CRESTVIEW, Fla., May 6, 2024—Inspire Placemaking Collective presented the public priority report tonight at a town hall in Crestview.

Two hours were allotted for the presentation in the Crestview Community Center which started a few minutes past 6 p.m.

The evening was structured around a 30-minute presentation about the report with an hour for questions and answers. The final 30 minutes allowed for smaller group question and answers with Inspire folks gathered around north county maps stationed throughout the room.

A crowd of around 60 people listened intently as Inspire president George Kramer and economic development director Erik Bredfeldt talked about the results of public engagement from March 25 through April 15.

The key finding from more than 4,600 public comments about future development is the strong desire to preserve the rural and agricultural character of north Okaloosa County.

A lack of adequate infrastructure with existing community development patterns and future growth, and a lack of transparency in managing the growth, ran second and third.

“There was a clear consensus” about the public not wanting future development, according to Kramer. Only three respondents out of the more than 4,600 voiced support for development.

After the 30-minute presentation, the floor was opened up for questions from the public that ranged from timeframe for the study to be completed, to discussions about the county’s current comprehensive plan, to recommendations to be made by Inspire to the board of county commissioners once the study is completed.

One key point that was made several times is Inspire is not responsible for making decisions or changes to the county’s overall development plan, known as the comprehensive plan; Inspire will make recommendations that the board of commissioners will consider and will vote yes or no on later in the year once the study is completed.

Also, the current county comprehensive plan, which allows density of one housing unit per 10 acres in agricultural areas and one unit per 5 acres in rural residential, does not preclude a landowner from selling his property for a commercial enterprise such as a Walmart to be built on it as long as the paperwork is completed correctly.

According to Okaloosa County growth management director Elliot Kampert, identifying and recommending changes to close the loopholes that allow urban sprawl is what the study is designed to accomplish.

A second town hall is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) at Baker School at 6 p.m.

The public priority report will come up for approval tomorrow at the 8:30 a.m. county commissioners meeting at the county courthouse in Crestview.

A third Inspire town hall is scheduled for Thursday from 6-8 p.m. in the Crestview Community Center to discuss how to preserve rural land in north Okaloosa County.