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Hernando commissioners end talk of sending water to Pasco County

 
Developers of this parcel on the Pasco County side of County Line Road  requested water service from Hernando County. STEVE MADDEN | Times
Developers of this parcel on the Pasco County side of County Line Road requested water service from Hernando County. STEVE MADDEN | Times
Published March 28, 2018

BROOKSVILLE — After initial talks with officials in Pasco County and sharp criticism from county residents, the Hernando County Commission voted Tuesday to abandon all plans to provide water to a business on the Pasco side of County Line Road.

Commissioners heard a pitch last month from one of the land owners, Randy Woodruff, who hoped to get water to a 20-acre parcel he wants to develop. He was willing to pay the cost of boring under County Line Road to make the connection.

Several commissioners seemed interested in helping with the planned $4 million project. They even discussed annexing the site into Hernando County. Woodruff said the development would house several businesses, including Stall Master Company, which would process wood shavings for livestock stalls.

The pitch came after a detailed report by county utilities director Gordon Onderdonk, who said the county's permit for withdrawing groundwater with the Southwest Florida Water Management District limited future development. He predicted the county would reach its capacity a dozen years too soon and strongly discouraged the water connection.

Woodruff and another principal in the company that bought the site in 2016 are local political heavyweights. Co-owner Michael McHugh is the county's former economic development director.

Woodruff is a certified public accountant who has served as treasurer for numerous political action committees, as well as the campaigns of County Commissioner John Allocco, State Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby and State Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, who heads the state's Republican Party.

Allocco disclosed his connection with Woodruff previously and did not support the water connection.

Residents last month and again this week reminded the commission that Hernando is trying to conserve water and doesn't need to give away its precious resource.

"We need to protect what water we have. We can't give it away to another county,'' said Lynn Gruber-White, president of the Ridge Manor Property Owners Association, which was involved in a water well dispute with the county several years ago.

"It's a bad precedent,'' said Hernando resident Anthony Palmieri.

Earlier this month, commission Chairman Steve Champion said he thought the county's position on the issue was misrepresented, but Commissioner Wayne Dukes asked for the item to come back for a formal vote. Champion was absent Tuesday, and Vice Chairman Nick Nicholson had to abstain from the vote because he is the engineer on Woodruff's project.

The remaining three commissioners voted to end discussion of the water connection.

Contact Barbara Behrendt at bbehrendt@tampabay.com or (352) 848-1434.

>>>Previous coverage:> Despite tight water supply, Hernando commissioners consider sharing with Pasco