Resident presses county over pole‑barn enforcement and alleged behind‑the‑scenes variance discussions

Mark Douglas of Santa Rosa Beach addressed the commission at length to protest a neighbor’s pole‑barn construction that Douglas says violated setback rules and continued after multiple code-enforcement visits and a magistrate ruling. Douglas said the neighbor accrued daily fines of about $250 and that closed-door meetings with planning staff and developers led to a permit pathway he described as unfair and opaque.

Douglas said he and his wife received death threats and that the neighbor continued work despite repeated enforcement actions. He told commissioners he had been told by staff that the neighbor had negotiated an outcome that effectively reduced the required setback from 20 feet to 7 feet. County administration and planning staff responded that code enforcement and the magistrate followed statutory procedures, that one cure path was to seek a variance (which the zoning board denied), and that the property owner later acquired adjacent land that allowed a compliant permit through legal lot orientation. Staff emphasized that fines accrue and that the magistrate has discretion on abatements if compliance occurs.

Commissioners discussed due process and whether the system could be tightened to prevent perceived back‑door handling. The county administrator and planning director described mechanisms for after‑the‑fact permits, building permit reviews and fee structures for retroactive permits, and said staff had followed Florida statute and the land development code. Commissioners asked for continued vigilance and for staff to ensure consistent application of policy going forward.