7/16/2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

• • Total Price: Other Costs: County Bonds Expenditure St. Lucie Development Corp.. $460,000.00 (32.8 acres; $14,024 per acre overall) Hallstrom Properties, Inc.: 51,150.000.00 (60.4 acres; $ 19,040 per acre overall) Total: $1,610,000 (-93 acres, —517,312.00 per acre overall) +335,000 (appraisals, survey, environ. audit, other acquisition costs) ±$477,500 (not including initial management costs) Acreage: +93 acres (± 85 acres upland, +8 acr„ s wetland) LAAC Recommendation: The County Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (LAAC), at its meeting ofJune 26, 2002, voted 9 to 4 to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners approve purchase of the Hallstrom Farmstead properties under the terms of the option agreements. The LAAC also voted 10 to 3 to recommend that the Board approve the Conceptual Management Plan for the Hallstrom Farmstead (see attached). DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS The subject +93 acre St. Lucie Development and Hallstrom Properties parcels are adjacent to the five acre Hallstrom House" property at 1723 Old Dixie Highway SE owned by the Indian River County Historical Society. The Hallstrom residence was recently approved for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. On July 25, 2001, the Hallstrom Farmstead project was added to the LAAC acquisition list as an unranked "emergency acquisition.' At that time, it was recommended by staff (and endorsed by LAAC) that the County's funding contributiori towards the overall project would be purchase of the environmentally significant St. Lucie Development scrub parcel. The County has since been awarded a 75% cost -share grant from the Florida Communities Trust (FCT) for purchase of the overall Farmstead project. During the past year, the county's acquisition consultant, in coordination with county staff, has overseen pre- acquisition tasks and conducted negotiations. Since the sellers recently accepted and executed purchase contract Option Agreements for the properties, appraisal results and other confidential information can now be released. Confidentiality; Advertised Public Meeting Procedures adopted by the Board of County Commissioners for environmental land acquisition include confidentiality of appraisals. In accordance with the County's Land Acquisition Guide, and Section 125 355 of the Florida Statutes, appraisals can be released for public infoi cation once an option agreement is executed between a seller and the County. Regarding the Hallstrom Farmstead parcels, option agreements have been executed (binding the sellers to negotiated purchase prices) and subsequently the appraisals were released from confidentiality. When a county exercises its confidentiality right in purchasing real property, Section 125.355, F.S. requires that the county approve the purchase at a public meeting not less than 30 days after the appraisal is released and public notice of the meeting is given Since the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners pursuant to authority delegated by the Board, executed purchase options for the parcels more than 30 days ago and since the appraisals were made public at that time, the Board must now consider whether to exercise its purchase options. Consistent with Chapter 125, F.S. requirements, this decision will be made at the July 16, 2002 public meeting of the Board of County Commissioners. By having given 30 days public notice of this proposed action, the County will have complied with Chapter 125 requirements as well as LAAC Guide requirements to hold a public hearing before purchasing property with land acquisition bond funds. LAAC Recommendation As indicated in the summary section of this memorandum, the LAAC, at its meeting on July 16, 2002, voted 9 to 4 to recommend that the Board approve the purchase contracts. The LAAC also voted 10 to 3 to recommend that the Board approve the Conceptual Management Plan (see attached unapproved minutes). JULY 16, 2002 -21-