BROOKSVILLE — Liam Perez, 8, could barely reach the microphone, but what he said resonated with nearly everyone in the County Commission’s chambers that day.

“I don’t like the idea of killing thousands of trees just to build 246 houses,” he said. “This overdevelopment will leave wild animals without their home.”

Children won’t be able to ride their bicycles safety, he added, and his little brother wouldn’t be safe walking to the bus stop.

“Please reconsider not to destroy our beautiful neighborhood,” he said. “Please do not disrupt our childhoods. My little brother is 5 years old and can’t write, so I am making his vote count.”

It was Nov. 16 and the commissioners were plowing through a long agenda. Residents who came to give public comment for the land development items on the agenda were upset to learn that the 9 a.m. time was just when the meeting would start, not when the item would be addressed.

Almost 10½ hours after the meeting began, the item finally was before the commission and the applicant made a presentation. The item was a petition from Theodoros N. Zorbas and Charles S. Taylor Living Trust to rezone 72.7 acres of land from agricultural and commercial uses to a Planned Development Project.

It’s near Gainsboro Avenue and Delbarton Street, south of the busy Cortez Boulevard commercial corridor, and east of Mariner Boulevard.

It’s a relatively quiet neighborhood, though one can hear the bustle of Cortez Boulevard with its big-box stores not far away, on the other side of the large wooded lot where development is proposed. At the end of Delbarton Street, there’s a dead end to the road and barbed wire blocks access to the tract of wooded land to the east that would have been the entrance to the new development.

Gainsboro Avenue ends, too, but there’s no fence. Just a sign telling of the past County Commission meeting, and a path that winds through the woods to the north.

The new development’s plans have been before the Planning & Zoning Commission, which recommended approval on Aug. 9, and was scheduled to go before the County Commission on Sept. 14, when it was postponed to Oct. 12. On Oct. 12, it was postponed to Nov. 16.

Citizens had attended previous commission meetings and spoke out against the development, with Diane Liptak of Hernando Beach, who attends nearly every County Commission meeting and speaks out in nearly every public comment session against more development, describing the houses to be built as “sardine homes” for “millennials” who, she said at an earlier meeting, would not be involved with the community.

The developer showed illustrations with lots modified in size to decrease encroachments on neighbors, and tried to address concerns over entrances and exits from the development and the impact on traffic, especially on Delbarton Street.

It’s a touchy topic, since Delbarton Street comes to a dead end, one that in the proposal would be connected to the streets of the new development.

It’s a quiet street of small homes, mostly, and few vehicles, save those of residents’ venture into the dead end.

When the time for public comment came, residents of Delbarton Street talked about the feared impact of the development on their community and their lives.

Fred Lucas said his grandparents bought three lots at the dead end of Delbarton Street more than 20 years ago.

They built a house there, he said, and he lives there. “When they bought the property, they were told they would never have any homes built there.”

He said opening the streets for the “overpopulated, overcrowded sardine houses” would compromise his safety and take away his independence since there are no sidewalks, and he likes to walk to Sam’s Club and the other stores to the north.

Two children then spoke, and said they would no longer be safe if the development was built, plus it would put a strain on the overcrowded school system.

Then Liam Perez spoke about his fears for the other children and the schools.

They and the others also submitted written and heartfelt statements calling on the commission to do the right thing by them.

Adults who spoke up after the children made similar arguments about school crowding, safety, drainage and traffic, and emphasized that they were not against development, but overdevelopment, especially in the area near their community.

It’s a common declaration at these meetings, and in similar meetings not only in other Florida counties but all over the U.S. when housing developments are proposed.

Commissioner Jeff Holcomb suggested moving a gate and giving the children a park at the end of Delbarton Street, “and you guys can have everything else. I’ll make the motion if you agree to that.”

The petitioner said it couldn’t take away from their acreage, and asked who would own it.

“It’s almost 8 o’clock,” Holcomb said, “so let’s make a deal.”

Commission Chairman Steve Champion said he didn’t even know if the property could legally be given away.

The subdivision would be gated, with a treed, boulevard entrance from the Sam’s Club easement to the north.

