Planning Commission approves sending the draft of the Economic Development Element to BOCC

The Washington County Planning Commission met Tuesday, May 6, with three items on the agenda. Commission unanimously approved sending the draft of the Economic Development Element of the comprehensive plan to the Board of County Commissioners.

If the Board approves the document it would be sent to the Florida Department of Community Affairs for review.

The approval for the Economic Development Element focused on a completed draft put together by the West Florida Regional Planning Council aided by the County Planning Office. The draft largely consists of information based on the economy of the county.

“What we essentially have is a document that really does an economic profile,” said Alan Gray of the WFRPC.

“I think that the really interesting stuff doesn’t start until you reach the ‘Issues, Concerns and Opportunities’ [section of the document] and there we really begin talking about the nature of the county, the nature of the situation economically right now, where our opportunities lay and what our major challenges are.”

Taking information on the community from the past and the present combined, the profile’s function is not only to provide historical documentation of the economic progress of the county, but also some insight into possible ways to improve the community. Gray said that this study is done every seven years.

Gray stressed the importance of having the ability to acknowledge that there is always room for improvement, especially in growing communities. He said that some of the problems within Washington County and surrounding areas include a lack of sufficient water and sewer services, an insufficient variety of skills in the labor force, and limited provisions for most local business owners.

However, Gray said these problems could be fixed, beginning with promotion of a balanced economy by stimulating growth through support of local businesses and by establishing more access for the public to better educational institutions. He said that Washington County has potential because of the existing support system.\

Also unanimously approved was the Preliminary Plat Approval of a Subdivision in Sunny Hills in Unit 25, which is located just north of Sunny Hills Boulevard. Developers are planning to turn a 253-acre parcel into a Planned Unit Development.

Cliff Knauer, general contractor, said the subdivision would comfortably house 311 single-family lots, along with 15 acres exclusively for commercial use and 98 acres left over for recreation or open space. Knauer said prerequisites have been met to pave all roads within the subdivision as well as installation of a central water and sewer system, which will be managed by Aqua Utilities.

Commission unanimously elected Chairperson Joe Taylor and Vice-Chairperson Tonya Pippin.