The problem of a cemetery within a cemetery will again come to the Inverness City Council Tuesday where council members will consider giving land to Citrus County.

At issue is the historic 1.4-acre, African American Pine Hill Cemetery within the larger, city owned Oak Ridge Cemetery. The county owns Pine Hill Cemetery, which was privately donated several decades ago for African American burials.

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After a review of Pine Hill Cemetery earlier this year, city cemetery officials discovered that there had been Pine Hill Cemetery burials outside the cemetery’s original boundaries, Inverness City Manager Eric Williams told the Chronicle.

Pine Hill Cemetery was created before Oak Ridge Cemetery and is now in the southern portion of Oak Ridge. Inverness took over the Oak Hill Cemetery ownership in the 1980s.

Williams will propose to the Inverness City Council to give to the county commission about half an acre of land were Pine Hill burials occurred outside its original boundaries.

The city council will meet 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 7, at city hall, 212 W. Main St., Inverness.

Williams said the city’s cemetery, which generates revenue for the city and for maintenance of the cemetery, is operated differently than Pine Hill Cemetery.

The old African American cemetery lacks maps as to who is buried there and precisely where, lacks sales records, and burial records, Williams said.

Williams said that it would not be practical to offer to absorb Pine Hill Cemetery into Oak Ridge Cemetery and divert money away from Oak Ridge Cemetery to maintain Pine Hill.

Also in council business, Duke Energy Florida will ask the council for a small-scale comprehensive plan map amendment and zoning change.

The utility company will ask the council for the change regarding a 2-acre property on 2811 Forest Drive which is home to an obsolete bill payment center.

The current land use and zoning is low density and residential. The utility company wants that changed to commercial.

Williams said the planned use of the property is for either a fast food restaurant or a retail business.

Fred Hiers is a reporter at the Citrus Chronicle. Email him at fred.hiers@chronicleonline.com.

A total of $115,000 in scholarship funds has been awarded to 39 students by the ARA Foundation and its affiliate programs for the 2022-2023 school year.

The scholarships will provide financial assistance to students pursuing equipment and event rental-related education at trade schools, community colleges, undergraduate colleges and graduate schools.

This year’s offerings included the brand-new American Rental Association (ARA) Student Member scholarships worth $2,000 each, available exclusively to applicants who have joined the ARA student membership designation for high school and higher-level education students interested in learning and growing within the equipment and event rental industry.

The recipients and the scholarships they were awarded are:

Leonard Hawk Founders Scholarship worth $5,000 Lexa Ann Thompson, DeRidderRentals.com, DeRidder, La.

ARA Insurance Scholarship worth $4,000 Lexa Ann Thompson, DeRidderRentals.com, DeRidder, La.

ARA Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships worth $3,500 each Katherine Anne Blood, Blood’s Catering & Party Rentals, White River Junction, Vt. Matthew Steven Citron, LiftSmart, Vista, Calif. Zachary Clawson, Diamond Event, Salt Lake City Nancy Clippard, Houston ToolBank, Houston Jay Evers, Village Hardware, Leipsic, Ohio Alexis Martindale, Arapahoe Rental, Littleton, Colo. Nicoletta Nadolski, Sun Rental, Mentor, Ohio Michael Stelpflug, Middleton Farmers Cooperative, Middleton, Wis. Ryan Wechsler, Atlas Event Rental, Boynton Beach, Fla. Jonah Yingling, Capitol Rentals and Sales, Carlisle, Pa.

ARA Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships worth $2,000 each Jane Bliss, Elitsac, Castile, N.Y. Joshua Clawson, Diamond Event, Salt Lake City Tyler Hesseltine, Texas Throne, Portland, Texas Jager Jensen, Scotty’s Rentals & Landscaping, Rocky View County, Alberta, Canada Kurt Kaufmann, Jon P. Kaufmann d/b/a Fun Services, Bellevue, Mich. Kenneth Gregory Meuler, Doral Equipment Rental, Menomonee Falls, Wis. Grace Schuler, 12th Street Catering, Philadelphia Abby Stockton, Stockton Rental Co., Sheridan, Ark. Tyler Van Es, Gierke Robinson Co., Monee, Ill. Zachry Thomas Veal Jr., Beachview Event Rentals & Design, Brunswick, Ga.

