Hernando Commission delays vote on 907-home Ginny Grove project

Hernando County commissioners put off a vote Monday on a two-part rezoning that would clear the way for Ginny Grove, a 907-unit housing project planned for 226 acres between Lockhart Road and Interstate 75.

The delay came at the applicant’s request, but it keeps alive a development fight that has already drawn heavy scrutiny from neighbors and planners. The proposal would change the land from agricultural zoning to a single-family planned development, with lots at least 5,500 square feet and 50 feet wide and homes no taller than 35 feet. The plan also includes park space and other amenities, part of an effort to present the project as a conventional master-planned community rather than a dense subdivision.

Commissioner John Allocco said the pause was meant to give the applicant time to address issues raised earlier in the review, including roads, emergency medical service access and broader transportation concerns. He said the petition will have to be re-advertised and expects it back at the board’s next land-use meeting on May 4.

The Planning and Zoning Commission had already approved the rezoning 4-1 on March 9 after more than two hours of testimony. The county’s case listings identified the petitions as H2539 and H2540, both filed by Jack Melton Family Inc. The company is incorporated in Florida and was formed on April 1, 1975. It is tied to 21628 Lockhart Rd. in Dade City, a location close to the corridor now under review.

Opponents have argued that the lots are too small and that the project would push Hernando farther toward the kind of rapid, auto-oriented growth seen in neighboring Pasco County. Brooksville resident Carmen Frongillo told commissioners that growth is inevitable, but said it should come with safer roads, sidewalks and design standards that fit the neighborhood. Those objections remain unresolved as the board prepares for another hearing.

The stakes are high because Hernando is growing fast. The county’s population rose from 194,515 in the 2020 census to an estimated 218,150 in 2024, and its comprehensive-plan materials say land-use decisions should help identify and program public infrastructure needs. That is why roads, EMS access and compatibility have become central tests for this project and others like it.

Hernando County’s Planning Department says it handles rezoning, master plan review, special exception permits, conditional use permits and concurrency, placing Ginny Grove squarely within the county’s growth-management process. With another land-use hearing scheduled on the board calendar, nearby homeowners still have one more opportunity to press their case before commissioners take up the rezoning again.