Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Waterfront Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves limited expansion for Neptune27s Grotto after intense public debate over river protections
Summary
After extended public comment and questions about river protections and permitting, commissioners approved Neptune27s Grotto27s PDP clarification: 8 slips (max 5 commercial at any time), one pontoon exception above 14 feet, one existing vintage travel trailer allowed, and day-passes limited to the Neptune brand. Approval included conditions linking continued operations to permits and parking requirements.
The Hernando County Board of County Commissioners voted to clarify and condition recreational uses at Neptune27s Grotto, a small waterfront motel and tourism site on the Weeki Wachee/Mud River, after a lengthy and emotional public hearing.
Jason Soldini, who operates Neptune27s Grotto, told the board the business restored and cleaned up a previously dilapidated property and sought written clarity for boat-rental practices, glamping trailers and day-pass policies. "This request does not involve increasing the number of rental boats," Soldini said, adding the operation27s theme and small-scale rental model are intended to be low-impact.
But the hearing drew numerous neighbors and environmental advocates who argued any expansion of commercial marine activities risks damage to sensitive springs and manatee habitat, and said the Riverine Protection Ordinance (RPO) should preclude additional commercial moorings. "Approving this expansion would send a dangerous message that our ordinances are optional," said Timothy Audette, a resident opposing the request.
Planning staff said the site27s prior approvals were ambiguously worded and that Planning & Zoning had recommended language clarifying total slips and commercial limits. Staff also said PDP recreational uses can be consistent with the comprehensive plan if performance conditions (parking, buffers and limits on commercial activity) are enforceable at permitting.
After deliberation the board adopted a compromise motion. The approved conditions (as read into the record) included:
- Limit the total number of slips at the site to 8. - Limit the maximum number of commercial vessels moored at any time to 5. - Allow one commercial vessel to exceed 14 feet in length only for a pontoon-style boat intended for Gulf use. - Permit the single existing vintage travel trailer on site to remain (the board did not expand approval to three trailers). - Allow day passes only for guests of the Neptune Old Florida Adventure Retreats brand (including affiliated off-site vacation rentals) and only based on available on-site parking; the site-development permit must include a parking plan. - Require maintenance of any state and federal permits (for example, waterway or vessel delivery permits) as a condition of continued operation.
Commissioner Champion moved for approval, citing the applicant27s willingness to accept limits and staff27s recommended conditions; Commissioner Hamzler seconded. The motion passed 5-0.
What the approval means: The action clarifies the site27s previously vague entitlements and ties continued commercial activity to explicit permit and parking requirements. Staff will require the applicant to show required state permits and will review a site-development permit to confirm parking, buffer and RPO-related conditions before full implementation.
Representative quotes from the hearing capture the tension: "We will not be silent. More boats mean more noise, more fuel runoff, and more habitat disruption," said an opponent. The applicant responded, "We're not trying to become 5 rental pontoon boats; our vintage boats are the core offering."
