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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.
Comments
19 Responses to “Planning Board Approves Land Use Changes For OLF-8 Despite Strong Resident Opposition”
Build a multi use stadium/convention center there with a few smaller buildings for shops/businesses. NO MORE HOUSING. Get the Bay/Civic Center out of downtown Pensacola. Plenty of space for a new event arena and for (the magic word) PARKING!!
Jonathon Owens should start looking at some upcoming vacant seats in the local political arena .
Thank you Jonathan Owens, for trying to help the PEOPLE of Escambia County who should come FIRST!
I was in attendance at that 8 hour long meeting…the developers reneged on the contact by reducing the sales price $14,000,000.. giving 170 acres [ industrial plot] back to the countyfor development, cherry picked the 9 Mile Road frontage for their residential development. created their own design plan instead of using the codified CODESIGN plan and wanted infrastructure to be paid by taxpayers monies through Triump Grants ( oil spell money)….they also created a new rezoning classification that could allow data processing centers…this whole contract should be denied and go back to the rebidding process!
All this complaining it just makes no sense. Regardless there will be jobs and a town center and growth for the community. They need to close the yearbook on the “DPZ plan” and just get over it. If you want the DPZ plan then buy the lot yourself.
Get over it and just be happy that growth is happening. If you don’t like it move.
My cousin Vinny and a counter offer . Grease the wheel ( with taxpayer money ) .
It’s all about the money my friends.
On average about 800 people move to Florida each day. Northwest Florida is a first stop and one of the cheapest for evacuees from other states moving to our area.
The leaders, or so called leaders of our county can see the potential tax base from the influx of new citizens.
10 or 20 acres of rural property owned by a single person dosen’t generate near the taxes the same property would if it had 80 to 100 homes on it. Its just not property taxes, its the increased revenue from sales tax, fuel tax vehicle registration/tags and so on.
And the people that want to keep there acerage they own are punished by increased property taxes to the point they can no longer afford to own it. Forced to sell out to a developer that will build many tax generating homes occupied by taxpayers.
Who would of thought 20 years ago or longer that Beulah, Cantonment or Molino would become as densely populated as it is now.
Zoning will continue to change to allow for more homes and people. It’s all about generating taxes. This will continue until you can’t tell any diffrence between downtown pensacola and the north end.
9 mile road is not the 9 mile road I remember 20 years ago from Beulah to University Parkway. Its not even close!
OLF-8 has been a boondoggle/Fulton folly since the Navy Federal deal. Previous and
current BOCC members have yet to listen to the people. Too much back scratching going on.
Escambia County’s Mixed-Use Urban (MU-U) Future Land Use typically permits a base density of up to 25 dwelling units per acre.
Smells fishy . Air bus , major tech companies and financial conglomerates would have love the spot . If they don’t care about the opinion from the taxpayers at least should have followed Okalosa County or Alabama by bringing Airbus and other great job creators , not just more subdivisions . I’m sure the BOC rubber stamp it , after some are getting money from these developers right into their PAC . The developer was also on breach of contract yet Teflon cover by politicians .
Makes sense you need jobs and community areas first if you want to keep moving people in to Escambia Country. I’m already shocked at the amount of apartment buildings they keep building. How can our infrastructure support all of this?
That was the right decision by the Board.
My Dad called it the Golden Rule. Those who have the gold make the rules. smh
My opinion!!! Wonder just how many hands were under that table! Folks, this is Escambia County. They don’t care about the opinion of the residents! They are kings in their own minds!!!
Escambia County could have done so much better for the people in this county.
Not surprised it passed. What happens when you elect people who do not care about the residents or what’s really best for the community. All about the $$..
Beulah is not crowded enough yet? The whole County is going to concrete and traffic. Sad, sad, sad.
Not accusing anyone of anything but I have always heard that money talks, especially if there is no way to trace it.
Let’s see if the government gives a damn at all about the citizens.