On July 14, Coastal Engineering Associates hosted a public information workshop at the Sand Hill Scout Reservation, located at Cortez Boulevard in Spring Hill, Hernando County, Florida. The meeting, which drew around 20 attendees, was held to discuss a proposal to rezone approximately 604 acres of the reservation from recreation to a planned development district. Donald Lacey, senior vice president of Coastal Engineering Associates, presented the proposal, which would allow the owners of the reservation to sell parcels to various interested parties, including the county, the school board, or commercial enterprises.
The Sand Hill Scout Reservation, a 1300-acre property gifted to the Boy Scouts of America in the late 1970s, has been used extensively by the Scouts for camping and other events. The proposed rezoning area consists of much of the northern half of the property, which runs along Cortez Boulevard. Lacey stated that the Scouts would likely use the money from any potential sale for further scouting activities. However, the majority of attendees expressed unhappiness with the proposal, particularly given that an initial message sent to the community had mistakenly listed about 52 affected acres, not 604. Lacey attributed the mistake to an error and emphasized that the court had determined the Scouts had the right to sell a portion of the property like any other landowner.
The proposal has sparked concerns among residents, with one attendee expressing worry that her family would be impacted by the potential development. While Lacey appeared confident that the property would not be sold for the development of an AI data center, some attendees remained skeptical. The rezoning proposal is subject to approval, and it is unclear what the future holds for the Sand Hill Scout Reservation.
For more information on the proposal, residents can visit the Hernando County website or contact Coastal Engineering Associates directly. Additional resources include the Boy Scouts of America website and the Hernando County Planning Department.
Originally reported by Hernando Sun
Sources: Hernando Sun
