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TO: Board of County Commissioners DATE: June 11, 1991 FILE: THRU: James E. Chandler County Administrator SUBJECT: OSLO ROAD PROPERTY PURCHASE FROM. Randy Dowling 1 EFERENCES: Ass t. to County Administrator` BACKGROUND During the previous year, staff has been directed to review the feasibility of acquiring the 298 +/- acres of environmentally significant land on Oslo Road ;,:.: ;;..• adjacent to the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory. The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) has agreed to a joint 50-50 purchase of this property. During the September 25, 1990 Commission meeting, the Board .;' •' :` approved obtaining two certified appraisals of the property with the County �}• :.' paying 50% and SJRWMD paying the other 500. The two appraisals cost a total of $6,400 of which the County paid $3,200. The appraisals were received by SJRWMD during January 1991 and are being kept secret in accordance with Florida Statutes. This property was discussed at the March 27, 1991 Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (LAAC) meeting and the committee directed staff to consider it as an emergency acquisition under the draft Land Acquisition Guidelines and take necessary action. During the LAAC's April 24, 1991 meeting, the committee unanimously voted to recommend to the Board that it support the 50-50 cost share acquisition of the Oslo Road property with SJRWMD and also - recommended that funding alternatives be reviewed. Thus far, staff has preliminarily ranked the Oslo property number 2 out of a possible 13 for LAAC purposes. The Board, during its May 7, 1991 regular meeting, unanimously voted to purchase the Oslo Road property under a 50-50 cost share agreement with SJRWMD. This piece of environmentally significant property supports a pristine, mature coastal/tropical hammock and xeric scrub habitat and includes a large impounded salt marsh next to the Indian River Lagoon. Furthermore, the property contains excellent representative upland plant communities including at least 10 rare or endangered plant species. The combination of coastal tropical hammock, xeric scrub, and estuarine wetlands adjacent to the Indian River 'Lagoon (where a lush bed of seagrass exists next to the property) is uncommon and accounts for the excellent "biodiversity" of the area. Up to 15 rare or endangered wildlife species potentially utilize the overall property. The purchase of this property would result in the acquisition of approximately 30 acres of xeric scrub,. 35 acres• of coastal/tropical hammock, and 225 acres of complementary estuarine wetland habitat. As such, the purchase would contribute substantially toward the County's Comprehensive Plan commitments, protect a rare association of pristine habitats, protect and provide many social/economic public values including internationally acclaimed entomology research, and provide needed protection to the property that could not be provided by other means. JUN 18 1991 157 BUC1K 83 F'Auc 747