Santa Rosa commissioners rezone 5-acre Woodlands parcel to neighborhood commercial after resident objections

Santa Rosa County commissioners voted 4-1 on Feb. 27 to rezone a roughly 5-acre parcel in The Woodlands from its prior residential designation to Neighborhood Commercial, after residents urged the board to preserve the area for housing and raised concerns about traffic, lights and property values.

The motion to approve Neighborhood Commercial passed after public comment from 14 residents and a discussion among commissioners about whether a broader commercial zoning (HCD) would better serve future master planning. The applicant’s representative said there are no firm development plans tied to the rezoning and that the applicant would accept Neighborhood Commercial as a compromise.

The decision matters because the parcel sits between two entrances to The Woodlands subdivision and immediately faces townhouses and single-family lots. Residents told commissioners they bought homes expecting a residential frontage; several said they fear a storage facility or late‑night uses that would change the neighborhood’s character. Reverend Tom Sharon, who said he is president of the homeowners association, told the board, “We want a nice calm residential setting,” and said many neighbors…