Now, That's A Lot of Lots!

The implications will be long in coming. The long term promises that it will, in part, attract a diversified, higher paid workforce and a better quality of life than any other period of history in Hernando County may never be realized. As a matter of fact, those same promises may be of less impact than the costs of supporting the needs that will result from of its development. Fortunately, whatever concerns there may be at this point in time will have little or no affect for a quarter of a century. By then, another generation of residents will have spent their allotted time on Earth, leaving the financial obligations to today’s infants and those not yet born.

To most residents in Hernando County, April 26, 2007, was pretty much an uneventful day, nothing out of the ordinary. Even without verification, it can pretty much be assumed to have been a pleasant day – Florida winter temperatures were gone and the intense heat of summer were a couple months away. No doubt, there were no rain showers that day due to drought conditions. The intensity of wallowing through the 2008 county budget process was a number of months away, not that the hearings had anything to do with the decision made in April.

Decisions, decisions…

Recent data indicate there are so many cleared, yet not built on, lots in Hernando County, many of which were built during the last of the investor-happy years and never occupied, that it might take 11 years to warrant new single-family construction. This compares to 4 to 5 years each for Hillsboro, Pinellas and Pasco Counties. Citrus County is looking at 42 years of blighted construction.

Developers can’t be entirely blamed any more than real estate agents. Commissioners in each county deserve the finger that points their way. They are entrusted to provide the basic, immediate social and economic well being of their residents. The higher level of government, the less oversight and importance are given, especially when “residents” become referred to as “citizens”.

I should hope that that common man or woman would agree that community leaders who approve development to such an extent that it would take years and years to reach completion, but continue to approve additional building requests, have other interests than that of the individuals he or she was elected to represent.

Tomorrow, tomorrow…

When Sierra Properties claimed victory for the approval of its Hickory Hill subdivision in April 2007, it seemed there were too few individuals in the commission’s chamber stuttering sentences that began with “Who….?” “How…?” and “Why…?”

All of a sudden the whole atmosphere changed before my senses. It wasn’t like the Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits or Night Gallery. It was one of those Tales From the Darkside. It was a tale of unreality, where everything becomes a series of what appears to be the black and white of negative exposures with colors taking on such unnatural hews that their descriptions are lost in gray matter. I’m still not sure if realtor Rose was doing an overly enthusiastic at rubbing lotion on her hands or wringing them in sinister delight for the brew that was dished up that day with the eventual 4 to 1 decision.

Nonetheless, in addition to the possibility it will actually take 11 years to build on currently vacant lots, there are also nearly 4,000 empty homes in Hernando County, some of which were investor-built, not yet sold and occupied, and others from foreclosure. There are also an unknown number of homeowners hoping to sell their value-declining home with intentions to move elsewhere. These facts and figures indicate it will be a very, very long time between now and when additional land use hearings are given consideration for residential construction.

The next construction binge has already been approved three-times over. Hickory Hill, Sun Rise and Lake Hideaway have a total of over 10,000 lots not yet cleared. Now, that’s a lot of planning for the future! By the time new housing is needed, these will be the very developments that will bring residential construction back to prominence.

In the meantime, county commissioners will have more time to spend on how to spend less and less taxpayer contributions toward a dwindling budget that will never pay for the level and quality of services that residents will have to do without. Unfortunately, this isn’t something they had planned on.