BROOKSVILLE — Godfried Eason mentioned he has moved a number of instances due to the expansion of housing, from North Carolina to Brooklyn to Long Island and to Florida.
Molly Jamison mentioned she has seen deer giving start in her yard.
Andrew Schwartz mentioned he loves the realm, and understands about progress however what he sees is “explosive growth.”
They and plenty of others gathered on the first 2023 assembly of the Hernando County Planning & Zoning Board to oppose a proposed development on a chunk of land west of U.S. 19 and south of Lake within the Woods Drive. The listening to was the primary in a collection for a 72.5-acre lot alongside the busy street and south of a giant Publix buying heart and the Bridgewater Club Apartments.
West of that business and multifamily residential space is the quiet Lake within the Woods development, touted as a literal paradise by the householders, however underneath risk from development to the south that might carry a retail plaza with 14 outparcels, a four-story resort and as many as 500 multifamily models.
Darryl Johnston, representing the petitioner, mentioned the residences will probably be on the north finish and the plan is to route visitors to the south, with pure and artifical buffers together with a wall of at the least 80 inches in peak to dam the view of the properties.
“We believe that this development is proposed to pull everything as far south as we can,” he mentioned, noting that employees has beneficial approval.
There was a gathering with the group, however apparently just one family confirmed up.
Resident Paul McQuarry was the primary of many to talk in opposition, stating that the undertaking would carry crime within the type of assaults, sexual assaults, medication and trespassing, in addition to crowded faculty buses.
He cited the Bridgewater Club Apartments for instance.
“These are the things we’ve been dealing with over the years,” he mentioned. “Five hundred units. It’s just insane. We’re going to have to listen to those people” as a result of they’ll be moving into arguments.
Instead of residences, condos, townhomes or single household properties can be preferable, saying house owners — in contrast to renters — “have skin in the game.”
Consuela Lauer mentioned their lives will probably be affected without end if the multifamily housing is permitted.
“When you flood 500 units of rental, that’s going to change our neighborhood and our way of life,” she mentioned.
Wayne Bruscino mentioned that together with the residential proposal, the resort is just not appropriate. In any case, there are 5 motels within the 2.5-mile radius; one other one isn’t wanted.
Other folks raised problems with wildlife safety, drainage, the main points of notifications, delays for emergency autos and extra.
At one level, chairman Jonathan McDonald needed to advise folks standing at the back of the chambers to search out seats, and ultimately area was allotted within the jury room for the overflow.
The members of the board are volunteers and never elected officers, McDonald defined, and the true energy is within the arms of the county commissioners. Planning & Zoning Board members are usually not elected politicians, he mentioned, and simply have to verify all the things is following a authorized guideline.
“If you have a problem with what we vote on, you can go to commissioners, who have the final decision,” he mentioned. “That’s where the power lies and can make the decisions.”
Assistant County Attorney Kyle Benda mentioned the panel makes suggestions to the County Commission. “This board is a quasi-judicial body that hears evidence and makes decisions,” he mentioned.
In making selections, the fee is sure to what comp plan says and what code requires, Benda added. If an applicant meets necessities, then the advice needs to be for approval.
That is how the regulation works, and the members are sure by the regulation.
“The County Commission can change the law,” he mentioned. “This board cannot change the law we are applying.”
Residents appeared pissed off by the forms and the lengthy course of that they worry will finish with their lives being disrupted.
“It’s not compatible,” McQuarry mentioned. “You’re here to protect our value and our homes.”
You haven’t seen the realm, Eason advised the members.
“How would you like living in that condition?” he requested. “Please, think about what you’re about to do. Have a heart.”
The vote to ship the matter to the County Commission with revisions was 5-0. It will probably be on the agenda for the Feb. 14 County Commission assembly.
Pleading for a halt
Residents of an space of slender roads and houses north of the High Point development additionally turned out in power to attempt to cease a plan to develop a single-family subdivision of as much as 162 dwelling models on 40.4 acres east of Godwit and Gyrafalcon avenues and south of Seely Lane, within the Rural Highlands space.
Godwit and Gyrafalcon are paved however slender; they’re a few miles east of U.S. 19 on winding roads to Godwit and Gyrafalcon avenues that finish on the property to be developed.
Multiple folks got here to the rostrum to say that the brand new development gained’t be appropriate with their half-acre zoning, and raised issues about crime, visitors, drainage and the affect on wildlife, particularly a household of bald eagles which have a nest on the property.
Gary Schrout, representing the landowners, mentioned they inherited the land from their mom. The surrounding space with its wells and septic tanks can’t be developed by right this moment’s requirements, he mentioned, however it may be linked to water and sewer now.
Jessica Icerman, representing the petitioner, known as the plan “infill development” and promised compliance with federal regulation concerning the eagle’s nest. The regulation requires a visitors research on the time when the land is platted, she mentioned, and they’ll do a research and adjust to it. While some residents mentioned they owned the roads, in truth the county owns and maintains them.
Members raised their very own issues concerning the roads within the space, which had been created within the Fifties and which the county inherited.
A resident mentioned the property had been used as a firing vary throughout World War II and might need unexploded munitions, and member Kathryn Birren requested about it, too, however engineer of document Andrew Eiland mentioned the land was a part of a gunnery vary however not used for weapons. The Army Corps of Engineers did an in depth research, he mentioned, and cleared the location.
John Larry mentioned he shares the issues of his neighbors and shared information on the development on Facebook.
He’s involved concerning the enhance in visitors that can make the roads unsafe. People within the new development eager to go to U.S. 19 will minimize by way of a number of neighborhoods to get there. There are not any fireplace hydrants, too, he mentioned, and there have been three fires prior to now eight years.
Access is the large concern. “There should be some type of entrance and exit to State Road 50,” Larry mentioned.
Joanna Larry, his spouse, mentioned the visitors on Muzette Road and Godwit Avenue can be harmful to her kids. Her voice breaking, she mentioned, “If you put this traffic on that road, I will have to leave.”
Do one thing else with the roads or the zoning, she mentioned.
The movement to approve topic to employees suggestions handed 3-2.
In the meantime, on Jan. 10, the County Commission permitted a small-scale complete plan modification to vary the longer term land use map for the property from rural to residential. It handed 5-0 on a roll name vote.
Both developments are anticipated to get hearings by the County Commission in February.