Planning board approves rezoning of 200 block West Burgess Road despite neighborhood concerns about access, noise and trees

The Escambia County Planning Board voted Oct. 7 to recommend approval of rezoning case Z2025-08, which would convert the 200 block of West Burgess Road to Heavy Commercial and Light Industrial (HCLI). The decision followed extended public comment from nearby residents worried about traffic, noise, tree removal and property impacts.

Meredith Bush, agent for 200 Block Burgess Road LLC, presented the application and a revised submission that the applicant said included more extensive community outreach and a site plan circulated to neighbors. Bush told the board the applicant would record a deed restriction limiting access off Maxim Street and would preserve a vegetative buffer on the parcel’s northern edge.

Staff development reviewer Andrew Homer reviewed the rezoning criteria in the Escambia County Land Development Code and said the parcel meets locational standards for HCLI: it is adjacent to arterial Burgess Road and within about 0.13 miles of Highway 29. Homer and transportation staff noted the application packet and TTO memo (dated Aug. 29, 2025) raised no transportation objections to the rezoning; he emphasized that development-review (site-plan) processes would implement buffering, screening and access controls.

Public comment: four nearby residents spoke in opposition or with concerns. Donald Fabian (Westmont Street) said he feared the property could later be accessed from Westmont and become a shortcut: "My wife has lived on that road since 1973... we're really opposed to any development with the woods being brought down," Fabian said. Carrie Fabian, also of Westmont, said trees already removed elsewhere have increased noise and dust and raised worries about air quality. Daryl Stewart, president of the Diamond Acres homeowners association (Maxim Street), told the board his association favors the current applicant because of updated outreach and because the property was likely to see some development in the future. Donald Watson (Westmont Street) described noise and quality-of-life impacts he said followed interstate construction near his home and urged stronger buffering; he said he previously spent about $5,000 upgrading windows to reduce noise.

Board and staff responses: staff and the applicant emphasized that rezoning is not contingent on a site plan but that the applicant’s voluntary deed restriction and the site plan commitments (10-foot vegetative buffer along Maxim, no access from Maxim/Westmont, fencing and landscaping) will be enforced during development review. Andrew Homer noted the portion of the property adjacent to Westmont already carries HCLI zoning; the rezoning request converts an HDMU portion to HCLI to create a single zoning category.

Outcome: A planning board member moved to approve Z2025-08 based on staff findings; a second was made and the board voted to recommend approval. The transcript records the motion, second and a voice vote with the chair noting the motion carried.

Why it matters: the rezoning consolidates a split-zoned parcel into HCLI, which allows a broader range of commercial and light-industrial uses. While the applicant committed to access and buffering measures, residents emphasized the limits of county control at the rezoning stage and said they will monitor subsequent site-plan proceedings where final access, buffering, and landscape mitigation will be decided.

Next steps: The Planning Board recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for a final decision. Any proposed development will still require county development-review approval where conditions, access and landscape buffers are finalized.