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Zoning board recommends rezoning 30-acre Bud Diamond parcel to allow six 5‑acre estate lots after divided community response
Summary
The Zoning Board recommended rezoning 30 acres on Bud Diamond Road from AG-2 to AG-1 (estate residential) to allow six 5-acre lots. The hearing drew strong views on both sides: some residents said the change would erode rural protection and strain roads, while others — including nearby landowners and farmers — supported the smaller estate lots.
The Santa Rosa County Zoning Board recommended approval of a rezoning request to change 30 acres on Bud Diamond Road from AG-2 to AG-1 (estate residential), which would allow division into six 5-acre parcels.
Carla Hynote presented the request on behalf of applicants Joshua and Tracy Sheehan. Hynote said the owners seek to create six estate lots (five acres each) and noted nearby parcels already contain a mix of lot sizes and uses. “We’re asking for six houses, which is only four more than what’s allowed today,” Hynote told the board.
Public testimony showed the neighborhood split. Opponents said they purchased property in the rural protection zone specifically for larger lots and older growth canopy and asked the board to preserve that rural character. “We moved to Jay in February to raise our children in a rural setting. We hope it will stay rural and not overdeveloped,” said Melissa Couch, whose house sits diagonally across the road from the site.
Supporters and several farmers told the board that 5-acre estate lots are consistent with the county’s rural-development guidance and would be a modest, orderly change. Applicants said they had obtained petitions of support from a majority of occupied homes on nearby roads (Bud Diamond, Dunsford, Drury Lane) and that local farmers they consulted did not object.
Board discussion referenced the county’s rural plan and past actions. Planning staff noted the county’s rural-development policy and that AG-1 (estate residential) zoning is an allowed use in rural-protection areas. Several board members said the request fits the scale and context of nearby parcels and would provide an intermediate option between single-acre and much larger agricultural tracts.
A motion to recommend rezoning to AG-1 passed without objection. Members and staff noted that the recommendation is advisory and will be considered by the Board of County Commissioners; residents were reminded of the BOCC review schedule and appeal rights.
