Agenda Item Name:
Title
Addition of Land Conservation Projects to the Alachua County Forever Active Acquisition List.
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Presenter:
Charlie Houder / (352) 264-6804
Description:
Staff requests the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approve the addition of the following land conservation projects to the Alachua County Forever Active Acquisition List (Full Price). The staff recommendation is based on the addition of these properties to the Priority Pool by the Land Conservation Board as outlined in Resolution 18-101.
1) Lake Santa Fe - Burch & Penturff
2) Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods - Landmarc Inc.
3) Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods - Higginbotham/Little Orange Development LLC.
Addition of these projects to the Active Acquisition List, authorizes staff to: obtain title work and appraisals, negotiate price and terms with the owners, and execute option contracts.
Any purchase contract or option will be brought back to the Board for consideration.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approve the addition of the following properties on the Active Acquisition List as a Fee Simple Acquisition. (Full Price List):
1) Lake Santa Fe - Burch & Penturff
2) Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods - Landmarc Inc.
3) Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods - Higginbotham/Little Orange Development LLC.
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Prior Board Motions:
None
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
Lake Santa Fe - Burch & Penturff (Fee Simple) - Cost Estimates:
• ACPA Value & Acquisition Due Diligence: $437,682
o Due Diligence: title work, appraisal, survey, environmental assessment
• Stewardship, initial 10 years: $91,985
Total estimated cost for acquisition and stewardship: $529,667
The current annual property tax revenue of all the project parcels is: $2,042.65
Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods - Landmarc Inc. (Fee Simple) - Cost Estimates:
• ACPA Value & Acquisition Due Diligence: $294,536
o Due Diligence: title work, appraisal, survey, environmental assessment
• Stewardship, initial 10 years: $135,765
Total estimated cost for acquisition and stewardship: $430,301
The current annual property tax revenue of all the project parcels is: $1,777.61
Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods - Higginbotham/Little Orange Development LLC. (Fee Simple) - Cost Estimates:
• ACPA Value & Acquisition Due Diligence: $649,207
o Due Diligence: title work, appraisal, survey, environmental assessment
• Stewardship, initial 10 years: $152,020
Total estimated cost for acquisition and stewardship: $801,227
The current annual property tax revenue of all the project parcels is: $ 948.09
Estimated stewardship costs for the initial 10 years for all three properties total $379,770. Sufficient budget exists in the Wild Spaces Public Places Land Allocation for these costs.
Project 6184160- WSPP-General Operating & Due Diligence: 021.41.4160.537.31.00
Project 6194101-WSPP-Land Acquisition: 021.41.4160.537.61.00
(Exhibit 7)
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Strategic Guide:
Environment
Background:
Lake Santa Fe - Burch & Penturff: On January 17, 2022, Mr. Ernest Burch and Mrs. Judy Penturff nominated the subject property to the Alachua County Forever Program. On March 24, 2022, the Land Conservation Board placed the 257.4-acre Lake Santa Fe - Burch & Penturff property on the Priority Pool as a Full Price, Fee Simple acquisition project.
The Burch & Penturff project includes five parcels (17507-000-000, 17508-000-000, 17508-001-000, 17517-000-000 and 17518-002-000). The land is located in the northeastern portion of Alachua County adjacent to Lake Alto and within the Lake Alto Swamp and Austin Cary Strategic Ecosystems. Importantly, the property bridges the gap between Lake Alto and the potential 4,700-acre Inmon acquisition project, currently on the Active Acquisition List.
The property is undeveloped and supports several natural community types in good to excellent condition, including, basin swamp, dome swamp, baygall, depression marsh, wet flatwoods, mesic flatwoods, lake shore swamp and clastic lake. The land’s Lake Alto frontage is 1,600 feet and dominant land cover is, Mesic flatwoods with some notably mature slash and longleaf pine. Very few exotic plants were detected on-site.
