Taylor County holds first reading on land-use change for defense contractor; board approves expedited review letter

Taylor County commissioners held a first public hearing and the first reading Tuesday on an application to amend more than 50 acres of the county's comprehensive plan to an industrial designation to allow construction related to a defense contractor project.

The application, identified in county materials as CPA 24-01 and described by County Administrator Milanda Pemberton, would change land classified as agricultural/rural residential (one dwelling unit per five acres) to industrial for property owned by the company pursuing the project. Pemberton said the project represents a planned investment of about $130 million and would employ about 204 full-time positions when operating.

Commissioners were presented a resolution from the planning board supporting the land-use change and were told county staff had coordinated with the regional planning council to advertise concurrently in order to shorten the review timeline. Pemberton and staff said the county must follow the amendment procedures established in Florida Statutes sections 163.3161 through 163.3248, including transmittal to state agencies and a required 30-day comment period following transmittal.

Under the advertised timeline, county staff will transmit a letter of intent and the signed resolution to the state after the board's action; a 30-day state comment period follows. The ordinance will return to the board for a second public hearing and final vote in February.

At the meeting, the board voted to approve a letter requesting expedited state review and transmittal of the required materials. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with Commissioners English, Moody, Newman, Fiegel and Debs recorded as voting yes. The motion's maker and seconder were not specified on the record.

County staff said they will continue outreach to state commerce officials and to other state partners to ask whether the comment period can be shortened further while preserving required advertisement and notice periods.

If approved at second reading, the ordinance language described in the meeting packet would amend the Taylor County comprehensive plan map to reclassify the identified acreage from agricultural/rural residential to industrial, provide standard severability and repeal clauses, and set an effective date consistent with transmittal and state review requirements.

The board did not take final action on the ordinance at the meeting; the item will return for a second reading and vote in February.