As Santa Rosa County commissioners have discussed the proposed new courthouse in recent weeks, and a new one-half cent sales tax to pay for it, both have shrunk.

Two of Santa Rosa’s major wastewater utilities are citing state-regulated effluent treatment limits while lobbying county commissioners to grant expansion plans that face public opposition.

The City of Milton will soon hold its second outreach meeting for the property owners in and around Stewart Street. According to Milton City Planner Randy Jorgenson, the once vibrant commercial corridor no longer serves the needs of today’s consumer. Strip mall developments, though popular in the past, are no longer attractive to many of today’s shoppers. As a result, said Jorgenson, many of the buildings on Stewart are vacant or under-utilized. While there are areas that show signs of revival and recent investment along parts of Stewart Street, most of the street continues to languish.  All properties along Stewart are currently zoned commercial and limited to those specific types of activity. The city is examining the potential of rezoning to again provide for residential usage.