Changing the entrance and exit would relieve the pressure on the residents of Delbarton Street, where there would be no connection, but probably would upset the residents of the two houses on Gainsboro Avenue where a secondary road would pass through to the development.

When the time came to vote, the motion finally passed 5-0.

So the development was approved, but with the changes the most-vocal neighbors wanted.

Florida is a “property rights” state, and while some might think commissioners are corrupt and in the pockets of developers, and make such accusations regularly, the people who make land use and rezoning decisions often have to follow rules that are beyond their control.

The state’s Bert Harris Act, for instance, allows property owners to challenge local government regulations or ordinances that burden, restrict, or limit private property rights.

Governments can and do attach stipulations to approvals that can require a developer to build or improve roads, build sidewalks, plant trees and bushes to serve as buffers with neighboring communities and much more. The school district also has input with developers on their plans.

A landowner who finds an effort to develop a property zoned for a particular use to be denied could take the county to court.

So commissioners tend to lean toward developers in their decisions, but experience shows that if affected residents are vocal enough and, more importantly, get involved in the process as early as possible, they might stop a proposed project or at least get the developer to agree to modifications and stipulations to limit the impact of the project on their community.

People have always seen Florida as a desirable place to retire to. Low taxes, low home prices (at least until recently), lots of available land and milder weather in winter bring in the venerable “snowbirds” as well as younger people seeking a new start in fast-growing cities and suburbs.

The state’s estimated 2021 population is 21.6 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It’s the third-most-populous state in the U.S., behind Texas and first-place California.

The federal agency includes Pasco and Hernando counties in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area, and some include Citrus and Manatee counties in their calculations.

The estimated population is about 3.14 million, and it’s expected to increase.

At Pasco and Hernando county commission meetings, a common lament is that people have moved from the lower counties — Pinellas and Hillsborough, especially — into these fast-growing northern counties to get away from crowded areas and suburban sprawl, often by moving into communities that are struggling with the influx of new residents, their cars and their children.

NEXT WEEK: Rural property owners fight a second subdivision, with surprising results.

Photos by VINCENT F. SAFUTO

HT-12XX-DEVELOPMENT1A1 – If the new development is built, this road will be the main entrance into the subdivision, which will be gated. Right now, the road is used for parking trailers, and the end is strewn with garbage.

HT-12XX-DEVELOPMENT1A2 – An early proposal would have connected this quiet dead-end street, Delbarton Street, into a road connected within the planned subdivision. People who live on Delbarton argued successfully against it being connected to the development’s road system.

HT-12XX-DEVELOPMENT1A3 – The dead end of Gainsboro Avenue will be a secondary access to the new subdivision. Right now, a path leads north toward the Sam’s Club.

HT-12XX-DEVELOPMENT1A4 – This diagram shows the proposed development as submitted initially to the commission. At bottom right, Delbarton Street dead-ends into what would have been an entrance to the property, but now the secondary entrance will be on Gainsboro Avenue, at the bottom of the diagram.

BROOKSVILLE — Jeremy Fuentes was having a good time at the courthouse the night of Dec. 2, waving around a lighted sword and pretending to be a swashbuckler as he and his mom waited for the tree outside the courthouse to be lit.

“It’s beautiful. I love the coziness of the downtown. I love the people, and all the tents,” said Yahaira Fuentes of Spring Hill.

It was a cool, clear night in downtown Brooksville and the streets were packed with people who filled the area in front of the courthouse, seeking a good view of the Christmas tree.

In tents up and down the street, vendors sold a variety of items. In one tent, Cindy Connor of Brooksville had a variety of Mary Kay items for sale. Her husband works for the Department of Veterans Affairs in its Information Technology department, and she’s a former employee of the agency who now sells Mary Kay full-time.

They’re lived in the area for a year, having moved up from St. Petersburg, and it’s been an adjustment, she said.

“I love seeing every city area, but where we live it’s like, it takes about 15 minutes to find civilization,” she said. “We lived in St. Petersburg, so you’re used to like your next-door neighbor being right there.

“Where we live, there’s like a half-acre between the houses.”

Her husband is from Alaska, though, and he recalls even more space between houses.

This was her first time downtown. “I like it,” she said. “I really do.”

