BAKER, Fla. — Some residents in Baker are concerned about growth, as two potential housing developments could be coming to the area.
Gil Fortner is from Baker. He reached out to WEAR News with concerns about two potential developments that would be built along Buckward Road.
“Our concerns are there is not the proper infrastructure in place to support two new neighborhoods that would bring 277 new houses to the Baker community,” he said. “The roads don’t support it — the essential services such as fire, law enforcement, even school growth.”
Fortner is not against growth, but he wants the growth to be compatible for the community.
He says if the developments are approved, it could cause a plethora of problems including traffic near the Baker School along the narrow stretch of Buckward Road — which one proposed development is directly across from.
He also says it could cause a safety issue.
“It could be a safety issue because our supporting fire departments — Baker is a completely volunteer fire department,” Fortner said. “Typically if there is a fire here, you have fire departments from Holt, which is a volunteer fire department. North Okaloosa County Fire Department would come over to assist, but you might be talking 15-30 minutes, if they arrive that quickly.”
Fortner says the closest 24-hour ambulance service is about a 20 minute drive away in Crestview.
“I share their concerns,” Commissioner Nathan Boyles said. “I think that’s why the county is going through a very thorough, lengthy process right now to evaluate our growth management and planning ordinances and rules. That process is actively underway.”
Boyles is the Okaloosa County commissioner for District 3. He says by the end of this year, the commission will be presented with a set of recommendations to consider.
They will then decide what to adopt to help guide growth.
He says neither of the proposed projects would involve any type of change in the zoning districts.
“It is property owners that are attempting to develop their property within the constraints of the existing development code,” Boyles said.
He says Fortner’s concerns are fair.
“Yet we have to balance those with individual property rights,” he said. “I think that will be the issue that the planning committee will have to consider this week when they are looking at these subdivision approvals is balancing what the existing code allows.”
“We would prefer that you look at making growth compatible to the community that it’s going in,” Fortner said.
The two developments will be discussed and considered at an Okaloosa County planning committee meeting on Thursday.
Both men encourage residents to come and share their thoughts.