ARA Foundation Graduate Scholarships worth $3,000 each Christopher Sayre, Allied Technical Services, Cincinnati Ashlyn Talcott, Wasatch Equipment Rental, Salt Lake City

ARA Foundation Trade School Scholarships worth $2,000 each Madison Clipperton, Nor-Val Equipment Sales, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada Cory Johnson, RC Watt, North Huntingdon, Pa. William Robert Pray, MEI Hambelton, Wichita, Kan.

ARA Student Member Scholarships worth $2,000 each Ella Hoffman, Overland Park, Kan. Jessica Irene Selvidge, Sunflower Rents, Topeka, Kan.

ARA of Arkansas Scholarship worth $2,500 Abby Stockton, Stockton Rental Co., Sheridan, Ark.

ARA of Georgia Scholarship worth $2,000 Zachry Thomas Veal Jr., Beachview Event Rentals & Design, Brunswick, Ga.

ARA of California Scholarships worth $1,500 each Matthew Steven Citron, LiftSmart, Vista, Calif. Gabriel Hughes, Hometown Rentals, San Dimas, Calif.

ARA of Florida Scholarships worth $1,000 Nicholas Richard Webster, True Value Rental of Inverness, Inverness, Fla. Ryan Wechsler, Atlas Event Rental, Boynton Beach, Fla.

ARA of Illinois Scholarships worth $1,000 each Rebbeca Lynn Meyers, 1st Rental & Sales, Rockford, Ill. Logan Patrick Soares, First Place Rental, Oswego, Ill. Tyler Van Es, Gierke Robinson Co., Monee, Ill.

ARA of Michigan Scholarships worth $1,000 each Garrison Stuart Booms, Booms Rent-All, Bad Axe, Mich. Kurt Kaufmann, Jon P. Kaufmann d/b/a Fun Services, Bellevue, Mich.

ARA of New York Scholarships worth $1,250 each Jane Bliss, Elitsac, Castile, N.Y. Carlin Elizabeth Reyen, Johnson Outdoors, Binghamton, N.Y.

ARA of North Carolina Scholarship worth $1,000 Alex Colin Lohrman, Party Reflections, Greensboro, N.C.

ARA of Ohio Scholarships worth $1,000 Jacob Bourque, Bedrock Party Rentals, Athens, Ohio Jay Evers, Village Hardware, Leipsic, Ohio Nicoletta Nadolski, Sun Rental, Mentor, Ohio

ARA Region 10 Dorothy Wellnitz Scholarship worth US$1,500 Jager Jensen, Scotty’s Rentals & Landscaping, Rocky View County, Alberta, Canada

ARA Region 10 Doug Mitchell Scholarship worth US$1,500 Mason Richey, West Point Rentals, Terrace, British Columbia, Canada

ARA Region Two Ron Marshall Scholarships worth $750 each Grace Schuler, 12th Street Catering, Philadelphia Jonah Yingling, Capitol Rentals and Sales, Carlisle, Pa.

Texas Rental Association/Bill Loomer Houston Area Rental Association Scholarship worth $3,000 Nancy Clippard, Houston ToolBank, Houston

Texas Rental Association Scholarships worth $1,500 each Tyler Hesseltine, Texas Throne, Portland, Texas Kayla Terrell, Display Concepts Party Rentals, Amarillo, Texas Ross Wilkins, Frontier Forklifts & Service, Pearland, Texas

ARA of Wisconsin Scholarships worth $1,000 Kenneth Gregory Meuler, Doral Equipment Rental, Menomonee Falls, Wis. Michael Stelpflug, Middleton Farmers Cooperative, Middleton, Wis.

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Despite a rocky start when a Fort Lauderdale-based developer proposed its second Inverness affordable housing project, Green Mills Group completed an important hurdle this week paving the way for its development.

