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APR 211992 WINTER BEACH CEMETERY CONVERSION PROPOSAL . j BOOK 8 F, UL P The Board reviewed the following memo dated 4/13/92: TO: Board of County Commissioners DATE: April 13, 1992 FILE: THRU: FROM: James E. Chandler f'o County Administrator lV t Randy Dowling Asst. to Co. Admin. SUBJECT: Winter Beach Cemetery Conversion Proposal REFERENCES: The Winter Beach Cemetery Association, a non-profit corporation, asked the Board during March 1976 for approximately 19 acres of adjacent Hobart Park for cemetery expansion. The Board, during its August 27, 1980 meeting, formally dedicated the acreage to the Cemetery Association for cemetery expansion. However, that dedication was voided since a portion of Hobart Park was acquired by federal funds and the entire park was placed under a perpetual public recreational deed restriction. The Cemetery Association has been asking for the land ever since. During the April 5, 1988 Commission meeting, the Board directed staff to pursue a conversion proposal whereby the County would give the Hobart Park acreage to the Cemetery Association and, in turn, convert another piece of non -recreational property (i.e. the old county -owned landfill site near Old Dixie Highway) to recreational property that has equal value, location, and utility. On October 18, 1989, county staff sent a completed conversion proposal to the Florida Department of Natural Resources (FDNR) for their approval. The FDNR replied on September 13, 1990 recommending minor changes to the proposal. During the October 23, 1990 Commission meeting, county staff %requested from the Board authorization to make the recommended changes and submit an amended conversion proposal to the state. The Board tabled the item. On May 14, 1991, the Board approved making the state recommended changes and submitting an amended proposal to the FDNR. County staff sent an amended proposal to FDNR on Auqust 5, 1991. After FDNR reviewed the amended proposal, that department forwarded the materials to the National Park Service (NPS) for ultimate approval. The NPS verbally rejected the proposal during late November 1991 on the basis that the old landfill is not an appropriate site for recreation because of, in their opinion, the potential liability of methane gas and other harmful by-products of closed landfills. Based upon that verbal rejection of the county's landfill site, county staff offered four alternative sites to FDNR (South County Regional Park, Treasure Shores Park, Oslo Road property, and the recently acquired Gifford Park) but all four sites were rejected. During the January 14, 1992 Commission meeting, county staff suggested a 20 acre undeveloped tract of county -owned land located on .58th Avenue be used in place of the old landfill, that would Potentially meet all FDNR requirements. The Board rejected that idea and unanimously voted to pursue the old landfill site with NPS. Subsequently, county staff received the formal written response from NPS and FDNR in early February, 1992. In that letter, both the NPS and FDNR recommended that the county consider an alternative site. County staff advised 46