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Escambia Considers Zoning Change To Allow Larger Retail Space In Some Rural Areas
August 6, 2021
When Dollar General considered building a new store in Walnut Hill earlier this year, their development company ran into a problem with Escambia County zoning. But now the Escambia County Commission is considering a Land Development Code change that would make such development possible in rural areas.
Teramore Development had three properties under contract at the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 99A in Walnut Hill, next to Ernest Ward Middle School, for a 10,640 square foot Dollar General.
The property is currently zoned Rural Mixed Use (RMU) which allows commercial buildings up to 6,000 square feet. There is currently no provision whatsoever to grant any exceptions to construct a larger commercial building.
Now, the BOCC is considering an ordinance recommended Escambia County Planning Board that would allow up to 15,000 square feet in RMU districts with a conditional use approval for any business, not just a Dollar General. That conditional use provision, County Attorney Alison Rogers told NorthEscambia.com, would mean each request for RMU retail sales construction up to 15,000 square feet would required individual approval by the Board of Adjustment.
The county commission held the first of two public hearings on the ordinance Thursday night. The second public hearing and final vote will come on August 19.
Properties zoned as RMU in Escambia County are typically located near rural community centers and most are not currently used for agriculture.
To date, a Dollar General for Walnut Hill has not moved forward in the development or permitting process.
Pictured: A proposed Dollar General for Walnut Hill as presented in February 2021 by their development firm. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
21 Responses to “Escambia Considers Zoning Change To Allow Larger Retail Space In Some Rural Areas”
A DG at the location spoken of above wIll be a disaster…..With the school entrance on that side .. where you have to drive around the back of the gym, to drop off a student in the front ,because of the traffic..Now ,they want to add another distraction there is absolutely ignorant…
If you’ve never had to deal with zoning,it’s a royal pain the Axx !….but now they will have special ordinance?
AS ALWAYS,MONEY TALKS !!!
What is the point of zoning regulations if you’re just going to set the aside at every chance? Does it come down to “campaign contributions” from the petitioner? So – the little guy never has a chance – just the ones with deep pockets.
Think of the low paying jobs it could create
If you don’t like a dollar store don’t shop there.
Another Dollar General, what a joke. No, a larger one isn’t needed in a rural area. People choose to live in a rural area & probably not really want this. How far is the school from Dollar General that happens to sell liquor? Does that make sense. Dollar General is a greedy corporation. Do we really need another one? Would rather see a Dollar Tree which also has better prices. Dollar General is in the commissioners pockets.
Keep an eye on the County Commissioners bank accounts to see if this will pass. Zoning in Escambia County is horrible.
No thank you!
Dollar General is so bad and unhealthy for rural populations because it offers junk food and frozen meals with preservatives. It’s unfortunate that rural areas do not have farmers market with fresh and affordable food for people. There’s a reason why you see so many Dollar General stores. Its about corporate greed, not helping the community.
Please not ANOTHER Dollar General!!
We use to vote in Commissioners that promised to get rid of programs that were not supporting the cost to help us the taxpayer by lowering our taxes. Now we are voting in commissioners that raise our gas tax, fire tax, and we have a failed Transit System that we are taxed for. They are trying to turn Beulah into a Little New York City. Now they want to ruin Walnut Hill with a Dollar General. This is Farm Land and have slow moving farm equipment on Hwy 97. We don’t need a Dollar General and a new Red light to go with it. Hwy 97 is already a race track for people going back and forth to the Casino in Atmore. Already to many wrecks and deaths. LEAVE US ALONE, commissioners!
Commissioners:
Please do not allow another dollar store to be built in our area. We have enough.
This proposed store will cause more traffic problems including a busier intersection next to a school zone and more wrecks by the many drivers who do not adhere to the posted speed limits or laws for Highway 97.
What time and where is the meeting on August 19th?
this is only a mile from my house and I think it’s a great Ideal but they need to make it look like a house like the one that’s going in on Kingfield road
@ Jim…The old saying in souh Florida was I’ve got mine, you go get yours somewhere else. Now they are paving over the Everglades, welcoming new citizens from the Islands, and people fleeing northern states that have higher taxes. Don’t think for a minute the developers haven’t discovered our little corner of paradise.
Escambia is for sale to the highest bidder or better yet the largest donors. Their running out of room in the southern end and so badly need these contributors to give them atta boys and pats on the backs.
How about some…useable internet????
@Rick
How nice of you to decide what everyone else wants and where they are from. LOL
Yes! We need a few small stores in the country. A Doller A Holler General, a Walgreens, etc. Nothing like having to drive to Atmore for Walmart (that’s a joke!) or Pensacola to get diapers for the kiddo.
>>.Was this “public hearing” advertised?
Escambia County’s legal public notices are published in the Pensacola News Journal. (State law requires them to be published in a printed newspaper of general circulation/holding a second class U.S. Mail permit, generally)
Was this “public hearing” advertised?
You supposedly live in country to get away from this kind of stuff, but you can’t get away no matter where you go. WE DONT WANT NO DOLLAR STORE or nothing else including a Walmart in walnut hill , if you want that go back to Pensacola.
Tax revenue.