The Inverness City Council voted unanimously for a comprehensive plan amendment land use change that would start the process leading to the proposed 100-unit apartment complex. The vote was the second and final vote for the comp plan land use change. Later this month the council is expected to approve the developer’s zoning change request.

The council vote ushers in the change from the property’s current comp plan designation of low density residential to high density.

Originally there was neighborhood resistance to the proposed 6.5-acre project at 1940 Forest Drive, but that changed after Green Mills representatives met with area residents and made concessions to the Longwood Gardens complex to alleviate many of their concerns.

“I think once we were able to have a dialog ... that allowed us to scale back (the project, the residents were accepting),” said Shaun Mosheim, Green Mills development manager for the project.

Although the affordable apartment complex was best suited for four stories, Green Mills reduced it to three, he said.

The developer also reduced the number of units from 110 to 100 units.

Many in the neighborhood also expressed concern about the proposed family demographics, fearing increased traffic, noise, and a change in the nature of the community.

Mosheim said he then asked “if they would be amenable to a seniors demographic,” and residents were more receptive to the change. So the project will now be open to only those 55 years old and older.

But Mosheim warned that while the proposed affordable housing for residents 55 years old and older was needed in the county, there’s still a need for affordable housing for working families.

Greg Rice, Inverness community development director, said there are still many land use steps in the process before final approval, so the public and council will have ample input.

Councilwoman Jacquie Hepfer said during Tuesday’s public council meeting that the area needed affordable housing, but this project also allows for a controlled greater density.

“I’m thrilled to see you have anti-urban sprawl,” she told Green Mills representatives at Tuesday’s meeting.

Councilman Gene Davis said that “part of small town done right” means Inverness needs to offer people affordable housing.

Mosheim told the Chronicle that part of the process now will also be to apply for a federal affordable housing tax credit, which would make the project profitable for Green Mills. Mosheim said if Green Mills isn’t awarded the tax credit through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Green Mills would apply again the following year.

Council president Cabot McBride said the community needed the affordable housing given the rising cost of homes and rentals.

“We talk all the time about smart growth,” McBride said, adding that if the dictionary had a picture of smart growth, this project would be it.

“This is something we need to do for our senior (citizens),” McBride said.

About two years ago Green Mills completed its first Inverness affordable housing project, Colonnade park, on Colonade Street.

The apartment costs are, in part, based on area incomes and are limited to people based on those incomes.

The income limit for a household with one person is $17,760 – $31,040. The limit for a two-person family will be $20,280 – $35,520, according to Green Mills.

The rent for a one-bedroom apartment would cost $475 – $951 per month, based on income. A two-bedroom apartment would cost $571 – $1,142.

The developer’s plan is to begin construction during the first quarter of 2024 and complete the project in early 2025.

Construction for Inverness's first franchise hotel started more than two years ago, and today crews are still building.

What You Need To Know

According to officials with the hotel — which is expected to have 72 rooms — it is only about 70% complete.

While his family is already in the business, Dr. Paresh Desai said he has had an eye on the hotel industry since 2018.

He purchased the two-acre property on South Seminole Avenue in early 2020, not far from the hospital where he works his day job.

“The hospital does not have any hotel in the nearby where the residents, doctors, health care workers and the patients can stay and take care of their patients,” he said.

He said that he’s faced quite a number of challenges that have pushed production on the project back.

“Shortage of material, labor, supply chain problems — so we were delivered and persistent that it would be done," he said.

“The cost of drywall has doubled since the beginning," he said. "Just two years ago, this use to be $10 for one sheet of drywall and it’s now 20 bucks.”

Most of his materials were coming from overseas, but now he’s having to look for alternate items to stay on this new schedule.

“Right now we’re into the rough ends," Dungan said. "We got the plumbing rough end so I’m one-siding all the walls inside the building now, I got one more inspection for the water test, we’ll insulate and soundproofing and we’ll close the walls up and start the texture and painting here in the next three weeks."

Desai said they are hoping to finish the project by "July or first week of August.”

Despite the challenges, he said he is still anticipating the city’s soon-to-be only franchise hotel will be what Inverness is missing to attract more visitors to the area.

