Council approves Milkaway Farms tree mitigation: 1,430 trees and $175,000 mitigation payment

The Brooksville City Council voted 5–0 to approve tree mitigation for the Milkaway Farms development after a quasi‑judicial hearing where staff and the applicant presented a planting plan and conditions for certification.

David Hanley, the city’s community development director, presented maps and said the mitigation package includes the planting of 1,430 trees across phases 1a–c and a $175,000 contribution to the city’s tree mitigation fund, to be paid at final plat recordation. The plan includes conditions requiring nursery shipping certification and a landscape architect’s installation certification.

City Attorney counsel reminded the council that quasi‑judicial decisions must be based on competent, substantial, fact‑based evidence made part of the record; Hanley confirmed the materials and maps were accepted into the record and that the proposed mitigation complies with the city’s code.

During public comment, resident Michael Berman raised unrelated concerns about a separate zoning inconsistency on East Liberty Street; council and staff said staff would follow up with him outside the hearing. Council members clarified the vote only covered tree mitigation; the original development approvals and any broader plat matters were not before the council that evening.

The approval includes explicit inspection and certification steps (conditions 6–8 on the agenda package) requiring documentation of nursery shipments and landscape‑architect sign‑off verifying installation. Council members said they expect staff to monitor and enforce those conditions as a condition of final plat recordation.

The council’s approval ends the hearing and allows the developer to proceed under the mitigation terms presented and entered into the record.