PANAMA CITY — The county Planning Commission angered some property owners this week by recommending a land-use change that would allow an RV storage facility to go up in a neighborhood.
For the second meeting in two months, several homeowners begged the Bay County Planning Commission to keep the land use the same, arguing the RV park would upend the quality of life in the neighborhood, hurt property values and even lead to drainage problems.
The property is located on Laird Street near Thomas Drive in the unincorporated part of Panama City Beach. The County Commission still must approve the change in either January or February.
Planning staff had recommended the panel approve the adjustment and the board voted unanimously to change the property from residential to general commercial. The property represented a unique situation because it was already zoned as commercial, but its land use was residential.
Flora McGowen, who lives in the area, was among the chorus of neighbors who asked the planning board to decline the request.
“Changing it to commercial would drive a serious wedge into an established residential area, degrading the subdivision as a whole and affecting our … property values,” she said.
Planning board members were largely unmoved by McGowen and others’ pleadings.
“At the end of the day, I have a comfort zone with staff’s recommendation,” said board member Charles Bodiford.
If the County Commission approves the change, the major hurdle to installing the RV storage facility will be cleared, though there would still be a permitting process.
Property owners also were worried about flooding problems, if a lot of asphalt were laid on the parcel. But those won’t be a huge concern because any development on the property must comply with the county’s stormwater regulations, said Martin Jacobson, county community development director. That could mean retention ponds and other safeguards going up on the property, if it gets built up.
“When that subdivision was developed, there probably weren’t many stormwater regulations; (they’re) much more stringent since that subdivision was developed,” Jacobson said.
Cell tower
The commission also approved a temporary cellphone tower for Spring Break. The measure does not need to go before the County Commission for further approval.
The cell tower will be attached to a truck and positioned on a parcel near the intersection of Thomas Drive and Joan Avenue in unincorporated Panama City Beach. The cell tower will be up for 60 days and will not require a development order.
A temporary cell tower also went up at about the end of February last year, and likely that will be the time this one goes up, Jacobson said. The tower is for Sprint customers.
“It worked out real well for them last year,” he said.