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r f' A 4.4.3 Alternative 3:_ Issuance of the_ITP and Acg isition of th»Unit 17 Sebastian Scrub Conservation Area Alternative 3 is essentially Alternative 2, with the addition of a 32:f-- acre compensation area historically referred to as the "Sebastian Scrub Conservation is Area" (SSCA). This SSCA consisted of 180 undeveloped platted lots in Unit 17 of the Sebastian Highlands Subdivision near Pelican Island Elementary School. The SSCA lots are scattered within a highly developed residential landscape. The majority of the lots front on existing paved local streets (FloridaAffinity, Inc. and Ecotech, Inc. 1996). A total of 124 of the 180 lots are privately owned. The remaining 56 lots were owned by Atlantic Gulf Communities, Inc. The SSCA project area supported at least 3 families of scrub -jays between 1990 and 1996 (Toland unpubl. data). The SSCA was approved as a Florida Communities Trust (FCT) 50% cost share project in 1995. The IRC Board approved Phase I of the project by agreeing to buy the lots owned by Atlantic Gulf Communities (AGC). Of the original 180 lots, tloe FWS excluded 26 of the more peripheral lots that were geographically disconnected from the core scrub lots in 1996, Bath the FWS and the City of Sebastian supported Indian River County's acquisition of the SSCA project. Even as a stand alone project, the SSCA would have served to reduce the extent of take and to enhance scrub -jay conservation efforts in the City of Sebastian, thereby alleviating 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). In July 1996, the IRC Board approved the purchase of "Phase 1 " of the SSCA project lots. This consisted of 50 of the 56 lots owned by AGC (September 11, 1996 Indian River County Memorandum). In Septenrrber 1996, the Indian River Cotu7ty planning staff recommended that the IRC Board authorize purchase of "Phase 11" of the SSCA project comprising of 47 lots with 47 different owners. The high quality scrub habitat contained within the Phase it of the SSCA project is highly fragmented by a mosaic of occupied single-family houses and cleared, one- quarter -acre lots with many different owners, The tax assessed Value of the subject one-quarter acre lots averaged $8,445.00 or $33,780.00 per acre (September 11, 1996 Indian River County Memorandum). Ari additional cost to Iridian River County for the Phase it SSCA project was a $52,658.96 water Zine utility assessment_ Total 50% cost share of the Phase 11 SSCA project, including appraisals and audits, �was $266,109.00 for 11.75± acres of highly fragmented scrub -jay habitat acre (September 11, 1996 Indian River County Memorandum), This represents an extremely expensive conservation acquisition effort, Appropriate management of the fragmented, urban scrub using controlled burns would have been problematic due to liability and potential adverse effects of smoke ort nearby residents. Tile alternative, scrub managoulent via mechanical strategies, is an expensive nlanagenrrent strategy, especially in a suburban setting, because it 69