Board approves 52‑acre Public Service Facility Overlay to let Boy Scouts sell land for electric cooperative operations

The Hernando County Board approved a Public Service Facility Overlay District request that will allow a 52‑acre portion of the Sandhill Scout Reservation to be used for an electric cooperative operations center and substation. The proposal, submitted by the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, is intended to generate funds for scout property improvements while providing utility staging and storm restoration capabilities for the region.

Don Lacey, engineer for the applicant, described the site’s relationship to State Road 50, nearby commercial approvals and existing power lines; he said the overlay enables co‑location of operational facilities and a substation. Planning manager Betsy Jolly said staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed chain‑of‑title issues and concluded the Boy Scouts hold fee simple title after a quiet‑title judgment. “The Boy Scouts are vested with fee simple title and have been for over 40 years,” Jolly said while submitting the final judgment into the record. Staff and several commissioners noted the sale proceeds would fund improvements and preserve the broader scout reservation.

Commissioners debated preservation concerns and long‑standing local objections to development in the area; one commissioner described the Scouts as “land rich and money poor” and supported the overlay as a way to sustain camping facilities. The board approved the overlay with conditions recommended by staff; the vote was 4 in favor, 1 opposed.