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BOCK 97 PA' a 759 project. As a second phase, county staff have just recently mailed offers to +100 individual lot owners within the core project area near the Pelican Island Elementary School. All but 6 of the 56 AGC lots are located within the core area - identified by the FWS. When asked if AGC would sell only those lots within the core area, AGC responded that it will sell the total 56 lots only as a bulk sale. In its application for state cost -share funding, the County chose to be the lead agency for pre-acquisition tasks and negotiations. During the past year, the county's acquisition consultant, in coordination with county staff, has conducted pre-acquisition tasks and negotiations. Since the seller, Atlantic Gulf Communities, recently accepted and executed a purchase contract Option Agreement* for the project, appraisal results and other confidential information can now be released. Site Characteristics The subject AGC lots consist of scrubby flatwoods, xeric oak scrub, and sand pine scrub in Unit 17 of the Sebastian Highlands. Of the 56 lots, 16 are located in the vicinity of the Pelican Island Elementary School; 34 lots comprise a contiguous block northwest of the school; and 6 lots are outside of the FWS' core area. The 34 contiguous lots (in Blocks 584, 585, and 586) northwest of the school are scrubby flatwoods with patches of open sand and oak scrub. Most of these 34 lots border "paper" roads that were never built, and consequently 30 of these lots are. inaccessible for immediate development. The Fish and Wildlife Service considers this 34 lot area important for acquisition, because the contiguity of the lots provides a good management unit of existing scrub jay territory. The 16 lots in the vicinity of the school are non-contiguous, but are an essential element of the core project area. It is anticipated that these 16 lots will be part of a -contiguous management unit as the'County makes progress in purchasing lots from individual landowners within this area. *Ownership Characteristics Currently, the subject 56 lots are owned by Atlantic Gulf Communities. The tax assessed value of each of the 56 lots ranges from $2,500 to $11,410, depending on the size and accessibility of the lot. *Acquisition Cost -Share & Property Management Two issues which are important to LAAC staff with respect to all proposed purchases are obtaining cost share assistance in property acquisition and addressing management costs. . Cost -Snare In,1994, Indian River County submitted an application to the FCT, which was subsequently approved for 50% cost -share funding, including 50% of pre-acquisition expenditures (e.g., environmental audit, appraisals). 32 April 9, 1996 S � O