Amazon Spring Hill Hub Promises Speed, Jobs

Amazon has started construction on a new delivery station in Spring Hill. The project is located on a 70.6-acre parcel at 2318 Anderson Snow Road, near the intersection with Corporate Boulevard. The site, owned by Amazon.com Services LLC, was recently cleared of most vegetation to prepare for development.

Austin Stowe, an Amazon spokesman, confirmed that the company is building the facility to provide faster delivery times for local customers. He stated that the project will also create jobs in the community. Amazon describes a delivery station as the final step in its network before packages reach customers. Goods arrive from nearby fulfillment and sortation centers, where they are sorted into routes and loaded into vehicles for the last leg of the trip.

The Spring Hill station will operate similarly to existing Amazon facilities in Tampa and Groveland. The company reported that it has invested more than $55 billion in Florida since 2010 and employs over 57,000 people statewide. However, Amazon has not announced when the station will open, the total number of employees, or the final size of the building.

Hernando County commissioners approved the project in January 2022. The vote was 4-1 to allow a 250,000-square-foot delivery and distribution center to operate around the clock. Commissioners Steve Champion, Elizabeth Narverud, Wayne Dukes, and Jeff Holcomb voted in favor. Commissioner John Allocco cast the lone dissenting vote. Allocco warned that trucks would overwhelm the already congested roads in the area.

County officials have welcomed the investment. Jeff Rogers, the County Administrator, said the project shows the county's commitment to attracting major employers. Valeria Pianta, the Economic Development Director, noted that the investment reflects the strength of the local business environment and strategic location.

The approval process began in late 2021 when a petitioner asked the county to revise the site's master plan. The request allowed for a 250,000-square-foot facility with parking and 24-hour operations. Most truck traffic was planned for off-peak hours. The request also sought permission to build to a height of 50 feet, which is five feet above the standard limit. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval unanimously on December 13, 2021, in a hearing that lasted three minutes with no public comment.

During the January 2022 debate, Commissioner Champion called the project "perfect" but noted that "that road is a disaster." He expressed concern that tractor-trailers would worsen traffic conditions. Ronald Pianta, then the county planning and zoning director, explained that the property is part of the airport's planned development and had long been designated for industrial use. He noted that the new request was considerably smaller than previous plans for buildings of 750,000 and 650,000 square feet.

Allocco argued that there was no good place for trucks to go. He stated that vehicles would likely exit onto County Line Road or Spring Hill Drive, both of which he described as disasters for truck traffic. He expressed skepticism that widening Anderson Snow Road to 10 lanes would solve the problem once drivers reached those other roads. He also pointed to wear and tear on roads maintained by the county, citing damage from heavy trucks on U.S. 19 near Flammer Ford.

Gary Stroud, the only member of the public to speak at the hearing, urged approval. He said the county had spent years trying to attract this type of development and that residents could not wait decades more for the jobs. He noted that the facility would not require many law enforcement or fire engine visits and would contribute significantly to the local economy.

Attorney Kami Corbett, who represented the petitioner, said the developer expected to conduct a traffic study and make road improvements. These would include dedicating right of way and making intersection improvements. She added that the site would see delivery vans in addition to big trucks. County Engineer Scott Herring agreed that a traffic light was needed at the intersection and said it was already in the county's plans. Herring noted that distribution centers typically stagger trips to avoid peak hours, which would utilize slack capacity during non-peak times.

Nearly five years after the vote, crews are currently installing the traffic light that commissioners said the road would need. The area is already undergoing construction for a widened roadway.