Just say no to urban sprawl

Editor's note: The following letter was sent to Hernando County Commission Chairman David Russell and is reprinted here at the author's request.

Since you are chairman, I am directing this e-mail to you. I would appreciate if it could be read into the minutes of the meeting.

Unfortunately, I will be out of town for the hearing on the Quarry Preserve project; however, I would like some of my opinions heard.

I am very much against the commission voting to approve the 4,282-acre Quarry Preserve project.

What an oxymoron that is! Their intent is not to preserve, but rather destroy the rural surroundings of this area.

This is a prime example of urban sprawl. The comprehensive plan is supposed to designate areas to prevent this, while allowing suitable areas for development, industry, business, residences and, yes, even rural areas.

How many times have people come before you commissioners asking for an exception to the zoning where they live? How many times have you all told these people that they should have done due diligence before buying and checking out the zoning possibilities in that particular area?

Well, here we have many, many people who chose the rural lifestyle - people who have done their due diligence and checked the comprehensive plan to ensure their lifestyle could be accomplished; people who knew all this property was zoned mining and they could live with that.

Now you are being asked to approve a huge residential, commercial and industrial area by changing the comp plan. This is definitely not the change that is complimentary to this area.

The state has recognized the need for forests, greenways and conservation land and has, and is, continually working to preserve land. It is about time the board of county commissioners also realized that to make Hernando County an exemplary county for the future, now is the time to stop allowing wall-to-wall homes and highways.

Almost all the land surrounding this proposed project is agricultural. Please don't turn a deaf ear to agriculture; it is an economy producer for the county even in poor economic times.

Talk about the tax base. I would be interested in knowing if any of the commissioners know just how much taxes the current mining property owners pay. Then the next question would be: How much has the current classification of land use used in services from the county? How many times have they called the sheriff's department, the DPW, the fire department, the landfill, etc.? It's kind of like agriculture: For every dollar they spend in taxes, their demand for services is, I would venture to guess, less than 30 percent.

On the other hand, the general residence, for every dollar they spend in taxes, their demand for services far exceeds that dollar.

So, with the economy the way it is, the real estate market the way it is, the continued budgetary cutbacks, etc., does it make sense to approve another massive project that will not only lessen the quality of life of the surrounding properties and the entire county but will also lead to more budget demands?

I could go on and on; however, I plead with you, Commissioners Jeff Stabins, John Druzbick, Rose Rocco and Jim Adkins, to turn down this request.

Bobbi Mills

Brooksville