Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Development shouldn't outrun school capacity

With Hernando County schools bursting at the seams and no slowdown in residential growth in sight, major steps need to be taken now to address existing school overcrowding with methods to provide adequate capacity for projected growth. The time is now to negotiate an interlocal agreement for public school concurrency with our the County Commission, Brooksville Council and School Board members.

An interlocal agreement for a school concurrency plan would provide for the coordinated planning of all facets of the local government entities to ensure school capacity is available at the time of impact from new residential development.

The implementation of public school concurrency can be achieved in Hernando County based on the 1998 Florida legislature Florida Statute 163.3180, establishing requirements for optional implementation at the county level.

In addition to an interlocal agreement, the county and city would need to adopt amendments to their respective comprehensive plans and land development regulations to achieve public school concurrency.

The concept of public school concurrency is simple. Schools must be available concurrent with the impact of development. If schools are not readily available, then development must be delayed, or phased out, until school capacity is addressed by either the developer, the local government, or until available mitigation is achieved through the process of negotiation. Our local officials can take control of our future growth now because all new residential growth would be affected, not just those developments with more than 999 homes.

Public school concurrency should be an integral part of our overall concurrency management system in Hernando County, just like all the other mandatory services required, such as roads, potable water and sewer service. A representative from Florida's Chamber of Commerce was quoted March 31 stating that the school concurrency plan in Palm Beach County is a model for the state.

School concurrency can and must be achieved now to protect our children's futures. The time is now to integrate this most important component into our future growth and development plans of Hernando County. Remember, this option has been available since 1998.

School Board should be applauded for backbone

This letter is directed to the Hernando County School Board.

Congratulations to you all on the many stands you have taken, not only in the past, but more so lately, against issues you felt were wrong. Although there have been large numbers of people pressuring you to see things their way, none of you have buckled against what you personally feel is right for all students in Hernando County.

Many may ask, since it is not an election year, what do you have to lose by asking questions and disagreeing with those in the audience? But I disagree with this explanation. I believe we have a board that does not cave in when pressured. We have a board that reacts from their hearts and does not worry about being re-elected at a later date.

All children in Hernando County are our future. Not only are we all responsible for their education, we are responsible for the morals they will learn in school. We are responsible for their safety, and most of all we are responsible in showing them right and wrong in all areas. We are the examples they will look back on in later years.

As a grandparent of a 6-year-old at Suncoast Elementary School, I want, in fact I demand, that my grandchild is taught not only his ABCs, but also right from wrong, that all are created equal and most of all, he can rely on those educators who play such an important part in his life, to be the best.

Why pay impact fees? Thereis no impact in Spring Hill

Enough is enough! Hernando County residents, please wake up. Do you remember the impact fees that were imposed on cars brought in from another state and registered in Florida? They were found to be unconstitutional, a few years later, we got our money refunded.

Residential impact fees are one-time charges to "developers" - passed on to the home buyers - and are meant to aid local government in their efforts to provide the infrastructure that growth demands. This, I have no problem with.

Hernando County government has been overstepping its authority for quite some time. When Spring Hill was plotted in the late 1960s and early '70s, all the existing lots were made as residential, commercial or agricultural, and land was put aside for parks, schools, churches, etc. All roads planned in Spring Hill should have been constructed to accept the traffic to handle all the residential and commercial lots proposed at the conception of Spring Hill, including all infrastructure.

Technically, there is no "growth" to Spring Hill proper. The Deltona Corp., the Hernando County Planning Department and the Hernando County Building Department all knew how many residential homes would (someday) be built in Spring Hill's original plan.

On April 13, Walter Cermak wrote in a letter to the editor, "As a resident of Spring Hill since 1988, houses in my neighborhood have filled the once-abundant vacant lots." These so-called vacant lots were, long before he got to Spring Hill in 1988, platted in county records to someday have houses built on them. If these lots have always been planned to have residential homes built on them, where is the "growth" in Spring Hill's original design, and where is the impact to the roads?

It's not growth and impact; it is finally the fulfillment of Deltona Corp.'s vision of the original full plan of Spring Hill more than 30 years ago.

Has anyone who is living on a residential street in Spring Hill - other than main roads such as Mariner Boulevard, Deltona Boulevard or Spring Hill Drive, who have had new homes built on vacant lots on their street - ever seen the Hernando County Department of Public Works tear up these roads and add a new base course and top coat to the existing road because of the new homes? No! Why? Because there is no impact to that road because the road was built with the intention of each platted lot would someday have a house built on it.

Infrastructure? What infrastructure? Most Spring Hill single-lot homes are on a septic system. As far as water, look at the vacant lots in Spring Hill. You will find water service in the easements that were established in the original Spring Hill plan.

I do agree with impact fees when a developer comes to Hernando County, purchases many acres of land and develops that property into a subdivision; there you have impact that was never intended for the original Spring Hill plan. Most of these new developments were once farmland, but with a subdivision on an existing farm, it causes a strain on our roads and infrastructure. This is what the "impact fees" were originally designed for - not a single residential lot in Spring Hill.

It is my opinion any residential lot that was platted in Deltona Corp.'s original Spring Hill plan should not be charged an impact fee when a home is built; it is the same reasoning as for the impact fee on vehicles - it's unconstitutional.

If there is an attorney out there who has the courage to go up against our local and state governments and fight for all the people in Spring Hill proper who have paid impact fees for building a home on an existing plotted residential lot, he or she would become Hernando County's biggest hero.

Impact fees are important, but must be used responsibly

I would like to respond to Walter Cermak's letter of April 13 regarding impact fees.

Unfortunately, neither Mr. Cermak nor the Hernando Classroom Teachers union contacted me or my office on this issue. In fact, I cannot recall them ever contacting my office on any issue.

I have and always will be a supporter of new residents paying for the new services that are created with growth. Living in Florida for more than 34 years, I understand fully that those who create the growth should pay for it, and impact fees are the correct measure.

However, I also believe government should be accountable for every penny collected from the taxpayer, regardless of what government collects those taxes - federal, state or county. Voters - taxpayers - have every right to know how government is spending their dollars.

I would like to invite everyone to contact our office at 1-800-948-5885 to discuss this issue, or any other issue important to them. I thank you for the opportunity to communicate with your readers and my constituents in Hernando County.

Crowding Chocachatti Elementary isn't a good solution

I would like to respond to recent letters to the editor that support raising the student population at Chocachatti Elementary School. One letter writer, besides misstating the $1.2-million addition, wants Chocachatti to bring its numbers up to the same overcrowding as all other schools in the county. There's a novel thought: Let's overcrowd this successful school, too, so that every school will be overcrowded.

Eastside Elementary, as well as one other school, is underpopulated and needs to be rezoned to meet the increase in families moving into the county. Additionally, I do not see a problem with Chocachatti principal Michael Tellone taking an interest in his school by sending letters home to parents to attend a public meeting. Parents, for or against, are entitled to freely voice their opinions about issues that affect their children's futures.

I don't envy the School Board in the upcoming months, because no matter what its decisions, many people on the other side of the issue are going to leave dissatisfied.

[Last modified April 15, 2005, 00:49:17]