Under the watchful eyes of sheriff’s deputies, people moved around and jostled against each other at certain areas.

At the Main Street Eatery, Max Molina, Megan Nowell and Aria Molina-Nowell, 4, enjoyed a bite to eat.

The restaurant was packed, and occasionally an employee would come out to call a name for inside seating.

Molina said they live in Spring Hill, but came from Dade City.

“Parking wasn’t a problem,” Molina said, mainly because they arrived early and got a nearby space.

For blocks around the courthouse, nearly every available spot that could hold a vehicle had one, and drivers drove around as darkness fell, trying to find a place to put their car or SUV.

“It’s going to be a good event,” Nowell said of the lighting.

As the scheduled time for the tree lighting got closer, people began packing into the area around the courthouse. The Live Oak Theatre Company provided live entertainment, including a short play and then some Christmas songs. Other entertainers showed their talent, and Natalie Kahler of Brooksville Main Street finally announced that it was time for the tree lighting.

Before that, though, a sleigh was revealed that would be available through the season for photos, and finally after an introduction of local officials and the family of the late Dr. Dennis Wilfong, Kahler held a countdown to the lighting of the tree.

People cheered as the music came up and the lights went on.

Among those in the crowd was a couple, Tyler and Becca, who said it was the biggest event in Brooksville they’d seen in a while.

After the lighting, some people began to walk to their cars, but many others seemed inclined to stay in the area for a while.

At the Dec. 6 council meeting, members were unanimous in their praise for the event.

City manager Ron Snowberger said it was “fantastic,” and that he’d talked to people and they were very excited.

“It’s good for Brooksville and it’s good for business,” he said.

“Main Street did a phenomenal job,” member David Bailey said.

Kahler said she was happy with the turnout and the happenings, too.

She said she was “super-anxious” about whether the tree would light up, but it did.

The estimated crowd was about 10,000, Kahler said, with some people coming in early and others coming later.

“We were really happy with how it turned out,” she said. “The community was definitely waiting for that event to come back, so we wanted to make sure we did it right.”

BROOKSVILLE — An expansion project at the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport will eventually result in 900 jobs in the area, the County Commission learned at its April 12 meeting.

The deal with Burrell Aviation Brooksville means the company will lease 86 acres next to Runway 09-27, and it hopes in four years to build out an air cargo, maintenance and logistics facility. The capital investment is estimated at $75 million for 700,000 square feet. After four years, land lease rates will rise from a reduced amount of $112,385 to current fair market value, including appraisal and reevaluation, every five years.

Company chief executive David Goldschmidt said his family had moved to the Brooksville area in the 1950s and ran the Oaks Motel.

Burrell has been a commercial real estate developer since 2007, he said, and the company identified the Brooksville area as a good place among others in Florida in which to expand.

Economic Development Director Valerie Pianta said the county had been working with the Burrell group on a “significant aviation project” for more than a year.

Goldschmidt, chief executive of the Burrell Group, said the center at BKV is a good idea because the Tampa airport is too congested.

“It’s just through the growth of Hernando County and the Florida market as well as the great efforts and growth that we got from Valerie and her team in working with your county,” he said.

Commissioner Jeff Holcomb said this is utilizing the airport, as has been talked about for years.

“This is what the folks want,” he said, noting he often sees deliveries that have arrived at his home. “This is the project that’s probably been talked about for 20-plus years, maybe.”

John Rodstrom, the company’s head of finance, said it was COVID that brought the company to Hernando County. “What it did was it unlocked e-commerce like it never did in our lifetime,” he said. “We don’t think that genie is going back in the bottle.”

He said Tampa International and Orlando International are full and expensive, and that the tenants are primed to come to BKV.

“We like this,” Commission Chairman Steve Champion said.

Commissioner Beth Narverud asked if the long runway had something to do with their arrival, and Rodstrom said that was a factor.

This has been a priority for a long time, Champion said.

Commissioner John Allocco said he liked the project and the jobs coming with it.

Commissioner Wayne Dukes said putting the control tower in helped a bit.

County Administrator Jeff Rogers said this is the outcome of years of investment in infrastructure.

A motion to approve passed 5-0.

TAMPA BAY, Fla — The extreme cold has sparked several counties to open cold weather shelters.

