BROOKSVILLE — The owner of an 8.4-acre parcel northeast of Brooksville is asking Hernando County for permission to land a helicopter on his property, a request the Planning and Zoning Commission will take up Monday, July 13.
Pablo Barrozo is seeking a special exception use permit to establish a private heliport on the rural, agricultural parcel about five miles northeast of the city. He has proposed calling it Jaime’s Heliport.
Barrozo wrote in his application that the heliport would support a charitable event for autistic children in Lake City held about four times a year. He expects two takeoffs and two landings per event, roughly eight of each annually, all limited to between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The aircraft is described in county documents as an ultralight helicopter with a two-stroke engine that Barrozo said is quieter than the diesel tractors he already runs on the land. The nearest home is about 700 feet away, he wrote.
Barrozo did not respond to an email seeking comment.
The commission has weighed a similar request before. In January 2025, James Haney applied to fly a small plane from a grass airstrip on 1.4 acres along White Road, roughly a quarter-mile from Cortez Boulevard. Neighbors objected, citing noise, safety, property values and the risk of emergency landings. The commission approved the airstrip 4-1 in May 2025.