day he was scheduled to meet with the planning board, he was given a copy of Arnold’s letter.

“I’m subject tonight to have two-and-half years of work thrown out by this commission and out of my life because somebody somewhere says there’s going to be an issue in the future,” he added. “Your code allows me to do what I’m doing. Nothing was ever said against it until last month.”

Gilmore said the county adopted the current military protection zones two years ago and he based his investment decisions around those decisions, but now he’s being told he can’t do anything because things might change with the upcoming Joint Land Use Study for the Eglin area.

Nearly 100 people attended the rezoning meeting Thursday night, and approximately 60 people raised their hands against the rezoning.
“We are not anti-development,” said Pamela Mauldwin, East Milton resident and representative of the American Farms Zoning Awareness Group. “We want teamwork between residents and developers … and the county.”

The group requested the county schedule formal planning for the East Milton and Harold areas in order to safeguard the area’s country atmosphere and its potential for nature-based tourism.

“We’re a lifestyle niche that is going away,” she said. “We owe this to our neighbors.”

A nearby proposed 145-home subdivision was also up for rezoning by Silver Strand Corp., but the developer Chuck Francouer, requested the decision be tabled until more information is available regarding the issues highlighted. Under the property’s current zoning, only 54 homes would be allowed.

“We want to be a part of the solution,” Francouer said. “This can be a win-win for everyone.”