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Guest column

'Ask not what your county can do for you, but what...'

By HANS H. FROEHLICH
Published March 10, 2005

Hernando County's government and its court system are running out of space. The situation is far worse than five years ago, when the County Commission paid $179,000 to two consultants and appointed an ad hoc Facilities Master Plan Steering Committee to jointly find a solution to the space shortage for at least 20 years ahead. I was a member of that committee.

At a workshop in late October 2001, the committee reluctantly recommended that the County Commission adopt the only option acceptable to the judiciary and the mostly Brooksville-based lawyers. That option called for building a four-story courthouse at the low-lying eastern end of the government complex, connected to the present government center by a long, three-level parking garage. The committee had considered the many negatives inherent in this so-called solution:

An esthetically and architecturally unsightly continuum of multilevel concrete running from the back of the old courthouse to Bell Avenue, the new courthouse's fourth story would protrude only one level above the garage, the long sides abutting Broad and East Jefferson streets. It would also be highly vulnerable to terroristic attacks and require a sizeable security staff.

No solution was offered for providing temporary parking during construction of the garage. Not considered was the problem of increasing county and court traffic resulting from the county's explosive population growth, eventually overwhelming Brooksville. Ignored, as well, was the burgeoning cost of transporting a rapidly growing jail population to and from court appearances.

The County Commission, not wanting to incur the wrath of our judiciary and petition-waving legal fraternity, took the politically safe way out and voted tepidly, 4-1, to accept this minimally viable solution. To her credit, with longer-range vision and greater political courage, Commissioner Diane Rowden voted "no."

Since then, nothing has happened. The taxpayers' $179,000 consultant fee appears wasted. No one seems to know how and where the money for the estimated $28-million project (2001 prices) would be raised. Maybe that's a blessing. At least our tax dollars would not again be wasted on another "short-range" solution already five years obsolescent and headed for recurring inadequacy.

So, where do we go from here? While the county is searching for new options, I would like to offer a possible solution that meets, what I believe, to be the primary criteria. They are:

Location and ownership of property.

Accessibility.

Parking.

Room for expansion.

Perimeter security.

I suggest that the county seriously look at the fairgrounds site, which I believe meets the above criteria quite well, to wit:

The property, 57.45 acres with buildings, 35 acres net open land, is county-owned and centrally located on U.S. 41. There would be no purchase or lease cost involved. Since the fairgrounds, though county-owned, are now located within the area annexed by the City of Brooksville. This should calm the protests of the proud officials and heritage-conscious patricians of the city that the county courthouse and government center must forever retain the historic preeminence of their Brooksville location.

The site is easily accessible now from all areas of the county, greatly improving as road construction, current, mid- and long-range, proceeds. The soon-to-be-built diagonal cutoff from the State Road 50 bypass to Powell Road would open the site to present and future residents of the county's east side.

Ample onsite, ground level parking would be available.

There would be generous room for expansion. I envision a centrally placed courthouse with the government center "winged" on one side and a law center housing law offices, lecture facilities, etc., on the other. The latter might be financed as a cooperative enterprise by the legal community.

The size of the property and provided setbacks should offer excellent perimeter security.

Is there a negative? Yes. Where are we going to move the fairgrounds? Obviously, the folks who lease the property from the county and stage many wonderful, popular and successful attractions throughout the year are likely to be upset. The county must make every effort to find a new, well-suited location for them and then help promote their events. Keep in mind, a visitor to the fairgrounds is a visitor to Hernando County.

However, I believe strongly that the promotion of the public good, as provided by the courts and county government, serves a higher purpose and benefit.

I titled this column: "Ask not what your county can do for you, ask what you can do for your county." (My thanks to the late President John F. Kennedy and apologies for the slight alteration of his words.)

Hans H. Froehlich lives in Spring Hill. Guest columnists write their own views on subjects they choose, which do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.

[Last modified March 10, 2005, 01:14:16]