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Commission rejects proposal to expand commercial fishing in Hernando Beach

 
Published May 26, 2016

BROOKSVILLE — A proposal to expand the commercial fishing fleet further south in Hernando Beach failed Tuesday when the Hernando County Commission voted unanimously to reject the idea.

The vote means residents along Cheeks Creek will not see more commercial fishing boats traveling up and down their residential canal.

Sportfisherman's Landing Inc. was seeking to rezone a lot at Calienta Street and Gulf Coast Drive. Daniel Ebbecke, who has one-third interest in the lot, represented the company, which was seeking permission for six boats over 26 feet in length to be moored at the site.

After review by county planners and a hearing before the county's Planning and Zoning Commission, the proposal before the County Commission was to rezone and limit the boats there to two over 26 feet and two under 26 feet. During his presentation, Ebbecke said he would still like to have four boats over 26 feet. Smaller boats were not practical for a commercial fishing operation, he said.

He said his family has operated commercial vessels from the site for nearly 25 years. The party boat Thunder has been moored there in the past, as have shrimp and crab boats from time to time, but he never had proper zoning or permission for those operations. He said he had tried to work with residents, even agreeing to run his boats through the residential canals only in daylight. Shrimp boats frequently come in during the early morning hours, disturbing residents.

"I've been in the crosshairs … simply because I am a commercial entity,'' Ebbecke said. "Leave me alone, that's all I ask.''

Ebbecke's proposal has riled his Hernando Beach neighbors from the beginning. During Tuesday's hearing, the Hernando Beach Property Owners Association had an extensive presentation describing how Ebbecke's property was outside the geographic portion of Hernando Beach that traditionally has been commercial — the area north of Flamingo Boulevard.

Chuck Greenwell, who heads the governmental affairs committee of the homeowners association, explained that Hernando Beach is unique. While it has a working waterfront — an idea promoted in the county's comprehensive plan — the commercial fleet isn't staged directly on the coast, but behind a neighborhood of residential canals that lead to the gulf.

Sending a fleet of commercial craft down a residential canal like Cheeks Creek, "that's not what these residential canals were designed for,'' Greenwell said.

The comprehensive plan also discourages incompatible uses in residential neighborhoods.

"The comprehensive plan needs to be enforced,'' he said.

Hernando Beach property owner Margo McConnell argued that the existing fishing fleet is healthy, having doubled its haul of shrimp in recent years. Keeping the commercial fishing operations where they are now would keep the negative impacts of the operations away from other residential areas, which would be spared the noise, the smell and the impacts of larger boats on smaller craft and seawalls.

Previous zoning decisions had kept commercial fishing from expanding further, and some people picked places on Cheeks Creek rather than another canal because it did not have the heavy commercial traffic. She said more than 650 property owners would be affected.

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And the effects on property owners could also hit them in the pocketbook, according to Gladys Moore, president of the property owners association. She worked for years in real estate and said she saw the negative impact the commercial fishing industry had on property values. Properties along Snapper 2 canal and Cheeks Creek would face what she called "economic obsolescence" if the rezoning were allowed.

"Please follow your comprehensive plan,'' said Fran Baird, a 35-year resident of the area. "It's not compatible.''

Commissioners agreed, with Diane Rowden making a motion to deny the rezoning to protect the residential character of the neighborhood.

Commission Chairman Jim Adkins noted that sometimes a decision just comes down to being "a quality of life issue.''

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