County approves Dollar General buffering variance and waives two‑year reapplication wait for lot split

Washington County commissioners approved a variance to landscape-buffering requirements for a new Dollar General store on Corbin Road and waived the county’s two-year waiting period that normally bars reapplication after a denied lot split.

Planning staffer Miss McDonald told the board the Terramore Development LLC project sits on a 4.99-acre parcel in northeast Washington County and that construction is already under way. The developer requested relief from required Type A and perimeter buffers on the north and east sides of the property, proposing a narrower planting strip plus a six-foot privacy fence in places previously approved with wider vegetative buffers.

McDonald said the planning commission recommended approval and that mail notices were sent to property owners within 1,500 feet. Engineer Mister Braun was present and worked with staff to address neighbors’ concerns about bright lighting; McDonald said shields had not initially been placed on some fixtures and that the issue was corrected.

Several residents spoke during public comment. Priscilla Brown, a Vernon resident, asked whether retention ponds require fences and said the county should prioritize safety where children live near commercial developments: “Children don’t look out for things of that nature. It is our job as the adults to make sure that there is some protection for them,” she said. Planning staff and the project engineer told the board stormwater permitting and specific design details (including whether a permanent pool is present and the pond’s depth) are determined by the Northwest Florida Water Management District and state permitting; fence requirements vary based on depth and pond type.

During the public hearing John Gay, chairman of planning and zoning, asked for an additional agenda item related to the Dollar General parcel: he requested the board consider waiving the two‑year wait the county imposes after a denied lot‑split application so the developer could reapply sooner. Gay said the waiver could be conditioned so that, if a split were approved, the newly created lot could be placed into an agricultural/silviculture land‑use category to limit future commercial use.

The board voted to approve the variance attached to the development order and later voted to waive the two‑year reapplication period so the developer may apply for a lot split and associated land‑use changes. The planning commission and further public hearings remain part of any reapplication process; staff noted the waiver does not remove noticing or review requirements.

Ending: Staff said shields had been installed on the site lights and that mitigation steps such as the privacy fence and new vegetation are expected to reduce off‑site impacts as plantings mature. The waiver allows the developer to file a lot‑split application and continue the formal review process with planning and the board.