§ 1.3. Existing Land Use Analysis

The existing patterns and trends of development in Santa Rosa County have been used as a basis for determining future development potential and are evaluated in this section. The pattern and mix of existing land uses is indicative of the market forces, infrastructure constraints, and natural resource constraints which have shaped existing development and are likely to influence future growth. In addition, existing levels of development have been used to evaluate the adequacy of public facilities and services to serve this development and to identify potential constraints.

1.3.1 Existing Land Use in Unincorporated Santa Rosa County

A generalized Existing Land Use Map has been developed by the Santa Rosa County Community Planning, Zoning and Development Division as representative of the existing pattern of development in unincorporated Santa Rosa County (see Map 1-3 ). The existing land use data for unincorporated Santa Rosa County is summarized in Tables 1-3 and 1-4.

As indicated in Table 1-3 , the highest percentage of land use in unincorporated Santa Rosa County is agriculture/silviculture. This land use, consisting of productive farm, grazing land and timberland takes up over 39% of the land area in the unincorporated portion of the county. The second-largest percentage of land use (23%) is conservation, recreation and open space land (primarily the Blackwater River State Forest). The next highest percent of land use is residential (7%), ranging from very low-density agricultural homestead to high-density multi-family units, with the majority in the form of low-density, single-family detached residential units. Eleven percent (11%) of the unincorporated county area is owned by the military—Eglin Air Force Base, Whiting Field and its outlying fields (NOLFs). Approximately 46,230 acres of land in unincorporated Santa Rosa County are designated vacant (7%).

Table 1-4 , provides existing land use by planning area. Figure 1-3 below depicts the existing residential commercial mix within the growth areas of the county. As can be seen the ratio of residential development to commercial development is relatively the same for the Pace and South End Peninsula areas (around 10 to 1) with close ratios for the Milton and East Milton Planning Areas (around 8 to 1).

Figure 1-3: Existing Residential and Commercial Land Uses for Select Growth Planning Areas (2015)

Table 1-3: Existing Land Use Change 2008-2013 in Unincorporated Santa Rosa County

Land Use Category	2008 Acreage	2008 Percentage	2013 Acreage	2013 Percentage	% Change 2008—2013
Agriculture	77,872.74	12%	63,957.30	10%	-18%
Silviculture	180,820.92	28%	191,401.68	29%	+6%
Agriculture Homestead	14,506.34	2%	16,329.56	3%	+13%
Conservation, Recreation and Open Space	135,771.05	21%	148,347.01	23%	+9%
Military	72,864.05	11%	73,024.99	11%	+0.22%
Institutional	3,028.10	0.47%	2,704.43	0.42%	-11%
Publicly-Owned Land	46,768.90	7%	40,727.74	6%	-13%
Vacant	50,625.15	8%	46,230.63	7%	-9%
Residential	44,245.53	7%	44,092.02	7%	-0.35%
Single Family Residential	43,759.16	7%	43,570.45	7%	-0.43%
Condo/Townhouse	59.67	0.01%	68.73	0.01%	+15%
Multi-Family	426.7	0.07%	452.84	0.07%	+6%
Mixed Residential/Commer- cial	509.92	0.08%	379.50	0.06%	-26%
Office	325.89	0.05%	375.40	0.06%	+15%
Commercial	2,543.73	0.39%	2,822.92	0.43%	+11%
Recreational Commercial (New)			1,394.21	0.21%
Industrial	2,965.30	0.46%	2,004.07	0.31%	-32%
Utilities	612.66	0.09%	1,041.24	0.16%	+70%
Right-of-Way	14,140.13	2.18%	14,777.79	2%	+5%
Water	928.88	0.14%	1,109.31	0.17%	+19%
Miscellaneous (no property appraiser code, wasteland, etc.)	150.09	0.02%	95.40	0.01%	-36%
Total	648,679.16*	100 %	649,420.99	100%

 

* Note: The total acreage for Santa Rosa County listed here was calculated based on the County GIS database for Property Appraiser Department of Revenue (DOR) land use code boundaries. This figure does not precisely match acreage figures used in the 2000 Census Information and in other databases from various agencies utilized for information in other elements of this Comprehensive Plan Foundation Document. Change in total County acres 2008—2013 is due to shoreline adjustments.

Source: Santa Rosa County Community Planning, Zoning and Development Division GIS 2008 and 2013

Table 1-4 Existing Land Use Map Acreage by Planning Area

Land Use Category	South End		Garcon Point	Pace Area	Milton Area	East Milton	Rural North
	Peninsula	Navarre Beach
Agriculture	99		400	2,517	4,326	505	56,111
Agriculture Homestead	97		169	1,086	1,39597	346	13,325
Condo's/Townhomes <5	95		4	36	59		4
Multifamily Residential >5	101	48	2	86	67
Commercial	580	6	26	400	196	97	123
Industrial	406		152	428	679	172	167
Institutional	624		41	478	463	18	1,081
Military	664			828	3,520	1,338	5
Mixed Residential/Commer- cial	63		0.32	124	126	40	25
Office	106	0.47	1	149	71	25	23
Publicly Owned	662	329	4,180	11,757	5,381	3,760	10,123
Recreation/Commercial	482		309	194	177	155	77
Recreation/Open Space	815	57	782	209	373	21,231	123,621
Right-of-Way	3,252	100	1,357	2,227	3,056	1,057	3,131
Single Family Residential	9,596	88	1,600	9,209	11,419	3,702	7,957
Silviculture	1,046.9		2,772	20,206	16,726	6,826	143,826
Utilities	346		32	250	287	94	32
Vacant	8,732	158	5,913	11,121	12,305	3,251	4,646
Uncategorized	38		.28	5	39	0.21	13

 

Source: Santa Rosa County Community Planning, Zoning and Development Division GIS, 2014

2.5.2 Suitability of Vacant Lands for Development

Vacant lands have been analyzed by planning area to determine the general suitability of these lands for development. In order to determine suitability of vacant lands the following constraints were selected and the table below provides an analysis of these constraints by planning area. Map 1-4 shows the general location of these constraints and the planning area boundaries. Table 1-5 indicates that approximately 20% of the vacant lands are constrained with one or more of the constraints listed below. Analysis is also provided in this table of the same constraints by Planning Area. Two of the main growth areas in the County, the South End Peninsula and the Pace area have 38% and 54% constrained lands respectively.

Other growth areas include the Milton Planning area with 59% constrained and the East Milton area with 64% constrained.

Selected Constraints:

Military Airport Zone/Private Airport Zone (limits allowable densities and intensities)

Prime Farmland (categorized by soils type)

Surge Zone for Category 1 Hurricane (Coastal High Hazard Line)

National Wetlands Inventory

Flood Plain Zones A, AE, V and 2% slope

Table 1-5: Suitability Analysis of Vacant Lands

Planning Area	Vacant Acres	Vacant No Constraints	Percent Constrained
East Milton	4,446	2,862	64%
Garcon Point	5,928	775	13%
Milton	17,317	10,236	59%
Navarre Beach	158	2	1%
North End	4,703	2,459	52%
Pace	12,474	6,772	54%
South End	8,702	3,348	38%
Total:	53,728	10,120	19%

 

Source: Santa Rosa County GIS, 2014