Technical review committee advances proposed Freeport asphalt plant to planning commission after public pushback

The Walton County Technical Review Committee voted May 7 to forward a proposed SCC Freeport hot‑mix asphalt plant to the Planning Commission, but required the applicant to hold a community meeting before that hearing and asked staff to review any material changes that emerge.

The plant, proposed on a 15.3‑acre site with a history of industrial use, drew sustained public comment about truck traffic on State Road 20, stormwater and groundwater risks near Godwin Creek and the Choctawhatchee Bay watershed, and potential air quality and nuisance impacts. Retired Air Force officer and engineer John Ginezzo told the committee he had a team of scientists review potential pathways from the site to nearby neighborhoods and waterways; he said, “The HMA plant should not be proposed at the proposed location.”

Applicant counsel Gary Shipman and project engineer Nolan Baker said the site has hosted an asphalt operation in past decades and that state and federal permits — including Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and EPA approvals — apply to emissions, stormwater and other technical controls. “These ponds are designed to capture contaminants and treat those at a rate to prevent discharge,” Baker told the committee. He also said the facility’s dust collection (“back house”) and FDEP monitoring are standard conditions of operation.

Committee members and staff noted the technical issues the county must assess locally (traffic access, stormwater control, land‑use compatibility) versus those regulated by state or federal agencies (air emissions and some pollution controls). Chair Mac Carpenter said he had “great concern about sound traveling over the lake” and that the neighborhood’s comments warranted more review before a Planning Commission hearing.

After discussion the TRC approved a motion to forward the application to the Planning Commission on the condition that the applicant hold a community meeting beforehand; staff will review any substantive changes that result from that meeting. The developer agreed to arrange an information meeting for residents and to provide technical materials and permit documentation for the public record.

What happens next: The project will appear at the Planning Commission; any further changes arising from the community meeting will be added to staff review and may affect the county’s recommendation to commissioners.