BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Agenda Item #21
Title
Lochloosa Connector-Wood: Assignment of Option Agreement for Sale and Purchase of the Lochloosa Connector - Wood Conservation Easement. (Amended)
Amount
$791,933.00
Description
Request for the Board to approve certain documents to purchase the Alachua County Forever Lochloosa Connector - Wood Conservation Easement.
Recommendation
Approve and exercise the option to purchase the Conservation Easement on the Lochloosa Connector - Wood Tract and authorize staff to execute documents as necessary to close the transaction.
Alternative(s)
The Board should not accept the Assignment of Option.
Requested By
Ramesh P. Buch 264-6804
Originating Department
Environmental Protection.
Attachment(s) Description
Exhibit 1: Assignment and Option Agreement for Wood. Exhibit 2: Property Evaluation. Exhibit 3: Cost Estimates.
Documents Requiring Action
Assignment of Option Agreement for Sale and Purchase of the Lochloosa Connector - Wood Conservation Easement. (Exhibit 1)
Executive Summary
Staff requests the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) accept the Assignment of Option for the attached Sale and Purchase Agreement (Exhibit 1) for a Conservation Easement on the Wood Tract in the Alachua County Forever (ACF) Lochloosa Connector Project. Further, staff requests the BoCC exercise that Option to purchase this tract and add it to the County’s land conservation portfolio. If approved, this will be the twenty-second purchase by the County under this program, and the thirty-first tract on the Active Acquisition List to be conserved.
Background
The ±140 acre Wood property lies within the Lochloosa Forest-Levy Prairie Connector project (Exhibit 2). It is located just north of the town of Evinston, between CR225 on the west and Orange Lake on the east. CR225 is a designated scenic road that offers vistas of the lake and surrounding countryside. The property was nominated by the Conservation Trust for Florida and the BoCC placed it on the ACF Active Acquisition List on January 11, 2005. The Wood property contains two patches of prairie hammock, two small depression marshes, and wetland habitats along approximately 2,100 feet of the marshy Orange Lake shoreline. The Wood property habitats were deemed potentially significant for sixteen animal species modeled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, including bald eagles, wood storks, a variety of wading birds, spotted turtles, and yellow bats. Staff observed sandhill cranes, great blue and little blue herons, great and cattle egrets, white ibises, a bald eagle, and a variety of small raptors along the wetland edge and in the northern pasture. The two prairie hammocks were well-populated with passerine species. The rest of the property is fenced improved pasture that currently supports a herd of approximately 55 adult cattle. The Wood property is adjacent to the St Johns River Water Management District's Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area (LWCA) and State Sovereign Submerged Lands within Orange Lake. Orange Lake is designated as an Outstanding Florida Water by the State. It is also included in the Orange Creek Basin Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) plan. Preservation of the Wood property and its wetlands that filter runoff and buffer the lake would assist in meeting the goals of the Orange Creek Basin SWIM plan by protecting Orange Lake. Development on this property would likely contribute to the continuing deterioration of water quality in Orange Lake, remove a buffer area from the edge of the LWCA, destroy valuable wildlife habitat, and seriously reduce the scenic value of CR225. The County has been awarded a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in the amount of $417,500 to assist with the acquisition of this easement. Among the purposes of this grant is the preservation of habitat and the protection of ranch and farmland. Acquisition and Stewardship cost estimates are attached as Exhibit 3.
Issues
The purpose of the purchase is to protect the scenic and open space value of this developing area. Because this is a conservation easement, public access will be limited to that permitted by the landowner. Owing to the requirements of the NRCS grant, cattle and similar agricultural uses will remain on the property. In addition to the existing single family home on the property, the sellers have retained the right to build a second single family home in a designated envelope. This envelope will be reflected on the survey and the baseline documentation. When the County was awarded the NRCS grant, the County's share was 50%. Owing to a need to have the courts resolve a title issue, the County's appraisals become stale and new appraisals were ordered in 2007. These reflected an increase in the easement value. The NRCS was unwilling to raise their contribution, and the resulting partnership is 63% County and 37% Federal. Mr. Wood has has thus far declined requests to donate the difference.
Fiscal Recommendation
Net cost to the County for acquisition will be $791,933. Stewardship costs estimated to be $500 per year in recurring costs.
Fiscal Alternative(s)
No additional expenditures.
Funding Sources
Alachua County Forever Bonds.
Account Code(s)
Funds 331, 344 and 326.
Attachment: Exhibit 2 Wood Evaluation.pdf
Attachment: EDAWAmendFinal.pdf
Attachment: Exhibit 3 Wood acquisition costs.pdf
Attachment: Exhibit 4 BoCC080624 ACF Wood.pdf