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The new county rules for stores of 25,000 square feet or more affect only a proposed Wal-Mart for now.
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 1, 2001
BROOKSVILLE -- After months of give and take on the specifics, Hernando County commissioners on Tuesday adopted strict new standards for the design of large retail stores.
The rules will apply to any stores 25,000 square feet or larger that do not have site design approval. So far, only one pending project falls under the regulations -- the proposed Wal-Mart SuperCenter on U.S. 19 at Osowaw Boulevard.
Other shops under construction, such as the Lowe's on U.S. 19 at Berkeley Manor Drive and the Publix on Mariner Drive at Northcliffe Boulevard, are not subject to the ordinance.
Representatives from Wal-Mart, who worked with county planners to craft the rule, praised the end result as "something that is quite good."
"It is chock full of restrictions and regulations that require responsible development," said Todd Pressman, the company's spokesman. "We're not thrilled with everything. But we realize there are components that the county was insistent upon, that the County Commission was insistent upon, and we have to work with them."
He asked commissioners to consider some changes on three matters, two pertaining to the numbers of parking spaces in a lot, and one relating to the look of storefronts. Commissioners heard the requests but declined to water down the rule, saying they were comfortable with staff's recommendations.
"This ordinance sets more stringent standards than we currently have in place," Commissioner Nancy Robinson told an audience that included some skeptics who feared the board was giving in to Wal-Mart's desires. "We are raising the standards . . . so this is something that is positive."
When it came to landscaping, commissioners adopted even tougher rules than staff recommended. Commissioner Diane Rowden proposed requiring a 35-foot perimeter buffer along the full length of all streets serving a retail establishment, and her colleagues unanimously agreed.
They did not accept a second idea Rowden put forth, in which commissioners would have had final authority to approve a site plan proposal. Robinson said the county Design Review Committee would have to follow the policy, and commission review would be a duplication of effort.
Wal-Mart engineers said they had no problem meeting the buffer requirement. They said the company would need to revise its site plan before resubmitting it to the county.
Linda Prescott of Hernando Beach, who has opposed the placement of a Wal-Mart SuperCenter on U.S. 19, worked with the company representatives and county officials to refine the ordinance. She applauded all involved and said the resulting rule will benefit Hernando County.
"This is what America is about, aspiring to be the best that you can be," Prescott said.
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