The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Monday morning, January 24 for Hernando, Citrus, Levy, Sumter, and inland Pasco Counties.

A freeze warning means widespread freezing temperatures are expected to occur. Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 28 are possible.

COLD WEATHER SHELTERS

HERNANDO

Men’s Shelter Women’s Shelter ‘Mary’s House’

1090 Mondon Hill Road 1163 Howell Avenue

Brooksville, FL 34605 Brooksville, FL 34601

Phone: (352) 799-2912 ext.103 Phone: (352) 799-2912 ext.109

PASCO

Pasco County is coordinating with the Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County to open a Cold Weather Shelter on the east side of the county Sunday, January 23, 2022, for anyone needing a warm place to spend the night.

The shelter will open Sunday at 5 p.m. and close Monday, January 24 at 8 a.m.

To make sheltering arrangements, you must call the following number by 8 p.m.Sunday evening:

Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County / (727) 842-8605, Ext. 6

SARASOTA

Sarasota County Emergency Management officials have opened a cold-weather shelter for those in need.

The Salvation Army – Center of Hope, 1400 10th St., Sarasota will conduct their normal cold weather operation plan Sunday, Jan. 23, with intake beginning at 7 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m. and breakfast will be served at 5:30 a.m.

In south county, a cold-weather shelter will open at 100 Church, 14525 Tamiami Trail, North Port at 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022. It will close the following morning.

HILLSBOROUGH

With limited capacity, Hillsborough County’s cold weather shelters program will be activated on Sunday, Jan. 23, for the homeless and those who live in homes without adequate heat.

The availability of motel vouchers will be limited because of a busy event weekend.

Important changes for this season: Congregate shelters will be at limited capacity and will comply with social distancing recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each resident who chooses to take advantage of cold weather shelters will be screened upon entry. Residents and volunteers will be required to wear a face-covering while inside the shelter, and one will be provided if they do not have one. Meals will be served in single-serve containers.

Hillsborough County is partnering with The Portico and Amazing Love Ministries to provide limited-capacity cold weather shelters for adults.

The Portico1001 N. Florida Ave., Tampa FL, 33605Opens at 6 p.m. for adults Amazing Love Ministries3304 E. Columbus Dr., Tampa, FL, 33602Opens at 6 p.m. for adults

Metropolitan Ministries and Tampa Crossroads are supplying a limited number of single-night motel vouchers on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-registration is required by calling the numbers below. Phone lines turned on at 9 a.m., and the deadline to call is 5 p.m.

Individuals and couples without children can call (813) 702-0850.

Buyers and sellers of real estate alike—when asked what are the three most essential considerations about a property—will nearly always reply “location, location, location.”

While this answer is sometimes tongue-in-cheek, it is often quite accurate, and this reply perhaps applies to retirees more than any other demographic. Settling down after a lifetime of working and perhaps raising a family calls for the perfect location: a spot where you can enjoy life with as few concerns as possible.

When seniors aged 65 years or older decide on where they want to live out their golden years, they consider very specific factors, such as the cost of living, government services, health care facilities, weather and overall climate, crime rate, outdoor recreational activities, eating establishments, cultural and entertainment opportunities, and more.

Stacker compiled a list of the best counties to retire in Florida using data from Niche. Niche ranks counties based on a variety of factors including cost of living, healthcare, recreation and weather. Read more about Niche’s methodology here.

Location is critical as retirees determine where to spend their senior years enjoying favorite activities; however, it’s a very unique decision based on a multitude of preferences and needs. Whether it be bustling downtowns or access to parks, affordable home prices or cultural amenities like museums, retirees seeking to settle in a permanent spot are sure to find a private paradise in any of these counties recommended by Niche because, in the end, there is no place like home—no matter the location.

Read on to discover the best counties to retire to in Florida.