(Exhibit 1 & 2)
The property’s location is one of the most important attributes, since it would contribute to the developing wildlife corridor that could link Newnans Lake to the headwaters of the Santa Fe River, through a complex of State and County owned conservation lands.
Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods - Higginbotham/Little Orange Development: On January 7, 2022, and March 21, 2022, Mr. Eddie Higginbotham nominated the subject property to the Alachua County Forever Program. On March 24, 2022, the Land Conservation Board placed the 114.93-acre Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods - Higginbotham/Little Orange Development property on the Priority Pool as a Full Price, Fee Simple acquisition project.
Higginbotham/Little Orange Development project includes three parcels (19945-002-002, 19945-00-000 and 19322-001-001). The property is located in the eastern portion of Alachua County and within the City of Hawthorne municipality. The land is immediately south of the Little Orange Creek Nature Center and could contribute towards a potential green corridor between Little Orange Creek Preserve to Fox Pen / Lochloosa Slough Preserve. These parcels were nominated together with three adjacent parcels owned by Landmarc Inc.
Higginbotham/Little Orange Development parcels consist of some natural communities, and some historically altered land uses. The natural communities that persist on the land are in good condition and include, upland hardwood forest, lakeshore swamp, Prairie Lake (Little Orange Lake) and blackwater stream (Little Orange Creek). The parcels on Little Orange Lake would provide a combined 1,520 feet of lake frontage. The historically altered landcover include open field, improved pasture, soil deposit and the footprint of a past chicken rearing operation with some chicken house debris remain. Most of the debris consist of concrete or metal. Invasive exotic plants were present at low to moderate densities. (Exhibit 3 & 4)
In 2017, there was unauthorized filling of a small marsh with a large deposit of soil on one of the parcels. As a result, in 2020, an Environmental Resource Permit was issued requiring partial removal of the fill and 20 acres of the wetland and upland buffer along Little Orang Lake were preserved under a St. Johns Water Management District conservation easement as mitigation for the wetland encroachment.
Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods - Landmarc Inc.: On January 7, 2022, and March 21, 2022, Mr. Roy Bass and Mr. Eddie Higginbotham nominated the subject property to the Alachua County Forever Program. On March 24, 2022, the Land Conservation Board placed the 85.83-acre Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods - Landmarc Inc. property on the Priority Pool as a Full Price, Fee Simple acquisition project.
Landmarc Inc. project includes three parcels (19945-002-001, 19322-001-002 and 19322-001-000). The property is located in the eastern portion of Alachua County and within the City of Hawthorne municipality. The land is immediately south of the Little Orange Creek Nature Center and could contribute towards a potential green corridor between Little Orange Creek Preserve to Fox Pen / Lochloosa Slough Preserve. These parcels were nominated together with three adjacent parcels owned by Higginbotham/Little Orange Development.
Landmarc Inc. parcels consist of some natural communities, but mostly historically altered land uses. The natural communities that persist on the land are in good too Fair condition and include, upland hardwood forest and blackwater stream (Little Orange Creek). The historically altered landcover include old field with grasses and the footprint of a past chicken rearing operation with some chicken house debris and shell of a warehouse remain. Most of the debris consist of concrete or metal. Invasive exotic plants were present at moderate to high densities. (Exhibit 5 & 6)
Putman Land Conservancy (PLC) facilitated both Lochloosa Creek Flatwood property nominations and PLC has expressed interest in managing the lands, if acquired by Alachua County.
General:
The staff recommendation is based on the addition of these properties to the Priority Pool by the Land Conservation Board as outlined in Resolution 18-101.
As with all our conservation lands, if accepted as an acquisition, this property will go through the vetting process for the Registry of Protected Places.
Comp Plan Reference:
Policy 6.0 Land Conservation Program within the Conservation and Open Space Element, states “Establish and maintain a land conservation program for the purchase, preservation, and management of natural areas and open space to complement the regulatory approaches identified in other section of this element.”