Council to vote on connector road next month

By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published November 7, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - The City Council on Monday night dealt with several issues.

It voted to decide next month whether to finalize agreements with Hampton Ridge Developers LLC and with Hernando County on the planned north-south connector road known as Governor Boulevard.

The road is expected to connect U.S. 41 to Cortez Boulevard via Southern Hills Boulevard, a route that would run through property owned by the city and the county as well as a portion controlled by the Hernando County Fair Association.

While the developers are interested in acquiring the property so water lines can be installed to back up water distribution to Southern Hills, council members balked. The delay will allow the Fair Association and the county to work out various ownership issues.

The City Council gave initial approval to a change in the city's Comprehensive Plan and a zoning change that could allow a mixed-use commercial development north of Cortez Boulevard west of Hale Avenue and southeast of Mildred Avenue.

Innovators Investors Group is proposing single-story professional offices, a restaurant and a three-story motel on the nearly 8-acre site. Council members were concerned that the property is adjacent to a residential area and they wanted to be sure that there are buffers between the businesses and homes.

They also pushed to limit the height to what was proposed on the preliminary plan. Both the Comprehensive Plan change and the rezoning will come to a second reading on Nov. 19. In addition, the developer must submit more details on the project within a year.

The City Council agreed to a partnership with the county to pave Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, although council members expressed a strong desire to see an even bigger improvement. The city and the county will each contribute $100,000 toward the project.

Some council members hoped to add sidewalks, which county officials said they could not afford. Still, the City Council decided the work was needed and agreed to move forward.

[Last modified November 6, 2007, 21:31:21]