Going before the City Council on Aug. 10 as Ordinance 2032, the proposal would move land currently zoned as single-family low density to planned unit development. The land is the site of Harrisburg Estates, which is located south of Old Bethel Road.

The zoning change allows the developers to pair residential, commercial, and some civic uses within a single plan. It also allows easier approvals.

Currently, the new development is in Phase II of a four-phase project.

Staff told the board the only change to the project are the setbacks. The developer is asking for 20 feet in front, with nearly 8 feet on the sides and 25 feet in the rear, in place of a 30-foot setback now required.

Current R-1 zoning standards require setbacks of 30 feet in the front, 10 feet on the sides and 25 feet in the rear.

Staff said slopes on many of the lots would leave little room for usable yard under the current rule and noted the requested dimensions are close to what was used during Phase I, which was built with a 25-foot front setback.

The city received a letter from a nearby resident who opposed the rezoning. No member of the public spoke during the meeting.

Board member Larry Metlock asked whether the subdivision would have an entrance on Old Bethel Road, saying that access point just south of where the road curves could create a hazard.

Staff replied that the approved layout only shows entrances on Brenda’s Way and Ridge Lake Road.

According to livabl.com, all of the homes are currently for sale. Each home covers around 2,000-square-feet, offers four to five bedrooms, and two to three bathrooms. Homes range in price as well, from the highest being $360,900 to $269,900.

The homes are built by Express Homes, based out of Austin, Texas.

The recommendation passed unanimously and will be presented at the next Crestview City Council meeting on Aug. 10.

The city acquired the facility, known as the ROC, in December 2025. The building includes a gym and outdoor pool and will be renamed the Crestview Recreation Center.

Leavins told the council the city’s parks and recreation department lacks the certification and experience needed to run the pool.

“We are not suited to maintain the pool facility,” she said. “We have partnered with an individual who does have the appropriate certifications and is very used to working with and procuring lifeguards and scheduling swim time.”

Hernandez, who has been the head coach of the Crestview High swim team since 2022 and is a former Navy diver, has previously maintained the pool for several years. Under the proposed contract, he would handle scheduling, swim classes, free swim times, member payments, pool maintenance and staffing.

Leavins described the arrangement as a temporary measure while the city builds out employees to manage the facility. The city said the contract will carry no financial impact to taxpayers, as fees would be covered by pool revenue.

The final contract will return to the council after negotiations are complete. The motion was made by Councilwoman Dusty Allison with a second by Councilman Shannon Hayes.

Under the memorandum of understanding, DAN will provide $10,000 annually over five years, for a total of $50,000, to support the SS United States project and related dive safety and marine conservation initiatives. The county retains discretion over how the funds are spent, with eligible uses including safety infrastructure, a potential visitors center and public education.

Alex Fogg, the county’s natural resources chief, framed the agreement as much about expertise as dollars.

“What’s most important about this potential partnership is the knowledge that they bring,” Fogg said. “They have dozens of medical doctors highly trained in hyperbaric medicine who can provide guidance to our facilities, to our staff — and guidance on establishing a hyperbaric chamber in the destination, because they’ve done it worldwide.”

The region has no hyperbaric emergency treatment facility. The nearest is in Mobile, Alabama; if that facility is unavailable, injured divers must be transported to Orlando. Fogg said the county’s public safety department has cut response time from injury to treatment from more than 12 hours to roughly six, which he said was significant progress but not a substitute for a local chamber.

“That still doesn’t satisfy the issue of us not having hyperbaric treatment facilities,” Fogg told the board.

Hyperbaric cylinders exist at facilities in Destin, Niceville and Fort Walton Beach, but commissioners noted those units are not configured for dive accident emergencies. Fogg said the county has pursued partnerships with local hospitals and private practices without reaching a final agreement.

“We’ve gotten very close, but we still aren’t quite there yet,” Fogg said. “We’re hopeful that in the coming months we will have a solution.”

Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel, who said she has researched the hyperbaric issue at length, welcomed the DAN agreement as meaningful momentum.

“We really need to work this out if we are to be the nation’s greatest diving destination,” Ketchel said. “I applaud you for taking this step.”

Commissioner Paul Mixon floated an additional proposal: using tourism dollars to seed a startup grant program for businesses willing to establish a qualifying hyperbaric facility locally, without directing funds to any specific operator.

“I think there’s plenty of things we could do to be more aggressive in helping the industry come here,” Mixon said, adding he hoped the concept could be taken up during the county’s upcoming budget workshop.

Ketchel called the grant idea promising but noted funding is only part of the challenge.

“It’s not getting the facility up — it’s the management of a 24/7 operation, all the logistics, beyond the funding,” Ketchel said.

The memorandum of understanding also calls for a DAN-provided commemorative plaque to be affixed to the SS United States before deployment.

Fogg said the county has also been working with PADI Worldwide, a major dive training agency, to push safety information to certified divers, dive shops and charter operators ahead of the ship’s reefing.

“Sometimes a diver gets certified, maybe they haven’t been diving in a while, and they may get complacent,” Fogg said. “Trying to prevent those accidents is really important.”