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Hernando commissioners deny Lockhart Road rezoning after neighbor objections; ratify drought emergency and adopt public‑records policy
Summary
At the Jan. 28 meeting the board denied a petition to rezone an agricultural parcel on Lockhart Road (H2520) after neighbors said commercial uses would creep into a residential area; the board also ratified a drought‑emergency ordinance and adopted revised public‑records policy updates. Several other routine appointments and code‑enforcement inquiries were approved or directed to staff.
Hernando County commissioners on Jan. 28 denied a petition (file H2520) to rezone a roughly five‑acre parcel on Lockhart Road from agricultural to commercial after neighbors told the board the change would be inconsistent with the comprehensive plan and harm a quiet residential area.
Planning staff described a mediated settlement that reduced the applicant’s original C‑2 rezoning request to a Planned Development with neighborhood‑commercial uses, lower height limits (reduced to roughly 35 feet in the mediated terms) and a 25‑foot buffer to adjacent residences. Petitioner Casey Kane said he accepted the mediated restrictions to make the parcel marketable and to limit intensity.
But multiple adjacent residents — including Douglas and Matt Sager — told the board they had not been adequately consulted and objected to any commercial conversion where future land use is mapped as residential. Commissioners said the parcel’s current future‑land‑use designation and neighboring residential maps weighed heavily in their decision. Commissioner Hawkins moved to deny the special‑magistrate recommendation; the motion carried 5‑0.
"We have to be careful about commercial creep into neighborhoods; the comprehensive plan is our guide," Commissioner Hawkins said during debate.
Other board actions and votes
- Drought emergency and burn‑ban ordinance: Following a presentation from Deputy Chief Sloan about a rising drought index and high wind risk, the board ratified a resolution declaring a drought emergency and adopting implementing ordinance 2025‑02; the motion passed 5‑0.
- Public‑records policy revision: Director Dominique Holmes presented updates to Board Policy 01‑03 to reflect a surge in public‑records requests (from about 100 annual requests in 2021 to nearly 3,000 last fiscal year), to remove obsolete DVD/CD language, and to clarify per‑page copy fees. The board approved the revised policy with a small addition to define a “copy” per state practice; the motion passed 5‑0.
- Appointments and administrative matters: The board approved a Fine Arts Council appointment and several other routine items. Commissioners also asked staff to investigate alleged short‑term‑rental and boat‑rental advertising at a property called Neptune’s Grotto and directed staff to report back with factual findings before enforcement action.
What happens next: Staff will publish the county’s response to the Lockhart Road decision in the record. For the drought order, emergency rules are in place immediately; for the Chinsengate matter (separate item), staff will return a negotiated lease with FAMU. Staff will also prepare an analysis and options for possible impact‑fee updates as discussed at the meeting.
Ending The board completed a full agenda and recessed for the day after scheduling a public workshop on license‑plate readers for Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. to hear the sheriff’s office and legal analysis.
