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Decision Postponed On Rezoning 376 Acres In Molino
February 2, 2022
On Tuesday, the Escambia County Planning Board first denied, then postponed a final decision on a proposed large scale zoning change for 376 acres in Molino.
The wooded and undeveloped acreage is on five parcels along or near either Gibson Road or Crabtree Church Road in Molino (map below). The parcels are owned by Thomas Henry of Thomas Homes in Cantonment.
The current agricultural zoning on the property is agriculture, which allows for a maximum residential density of one dwelling unit on each 20 acres. Henry is proposing a future land use change to agricultural residential, which would allow a maximum of one residence per four acres.
According to Escambia County’s Comprehensive Plan, the agricultural residential zoning designation is allowed along highways, federal and “major county roads” as identified in the Escambia County Future Land Use Map.
(Story continues below graphic.)
The comprehensive plan does not offer a definition of “major county road”. The county’s development maps do show Gibson Road or Crabtree Church Road as major county roads.
County staff will seek clarification and the planning board will reconsider the proposal in April.
Several dozen citizens, mostly from Molino and Barrineau Park, attended Tuesday’s four-hour long planning board meeting. Speakers against the rezoning cited their opinions about inadequate infrastructure. They claimed that area roads and bridges, schools and emergency services are not adequate for added growth.
A county staff analysis of the rezoning application found that adequate infrastructure does exist.
Pictured: A portion of the property in question along Gibson Road in Molino. Pictured lower inset: Local resident Craig Exner addresses the Escambia County Planning Board Tuesday morning. Pictured below: Developer Thomas Henry speaks to the board. Pictured bottom: Map showing the area. NorthEscambia.com photo and images, click to enlarge.
Comments
36 Responses to “Decision Postponed On Rezoning 376 Acres In Molino”
It will be rezoned if it’s a more efficient use of the land. That’s how growth works.
@Molinonative, you seem to not understand how zoning works, just because I own a piece of land, it doesn’t mean that I can do what I want with it. The community does have a say in how the area is used, including private property, that’s why we have zoning. It would not be fair to residents for me to buy property in a place like East hill to raise farm animals like cows, horses or pigs, because its zoned as a subdivision, nor should subdivision be built in the middle of farms.
The developer has only those rights that came with the property when he bought it. He has no right to a change in zoning. The community has a right to have their zoning preserved and protected by the government that is supposed to be looking after our interests.
Obviously everyone is particular about this issue. I am as well. I have no problem welcoming progress but only in its own right. Progress is necessary for adaptation of life. Progress can’t be forced or bought. It has to be understood. It takes understanding of where we are and where we need to be. Infrastructure in Molino is lacking. We have roads that need resurfacing, bridges that need replacing. We have made one inroad in Molino and that’s a 4 way traffic signal at Molino Rd intersection. That’s the kind of progress necessary right now. Building houses and disturbing propagation of our farmers is not exactly a step forward. Sure it’s only a few plots on the west side but where will it end. Will Mr. Thomas Henry stop when he gets what wants. That’s too hard to tell. If we can establish guidelines and find where a line can be drawn, then we may be able to get somewhere. But right now you need to think about your neighbors or somebody on the east side of 29. Put yourself in their situation and think about how rezoning may affect you. Please not for yourselves but for them.
cant stop whats coming!
Do I have this right ? If the Developers want to sell 20 acre parcels they could and have no infrastructure costs or this controversy? Mayhaps that’s a better endeavor
Just sell 19 parcels for $200,000. each and attempt to be the home builder for each
parcel.
Man, this is literally like a Yellowstone episode. Much like the show hope it ends in the favor of the landowners/residents. Their way of life, again much like the show, is one I envy.
Molino girl – what a shame that you have to be so mean- “leave – WE don’t want you here!” that is the attitude that causes the end of the type of living you romanticize about! You don’t have to go far on Molino road – trashy unkempt houses – the crime here is unreal!!! I have been here 26 years and the downward trend is obvious! Maybe your type should leave and we could have stores, restaurants and people keeping their yards nice and still friendly! I am so sorry you can’t comment on another persons opinion WITHOUT getting ugly! It is today’s world
I hate to see all of the old farmland, hayfields and agricultural land being sucked up by developers for subdivisions and apartments. The good news is I could afford the 4 acres but couldn’t afford the minimum cost of the houses they build.
We need affordable acreage for horse lovers!
I have lived in Molino almost my whole life. I remember when there was more than one grocery store here. We use to have more than one gas station. Back when yes everyone knew everyone else and they looked out for each other. If you did something wrong your Momma or Grandma knew about it before you got home. So sad that those days are far behind us now. It is also sad that we live in a time where money talks and the people in charge are drunk with wanting as much as they can get. Our small piece of country is already gone we just don’t want to admit it.
I’ve read all the comments on here. Boy you all have a strong opinion about what Mr Henry can do with his land. Land that he bought fair and square. You can’t stop progress folks. Children being born everyday, those children grow into adults. They all need homes. It has to come North, everything else is about full. Now think about a house every four acres, sounds pretty fair. Can’t stop progress folks. Welcome to America
Joy Bryant: what do you mean no where to shop we have the Molino mall. And nasty where do you see Nasty honey we live in God’s country we don’t need anything else out here. Oh and we have the new food truck Mrs. Ivey’s to eat at and the food is amazing!!! Y’all people need to leave our Country living alone if you don’t like it then leave we don’t want you here.