1 / 25Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#25. Gulf County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A), cost of living (B), weather (A-), outdoor activities (B+)– Top places to live: Port St. Joe (B+)

2 / 25Canva

#24. Nassau County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A), cost of living (B-), weather (A-), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: Fernandina Beach (A-), Yulee (B+), Callahan (B)

3 / 25Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Levy County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A), cost of living (A-), weather (A-), outdoor activities (A-)– Top places to live: Williston (B), Cedar Key (B), Bronson (B-)

4 / 25Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Franklin County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A), cost of living (B+), weather (A-), outdoor activities (B+)– Top places to live: Apalachicola (B+), Eastpoint (C+), Carrabelle (B-)

5 / 25Canva

#21. St. Johns County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A), cost of living (C+), weather (A-), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: Nocatee (A+), Palm Valley (A+), Fruit Cove (A+)

You may also like: Most rural counties in Florida

6 / 25Georgia Guercio // Wikimedia Commons

#20. Flagler County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (C+), weather (A-), outdoor activities (A-)– Top places to live: Palm Coast (B+), Flagler Beach (B), Bunnell (B)

7 / 25Georgia Guercio // Wikimedia Commons

#19. St. Lucie County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (C+), weather (A), outdoor activities (A-)– Top places to live: Lakewood Park (B), Port St. Lucie (B), River Park (B)

8 / 25Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#18. Pasco County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B-), weather (A), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: Wesley Chapel (A), Land O’ Lakes (A), Odessa (A)

9 / 25Canva

#17. Marion County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B), weather (A-), outdoor activities (A-)– Top places to live: Ocala (B+), Belleview (B-), Dunnellon (B-)

10 / 25Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Volusia County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B-), weather (A), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: DeBary (A-), Port Orange (A-), Ponce Inlet (B+)

11 / 25Michael Kagdis // Wikimedia Commons

#15. Palm Beach County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (C-), weather (A), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: Grandview Heights (A+), Highland Beach (A), Boca Raton (A)

12 / 25Roman Eugeniusz // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Manatee County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (C+), weather (A), outdoor activities (A-)– Top places to live: Whitfield (A-), Ellenton (B+), West Bradenton (B+)

13 / 25Daniel Wilton // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Hernando County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B), weather (A), outdoor activities (A-)– Top places to live: North Brooksville (B+), South Brooksville (B), Brooksville (B)

14 / 25Swarm // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Collier County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (C), weather (A), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: Pelican Bay (A), Naples (A), Pine Ridge (A-)

15 / 25Canva

#11. Lake County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B-), weather (A), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: Clermont (A-), Montverde (B+), Silver Lake (B+)

You may also like: Counties with the most super commuters in Florida

16 / 25Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#10. Citrus County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B+), weather (A-), outdoor activities (A-)– Top places to live: Citrus Hills (B+), Sugarmill Woods (B), Hernando (B)

17 / 25Zhukova Valentyna // Shutterstock

#9. Brevard County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B-), weather (A), outdoor activities (A-)– Top places to live: Satellite Beach (A+), South Patrick Shores (A), Indian Harbour Beach (A)

18 / 25Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons

#8. Sumter County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B-), weather (A), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: The Villages (B+), Bushnell (B+), Wildwood (B)

19 / 25Canva

#7. Martin County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (C+), weather (A), outdoor activities (A-)– Top places to live: North River Shores (A), Jensen Beach (A), Palm City (A-)

20 / 25Canva

#6. Charlotte County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B-), weather (A), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: Punta Gorda (B+), Charlotte Park (B+), Grove City (B+)

21 / 25Canva

#5. Pinellas County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (C+), weather (A), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: Euclid-St. Paul (A+), Holiday Park (A+), North Shore (A+)

22 / 25Nadezda Murmakova // Shutterstock

#4. Lee County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (C+), weather (A), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: Whiskey Creek (A), Gateway (A), Sanibel (A)

23 / 25Fl295 // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Highlands County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B+), weather (A), outdoor activities (B+)– Top places to live: Lake Placid (B), Avon Park (B-), Sebring (B-)

24 / 25Canva

#2. Indian River County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (B-), weather (A), outdoor activities (A-)– Top places to live: Indian River Shores (A), South Beach (A-), Wabasso Beach (A-)

25 / 25Creative Couple Media // Shutterstock

#1. Sarasota County

– Niche grades: good for retirees (A+), cost of living (C+), weather (A), outdoor activities (A)– Top places to live: South Sarasota (A), Osprey (A), South Gate Ridge (A)

You may also like: Most popular baby names for boys in Florida