Taylor County approves future land-use change for Keaton Beach site; public speakers oppose Dollar General plan

Taylor County commissioners on April 8 approved an amendment to the county's future land use map that will change roughly 3 acres near Beach Drive and Sea Meadows Drive in the Keaton Beach area from "agricultural rural residential" to "mixed-use rural residential." The applicant presented the amendment as a step toward a retail building of about 9,100 square feet.

A certified land-use planner hired by the applicant, Alara Mills Fletcher, told the commission the property lies outside FEMA flood zones, coastal high-hazard areas and mapped wetlands and that the county planning commission had recommended unanimous approval. Fletcher said the county's mixed-use rural residential category allows a transition from agriculture to a mix of commercial and residential uses and would permit buildings up to 10,000 square feet versus the 5,000-square-foot limit under the existing designation.

The amendment drew sustained public comment. Several residents asked whether the proposed store would be a Dollar General and urged the commission to resist further small-box retailing in the area. Connell Beasley and other speakers said multiple Dollar General stores already exist within a short drive and that another such store would shift local spending away from existing businesses. A church representative said a recent survey of church-owned property showed no county road where a neighbor claims a right of way; that neighbor later sought county action on a separate access dispute.

Commissioners read the ordinance by title and moved to adopt an ordinance amending the Taylor County comprehensive plan (application CPA 25-01) under the amendment procedures established in Florida Statutes sections 163.3161–163.3248. At roll call the board recorded a majority for adoption and one commissioner voting no. The ordinance amends the future land-use classification for the described parcels to mixed use rural residential and sets an effective date as provided by law.

The approval is limited to the comprehensive-plan map amendment; Fletcher noted that an additional development application and any required site and building permits remain necessary before construction could proceed. She said the applicant intends to combine the three parcels into a single parcel and will submit a development application if the map amendment is approved.

Residents and commissioners asked staff and the applicant to clarify next steps: what precise uses would be allowed under the mixed-use category, the maximum building footprint expected, and whether the applicant would pursue any required concurrency or infrastructure approvals. Those clarifications were requested for subsequent permitting reviews rather than as conditions of the map change.

The ordinance was adopted as read; the commission voted to proceed with the map amendment as presented. The planning commission had recommended approval by unanimous vote prior to the county commission hearing.