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Santa Rosa County commissioners approve small RV park near Jay over neighbor objections
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved a conditional-use permit to allow a six-space RV park on property owned by Larry Baxley in District 3 despite objections from nearby residents who raised concerns about flooding, septic systems and alleged prior intent to develop the site.
The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve a conditional-use request on Thursday to allow a six-space RV park on property owned by Larry Baxley near Jay.
The board considered case 2025-21-CU, an application for an active park (an RV park) on approximately 1.6 acres within a larger family property. Chairman (speaker 4) read the application and turned the item to Commissioner Rau (speaker 5) for consideration. Baxley (speaker 7), the applicant, told the board the RV spaces are centrally located on about 250 acres he and his family own, roughly 2,000 feet from the nearest residences, and said the septic system and site engineering were professionally designed.
Several residents urged the board to deny the request. Matthew Hardy (speaker 9) alleged Baxley intended to create an RV park from the outset and accused a board member of helping prepare Baxley’s presentation, calling the effort “bad faith.” Sherry Chapman (speaker 10) and other neighbors raised concerns about flooding, the lack of nearby dump stations for camper sewage, and the possibility that small campgrounds become long-term residences. Neighbors also warned the conditional use could set a precedent for additional development.
Baxley responded that the property is a longtime family farm and denied receiving improper help from board members. He said the RV park idea began as a small family operation and that his engineering work ensured the septic system would be legal and sufficient.
Commissioners discussed proximity to homes, bed-tax reporting and the difference between a conditional-use approval and a rezone. Commissioner Rau (speaker 5) said he was generally not a fan of RV parks but noted the unanimous zoning-board recommendation for approval and emphasized that this was a conditional use, not a rezoning. The board ultimately recorded no objections and the Chair (speaker 4) announced the motion to approve as carried.
The approval allows the conditional use under the conditions discussed in the zoning process. The board did not vote to rezone the property. The applicant will have to comply with any permit, site plan and permitting requirements before development proceeds.
The county’s files list the case as 2025-21-CU; details such as precise permit conditions and the timeline for any construction were not specified during the hearing.
