BROOKSVILLE — The Brooksville City Council gave initial approval Sept. 14 to changes in the city’s tree preservation and landscaping rules, a move council members said is meant to stop developers from clearing wooded lots.
The measure passed 4-1, with Vice Mayor Thomas Bronson casting the lone no vote. Bronson said he wanted the decision that best served the greater good. A second reading and final vote are scheduled for Oct. 5.
Council Member Louis Hallal said the goal is to end the practice of “strip it, stack it and pack it” by giving developers incentives to preserve more trees. Builders have made a habit of destroying trees and then coming to the council to apologize, he said.
Mayor Christa Tanner agreed, saying developers knock down whatever trees they want and “ask for forgiveness after the fact.” She said she wants Brooksville to look different from other cities.
“I don’t work for the developer sitting up here,” she said.
Resident Buddy Self told the council the city’s tree rules are driving away business. He said a developer who planned to build a Chick-fil-A on a lot near Lowe’s instead took the restaurant and its 80 jobs to Dade City after facing $166,000 in tree mitigation costs. Stricter requirements would scare off others, he warned, and no one had addressed what the new ordinance would cost.
Self said a developer planning an affordable apartment complex on the truck route also ran into the tree ordinance and faced about $150,000 in costs. He lamented the condition of the Brooksville Country Club property, which he said has been neglected.
Costs are rising 300% to 1,000%, Self said, and city requirements add to what tenants and homeowners pay. The city can protect trees without costing jobs or trampling property rights, he said.
Hallal countered that the apartment developer presented its plan to the city and was shown which trees to preserve. The city wanted 20 trees saved, he said, and the developer came back with 40.
As for the Majestic Oaks project at the golf course, Hallal said the city “bent over backwards for those folks,” adding that the city had been threatened with a lawsuit over connection fees.
“What’s going on at the golf course had nothing to do with this,” he said. “They came before us, they gave their site plan and I guess they let their tree mitigation expire. So it’s on them that they let it expire, and then they tried to come back and get another one, but it was too late.”
The city isn’t against development, Hallal said, but developers keep clearing lots and replanting with 3-inch trees, “and we’re not a 3-inch city.”
Tanner said developers must follow the code and the city needs to make its expectations clear. After months of discussion, she said, she’s tired of talking about trees.
Lots of Leopards
Hernando High School’s homecoming court filled much of the council chambers. The students and their families were introduced, and the court posed for a photo with council members.
Members of the court are:
Freshmen: Julian C. Delape and Sierra M. Webber
Sophomores: Julissa Novoa, Riley R. Rapone, Truman Knox and Ty F. Ward
Juniors: Javon A. Fenters, Lane C. Goodwin, Mason V. Pauliot, Emerson G. Webber, Lilly A. Eversole and Pushti K. Patel
Seniors: Carlon A. Arnold, Vadin Mankotya, Jake R. Larkins, Kymareyon J. Mason, Zachery Bryant, Ayana A. Kincade, Leah A. Gentry, Maisey Knox, Rose L. Lassiter and Snow A. Mazourek
In other action
The council voted 5-0 to approve a contract with the law firm Trask Daigneault LLP and welcomed attorney Erica Augello to the dais. Augello and backup attorney Zoe Rawls will bill $315 an hour, and travel time will be billed at $75 an hour, both in tenth-of-an-hour increments. Meals and mileage will not be billed separately.
A resident who wants to buy and renovate the property at 314 Hendricks Ave. asked the council to reconsider an $86,000 code enforcement fine on it. Tanner said the matter has come before the council twice. Community Services Director David Hainley said the fine has already been reduced and that he did not want to add the item to an agenda without council approval. The council agreed by consensus to take it up at a future meeting.
Gina Hall was appointed to the Brooksville Housing Authority for a term ending June 30, 2030.
The council recognized Timothy Downin on his retirement after 21 years at the city’s water and wastewater treatment plant. Downin worked his way up to plant operator II, and the city praised his knowledge, experience and leadership.
The council also read a proclamation recognizing Constitution Week, Sept. 17-23.