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BOCC Denies Request To Rezone Old Novak Parcels To Agriculture
September 9, 2023
The Escambia County Commission voted unanimously this week to affirm a planning board recommendation to deny a resident’s request to rezone their property to agricultural so that they could maintain farm animals.
Applicant Mitchell Hazelbaker told the planning board on August 1 that he has a farming background and moved from Indiana to the recently purchased property at 890 Old Novak Road. He said he was not trying to run a “big” farming operation, but just maintain his horses and cattle and “live off the land”.
According to the county, the property was never zoned agricultural.
Hazelbaker submitted a small-scale request to go from a future land use of mixed used suburban to agricultural. Like the surrounding properties, it’s currently zoned as low density residential which does not allow farm animals, other than chickens, and provides for up to four dwelling units per acre. Growing food for personal use is allowed, but not commercially.
The request, according to a county staff analysis, was not consistent with surrounding property.
During this week’s county commission meeting, one area resident said she did not agree with the rezoning.
“These people are not honest people, and because they are not honest, they have already established a pattern that they will not be honest business people,” Caroline Bramblett said. “I am dead set against this change, and I don’t understand why anybody with 20 acres would need their property changed to agricultural to have a few horses.
During the planning board meeting, Bramblett said Hazelbaker has brought trouble to the neighborhood.
Bramblett said Bobbie Lei Sales, who was recently charged by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with allegedly impersonating a FDLE agent on Pauline Street, lives on the Old Novak property with Hazelbaker.
According to a court document and a FDLE arrest warrant, the last known address for Sales is 890 Old Novak Road, the subject of the planning board request. However, she is not listed as owner of the property, and she was not a party to the rezoning request.
“She is a pathological liar, Bramblett told the planning board, saying that Sales claims ownership of multiple parcels in the area. “She is a pathological liar.”
Planning Board vice chair Walker Wilson attempted to steer Bramblett on the topic of zoning and away from personal attacks.
Bramblett continued, saying that Sales trespasses on neighboring properties and mentioned code enforcement complaints.
“Nothing that they do is ethical; this is how they live,” she claimed. “This is what they brought into the neighborhood.”
Other neighbors made strong allegations against the rezoning during the planning board meeting.
Kim Smith of Kathleen Avenue claimed that many of the horses on the property were bought locally, not brought from Indiana.
“They do not take care of them; they do not have shelter. There’s a large majority of them that have mysteriously died,” Smith said. “His daughter has been posting where they plan to do hunting, camping, fishing retreats on that land. That’s why they brought that cabin in. They plan to make a business out of it.”
“The last year that they have lived there has been terrible. They have harassed everyone for a mile each direction,” Smith continued. “It’s unbelievable the problems that they have caused….they have already messed up everything since they’ve been there. So please don’t give them any more leeway in making a mess out of where we live.”
Hazelbaker said two bulls purchased from a cattle barn in Atmore had a disease that infected the entire herd despite veterinary care.
There are two pending Escambia County Code Enforcement complaints against Hazelbaker — one for the farm animals and one for an unpermitted structure.
Escambia County Code Enforcement Office Lynn Butler told the planning board that a structure near Hazelbaker’s pond was not permitted, nor were horses, goats and cattle. Butler said they have not been allowed onto the gated property, so they have not been able to confirm all of the animals are actually present.
A May 5 notice of violation posted at the property advised Hazelbaker to “remove the goats, horses, cows, pigs and donkeys from the property. You may keep 1 rooster and up to 8 chickens”.
In a May 1 application to the Florida Department of Revenue for agricultural classification of the land, Hazelbaker stated there are 10 livestock animals on the property, two acres used for “poultry, swine or bee yards”, and one acre of aquaponics. The application stated that he had a cattle income of $2,600, but lost $2,200 on cattle in 2022.
Hazelbaker told the planning board that there are less than a dozen cows on the property which are raised and sold as freezer beef “if we ever venture to get into it that far”.
Other residents of the area spoke in favor of the agricultural zoning, while others thought farm animals would be just too much.
“It’s going to affect me with the runoff, and the smell, the sounds of agriculture,” Kathleen Avenue resident Dorothy Johnson said.