Jacqueline. Thanks for the intelligent response. I assume legal modifications to zoning is also constitutional. The infrastructure will always be an afterthought unless we demand developers pay impact fees that precede development, along with some actual planning by whoever designs our highways that seem to dead end at neighborhood entrances.
I hope that “postponed” does not mean……..wait til we forget and then do it anyway. Majority rule USED to be a thing. Decency seems to be dying.
Apparently, Joy Bryant, you don’t understand the concerns of Molino residents. We choose to live out this way for a reason – perhaps for many reasons. YOU, Joy Bryant, certainly do not speak for all Molino residents so you should not have used the collective term “we” – when describing Molino as NASTY and stagnate. That may be YOUR perception of the people/area of Molino – but I doubt it’s the perception of the collective. If YOU are looking for places to shop and eat that are in close proximity of your home, consider moving some more appropriate to your ideal way of life. And, good riddance!
I think Joy might need to move towards town and leave the country life to us that like it the way it is!
Nasty and stagnate? I think NOT!!! There is nothing nasty or stagnant about nature!!! Don’t move to Molino if you don’t like the country, because the rural nature of Molino is exactly why the long time residents love it!!! I mean really, why would you move to a place like Molino if you don’t like country living? There are plenty of options in town, that doesn’t require the raping the environment or forcing people to live practically on top of one another.
Don’t let Molino turn into another Beulah, our area is no longer the community it used to be, we’ve been flooded with city slickers who have no love for nature or the people who were here before them. We are now packed in like sardines with over inflated housing prices and tax increases. DO NOT RUIN MOLINO, FIGHT TO KEEP MOLINO RURAL!!! STOP THE GREED DEVELOPERS!!!
Must prevent this at all cost. No one moves to and lives in Molino for a subdivision. This is all about money and greed, whatever is needed to stop this, needs to be done.
If it’s shopping/food that you want…drive to Pensacola or Atmore. We do not need this at our back door. Please don’t move out here if that is what you are craving! We do not want that here! I understand that growth is coming…but people will move out here….complain about wildlife eating their plants…coyotes eating their pets….it’s the country…this is what country living is all about! We love it and we all understand this….will you????
At least each home would be on 4 acres. Many barns & fences . No sewers so septic tanks . No natural gas so Propane tanks. Because of high land cost I’d sure think some high end homes & lawns etc. which should mean folks with wherewithal. Has there been any mention of HOA ? Set-backs etc ? Rules & Regulations? Getting the existing home owners involved & maybe carry extra weight in decision making ! I’m afraid the sprawl is coming all the way to Alabama cause Florida (especially) our western panhandle is very hard to beat anywhere else within a couple hundred miles !
I’m about 2 miles south & the sprawl & traffic has crept in. Don’t really like it but have to adapt in this life . Anyone remember that Pensacola was the largest city/town in Florida? That was about 170 years ago !
Brian,
Mr Henry bought agricultural land and that’s how it was zoned and that was the future land use.
That is the property right that he was granted when he purchased it.
People living in residential areas can’t always switch over to commercial or higher density because they bought property with a specific zoning and they know that going in.
Zoning has consistently been found to be constitutional and it protects competing uses from being a nuisance., ie. ensures compatibility.
If you watch the meeting you would have heard a woman say that they waited 60 minutes for an ambulance to arrive for her mother who didn’t survive and another woman say that children have to travel an hour and a half on the bus to get to school.
The services like Fire, EMS, and the schools are not available for doubling the density up there and the infrastructure is not even adequate for the existing residents, never mind adding to it.
Several people have mentioned flooding issues as well.
Mr. Thomas Henry is trying to pass himself off as a timber man but he would not need to change the zoning or the land use if all he wanted to do was harvest trees. He definitely has a plan to build homes and in the application paperwork it talked about it.
Everyone that spoke yesterday understands that there needs to be growth but it needs to be smart growth that plans for the needs of the population that it is encouraging to move up there.
No one in the north county wants to be like what happened to Beulah!
What a disgusting comment. Sad thing is I know you. You dont like it here then move
Do not want to live in any city. That is why I am here. I had rather drive afar for what I need than to live in the city. If someone does not like this way of life. Let THEM move to the city, instead of making this the city. I wanted to live in the country all my life, and now I am here. Please don’t mess this up. Let those who love city life live in the city that already exists. Please do not ruin our way of life. That is not fair and is unreasonable.
Nasty and Stagnate??????
