Why the fight over OLF 8 code could shape Beulah's future

The authors of the OLF-8 Master Plan and Design Code are asking Escambia County’s Board of County Commissioners and the county’s planning board to “correct the record” on what they say are inaccurate descriptions of the county’s adopted growth plan for the massive Beulah property.

In a formal letter dated Sept. 16, DPZ CoDesign partner Marina Khoury requested that the Escambia County Planning Board correct the official record from its Sept. 1 meeting.

Copied on Khoury’s email to the planning board are commissioners, other county leaders, and Melissa Hadley, Tri-W Development’s land planner who made the presentation on “Outlying Fields,” Tri-W’s rebranded name for the OLF 8 property.

In her letter, Khoury alleges that the presentation made on behalf of Tri-W Development to the planning board on Sept. 1, systematically misdescribed the existing Land Development Code constraints to the board and the public.

“Several statements made during that meeting misdescribe the adopted text,” Khoury said. “We understand and welcome the County’s consideration of legitimate amendments. We ask only that the record, and any pending amendment discussion, begin from an accurate reading of what has already been adopted.”

Citizens concerned about Tri-W’s evolving contract

Tri-W and Catalyst are under contract to buy the property from Escambia County for about $28.4 million-down from their original purchase price of $42.5 million for all 540 acres of the multi-phase development-after the county agreed to keep 170 acres for job creation and so that the county and the developer can possibly utilize Triumph grant money for infrastructure.

The original plan for OLF-8, designed by DPZ CoDesign, calls for a walkable New Urbanism community featuring a high-density, mixed-use town center, neighborhood-oriented residential squares and dedicated employment districts with multistory buildings and street and parking lot layouts that prioritize the pedestrian experience.

The Outlying Fields developers are requesting major changes to the Land Development Code (LDC) and the Master Plan, which has sparked significant pushback from Beulah residents for several reasons including that it shifts the Future Land Use designation from commercial mixed-use to mixed-use urban, which some fear could result in an almost entirely residential housing development.

A proposal by Tri-W and Catalyst to replace the original DPZ-designed package with an entirely new master plan proposed by the developers has also caused concern for some citizens, who fear the new plan will shift the development away from a walkable village toward standard suburban sprawl.

Beulah resident Theresa Blackwell supports the original DPZ Master Plan and is concerned the proposed changes will cut the heart out of the New Urbanism concept.

She attended the Sept. 1 planning board meeting and was among several people who spoke, alleging the developer’s request amounts to a “bait and switch” with no meaningful analysis from county staff.

“The county couldn’t even explain what the topic of the meeting was related to OLF 8, much less provide any analysis of whether their design code was substantially consistent with the DPZ design code as the contract revision requires,” Blackwell told the News Journal.

OLF 8 code needs targeted amendments, not rewrite, DPZ says

Rather than tossing out the current framework, DPZ argues the county should focus on targeted text amendments to resolve the developer’s issues.

“Instead of replacing the adopted code entirely, the County could consider the merits of justified amendments,” Khoury wrote, listing the four targeted solutions like increasing heights up to eight stories, reducing light industrial acreage, relocating the town center, and consolidating the maps to resolve the friction between the county, the public and Tri-W Development.

An email to developer Chad Henderson with Catalyst requesting comment about Khoury’s letter was not immediately returned.

However, according to the 2026 Escambia County Sale and Purchase Agreement Amendment, the developers stated that the original master plan was no longer functional as written.

“The DPZ design code must be modified to account for market, economic, and engineering conditions not contemplated or existing when the DPZ design code was created,” the amended agreement said.

Khoury’s Fact-Checking

Khoury’s letter breaks down several key assertions made during the hourslong Sept. 1 meeting, contrasting video timestamps of the meeting with the codified text of Ordinance No. 2021-39.

On the topic of building heights, Tri-W said commercial areas are strictly capped at two stories. Khoury said DPZ Code says three stories are allowed in Commerce and Light Industrial districts if sustainable elements, such as green roofs, are included.

On the topic of commercial uses, Tri-W said offices, shopping centers and government buildings cannot be built. Khoury said DPZ Code says they are fully permitted, but suburban-style front surface parking lots are banned. Parking must go to the side or rear.

On the topic of neighborhood parks, Tri-W said parks are not permitted within the designated residential zones. Khoury said DPZ Code says parks and civic open spaces are fundamentally integrated throughout the residential framework maps.

On the topic of street design, Tri-W said the Tri-W network standard represents “best practices” over the current code. Khoury said Tri-W’s plan removes maximum block-size standards entirely, which DPZ states actively violates basic walkable network design.

Compromise and Future Amendments

Addressing allegations of “many inconsistencies” between the OLF-8 Master Plan Map and its regulating plans, Khoury noted that the system was deliberately designed as a hybrid.

The mechanism allows an alternate plan to take effect automatically if anticipated industrial development fails to materialize.

Rather than abandoning the existing ordinance entirely, DPZ is urging the planning board to consider precise changes to satisfy all parties:

Lifting height limits up to eight stories where appropriate
Shrinking the total acreage dedicated to light industrial use
Shifting the town center closer to the center of the site near Beulah Road

The News Journal reached out to Escambia County Commissioners for comment about the letter, but none responded.

No emails were readily available on the county’s website for members of the planning board and a request for comment to them was forwarded to them by the county’s communications staff. The planning board members did not respond by deadline.

Board Chair Walker Wilson was reached by phone, and he declined to comment since the issue is still pending.

Next Steps for Escambia

DPZ offered to respond to any specific text changes before the Planning Board takes final action on Tri-W’s pending applications.

They are also asking the board to require all future developer presentations to explicitly reference the adopted text at § 3-1.3(h)(4) when justifying code deviations.

In the meantime, Escambia County commissioners are waiting for word from the state after they unanimously agreed during their Aug. 6 meeting to send the OLF 8 land use amendment for review.

Because changing the designation to mixed-use urban requires a formal amendment to the county’s comprehensive plan, state law dictates that the proposal must go through an infrastructure impact review by Florida’s state planning agency.

The state looks at how the massive shift toward residential-capable zoning will affect state-maintained roads, regional water resources, and overall public infrastructure.

This is a required middle step, but it’s not the final word.

Once the state planning agency finishes its review and sends its comments back to Escambia County, the proposal will go back before Escambia commissioners for a final adoption vote.

The planning board is also being asked to make an official recommendation to commissioners before their final vote.

Mollye Barrows is an award-winning investigative reporter for the Pensacola News Journal covering legal justice and government accountability matters.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Why the fight over OLF 8 code could shape Beulah’s future

Reporting by Mollye Barrows, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal

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This story was originally published September 21, 2026 at 10:01 AM.