“As far as the horses and cows and stuff, I grew up with them. I don’t want that noise anymore. I can listen to the roosters crowing,” Charles Johnson said. “It’s going to change what is going on in our neighborhood. ”
Janice King of Candy Lane said there has been no problem with smells or annoyances from the property and enjoys visiting the animals. She said Hazelbaker has started working with the Boys Club to teach agriculture.
“I’d like for it (the zoning) to go back to what it was for them to be able to continue that stuff for kids,” King said. “I just want to get it where he would be able to do things with kids, future stuff for America for the kids.”
“When he moved from Indiana, he should have researched that prior to this,” Sheryl Norton of Candy Lane told the planning board about Hazelbaker’s zoning problems. “If it was his desire to put animals on this piece of land, he should have looked at the zoning…I feel like they need to go north and buy land there if that’s their heart’s desire.”
Comments
12 Responses to “BOCC Denies Request To Rezone Old Novak Parcels To Agriculture”
Just for info. Those animals on that land were taken very care of was. No nuisance I live right behind them in the area where are you hardly ever heard on once in a while it was not at night time it was in the morning time mostly that you would hear the peacock and it was time for him to eat everybody has their own opinion on everything but I feel I should stand up about the care of those animals in which they were taken very care of ……their pens were cleaned out daily food was given to them daily and they were in better shape for when they came from when they first got them and it’s bad that you have to give up an animal that has been a pet in your family for that length of time That’s all I have to say about that
This needs to be investigated. The Country has permitted special favors to one property owner, and allowing cows on a property that is restricted for no cows.
The zoning laws should be binding. The neighbor does not deserve any special treatment over having unapproved livestock on the property. The property is severely overcrowded with unauthorized livestock. The pasture is full of manure and a is breeding ground for flies. There is no grass or hay for the animals and the zoning laws were ignored because of the ignorance of assumption.
Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness! Well only if you are a developer( which just might be the underlying issue here). Just remember, our county commissioner Barry has recently stated about construction that it may be proposed, doesn’t mean it will be approved! Where, I think the public should know. Or maybe it’s here with a man who wants some farm animals legally, on his own land. When we complained to commissioner Barry’s office concerning a proposed water tank to be built on 97 and 297a by the blinking yellow light, his representative said, “it’s their property, they can do whatever they want”. Sounds like a double standard. This needs to go to court for resolution, because if the owner resists, the property will be seized and he just may be arrested! Semper fi Mac !
It’s government run amuck. No non-elected
Official should be able issue edicts to property owners; there’s no accountability.
This guy obviously made himself an easily target because of some of his cohorts but I also think some of these city folk who move to the country need to leave their city values in San Francisco and get over themselves.
Our county property appraiser office can change your property from agricultural to multi family and you can’t do anything to stop them. Family land that has been farmed and had livestock on it for over 45 years can be changed.
He should sell off some of his land to the Dollar Store Corporation and buy some land more north. Obviously he doesn’t have enough money to get the county to rezone like the Dollar Store did on Kingsfield road and 297A. Money talks with our commissioners.
I’d be curious to know how many of these people on here complaining about farm animals noises smells are local or transplant from some other area. It just seems these days people move here from larger cities into to a rural setting and the first thing they do is target rural community values . Their next step is to force change to suit their on personal agenda.
The Novak family once maintained a menagerie of exotic animals at that location; ie “The Swamparium”.
Many people move out into the county to enjoy country life, but for many it is something that the have concieved a faulty concept of. Country life is often associated with farm animals and all that entails.
It sounds as though the the Hazelbakers are incompatible with the homeowners association, and that their neighbors, they would be happier in Destin or Greyton Beach.
I understand people thinking that farm animals are all great to have around. BUT they are not. They are loud and noisy and smell. There are a lot of houses in that area that DO NOT WANT IT, so the people spoke.
Very hard to go from farm to subdivision and the same back.
Yes I rather be next to a farm than most people. But being down wind from it destroys outside time .
Also dont say that noises the animals do are pleasant. A cow mooing all night gets old. Pigs stink and escape all the time. Chickens are fine but the roosters are a nightmare.
Animal farms do not belong in suburban subdivisions…. Your joy is anothers nightmare.
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is reserved for those that can afford to defend themselves. Laws, Policies and Rules are made by those that profit from them.
We don’t take to kindly to you horse, pig, goat and cow people, your kind ain’t welcome here. And don’t you dare think we ain’t a counting how many chickens you have.