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Building projects get the go-ahead

Traffic congestion and road capacity were arguments concerning two developers' respective apartment plans.

By DAN DeWITT
Published September 13, 2005

BROOKSVILLE - The county Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday gave its backing to two projects with a total of 648 apartments, which could increase the number of multifamily units in Hernando by about 20 percent.

Emerson Oaks LLC received approval for its plan to build 248 apartments on 23 acres near Emerson Road. The developer intends to sell these units rather than rent them, said Don Lacey of Coastal Engineering and Associates Inc., which represents Emerson Oaks.

Last year, several residents turned out to successfully argue against a similar project on the property, north of Moton Elementary School and across the street from Hernando Christian Academy.

No one spoke against it on Monday, though David Holtzhouse, Hernando Christian's administrator, said that the development would worsen congestion on Emerson Road, which becomes jammed when students arrive in the morning and depart in the afternoon. He urged the commission to push for the widening of Emerson.

Road capacity was the main issue with the second project, The Crossings, just east of the Suncoast Parkway and about one-quarter mile north of County Line Road.

The project is being built in cooperation with the developers of a planned 53-acre shopping and office center just to the south, said Cynthia Tarapani, a planner representing the developer, Invesco LLC of Palm Harbor.

This company plans to build 400 units on 35 acres. Some of these will be rental properties and some will be condominiums, according to the plan submitted to the county.

But the County Planning Department said two-lane County Line Road does not have enough capacity to handle the additional traffic.

As the project moves forward, the developer will need to prove the road system is adequate. If not, Invesco will have to either delay construction or help pay for the widening of County Line Road.

But especially because The Crossings is next to Trillium, a subdivision that will eventually have nearly 900 houses, Commissioner Anthony Palmieri said the development should wait until the road had been widened. Palmieri cast the only vote against the project.

Because Invesco is requesting a rezoning, it must receive final approval from the County Commission next month. The county, which currently has more than 3,300 multifamily units, has generally encouraged such dense development near commercial areas.

For that reason, Tarapani said the project is ideally located. Residents of the complex would be able to walk to shops or possibly work in the commercial area just to the south. The apartments would also serve as a buffer between parts of Trillium and the shopping center.

"This is a traditional planning transition, moving from the most intensive to the least intensive use," she said.

--Dan DeWitt can be reached at dewitt@sptimes.com or 352 754-6116.

[Last modified September 13, 2005, 01:45:22]