A homeless campground in Escambia County suffered a tough loss on Wednesday at the Development Review Committee meeting. Sean's Outpost was denied on their application to be permitted as a campground.
"I am shocked and not surprised at the same time, which is a really strange feeling," Michael Kimberl of Sean's Outpost said.
He thought they did everything right when it came to permitting the nearly nine acres of land off Massachusetts Avenue in the Satoshi Forest.
"This is the exact opposite response we thought we were going to get helping people," Kimberl said.
The decision came down to a road, one that needed to be accessible in all types of weather.
Kimberl said the companies that service the campground have not had a problem when accessing it, so they argued they did not need a road.
However, county code requires that they do and it needed to be included when Sean's Outpost submitted their permit application.
For those reasons, staff recommended that the application be denied.
"This is not about us not loving, the county, not respecting the plight dilemma of the homeless," Development Director Horace Jones said. "It is not an emotional issue for me. It's based upon the requirements of the Land Development Code."
William Dunaway, who provides legal counsel for Sean's Outpost, asked that the permit be issued with the stipulation that they address the issues. Jones still recommended that the application be denied.
Brent Wipf, the acting chairman, agreed and denied the application.
For the people living next to the property, like Richard Grimes, it was a hard-fought win.
"I do not believe this project fits in with the surrounding neighborhood," Grimes said during public comment.
Grimes told staff that as a parent of a seven year old, he worries about the activity going on inside the camp.
"We have had problems in the past," Grimes said. "There are police reports out there that you can look up where we've had problems in the past."
Grimes provided staff with a letter from the school board echoing his concerns.
He also submitted three petitions from nearby neighborhoods with a collective 321 signatures.
Grimes told staff that when he stood in opposition at the meeting, he was doing it for the neighborhood.
Kimberl said Sean's Outpost just wants to part of that neighborhood.
"I am going to continue helping people anyway that I can," Kimberl said.
Kimberl said that they plan to appeal the decision within 15 days. Court order allows them to continue to operate as a campground as long as they are still going through the permitting process.
Kimberl said that if they are denied on the appeal, people living at Sean's Outpost have 90 days to vacate.