Brooksville council approves rezoning for 462-acre Southern Hills development after conditions on berms, fire station land

The City of Brooksville on Monday adopted Ordinance 984, rezoning roughly 462.3 acres east of U.S. 41 and north of Powell Road to a Planned Development Project Residential (PDPR) classification after the applicant and staff agreed to a set of conditions meant to address drainage, buffering and future fire service needs.

Council approved the second and final reading of the ordinance by a 4‑0 vote. Council member McKeithen, Council member Hallowell (participating remotely), Vice Mayor Bronson and Mayor Krista Tanner voted in favor.

The rezoning drew the most substantive public attention to two practical issues: how a proposed berm along Powell Road would affect drainage for downstream landowners and how the city would secure land and funding for a future fire station serving the development’s north end.

Applicant representative Cliff Manuel, president of Coastal Engineering, told the council the developer revised the master plan to reflect council direction and staff recommendations and that the plan now includes a six‑foot berm along Powell Road and a donated parcel for a future fire station. "We are comfortable with staff recommendation, comfortable with the berm, comfortable with the 6 foot height, and we aren't planning to put any culverts under it, that would adversely impact [residents]," Manuel said during the public hearing. He also said the berm design and floodplain permitting will be subject to required permits from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and other floodplain procedures.

Several residents who live along Powell Road urged the council to ensure the berm would not channel drainage onto existing properties. Michael Delohe and Michael Zalohi both told the council they were concerned that culverts or weep holes in a berm could re‑route stormwater onto adjoining properties; both asked that the record reflect their concern and requested assurance from the hydrologic review. Bob Morgan, a sworn speaker, said he saw the donated fire‑station land as "window dressing" unless the city can also fund construction and operation.

Council and staff clarified several points during the hearing. David Hainley, director of community development, confirmed the master plan revision posted with the agenda shows a six‑foot berm along Powell Road and that the emergency access on Powell Road would be gated, include a Knox box, and not be used for construction. Manuel said the developer agreed to donate the land ‘‘with no impact fee credits’’; the developer will still pay applicable impact fees. Manuel also said the applicant would participate in any citywide surcharge for fire services if the city adopted such a surcharge and all other developers were required to pay the same fee; he framed that as a condition to avoid competitive disadvantage.

Councilman Howell pressed for clarity about whether the developer had committed to pay directly toward a temporary station or only to donate land and participate in a prospective citywide surcharge. Manuel and the applicant said the primary contribution was the donated land and normal impact fees; additional payments toward construction would depend on a future city ordinance and equal application to other developments. Interim planning discussion estimated a development timeline of about two years to start permitting and an additional three to five years to build out, meaning full buildout could take roughly five to seven years. An interim fire station cost cited during the hearing was about $100,000, according to remarks attributed to the interim fire chief.

After discussion, Councilman Howell and other members said the revised plan represented an improvement over previously approved development options: it restricts general access on Powell Road to emergency use only, adds buffering and a berm, and secures land for a fire station. With those changes the council voted to approve the ordinance.

Votes at the meeting related to the rezoning included acceptance of the applicant’s packet of evidence and the qualification of Cliff Manuel as an expert witness on engineering and drainage, each approved by unanimous vote prior to the ordinance vote. The council closed the public hearing before taking final action.

The ordinance now proceeds as approved. The council and staff noted additional technical approvals — such as SWFWMD hydrology permits and floodplain compensation measures — remain part of later permitting and engineering review and could require further design adjustments.

The decision concluded the quasi‑judicial hearing on this rezoning; councilmembers said future discussions about revenue mechanisms for fire infrastructure and coordination with other nearby developments remain likely as the project advances.