BROOKSVILLE — Investors in a proposed commercial complex got some good news Monday night when the City Council tentatively agreed to proposed zoning changes along the State Road 50 bypass.
Owners from Innovators Investment Group are looking to ready 7.76 acres along the north side of the bypass — west of Hale Avenue and east of Mildred Avenue — for commercial development while remaining considerate of an adjacent residential area.
"You know what we're going to be restrained by; we know what we're going to be restrained by," said Mike Gaylor of Gaylor Engineering, representing the investment group. "We'll work through it."
Plans for the property, part of a 14-acre undeveloped tract along the highway, have been in the works since the parcel and surrounding properties were annexed into the city in 2006 and 2007. The council gave preliminary approval for zoning changes in 2007, but some members were concerned about the property's proximity to a residential area and wanted to be sure there were buffers between the businesses and homes.
Last December, a dispute between the two sides erupted when council members abruptly denied Innovators Investment changes it requested to the comprehensive plan. The company retaliated by threatening the city with a lawsuit.
Since then, there has been a give and take as the developers and city planners negotiated on the size of required buffers and the limits on building heights.
Brooksville resident Jeff Werner, who lives near the proposed project, said he would like to be certain "there won't be a 60-foot-tall building overlooking my back yard."
Gaylor said that while current economic conditions have curtailed any firm plans for the development, he assured the council that his clients will one day "have a site plan that will serve us and you into the future."
The agreement says a drive-through restaurant, convenience store or a high-traffic business cannot be part of the plan.
The resolution will have its second reading Nov. 16. The developer must submit more details on the project within a year.
Logan Neill can be reached at lneill@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1435.
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