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Hernando Today

Senior Care Home Headed To Grove Road

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: June 9, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Planning and zoning commissioners Monday voted 4-1 to approve a special exception use permit for a 275-unit, four-story assisted living facility on the west side of Grove Road, off State Road 50.
The center will serve active seniors 55 and older.
The approval went against the recommendations of the county's own planning department staffers who recommended denial of the permit, saying the request is inconsistent with the county's comprehensive plans, is incompatible with the residential area to the south of the project and would be adverse to the public interest.
But the P&Z approval came with a laundry list of conditions placed on the developer – about 17 in all.
That alone raised a red flag for Commissioner Anthony Palmieri, the sole dissenting vote.
"When you have 17 conditions on a project you're beginning to wonder if it's worthwhile," Palmieri said.
Three people spoke against the project, mostly because of traffic concerns and a four-story building being placed in a semi-rural area.
Resident Dan Miller, who lives near the proposed development, opposed the permit because it would add too much traffic on Grove Road, which is already "a traffic nightmare."
"I don't really want to walk out my back door and see a four-story building," Miller said.
Realtor Gary Schraut said there won't be that many trips generated from the building. He also indicated there would be road improvements that would actually benefit motorists.
P&Z Commissioner Robert Widmar said the congestion along Grove Road doesn't bother him too much because that road will be improved as part of the conditions.
He was more concerned with the height of the building and pushed for three stories, not four.
"We can make it work with three (stories)," Schraut said.
But reducing the height would necessitate spreading the care center out more on the property, he said.
In the end, commissioners voted to keep the four-story plan.
Also at Monday's meeting:
-- Planning and zoning commissioners voted unanimously to approve a special exception use permit allowing the Brooksville Wesleyan Church to build on a 17-acre site on the north side of State Road 50 and Redbud Lane.
The church will contain a 43,138-square-foot sanctuary, capable of seating 1,200 people.
The proposed facility will provide a 402-seat fellowship hall, 126-seat chapel, nursery and toddler area.
There will also be parking space for 100 golf carts.
-- Planning members voted 4-1 to rezone a parcel along the west side of U.S. 19, south of Long Lake Avenue, to use an existing 6,000-square-foot warehouse for indoor countertop cutting.
The question of outside storage was a sticking point. Planning staffers recommended no outdoor storage on the site.
That condition resonated with Widmar who said that area's becoming a "junk yard."
In the end, the issue was left hanging.
One of the conditions of approval is that the applicant will work it out with planning staffers before it comes back to county commissioners next month for final approval.
Palmieri said he couldn't go along with the decision. He is against outdoor storage and wanted that matter settled now. He was the sole dissenting vote.
-- P&Z members approved proposed amendments to the Capital Improvements Element (CIE) of its comprehensive plan.
In all, the county is proposing a total projected cost of $308.5 million worth of capital improvements, up from $305.5 million.
Each year, departments submit a summary of proposed changes to the CIE. These amendments reflect fiscal years 2008 through 2013.
While some departments are projecting increases in projects, at least two – public works and parks – are proposing funding decreases.
Florida Statutes require the county to update the CIE annually.
Widmar questioned the utilities department's proposed projected total cost of capital improvements for water and sewer rising to $151.8 million, an increase from $124.9 million.
That one-year rise is extraordinary, said Widmar, who called for more transparency in the CIE process.
The utilities department attributed the spike to improvements at sub-regional wastewater treatment plants, especially one at the airport.
The increases in user demand near U.S. 19, the County Line Road-South U.S. 41 corridor, and Interstate 75 also account for the increase in improvements and costs, according to department officials.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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