Planning Board Approves Land Use Changes For OLF-8 Despite Strong Resident Opposition

July 9, 2026

The Escambia County Planning Board voted 4-1 to approve a significant modification to the 540-acre OLF-8 property in Beulah, advancing a request by developers Tri-W Development and Chad C. Henderson Enterprises to shift the site’s future land use designation to Mixed-Use Urban.

The proposal comes after a series of financial and contractual renegotiations between the county and the development team. In June 2025, Escambia County originally approved a sale agreement for the property for $42.5 million, with the area subsequently rebranded as Outlying Fields. However, in March 2026, Henderson returned to county leadership to restructure the contract. The county ultimately approved an updated deal that dropped the purchase price by roughly $14 million to $28,429,000. In exchange for the lower price, Escambia County retained ownership of 171 acres intended specifically for technology and job creation.

The property was originally slated for development under the community-backed DPZ Master Plan, a design adopted into county code to create a walkable community with a town center, parks, and dedicated areas for job growth. Under the previous commercial mix designation, housing was required to remain secondary to commercial development. Local residents voiced heavy opposition at the meeting, arguing that shifting the entire site to Mixed-Use Urban completely flips this priority. Critics warned the change could even impact the 171 acres the county kept for job creation, giving a developer the freedom to build entirely residential housing without the promised commercial spaces.

Nearly a dozen citizens addressed the planning board to raise concerns about infrastructure strain, taxpayer burdens, a lack of developer transparency, and the potential introduction of distribution warehouses and data centers.

One resident told the board that under the previous rules, jobs came first and housing had to be a secondary use. He warned that the new designation reverses that structure and could allow the housing market to take over the entire field, resulting in zero commercial space or job opportunities.

Beulah resident Theresa Blackwell also spoke to the board, noting that the revised contract from March required the project to stay generally consistent with the original design code. Blackwell stated that the developers broke that agreement by creating their own rules instead, and she requested that the board reject the proposal. Another resident told the board that Escambia County was being manipulated and dragged along, and she stated that local leadership needed to regain control of the project.

Representing the developer, land planner Melissa Hadley addressed the board to explain that the amendment would tailor the regulations to their specific project goals. Hadley stated that the shift provides better flexibility to establish their guidelines and allows residential areas to be relocated so they are more compatible with existing neighborhoods.

Developer Chad Henderson also spoke to the planning board, defending the request as a complicated but necessary technical refinement that creates a custom subcategory built specifically for the property. Henderson stated that the changes were not based on superficial preferences, but rather on evidence-based decisions backed by significant financial investments and extensive resource gathering.

Planning board member Jonathan Owens cast the lone dissenting vote, stating that the decision disregarded and erased the immense time and effort Beulah citizens put into the original DPZ plan. The remaining board members supported the change, stating that there is a broader need for development in the county and expressing their trust in the developer’s vision.

The proposal now moves to the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners for a final decision. Commissioners can either deny the request or transmit the proposal to the state planning agency for an infrastructure impact review before holding a second public hearing.

NorthEscambia.com and courtesy photos, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under TOP STORIES