The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) found the part of Escambia County Ordinance No. 2017-65 that permits “light industrial uses within the MU-S Future Land Use Category is “not consistent with the Escambia County Comprehensive Plan.”
The DEO referred the matter to the Division of Administrative Hearing and requested an Administrative Law Judge be assigned for a hearing on the inconsistencies.
The petitioner was Jacqueline A. Rogers. In an email, she wrote, “It is very sad to me that the only one responsible for holding local governments to stay consistent with their Comprehensive Plan is the citizen as the state, since 2011, no longer has any review powers for anything that is not considered affecting state facilities or assets.”
She added, “This is frequently incorrectly explained at county meetings by the Development staff where it is said the the state will review ordinances and transmittals for consistency, but they will not if they do not affect their state resources.”
Rogers first filed her petition with the county on Dec. 13, 2017, less than two weeks after the Board of County Commissioners adopted the ordinance. The county took no action and Rogers filed an instant petition with DEO.