The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to table the conceptual master plan for Millwood Ranch, a proposed 104-lot single-family residential subdivision in Baker, citing concerns about road capacity, septic systems and access points.

• The board will take the item up again at its July 14 meeting in Crestview at 8:30 a.m.

Millwood Ranch is a proposed two-phase development on roughly 39 acres on the south side of Garrett Mill Road, west of Old Brown Road and east of Pickens Circle. The property has a Low Density Residential future land use designation and is zoned Residential-1, which has been in place since 1990, according to staff. The application was submitted by Tyler Paskell of Arkonic Engineering on behalf of applicant Colton Leyendecker of CJL Construction.

Potable water for the subdivision would be provided by Milligan Water System, and the project would rely on on-site septic systems rather than sanitary sewer, according to the staff agenda item.

Commissioner Sherri Cox, whose district includes the property, made the motion to table the item. During the public hearing, Cox asked a Baker resident in the audience to come forward to share concerns she had previously raised with the commissioner.

The resident told commissioners that Garrett Mill Road was a dirt road until recently and was paved by the county without expansion. She said another 22-home subdivision is also planned in the area, and additional land nearby is for sale.

• “If you know the traffic in Baker, I think you’re making a huge mistake by allowing this large of an area on such a narrow road without having any lights or access to main roads, especially with the tourism coming down Highway 4, 189,” she told commissioners.

Cox said she wanted more time to review the project before voting.

“I will not move for it to move forward at this time,” Cox said. “My motion is to table it to a future date when I can digest it a little bit better and get my arms around it with staff.”

Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel seconded the motion.

Commissioner Paul Mixon used the discussion to ask the applicant’s engineer and county staff for additional information ahead of the July hearing. He said he wanted details on what the development would require from Milligan Water and raised concerns about the use of septic tanks in a denser neighborhood, noting the state’s broader push to move from septic to sewer.

“We have no plan right now of sewer going in west of that river,” Mixon said, adding that the nearest package plant is at Baker School to the north.

Mixon also requested information from county staff on the easement along Garrett Mill Road, the road’s width, how it was improved and stormwater questions along the corridor. He raised concerns about the intersection of Old River Road and U.S. Highway 90, which he described as convoluted, and the angled intersection onto Highway 4.

• “We’re looking at putting more people there and ensuring these people are safe,” Mixon said.

Ketchel said the county’s own development plan calls for avoiding development on septic where possible.

“Growth is here, I understand that, but we also need to really pay attention to how we develop because we just don’t want to send a lot of traffic, and we also don’t want to be doing development on septic if we can avoid it,” Ketchel said.

Cox told the applicant that tabling the item was not a rejection of the project.

“It’s not always a hard no when we highlight certain concerns and issues,” Cox said. “It’s our job as commissioners not just to protect your property rights and your ability to develop your property, but also the rights of our citizens to enjoy theirs.”

Chairman Trey Goodwin said he supported tabling the item but cautioned that the board’s discretion is limited because the applicant is not seeking to change the future land use map or zoning.

• “It’s not a question of if this applicant can put residential development on this parcel,” Goodwin said. “It’s merely a question of exactly what that final product’s going to look like.”

Goodwin said the property’s residential zoning has been in place for decades and that those development rights are vested. He said the county’s land development code is designed to address the impacts of permitted development, including traffic.

The conceptual master plan would include an internal roadway network with two connections to Garrett Mill Road and two street stub-outs to vacant property to the south, according to the staff report.

The board’s vote tables the item to its July 14 meeting in Crestview.