Escambia commissioner to hold townhall on controversial OLF 8 development project
Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh said he plans to host a townhall meeting with Beulah stakeholders to hash out plans for the development of the former Navy Outlying Field 8.
“The important thing is we always have to speak about the facts and we have to lay out the timeline and give the facts," said Bergosh, who represents Beulah. "That’s what I’m going to do and we’re also going to take input from everyone in Beulah about this topic and also about the master plan for the entire Beulah area that this board has funded and is underway.”
In April, the Escambia Board of Commissioners agreed to start negotiating a $42 million sales agreement with home builder D.R. Horton to buy and develop nearly 540 acres along Nine Mile Road just west of Navy Federal Credit Union's campus, known as OLF 8.
The decision came after they heard the proposal representatives with D.R. Horton and the commercial real estate company Stirling Properties presented, which is a mixed-use plan including industrial and residential areas, as well as greenspaces and a town plaza with shops, restaurants and medical offices.
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However, some Beulah residents said the proposal doesn’t adhere to the master plan that was developed by urban design firm DPZ CoDesign with input from residents and passed by the board in 2021. The master plan tried to strike a balance between the economic development goals for the property and the concerns of nearby residents who didn't want a "commerce park" next to their neighborhoods.
“People are scared, afraid, concerned. They want to know, ‘What are you going to build over there?’” said Nature Trail resident John Kellis. “We only get to do this once. We don’t want a tract development in disguise. We want a town center that is identifiable for us.”
Kellis spoke at a recent county commissioners meeting, along with other Beulah residents against the D.R. Horton development.
“I’m here to say please keep the master plan because the vision for Beulah right now looks like car washes, storage units and gas stations,” said Jodi Rossi also a Nature Trail resident. “What we don’t have out there are restaurants, we don’t have a post office. Why can’t we have something like Destin Commons or Avalon in Alpharetta?”
Many residents want a design that includes a walkable community of shopping, dining, living and working. Bergosh said the plan D.R. Horton and Stirling Properties proposal has those amenities and comes close to meeting the requirements of the master plan.
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He has also said some changes will have to be made to even get the project off the ground whether this sale goes through or not.
“I want everyone to know this, I still support the master plan,” Bergosh said. “That was the compromise, right. There are going to be negotiations, there is going to be back-and-forth, but I support that master plan. Will we get 100%? Is 100% of it economically viable? We’ll see.”
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Bergosh said he has invited representatives from D.R. Horton and Stirling Properties to attend the townhall meeting on June 5, but he doesn’t know yet if they’ll attend. He said he would also invite urban design firm DPZ CoDesign. More information about the townhall will be provided as it becomes available.
The meeting is scheduled for June 5, at 6:00 p.m., at Beulah Middle School.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Townhall in Beulah: Escambia commissioner plans meeting on OLF 8
