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Hernando Today

OUR OPINION

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 29, 2008

Here's a great idea: Let's give a business owner a "blanket" conditional use permit to erect a tent in the parking lot of a strip mall to sell whatever kind of junk comes rolling down the highway.

Better yet, let's just let everyone erect tents to do business. We don't need to collect hefty property taxes from commercial businesses. People can just set up tents and sell whatever they want.

Heck, let's even let people erect tents for housing. That way, they won't have to pay much in property taxes either.

And think about this marketing plan: Hernando County could become known as "Tent City, U.S.A." as opposed to all those mundane cities across the American landscape that have earned the moniker of "Tree City, U.S.A." and whatnot.

We'll be unique.

The Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce could entice new business to come here by marketing us as "The Big Top of the World."

We could have tents as far as the eye can see. Add a few clowns, some funny little cars and people would come from far and near to do business in Hernando County.

And you thought county commission meetings were a circus.

On second thought, maybe this tent idea isn't all what it's bivouacked up to be. Maybe it's a really dumb idea after all.

That's why it's imperative that the Brooksville Five take a closer look at this bad move to allow blanket conditional use permits for tent sales.

The county's planning and zoning commission on May 16 voted 4-1 to allow the owner of the Timber Pines Plaza strip mall to operate a "multi-use retail venture" under the big top for as many as 76 days per year, selling such necessities as tools, fireworks, furniture, arts and crafts and who knows what else. The owner of the tent establishment will lease space to various "vendors." Can you say flea market?

You remember the Timber Pines Plaza. That's the place where county commissioners recently OK'd a home for the Coffee Workshop, a portable covered stand that has no restrooms and pays no property taxes.

Unless someone complains, the P&Z decision stands and would not go before county commissioners for approval.

We're complaining.

While progress has been made to make the face of commercial property more attractive by the use of restrictive zoning rules, the county is taking a giant step backward if it allows the "tent decision" of the P&Z board to stand.

County commissioners have the power to review this and should do so before the time to review it runs out.

This type of blanket conditional use permit hurts legitimate businesses in a number of ways:

•It gives the county a carnival-type atmosphere.

•It would encourage fly-by-night sellers with inferior merchandise who may, after making a quick buck in Hernando County, never been seen again.

•It uses up parking spaces for legitimate renters in the commercial plaza.

•There will not be sufficient restroom facilities available, which are required of all other tenants of shopping areas.

•Unlike legitimate businesses that collect sales taxes and pay property taxes, impact fees and license fees, these tent sales will attract all sorts of questionable businesses.

Hernando County is the gateway to the Nature Coast, not "Circus Tent City." Our business community has enough to contend with in this economic downturn without having additional competition that doesn't play on a level field. Esthetics and economics are but two good reasons for the Board of County Commissioners to reverse this flawed P&Z action.

Commissioners need to act quickly and decisively before this issue sets a bad precedent and spreads.

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