County approves Meritage Homes' patio-home master plan revision for Elgin/Barclay site with short-term-rental restriction

Hernando County commissioners voted to approve a master-plan revision on a large site at Elgin Boulevard and Barclay Avenue that replaces portions of an earlier multifamily entitlement with a Meritage Homes concept emphasizing fee-simple patio homes and townhouses.

Background and proposal The site previously carried entitlements for up to 432 multifamily and attached units approved in 2023. Meritage and its consultants proposed a new buildout with roughly 300 units (about 8 units per acre), all fee-simple homes (patio homes and townhomes), larger open-space percentage, and onsite amenities including a pool and cabana and additional "holiday" parking. Meritage representatives said the product targets lower-priced, attainable single-family options and that the patio-home model provides private backyards unlike attached apartment living.

Design and conditions Planning staff and the applicant negotiated several conditions to address planning commission concerns about how the product differs from traditional single-family standards. The developer agreed to monotony controls, additional landscaping and buffers along Sterling Hills, 7.5-foot side setbacks where required, 100 extra holiday parking spaces above code, and construction details intended to reduce fire spread risk for close-built units (1-hour-rated wall assemblies and limited soffits). The developer also agreed to add language to HOA covenants restricting short-term rentals; staff said HOA covenants and final plat documents will be reviewed at final plat to ensure those restrictions are recorded.

Transportation, schools and other considerations County engineer staff and the developer discussed coordinated improvements on Barclay Avenue and the Elgin/Barclay intersection. The county plans to design and build the northern and southern portions of Barclay and the developer agreed to cost-sharing and to fund any site-specific improvements identified in the traffic analysis. The school district provided a nonbinding capacity analysis indicating a small projected high-school student impact (roughly seven students), and staff said a proportionate-share agreement for school impacts will likely be required at the development stage.

Commission deliberation and vote Commissioners who had opposed the earlier three-story apartment concept described the revised, lower-density fee-simple product as an improvement. Commissioners nonetheless emphasized the need to ensure parking, emergency access and HOA restrictions are enforceable; staff said the HOA and plat review process will capture the covenant language. The board approved the master-plan revision and directed staff to ensure the short-term-rental restriction language appears in recorded covenants.

Speakers included Meritage representatives (Steve Harding, division president; Cliff Manuel, Coastal Engineering), planner Betsy Jolley of Coastal, county staff, and county engineer Scott Herring. The motion to approve included a condition memorializing HOA language restricting short-term rentals; the motion carried unanimously.