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Consultants, Inc. 1996). This project was composed of 180 undeveloped platted lots within Unit 17 of Sebastian Highlands (Florida Affinity, Inc. and Ecotech Consultants, Inc. 1996)• The Sebastian Scrub Conservation Area project was approved in early 1995 as a FCT 50% cost -share project (Indian River County Memorandum, September 11, 1996 - see Appendix B). Both the FWS and City of Sebastian supported implementation of this acquisition project. It would have served to significantly enhance scrub -jay conservation efforts in the City of Sebastian and alleviated much of the conflict surrounding private development in the platted Sebastian Highlands lots (FWS, February 7, 1995 correspondence to Indian River County; September 11, 1996, Indian River County Memorandum - see l Appendix B), In July 1996, the IRC Board voted to approve the purchase of "Phase 1 " of the Sebastian Scrub Conservation Area project lots (September 11, 1996, Indian River County Memorandum). Phase 1 consisted of 50 out of 56 lots owned by Atlantic Gulf Communities (AGC) lots in Unit 17 (September 11, 1996, Indian River County Memorandum), In September 1996, the Indian River County Environmental Planning Staff recommended that the IRC Board approve the purchase of 47 individual privately -owned lots as "Phase II" of the Sebastian Scrub Conservation Area project (September 11, 1996, Indian River County Memorandum). Consolidation of this acquisition package was an immense task by the Indian River County Environmental Planning Staff, as it required Staff to contact, negotiate: a purchase price, and procure signed purchase contracts with 47 different lot owners. During the negotiation process for acquisition of the subject lots, 33 of the 47 lot owners received a certified letter from the Indian River County Utilities Department (September 11, 1996, Indian River County Memorandum). This correspondence notified them that their lot was subject to a waterline assessment for construction of a new waterline; serving the subject residential area (September 11, 1996, Indian River County Memorandum), The utility assessment averaged 17 ± % of the appraised value of each affected lot, The timing of this assessment impeded the County's Environmental Planning Section negotiation process to purchase the same lots for conservation. Several private lot owners expressed extreme displeasure at the prospect of paying a utilities assessment to Indian River County prior to selling the lot to the sauce government entity (September 11, 1996, Indian River County Memorandum). In August 1996, the Indian River County land Acquisition Advisory Committee (LAAC) voted to reconimcnd to the IRC Board t1olt to approve the acquisition of Phase II of the Sebastian Scrub Conservation Area project (September 11, 1996, Indian River County Memorandum). The primary concerns expressed by the LAAC was that the overall Sebastian Scrub Conservation Area project was not a viable acquisition based on expected high level of habitat management constraints and the position of the conservation project in a highly fragmented urban landscape (September 11, 1996, Indian River County Memorandum). On Sc3ptembor _17, 1996, the IRC Board concurred with the LAAC recomrnendation and rejectod 28