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Commissioners approve public-service overlay to allow electric cooperative operations center on Boy Scouts land
Summary
The board voted 4-1 to allow a public service facility overlay on 52 acres of Sandhill Scout Reservation for an operations center and substation that the county and applicant say will fund Boy Scouts property improvements and support utility storm-restoration needs.
The Hernando County Board of County Commissioners approved a public-service facility overlay district (PSFOD) Tuesday for 52 acres of the Sandhill Scout Reservation to allow an electric cooperative operations center and related facilities. The vote was 4-1 in favor.
The Greater Tampa Bay Area Council (Boy Scouts) sought the overlay to permit an operations and staging area for the local electric cooperative, which told commissioners the land sits adjacent to existing power lines and a commercial-designated highway corridor (State Road 50). Coastal Engineering and planning consultant Betsy Jolley presented the application and noted the Boy Scouts own the property in fee simple after prior litigation and that a 2024 court judgment had quieted title.
Supporters, including several commissioners, said the overlay aligns facility siting with power-line infrastructure, improves regional storm-restoration staging and provides the scouts with a funding source to preserve the remainder of their camp. Commissioner Loco called the proposal a way to “preserve the area” and said the sale proceeds would help the scout property remain available for future generations.
Opponents and some community members raised concerns about preserving the will and intent of past donors and about potential loss of camping land. Commissioner Hamzler said he did not support the application based on community sentiment; he voted no. The Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended approval, 3-2, earlier.
The board’s motion to adopt the overlay passed 4-1. Commissioners noted conditions included in the Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation, and the approval tied customary public-benefit findings to the site plan and the applicants’ representations that the sale proceeds would fund camping facilities and site improvements.
Why it matters: The overlay permits public-utility operations on a portion of a long-held Boy Scouts property while preserving the remainder for scouting activities. The co-location next to transmission and commercial corridors aims to reduce infrastructure impacts and centralize outage restoration staging.
What’s next: Staff will finalize the ordinance language and conditions and submit the resolution memorializing the board’s action. The Boy Scouts and the cooperative will move ahead with site plans and permitting under the new overlay.
