We need a pause.

The Hernando County Board of County Commissioners included in their 2024-2025 budget $250,000 for “paving improvements” at Chinsegut Hill.

For backstory, Chinsegut is a State-owned property that is leased to Hernando County. It includes a museum and over 100 acres of land with trails and forests. The protection of the land means deer, birds, and other wildlife can regularly be seen and enjoyed. The enjoyment is on a limited basis as the property is only technically open on Saturdays & Sundays when Tampa Bay History Center provides tours of the manor house. (It is also open when retreat guests are present but there’s no way for the public to access that schedule).

Chinsegut was donated to the Federal Government (along with another 2000 acres) in 1932 by Raymond & Margaret Robins to be used as a preserve and an educational agricultural station. Several agencies and universities have been involved since then, but the focus has always been agricultural and scientific research as well as historic preservation. The Manor house is on the National Register of Historic Places and GARI archeological digs have found cool stuff from Native American artifacts to Settlement Era toys and dental mouth guards.

If you know me at all you know I’ve dedicated the last 10 years to promoting its significance and history and preservation. If you’re interested, check out videos and my podcast for as deep a dive as you’d like to take!

I’m usually trying to find MORE money for Chinsegut but today I find myself wishing LESS money was being budgeted for it…at least for the use they’ve selected.

Chinsegut is a green space that’s become a lot more brown lately and is about to become more paved. Yes, paved. (Cue Joni Mitchell singing “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot”). The argument is that ADA compliance is needed. As someone who has broken a hip and had to use a wheelchair and walker, I’m all about meeting people’s needs. But this isn’t how to do it and historic properties are exempt from modern compliance methods¹ that interfere with historic significance. You wouldn’t flatten the Grand Canyon to make it ADA compliant. Nor would you bulldoze the Statue of Liberty to make room for a parking garage. Common sense must prevail.

Voters were told we needed to pass the sales tax increase last fall or needed projects and staff would be unfunded. The sales tax failed, yet this project moves forward. Why? And who is asking for it? When I first started asking questions in January, none of the County Commissioners I spoke to knew what the $250K was for. Neither did City staff (the city currently manages the retreat side) nor did TBHC.

I asked the County Administrator to arrange a meeting with the City and History Center to come to consensus on what projects are needed. He agreed, but this project (allegedly) still moves forward and is rumored to start any day.

Why?

Why is Hernando County spending $250,000 on improvements no one is publicly asking for and that no one seems to want?

Why aren’t those that sublease the property (City and TBHC) involved in deciding what “improvements” should be made?

If trees need to be trimmed or improvements made, why aren’t donations being solicited or grants written as has been done traditionally? Why is the taxpayer bearing the cost of things that have been done for free in the past?

Why is Hernando County listed as the owner of the property when we know it is owned by the State?

Is the County violating Florida Statute 267 by doing construction on an historic State-owned site without their permission?

Why is a quarter million dollars (that actually seems to be more like $300,000 once all the costs are added up) being spent on an asset that is only open to taxpayers on the weekends?

Wouldn’t the money be better used on a Hernando County Park that is open daily to the public?

Why is what appears to be a trailer being used for bathrooms in the middle of an historic site? Why is that trailer being placed in a grass area retreat groups use as their gathering space? And for heaven’s sake, if it is a trailer, why does it cost so much?

It’s rumored sidewalks are also being planned. Where? Why? And how is no one concerned with the erosion problems that will inevitably bring?

Who thought this was a good idea?

I’ve been trying to handle this privately but now that it seems the project is shovel-ready it seemed necessary to go public.

Let’s go for a Win-Win here – save taxpayers $250,000 and keep an historic green site historic and green!

Please and thank you.

Want details? See below for County documents regarding the project.

P.S. The January 14, 2025 Board of County Commission meeting shows the price tag is actually increased to $298,917. Because of the way it was presented to Commissioners as various compliance issues, they thought the improvements were required. But historic properties don’t have the same requirements as new builds.

P.P.S. The County also spent $90,000 on new flooring for the Chinsegut cottages. Seems super disrespectful to those taxpayers still displaced by Hurricane Milton. Cottage floors were old laminate but not dangerous. This is classic case of not prioritizing needs over wants. We can do better.

1. as long as there’s no change of use
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