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Hearing Glen Lakes protests, county denies development

By DAN DEWITT
Published December 14, 2006

BROOKSVILLE - To residents of Glen Lakes, it was clear that a shopping center proposed for land to the south of their community's main entrance had no legal right to use the road.

"That's essentially taking private property for a common use," Rod Lane, who lives in Glen Lakes, said at Wednesday's County Commission meeting. "That's adding to the value of the shopping center's property and taking away from the value of our property."

The other side of the argument was equally clear to Don Lacey of Coastal Engineering Associates, who represented the developer, AG Armstrong Development LLC of Tampa.

The 19.5-acre tract to the south of Glen Lakes' main entrance, Glen Lakes Boulevard, was zoned for commercial use in 1987, he said. The subdivision was approved the next year with the understanding, he said, that the developer of the commercial property would have the right to connect its frontage road to Glen Lakes Boulevard by one of Glen Lakes' roads, Outer Banks Drive.

Not allowing that connection would undermine the integrity of the county's frontage road system, which is crucial for taking traffic pressure off major roads such as U.S. 19, Lacey said. County Engineer Charles Mixson backed him, saying the frontage road was needed for the development to conform to the county's frontage road ordinance.

But as happened before with such issues, the commission sided with a roomful of residents.

It voted 3-1 to deny the shopping center, which would have included room for one 64,000-square-foot store - probably a supermarket, Lacey said - and five parcels for smaller stores. Newly elected Commissioner David Russell cast the only vote against denying the development.

The proposal was similar to an earlier one from the owner of the parcel, Carmen Ceraolo. The commission denied his plan in September 2005; he has since sued, claiming the decision illegally prevented him from developing his land.

Earlier this year, the commission denied plans for a shopping center near the entrance of the Brookridge mobile home community that would have used Brookridge's entrance road. After the developer challenged the decision in court, the commission granted the developer the right to build with partial access to the Brookridge entrance.

Lacey said the decision Wednesday will set a precedent for other developments to deny frontage road access, potentially disrupting the system.

Commissioner Chris Kingsley, who introduced the motion to deny the project, disputed that, saying he knew of no other subdivisions having privately owned entrances flanked by developable parcels owned by outside interests.

"This is different," he said.

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

In other action

The Hernando County Commission on Wednesday:

- Approved a 408-unit apartment complex at the northwest corner of Cobb Road and Fort Dade Avenue on the west edge of Brooksville. County planners initially objected to the plan, saying the 40-acre site is too far from commercial districts and surrounded by an incompatible mix of uses, including mining and houses on large lots. Representatives for the developer, J.A. Padilla, persuaded the commission by saying the project would provide affordable housing.

- Approved Florida Crushed Stone Co.'s request for a comprehensive plan change to allow it to mine six parcels covering 500 acres.

- Postponed the hearing on the proposed Hickory Hill development east of Brooksville from Jan. 17 to April 26.

[Last modified December 13, 2006, 20:54:45]