Jason Futch
reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
Hostility between Suwannee County residents in the Pecan Ridge neighborhood and business owners opening a repair shop on residential property on State Road 51 brewed into a fever pitch during the Suwannee County Board of Adjustments meeting on Thursday, Dec. 19. The decision to approve Corey and Jessica Mills's shop near the neighborhood after a 3-2 vote caused some Pecan Ridge residents to become visibly upset, one coming up to the Millses, sharing his frustrations.
"What you should have done is visited all of us before you wanted to push this down our throats," Pecan Ridge resident Marshall Beck said. "I've been there 25 years and am fixing to retire next year. But now I am going to have to listen to your machines running all the time right across the street from me."
"You guys don't respect us a bit, man, and it p***es me off," Beck added.
At 6:30 p.m., the Suwannee County Board of Adjustments met to review the plans for the 2,500 square- foot plot of land that the Mills family purchased for the purpose of opening a garage, which is in the Pecan Ridge neighborhood and sits on property that Corey and Jessica live on. The meeting was planned to be a minor continuation of the meeting held on Thursday, Nov. 21, that initially addressed the situation surrounding the Millses plans to develop on their property.
At the Nov. 21 meeting, a number of individuals came before the board to address the issues they had with the plans. The issues primarily focused on the noise and aesthetics of the neighborhood, citing that engine and repair noises would disrupt the quality of life of neighboring residences and that having a repair shop in the neighborhood would drive down the value of their homes.
For every issue the residents had, it appeared that the Jessica and Corey had an answer. The noise factor was also addressed, with the reasoning being that more noise would come from the highway than the shop itself due to planned noise barriers that were intended to be constructed. However, the residents were still not happy with their answers, seemingly discouraging them from opening a shop on the property regardless of any concessions offered. Some even told them to consider opening a shop in town.
According to Planning and Zoning Director Ronald Meeks, the meeting on Nov. 21 ran until after 10 p.m., by which time the Board Attorney Andrew Decker requested that the ordinance vote be postponed until the following meeting despite Corey wanting the board to consider their application and vote on it that night.
Meeks said that if the board had chosen to vote at the Nov. 21 meeting, the Millses would have risked losing the vote.
"Board member Mike Lamb was not present at that meeting, and if the board had tied up like they did at the meeting last night, the Millses would have had to reapply in one year for the exception," Meeks said. "So it worked out that the board had all five members at the following meeting."
At the Dec. 19 meeting, one resident who came forward at the previous meeting, Curtis McClung, addressed the board with repeated grievances that were mentioned at the last meeting. In what was a testy exchange between McClung and the board, McClung said that he had mailed a letter to the board with corrections to the meeting minutes draft and that he specifically addressed the situation with airboats on the property. When McClung spoke on the airboats, Meeks told him that if McClung was unsatisfied with his or the board's interpretations, he could appeal them through the board. While Meeks attempted to explain the process, McClung interrupted Meeks, to which Meeks asked him to allow him to finish his comment.
"In the issue of the boats, the boats were never made a part of the application. I never intended my interpretation of the rules to include boat repair," Meeks said. "My issue was with the engine only. I want to make that clear because I don't want words put in my mouth saying that I said boats could be on the property. That's up to this board." Meeks further stated that if the board wanted to make it a condition that boats could not be on the property, that was up to them.
While McClung was addressing these concerns, including issues that were seemingly out of the control of the county, Chairman David Lane bluntly told McClung that, for the sake of time, the board did not want to rehash previous grievances that were addressed at the prior meeting.
"I'm just trying to keep this meeting from going on and on and on," Lane said. "If you will, we will proceed, then we can get out of here." Lane's comments were met with shock by the attendees from the opposing side of the room.
Concluding his arguments, McClung said, "We purchased our property on Pecan Ridge because it's a platted subdivision with restricted governance. Dick Mills (Corey's father) said there were no restrictions because he read Chapter 712 of the Florida Statutes. Dick is not an attorney and cannot give a legal opinion as to the status of title. As of this moment, as I stand before you, every occupied parcel in Pecan Ridge in the adjacent properties is a single- family unit for agricultural use. The community relies on the county, and I think that with the way the county grows, they will want orderly growth. There is nothing about putting a diesel or airboat repair shop in a residential community." After finishing his statements, he was met with applause from the opposition, while the Millses and their supporters sat quietly and stone-faced.
After Lane spoke, Dick Mills approached the podium to address some concerns the opposition had. "We also want to be neighborly and act as a responsible neighbor and businessman."
