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M495 <br />KUM <br />.tk <br />INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA <br />AGENDA ITEM <br />Department of General Services / <br />ea' Parks & Recreation <br />Date: May 9, 2023 <br />To: The Honorable Board of County Commissioners <br />Through: John Titkanich, County Administrator <br />Michael C. Zito, Assistant County Administrator <br />Beth Powell, Director Parks and Recreation/Acting General Services Director <br />From: Wendy Swindell, Conservation Lands Manager <br />Subject: Request for Execution of the Grant Form "Notice of Site Dedication and <br />Limitation of Use" to Accompany Close-out Documents for the Hallstrom <br />Farmstead Conservation Area FDEP Land and Water Conservation <br />Fund Grant (LWCF Project No. 12-00695). <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Indian River County acquired the 93 -acre Hallstrom Farmstead Conservation Area (HFCA) in 2002 <br />with funding assistance from Florida Communities Trust. The conservation area is located on Old <br />Dixie Highway, approximately 1 mile south of Oslo Road, in southern Indian River County. This <br />site includes the remaining privately -owned lands associated with the historic Hallstrom Farmstead, <br />and adjacent natural areas of sand pine scrub, maritime hammock, scrubby flatwoods and <br />bottomland forest. The adjacent historic house is owned and operated by the Indian River County <br />Historical Society, and is open to the public. This Hallstrom house is listed on the National Register <br />of Historic Places. <br />The HFCA also includes several barns and out -buildings on the east side of Old Dixie Highway <br />that will require significant renovation for incorporation into the educational programming planned <br />for the site. This conservation area contains several protected species, including the northernmost <br />known protected location for Lakela's mint (Dicerandra immaculata), a federally endangered <br />plant, known only to occur in northern St. Lucie and southern Indian River Counties. <br />The design and permitting for the project (with the exception of detailed boardwalk design) was <br />completed in 2021. The County received permits to construct public access amenities including: (1) <br />two picnic pavilions; (2) parking lot; (3) restroom (4) nature trails; (5) a boardwalk with scenic <br />overlook; and (6) kiosks, seating and educational displays. These amenities will be accessible for <br />visitors of all ability levels via the construction of sidewalks and other ADA features. <br />In 2018 County staff applied to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for a $148,500 <br />Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant. The grant application was intended to provide <br />funding towards the construction of the parking area, pavilions, trails, boardwalk and educational <br />signage. The construction of the restroom was not eligible for funding based on LWCF criteria. <br />C:\Users\ufc-prod\AppData\Local\Temp\BCL Technologies\easyPDF 8\@BCL@34039443\@BCL@34039443.doc <br />185 <br />