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County commissioners OK Rhythm project
By Randal Seyler
Managing Editor
CHIPLEY — The Washington County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve the Rhythm project based on the Planning Commission recommendation and staff reports Thursday.
Only Commissioner Charles Brock voted against the project, which drew little discussion from the commissioners. The vote followed a public hearing at which ten county residents voiced their concerns about the development.
“If I bought the land next to Tractor Supply and wanted to put in a pig farm, could I? No, I couldn’t,” Resident Catie DeRosia asked.
Most residents expressed concerns with water quality, increased traffic and with increased taxes.
“I was asked if my objections weren’t really just ‘not in my backyard,’’ said Resident Mary Jo Hendershot. “And truthfully the answer is ‘no.’ I am concerned about the potential liability for the county, and with the issues of water usage and water requirements for the residents there.”
Hendershot added that she didn’t want her taxes to go up “for a few dissatisfied old geezers,” referring to the fact that the Rhythm project is to be restricted to residents aged 55 and older.
Rhythm project spokesman J.Scott Henderson said the next step for developer Florida Landings LLC will be to get the development order signed and get the ordinances the commissioners approved into the public record.
“We have to get everything in the record, so that the regulations go with the land, not the owner,” Henderson said. Then the work on the final design and gathering data for the permits begins, he said. “The design is the basis for the permits.”
The permitting and design phase will take at least a year, Henderson said.
“If we can get it all done in a year I would really surprised.”
Developers were seeking approval of comprehensive plan amendments the Development of Regional Impact and the Planned Unit Development for the developers. The county planning commission approved the developers’ request on Feb. 7, forwarding the matter to the county commissioners for final approval.
Senior Planner Michael DeRuntz reviewed the process the project had gone through since 2008 when it was first brought before the commissioners.
“The initial plan for this project was submitted several years ago,” he said. “The planning commission approved their requests based upon consistency with the county’s comprehensive plan.”
“The planning commission has, from what I believe and I have witnessed, thoroughly vetted this project,” County Attorney Jeff Goodman said. He cited the hours of deliberation and the 50-page report compiled by DeRuntz as evidence of the work officials have done in reviewing the Rhythm project.
“The idea of a comprehensive plan is to set an even playing field,” Goodman said. “From a legal perspective, I want the board to understand that the people you have tasked to vet this proposal have done an outstanding job.”
“We have listened carefully to the major concerns,” said Linda Loomis Shelley, an attorney with Fowler White Boggs of Tallahassee who represent the developers.