While Dick spoke, Lane also did not hold back when he veered into previously discussed items. "That's similar information we already have," Lane said. "I want new information."
After Dick spoke, Lane immediately closed the floor to comments and began to talk about his frustrations as a result of the board's inability to decide at the Nov. 21 meeting. "I feel disappointed and embarrassed by the board for not making a decision," Lane said. "But sometimes we have to make judgment calls based on what we have." From there, Lane briefly relinquished his title to Vice Chairwoman Linda Young so he could make a motion regarding the business. One of the concerns Lane mentioned was that the Millses allegedly mentioned that they would be bringing their airboat business to the repair shop. "At that meeting, you did say you would be bringing your airboat business there," Lane said. "And your application did not mention boats; it was only for automotive and agriculture, so that's a strike."
Lane said that, based on the Zoning code, the board is to grant the notable exception with appropriate conditions and safeguards or deny special exceptions when it would adversely affect the public health, safety, morals, order, comfort, convenience, appearance, prosperity or general welfare. "It is my considered opinion that the history, intended use of this land, was to be strictly residential," Lane said. "Based on this, I am going to make a motion to deny a special exception request by Corey and Jessica Mills for automotive repair and repair of agriculture equipment in accordance with the site plan submitted."
The board voted 3-2 to deny the motion. Young then passed the gavel back to Lane, resuming his role as Chairman.
The discussion continued until board member Robert Makela spoke up. "Mr. Decker, our Board Attorney, has stated that the Suwannee County Zoning Board has any authority over subdivision covenants," Makela said. "Anyone wishing to address the issues of an automotive agricultural repair shop must go through a legal process themselves or through an established HOA (Home Owners Association). How many of y'all really wanna have an HOA?"
"This is a process," Makela said. "We do not have the authority to make decisions for your covenant restrictions or an HOA, period. I believe in people having the right on their property to do their pursuit of happiness." Makela also reiterated Director Meeks's statements from the prior meeting that the same restricted covenant was not under Suwannee County Zoning, but that the board could add conditions for approval. Makela went on to say that the application the Millses filed was for an A1 zoning district under the repair shop and is an allowable activity.
Reverting to the discussion on boat motors, Makela said that nowhere in the application was there mention of marine boat repairs. From there, Makela proposed regulations for the business to open. Those regulations were for its hours of operation to be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the business closed on Sundays; a 6-foot privacy fence being constructed around outside vehicle storage; and a combination of tree buffers being established according to county standards. It would also restrict Corey's airboat business from operating on the property. Director Meeks reiterated that the operation would be within a 2,500-square-foot area.
"Things that I have underlined in my vote are going to be comfort and appearance, and I am concerned about the community. I want you all to understand that," board member Douglas Udell said. "But I am also concerned for this young man (Corey), who has a family who he is trying to raise; who has a business he is trying to run. I, myself, being a business owner, I understand that." Udell also shared that he believed there should be regulations emphasizing privacy. He also asked the board to revise the proposed hours of operation to Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays closed for quiet time. He also proposed no more than five cars being allowed outside of the shop that would be within the public viewing area.
The proposed motion did not sit well with Corey and Jessica, who shared his concern about the cars. Udell said they would need to bend a little so they can ensure they can open their business.
"Y'all are negotiating. This is not part of the application," McClung yelled from the audience.
"I made a motion, and this is the board discussing," Makela said. "And the motion I made was because we are going to be the ones voting on this."
After a brief discussion, the vote for the special exceptions for Mills family’s repair shop with the regulations passed 3-2. This caused outrage on the side of the room that opposed the shop. The terms that came with the resolution also did not seem to be agreeable to the crew supporting the family.
"We will be taking this to circuit court," McClung said before leaving the room.
While Director Meeks shared that some of the Pecan Ridge residents thanked the board for their assistance in the matter, he also noticed the disdain from others.
After the meeting, Marshall Beck raced towards Dick Mills and began telling the family that what they were doing was unacceptable. Chairman Lane, raising his voice, told them to leave because the board meeting was continuing. When the conversation moved to the lobby, the Millses were engaged in a tense argument with Beck while a Suwannee County Sheriff's Deputy stood between the two.
As Beck complained about the machines in the shop potentially being loud, Corey and Jessica Mills kept asking, “What noise? There aren’t going to be any noises.”
After the Millses left, Beck yelled from the lobby, "This is bull****! Y'all don't care about us!"