City, Fair Association Strike Land Deal

Hernando Today

BROOKSVILLE - The city and the Hernando County Fair Association have struck a deal for a piece of property the city needs to build Governor Boulevard.

The city council on Monday unanimously approved the purchase of the nearly two-acre tract from the fair association for the land located on the eastern side of the fairgrounds.

The price: $209,805.

The agreement heads off the city's threat to grab the land through eminent domain.

Mayor David Pugh negotiated the price on behalf of the city.

"I thought it was a good deal for the city and good deal for the fair association," Pugh told fellow council members before the vote, adding that he wanted to also avoid the extra cost and headaches that come with eminent domain proceedings. "It worked out for both parties," said County Commissioner Dave Russell, a member of the fair board who also helped negotiate the deal. "The fair board appreciates what the city did."

The land had been appraised at about $123,000, and the city offered that to the fair association.

The fair board argued that the county had paid more than that per acre for nearby land. The two sides factored in that comparable sale to come up with the final sale price.

The fairgrounds are located on the eastern side of U.S. 41. The parcel is the last piece of right of way the city needs to begin construction on the roughly two-and-half-mile Governor Boulevard.

The roadway will connect Southern Hills Boulevard and the State Road 50 truck bypass to relieve traffic on U.S. 41 as the Southern Hills Plantation community builds out.

Hampton Ridge Developers agreed to pay for construction of the road, a price tag that will likely hit $8 million, said Brooksville Community Development Director Bill Geiger. The development agreement calls for the road to be constructed by July 2009, but the slowdown in the housing market could prompt the city council to give the developer more time, Geiger said.

There are some 2,500 residential units projected to be built in the southern portion of the city, Geiger said.