Brooksville council OKs mediated settlement, rezones Wisconn Road site for 92-home subdivision

Brooksville City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a mediated settlement with Brooksville Associates and to adopt Ordinance 983 rezoning about 41.22 acres on the north side of Wisconn Road for a maximum of 92 single‑family lots.

The council’s action follows a mediation under the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act and a months‑long dispute over what the property owner contends are vested rights to a much larger development. The settlement and rezoning reduce the petitioner’s claimed entitlement and set development parameters the city and the owner agreed would avoid protracted litigation.

The mediated agreement was reached in December 2024 after the owner filed a petition on Sept. 25, 2024. Derek Schroth, the magistrate‑mediator who led the process, described his role and the settlement’s purpose: “I’m a neutral party. Both sides pay for my fee equally in this matter,” Schroth said, adding that mediation averted a full contested evidentiary hearing.

Why it matters: The property’s comprehensive‑plan designation could allow up to 741 dwelling units at certain densities, a figure the petitioner has cited from prior approvals dating to the 1989 annexation. Council members and residents had earlier cited flooding, road…