Latest Headlines
- Final Development Plans For Circle K At Highway 95A, Quintette Road Up For Vote
- Molino Man Accused Of Aggravated Assault Of Mother, Girlfriend With Ceiling Fan Blade
- Community Remembers Beau Rodrique, Former Beulah Fire Deputy Chief
- Rustic Rooster: Deli And Market Planned For Highway 97 In Davisville
- Northview High Names Students Of The Month
- Registrations Continue For Spring Season At Molino, NWE, Century, NEP
- FWC Law Enforcement Report: Hunting And Fishing Violations
- Escambia Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector Sworn In Last Week
- Century Now Has New Interim Mayor; Town Seeks New Interim Council Member
- Pine Meadow Elementary Students Enjoy Week of Roy Hyatt Science Adventures
Cottage Hill Residents Concerned By New 404 Home Development Proposed For McKenzie Road
January 8, 2025
Local residents gathered in a church sanctuary Tuesday night to discuss a 404-home subdivision proposed by a developer for their neighborhood.
The Cottage Hill Neighborhood Watch group hosted the meeting at the First Baptist Church of Cottage Hill to discuss D.R. Horton’s proposal for McKenzie Estates on the east side of Highway 95A in the 800 block of McKenzie Road. The development, as proposed, would be 404 single family homes on three parcels totaling 197.2 acres. The site is currently vacant and wooded with a stream and an estimated 43 acres of wetlands.
Residents of Cottage Hill and surrounding communities expressed concerns about lack of infrastructure including schools, road, traffic and draining; impacts on wetlands and wildlife; and utilities. Residents have questioned if Cottage Hill Water Works can serve the new residents properly and if existing residents might be required to pay a tap fee and forced to connect to sewer from ECUA. They also questioned if their current property values might be impacted.
The proposal has been filed with the county; however, no public meetings or votes have been scheduled to date.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour and NorthEscambia graphic (bottom), click to enlarge.
Comments
15 Responses to “Cottage Hill Residents Concerned By New 404 Home Development Proposed For McKenzie Road”
Established residents built or moved into an area because it was designated a certain way. Minimum lots 1/2 acre – specified house sizes, etc. The county should not be allowed to change directions in midstream and all of a sudden decide that these restrictions are no longer valid. Instead of 1/2 acre size per home – it’s now 1/8 of an acre and so forth. It’s happening all around us. Same with wetlands. they decide with the stroke of a pen wetlands are now prime land to build on! stupidity at its finest – the water is going somewhere – its not magically disappearing
I think if you don’t want your neighborhood disturbed then you should buy up the land yourself. Otherwise, let the free market do its thing.
@Gerald Wiggins,
Seems that you’re being a crybaby too, lol. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting the way of life this neighborhood has always enjoyed to be ruined by building a huge number of homes that will heavily burden an already overwhelmed water system and bring traffic to a standstill because these little roads are already way too busy. I grew up there. My children grew up there. We may have our problems, but there’s no reason to completely kill our neighborhood by turning it into the city. Just saying
I am sick of these crybabies because someone is moving into their neighborhood. Others may have felt the same way when you moved into the area. The roads and utilities are the responsibility of the county or franchisee. let them raise taxes and build a new roadway. Each of these homes will pay property taxes plus local sales taxes etc. I don’t think the existing water association can keep up with the growth. Maybe ECUA would be a better alternative. Maybe a second entry from Quintet Road will be necessary.
HELL NO. Absolutely not. I’ve lived in cottage hill over 20 years, I love my little piece of country. And the surrounding woods need to stay just thar for the wildlife that lives there. I enjoy the wildlife out here. Next to that we do not need 400 more families out here. McKenzie, Williams ditch, 95a and 29 can not support that.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
(FLORIDA GOPHER TURTLES) ON THE PROPERTY RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO BUILD GOD MADE WETLANDS FOR A REASON.
Look at the subdivisions in Los Angels DESTROYED by Wildfires that will be us.
ALSO LOOK at the road signs on Hwy 95A about congested roads by Jim Allen Elementary what is it going to be like when you add the kids from 404 homes.
Part of that church used to be Cottage Hill Elementary. I went to school there in 1954.
Behind the school was the playground, now a cemetery. Then Jim Allen opened.
Glad to see a good crowd at the meeting.
With all the growth I have said that a good general type of store is in order for that area!
Our old farm on Williams Ditch now has about 200 houses and some have had flooding issues. It will be the same on McKenzie.
All dr Horton cares about is the all mighty dollar. And if you think the commissioners are on the public’s side, come visit Beulah. If you know the right people and have enough money nothing else matters. Not wetlands, wildlife, highways, schools or anything else. And when they have finished building their shotty homes they move on and anything that’s wrong is your responsibility.
D.R Horton homes are garbage but the county commissioners in northwest FL seem to love home builders so this will probably go through. At least make them connect it to Quintette rd. and four lane Quintette from 29 to 5 points.
jbry – Communication is key….coherency is important.
I will be 80 and most of the people in this pic are old as well–STOP keeping us in the woods–NO MORE dollar generals – give us a store –it has been your way forever-backwards and NOTHING for our citizens == Give us what the rest of the world has a grocery store—–fruits-veggies-meats and not 20 miles away so you can hear the chickens—we have the traffic-we are burdened with taxes-let a store help pay those taxes–MOVE
I thought we were all supposed to support de-regulation, private property rights and free market capitalism? This is a direct result of all that, too bad some gotta learn the hard way.
That area would be a great wildlife sanctuary for all the lovely creatures being displaced by cracker box houses already. Makes me sick our town is being over run by buildings AND builders who have no clue about runoff, flooding and, of course, wetlands. They don’t care about wildlife either. It’s all about money. I guess I can say that about our County Officials, as well.
Cottage Hill Water was at max capacity several years ago.. I’m sure by today the wells are running non stop.
With that many new homes. Maybe they can get a Dollar General on Williams Ditch rd. That would be convenient for everyone.