Councilman Andy Terhaar has posted a message on Facebook. He plans to vote against rezoning the property on the corner of Spanish Trail and Summitt Boulevard when the issue comes before the Pensacola City Council in January.
Against the advice of the City Attorney, I DO plan to vote NO when the issue of rezoning the property at the corner of Summit and Spanish Trial comes before council. I do believe a potential conflict exists for me, but I also believe that this matter is of greater importance to not only my constituents but also to me and my family.
I want my constituents to know that I am an ethical person and that I will always do the right thing. Right now, the right thing is to vote no on this issue.
I have researched the Florida Code of Ethics over the past few days, and feel that this is a risk I need to take to show my constituents that I have their back.
I have struggled with this decision and understand that there could be some political consequences from this vote, but the residents of District 3 deserve to have a voice in this issue.
However, if the council votes to not allow the zoning change, I want to be clear about the future of that parcel. My partner Don Neal will continue to represent East Hill Baptist Church and I believe they will continue to try and sell the property. This may result in a future sale that does not require a zoning change, or a change to a residential zoning that would allow small office like Jefferson Park across the street.
Regardless of what happens, I hope the residents of District 3 know that I want to make sure that future development is responsible and consistent with our neighborhoods and the surrounding area.