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Rezoning for 72-home Woodbine subdivision denied 3–2 after intense debate over traffic
Summary
The Santa Rosa County rezoning board denied the Darby family’s request to rezone a Woodbine Road parcel for a 72-home subdivision after residents and one commissioner raised traffic and timing concerns, despite the applicant’s planner citing updated Transportation Planning Organization counts showing available capacity.
The Santa Rosa County rezoning board voted 3–2 to deny the Darby family’s rezoning application to turn silviculture land on Woodbine Road into a 72-home subdivision. The vote followed more than an hour of testimony from the applicant’s planner, the developer and a string of residents who said the roadway cannot safely absorb additional peak-hour trips.
The application returned to the board after earlier denial; Becky Cato, representing the Darby family, told commissioners the project is infill between established residential subdivisions and that county and Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) data show capacity on Woodbine Road. "The most current available information shows that there is capacity on Woodbine Road to handle this project and others that have been approved," Cato said, citing updated TPO and county traffic counts and a recalculation of expected trip generation.
Neighbors and several citizens urged denial. Jerry Cooley said traffic is his chief objection and argued the road already has choke points during busy periods. Sherry Chapman told the board the recent improvements to Woodbine Road are managing flow but do not increase long-term capacity and urged commissioners to defer new development until infrastructure catches up. "Improvements that are being made are not really adding capacity to Woodbine Road," Chapman said.
Developer Kevin (identified in the record as Kevin Kersier; transcript at times uses an alternate spelling) described a revised plan with two lot types, stormwater detention on each phase, street trees and a small park. He said the project includes voluntary planting of southern live oaks and that phasing and engineering will address drainage and access issues.
The planner and staff acknowledged the packet contained older template numbers and said more recent TPO figures show a design capacity of about 25,410 vehicles and 2023 counts near 19,600 — leaving roughly 5,810 vehicle capacity. Using Institute of Transportation Engineers trip-generation factors and adjusting for in/out counting methodology, the planner said the development would add about 812 trips, which she argued could be accommodated.
Commissioners were split on how to weigh those data against on-the-ground experience and timing of other nearby projects. One commissioner said he could not in good conscience approve the rezoning while Woodbine Road still faced peak-period congestion; another cited infill policy, the developer’s reputation, and the voluntary landscaping commitment as reasons to approve. Commissioner Wright moved to approve the application as presented; the motion was seconded by the chair. The motion failed on a 3–2 vote, meaning the rezoning was not granted.
Next steps: With the motion defeated, the property remains under its existing land-use designation. Commissioners and staff signaled plans to convene early-January workshops on best management practices for clearing and erosion control and to review permit/plan templates so that future traffic and capacity data in staff packets reflect the most recent TPO and county counts.
