Hernando commissioners approve rezoning for private golf club after hours of testimony; developer to donate five‑acre fire site, report annually

The Hernando County Board of County Commissioners voted Nov. 4 to approve a rezoning request from agricultural to a planned development district (file H2420) for a 292.2‑acre property near Lake Lindsay Road to allow a private golf course and a small cluster of on‑site cottages.

The board’s approval was conditioned on a set of enforceable commitments from the applicant, including an annual community‑benefits report to county staff; a maintenance agreement for any decentralized wastewater systems; water‑quality monitoring language tied to forthcoming state rules; and a requirement that the master plan include the presentation and commitments made on the record.

The project proponent, represented by Coastal Engineering and counsel Daryl Johnston, told the board the plan envisions an 18‑hole golf course (about 110 acres of maintained turf), eight cottage structures allowing up to about 68 overnight guests, a 10,000–15,000 square‑foot member clubhouse and ancillary maintenance buildings. The developer also offered to dedicate a 5‑acre site on the south side of Lake Lindsay Road to Hernando County for a future fire station and to hold a 63‑acre parcel south of Lake Lindsay under a five‑year option for purchase by a conservation entity.

Developer presentations emphasized modern water‑management approaches: closed‑basin stormwater ponds, bioswale filtration and irrigation systems driven by ground moisture sensors and heat‑map monitoring to limit overwatering. The applicant said the course would rely primarily on recycled onsite stormwater and new‑age irrigation technology, and that any groundwater withdrawals would require Southwest Florida Water Management District permits. The team also pledged dark‑sky‑compliant lighting and a 100‑foot natural buffer around the site.

Opponents, including environmental groups and dozens of residents, urged denial. Speakers described the site as part of a wildlife corridor adjoining Withlacoochee State Forest and said their chief concerns were the potential for aquifer drawdown, increased nutrient loading from turf and fertilizer, and traffic safety on nearby two‑lane roads. The Florida Native Plant Society and local chapters of Audubon and the Sierra Club cited risks to rare plants and habitat, and residents presented petitions and crash statistics for the Lake Lindsay/US‑41 corridor.

County staff, having analyzed the petition against the 2040 comprehensive plan and land‑development code, recommended approval with performance conditions to address compatibility, drainage, utilities and traffic. Commissioners negotiated additional conditions on the record — including requiring the applicant to include its promises and architectural parameters as a master‑plan addendum — before moving to approve the rezoning.

Commissioner comments showed the board split over the larger public‑policy implications but aligned on making commitments enforceable. “If this board says yes, the commitments should be measurable,” one commissioner said while asking for annual reporting and third‑party verification of water and wastewater systems. The resolution adopted by the board makes those reporting and maintenance elements conditions of development approval.

The next procedural steps for the project are preparation and filing of the revised master plan and required permit applications for stormwater, water‑use and wastewater systems. The developer and county staff said additional agency approvals — including water‑use permits from the Southwest Florida Water Management District and any state environmental reviews — will be required before construction can begin.