To Our Freeport Friends and Neighbors Update on the Proposed Hot Mix Asphalt Plant in Walton County
The Alliance had our 'day in court' on Thursday, September 25th- here are relatively quick highlights on a very long day below (ran from 9am to 4pm.) The good, not so good and next steps where you can continue to help. (By the way--no one got thrown out of the hearing by the Magistrate...)
· Replay link: We were #4 on the agenda--the Asphalt Plant portion begins at 1:45pm (hearings started at 9am). Or at the 4 hour and 51-minute mark. Long day.
· Alliance 'public comment' is at the 6 hour and 40-minute mark
o QJ Special Magistrate - Sep 25, 2025 - Html
https://walton.civicweb.net/document/504863/?splitscreen=true&media=true
QJ Special Magistrate - Sep 25, 2025 - Html
· You can review the 600+ pages of the documents (yes, the Alliance reviewed the entire package prior to the hearing)
o https://walton.civicweb.net/document/504862/
How did it go? The Good
· If you attended the Planning Commission debacle, the Magistrate ran a much more controlled, more civil more professional hearing.
· The Alliance was well prepared, with paid legal representation, and expert witness in the road/traffic engineering field.
· The Alliance again brought forth multiple facts:
o Like the last batch of asphalt from the prior plant was 2010, not 2022 as was stated multiple times by the Applicant's "expert' legal team.
o And the fact the Applicant's "expert" in Walton County Code somehow filed this as a Minor Development back in December, when an "expert" in the Code would know it had to be a Major Development....And the County "Experts" also somehow missed this fact. Until the Alliance brought it to their attention!
o Like the new risks to our waterway environment.
o Like the lack of compatibility for the proposed plant for the Walton County of 2025 and beyond.
o Like the very real increased danger to life and safety for Hwy 20 with ~80-100 daily, 70,000+ pound trucks added to the road making left and right turns on the 2 lane, 60 mph road--without any turn lanes
How did it go? The 'not so Good'--Unfortunately Our View: BCC controlled Walton County Government remains grossly dysfunctional
· The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) has completely abdicated their elected responsibility to make decisions on local matters to a hired Magistrate
o The BCC just cannot or will not do their job--and have outsourced the final hearings to an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) or Magistrate--guess it was too hard to listen to their constituents’ concerns
o The ALJ gets paid to do the BCC job--more of YOUR tax dollars going out of the County
o The ALJ does not live in Walton County, is not elected, and only knows what the County Staff and Applicant provide--under what we saw as a very strict and very narrow legal interpretations of the Code and Statutes--despite the multiple issues with our Codes and Zoning
o The numerous conflicts and errors in our Codes and highlighted by the recently adopted DPZ 2040 $1M study--remain uncorrected with no path to corrective action
· The County Staff's multiple gaffs and shortfalls on the information they created or approved from the Applicant, for this project -- and allowed to go forward to other agencies, like FDOT --remained uncorrected or not allowed to be considered as determined by the Magistrate.
o Despite vigorous protest by the Alliance
· The danger to Hwy 20 travelers if this plant is approved as currently planned without left and right turn lanes will be dramatic.
o The County does not care-say it is FDOT's issue
o The Applicant does not care- says it is not their issue
o Freeport City Council does not care; says it is a county issue
o The FDOT does not care-says they usually only do what the County recommends
Next Steps:
· The Alliance is taking our concerns on Hwy 20 beyond the local District 3 in Chipley (they already did nothing) to their bosses at the FDOT HQ in Tallahassee
· The Magistrate will render her decision/recommendation to the BCC within 20 days (any day now)
· The BCC will attempt to put the final decision on this matter and others heard by the Magistrate on the Consent Agenda
o This means they vote to approval all the Consent Agenda items, no public comment, no BCC discussion.
What can you do to help?
· STAY TUNED & Be ready to attend the BCC meeting when the Magistrate's Decision gets the final yes or no from the BCC. A strong public turn-out at this meeting is essential. We will update as to the date as soon as we know this project is on the Agenda.
- Help us spread the word thru your social media friends
· Let your BCC know having to hire lawyers, and expert witnesses to be heard in a way that matters on local issues is just plain wrong
· Let your BCC know we expect them to do their jobs, not outsource to Tallahassee
· Continue to support the work of our Alliance. We exist to protect the rights of the public in matters of public health and safety, as well as to defend threats to our environment and property values. We depend upon financial support from the community to cover the costs associated with legal, outside accounting firm and expert witnesses in matters such as these to achieve these goals. You may support our ongoing efforts us today through our secure website at: