Hernando County board declares old DPW parcel surplus amid heated public opposition to proposed RISE food bank lease

Hernando County commissioners voted Sept. 9 to declare the county—oard-owned parcel commonly called the old DPW site surplus and to continue consideration of a proposed 30-year ground lease for a RISE empowerment center proposed by Community Food Bank of Citrus County after an extended public-comment period that produced strong opposition from South Brooksville residents.

The board also directed staff to run a formal public-notice process nd hold a county-run workshop for residents before taking any final lease action.

Why it matters: Several hundred residents and neighborhood leaders told the board that placing a food-distribution warehouse and related services on the notice site, located on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in South Brooksville, would not deliver the community benefits the county nd the Community Food Bank described and would instead increase truck traffic, lower property values and constrain the Community Redevelopment Area—ffort to attract taxable investment.

What the county approved: The board declared the parcel surplus by motion (Commissioner Champion, second Commissioner Loco) and voted 5-0 to continue lease consideration while staff completes a public information workshop and targeted mailings. Separately, the board approved a motion to proceed with a ground-lease discussion but said it would not finalize any agreement until after the workshop and notice to residents.

What proponents said: Community Food Bank CEO Barbara Sprague told commissioners the RISE Center is intended as an empowerment hub, not simply a warehouse, and would offer wraparound services including workforce training, medical outreach and entrepreneurial programs as well as food distribution. She said the organization has received federal ARPA funding and views the site as an opportunity to serve households across Hernando County, and that the project team had prepared a facility plan and community programming.

What opponents said: Dozens of South Brooksville residents and community leaders told the board they had not been properly notified about the proposal and said the site would bring tractor-trailer traffic, raise concerns about past contamination at the property (staff noted the site has undergone remediation and DEP has cleared it for redevelopment subject to recorded covenants) and undercut the CRA strategy to boost taxable investment. Several speakers urged the board to consider alternate locations outside residential neighborhoods, including commercially zoned parcels on U.S. 41 and State Road 50.

Board response and next steps: County Administrator Jeff Rogers and staff said DEP has completed remediation steps and the county previously adopted restrictive covenants that must be honored by any future user. The board directed staff to mail notices to the CRA boundary and other adjacent properties, erect signage on the site, coordinate with community organizations and schedule a workshop within roughly 30 days; commissioners also asked the lessee and community partners to appear and answer questions at the workshop. The board voted 5-0 on both the surplus declaration and the motion to hold the public workshop and continue lease consideration.

Budget and legal notes: County staff told commissioners the current ARPA grant to the Community Food Bank is not strictly tied to this parcel and that any final lease or transfer would be voted by the board in open session. If the board ultimately approved a lease or sale, county staff said recorded covenants and DEP conditions would remain part of the project record. No final lease or sale was executed at the Sept. 9 meeting; the board deferred any final approval until after community outreach.