While walking the property, Inverness Mayor Bob Plaisted said it’s come a long way, despite the delays. Once complete, he said the hotel would be great for the city.

“We have a plan," he said. "To go ahead and make this a big campus for the hotel and doctor's medical centers and things like that, so that going to be great and this hotel.

"We couldn’t have done all that without Dr. Desai putting up his money to get this whole thing going. He’s done a wonderful job with this.”

Desai said he has other projects he started working on in the county but had to put those on hold due to the general uncertainty.

Buttons, bumper stickers, shirts and signs — all adorned with calls to “save it, don’t pave it” and “stop the turnpike” — were the accessories of choice for several Inverness residents on Tuesday evening.

About 70 of these decorated locals gathered at the bi-monthly Inverness City Council meeting, where they voiced concerns regarding potential construction to the Florida Turnpike. The meeting included a lengthy public comment portion and concluded with the council’s decision to review a “no build” resolution, which several attendees requested.

Residents raised concerns in response to the proposed Northern Turnpike Extension (NTE), which offers four potential routes expanding the turnpike northwest through combinations of Citrus, Marion, Levy and Sumter Counties. It was conceived as part of the now-repealed Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (M-CORES) bill to improve traffic congestion and capitalize on economic development across the state.

Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, a division of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), introduced the extension as a standalone project last year. Since then, residents in the affected counties have expressed fears of land loss and environmental damage.

Inverness residents like Kevin McAdams, 67, worry that the construction of the southernmost corridor option, which reaches as close as two miles from downtown, will destroy the local nature and wildlife. During the public comment portion of the meeting, McAdams said he pictures a “landscape devoid of all the attributes and memories of the Nature Coast” if the project proceeds.

Environmental uncertainty was a major topic of discussion. In addition to resident comments, Michael McGrath, a representative from the Florida chapter of the Sierra Club and the No Roads to Ruin coalition, detailed the potential detriments to Florida’s natural resources in a presentation.

McGrath said the construction threatens vital natural areas like the Kings Bay springshed and the Withlacoochee River: two important waterways to Florida’s overall aquatic health. He said a no build option, which nullifies all construction plans, is non-negotiable.

“The no build is the only option to protect our state,” McGrath said.

FDOT representatives Jeffrey Arms and Jennifer Stults, who presented project updates and addressed questions from the council, said the department is working to minimize any environmental impacts.

The project’s schedule, Stults said, has “slid to the right about a year” to allow for more adjustments. Stults said will look to narrow the potential routes where possible, which will limit the areas affected by construction.

As Floridians, Stults said FDOT employees are conscious of the project’s consequences.

“We also want to do the right thing,” she said. “We live in Florida, too.”

The extension is in its Alternative Corridor Evaluation stage, which aims to designate one of the potential routes as the official option. FDOT will evaluate the final route against a no build option in the following Project Development and Environment study, set to conclude in 2024.

But residents want the no build now. Instead of breaking new ground, they suggested a Transportation Systems Management approach, which looks to improve existing roadways. They pointed to the expansion of Highway 44 and possible construction to Interstate 75 as alternatives to the extension.

Though not legally binding, local governments can pass no build resolutions to communicate that they are not in favor of the construction. Arms said FDOT will take these into consideration as it decides on a potential route.

More than a dozen residents participated in public comment regarding the potential construction, and all called for the council to pass a resolution immediately. Commenters like McAdams feel the move can slow the pace of the project.

“By this council endorsing a no build option, you’re sending a signal to pump the brakes,” he said.

The council ultimately sided with its constituents, unanimously agreeing to consider passing a no-build resolution. However, Cabot McBride, the council president, said the resolution will include a key revision.

McBride said the council will remain open to potential construction plans if further studies from FDOT deem them necessary. Though he and the council support taking the alternative management approach and exploring other alternatives, McBride said an extension to the turnpike through Inverness is a lingering possibility.

“We need to have the honesty, the integrity and the ability to say to all of these people sitting here that we may need to look into this again,” he said.

The council will meet May 17 to review a draft of the resolution. Council members will then vote to officially support a no build option.