Why on earth did you move here? I am from Molino and love this place. Do you not even see the beauty of the place you live? It is not the convenience of a store or an eatery nearby….Molino is a way of life and I pray it always will be…..Do you know SHUG? If you are from Molino you do. He is a staple of Molino…You can find him at the First Stop most days. If you have never chatted with him you have missed out. As a bonus, you can get some good fresh vegetable out there too. Did you have the pleasure of knowing Lonnie or Cotton? Lonnie is no longer with us–you missed out on that one .Do you speak to the guy at the Dollar General that stands out front with the traffic vest on? He probably scares you–he is very nice, chat with him…your day will be better. Ever been in line at one of our little establishments (although few) here and not have enough money for you purchase and without so much as a second thought the person behind you gives over the money and wishes you a Merry Christmas? Do you know what the “quarter” is and what it means….do you know anything about this Stagnate Nasty place that you live? I haven’t even begun to speak of the beauty of the farmlands, nature and history here.
That is why we stay here…we want our kids to get out…take in nature…go to the river..learn about animals .make lifelong friends..learn the value of helping..grow some food..learn independence. And the Molino community was not just Molino–we knew the Barth folks as well…we grew up together, went to school together, we knew each other. Once upon a time all the people here knew each other and looked out for each other….then it started….people coming in from everywhere….so as is customary the locals try to welcome them ,and to be quite honest, most times received a cold shoulder in return….we don’t want any more of that….we don’t want houses piled on top of houses and stores on every corner….we will drive the 30 minutes down into the pit of traffic hell to get what we need.
I don’t know why people come here only to try to make it like the place they left?!
Why don’t you get out and drive around…..learn this place that YOU decided to move to ..or better yet SELL in this hot market and get out while the getting is good! I’m sure some of us Nasty folk could find you a local buyer that likes it here just the way it is.
If you purchase property zoned agricultural then you shouldn’t expect to be able to automatically have it rezoned just so you can fill your bank account with more money. Developers don’t care about quality of life. They care about packing in as many houses as they can, doing the least amount of drainage and infrastructure improvements as possible and moving on to the next plot of land. That’s how you end up like pace and Beulah. That’s how you end up with traffic issues, that’s how you end up with drainage issues because infrastructure improvements follow development instead of the other way around. If you weaken the zoning now, then pretty soon they will weaken it even more and you’ll get the kind of development where you can even get a riding mower in between the houses. If you want to live closer to grocery stores then move closer to town otherwise learn to plan shopping trips and errands.
If you want places to shop or eat, MOVE TO THE CITY!! Leave our little community and agricultural lands alone for God’s sake! There is no reason this little town needs to turn into Pensacola or Pace. Those areas are there for a reason. Once you change agricultural land it cannot go back to that.
If you want stores and restaurants and not willing to drive 30min then YOU move. Just like I’m doing, moving further away into the woods before this even becomes an issue to me, after living here my entire life. Enjoy Molino becoming a Cantonment in a decade and a Century shortly after.
Joy Bryant…move to Pensacola if you aren’t happy in the country..we like it just the way it is..we chose to live away from everything..don’t want the subdivisions or traffic out here! And don’t care to have people like you trying to change our way of living..so please move back to town!
As a former resident who grew up in Molino/Barrieau Park, I have to say I did not like living rurally so I left and now live in a major city. I prefer the convenience of city life over rural life. That said, I completely agree with the citizens of the area who do not want to see their rural way of life become another suburb with increased traffic, retail and the like. The rural way of life is not for everyone, noted. But it is becoming harder and harder to find and enjoy. So please, leave this area alone and let rural country folk enjoy the pleasures of slow paced life. If someone prefers modern city convenience over rural ways, then please rethink why you moved to the country and perhaps choose to move back to a more convenient area of town.
Many rural residents vote for small government until someone wants to build something on THEIR private property that you disagree with. Then all of a sudden want big government telling someone what they can or can’t do with their own property. Change will happen and you only control what you own.
AMEN. Please stop all this before its final. Our way of Life in Molino is too precious to lose.
We live out here and choose to drive 30 min to stores, restaurants in town. We sacrifice that in order to live where we do. The growth you speak of, I do not want. Look at nine mile road and south into Pensacola to see what growth has done to our area.
Gibson Rd and Crabtree Church Road are not major county roads. If they were then the county would be maintaining them and taking care of the bridge that has been down to one lane for a while now.
We moved from Pensacola to Molino several years ago to get away from the city and suburbia. The crime was ridiculous down in Pensacola.
We love Molino the way it is and love the people here. The minute you allow subdivisions is when Molino will no longer be rural and it will start to look like Pace and Beulah. It will become overcrowded.
If you prefer living in the suburbs or city then don’t live in Molino.
..developers and home builders never seem to have enough wealth..and hundreds of acres in this same neighborhood were recently mowed down to create a huge solar farm…some folks won’t be satisfied until all our rural places are paved over..
Wildlife were not considered and Crabtrree is not a major county road. So selfish people want groceries and restaurants real close by and forget the farmers. IF you don’t like here move to Pensacola, that’s your choice. No business is putting JOBS up here and they shouldn’t, it is AGRICULTURE baby!!
I understand the concerns of Molino residents – I live here o – BUT we need growth we need grocery stores, restaurants – we are NASTY and stagnate- NO PLACE TO SHOP OR EAT – there is only one place and it is NOT the type of food or atmosphere I appreciate. STOP trying to prevent growth…..JOBS, -taxes is your concern selfishness!