Agenda Item Name:
Title
Resolution 20-XX - Accepting the Donation of Real Property from the Lundgren Family
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Presenter:
Charlie Houder / (352) 264-6804
Description:
Staff request approval of the Resolution accepting the donation of 236.243 acres of real property from the Lundgren Family for use as an Alachua County Forever (ACF) Preserve.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
1) Staff request approval of the Resolution 20-XX, accepting the donation of 236.243 acres of real property from the Lundgren Family for use as an Alachua County Forever (ACF) Preserve, subject to the completion of due diligence with the review and approval by the County Manager;
2) Authorization of expenditures for title insurance, recording fees, access easements and legal fees necessary to complete the transaction; and
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Prior Board Motions:
January 14, 2020 BoCC Regular Meeting (consent agenda item):
BoCC authorized staff to conduct due diligence and work with the Lundgren Family on the donation of their property along the Santa Fe River.
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
The Property Appraiser’s Just Value for the 236.243-acre portion of the property is $211,877. (Property Appraiser’s just value - excluding structures)
• Estimated attorney’s fees & closing costs: $10,000
• Title commitment cost: $4,500
• Boundary survey & easement costs: $64,600
• Boundary survey signs: $1,000
• Phase I environmental assessment: $4,098
• 10% buffer: $8,419.80
TOTAL EXPENDITURE AUTHORITY REQUESTED: $92,617.80
WSPP - Land Acquisition:
021.41.4160.537.61.00 - 6194101 Santa Fe River - Lundgren
2019 Property Taxes (all jurisdictions): $1,158.62
Estimated annual operating cost: $15,083
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Background:
The Lundgren donation project currently consists of six parcels (16885-000-000, 16889-001-005, 16889-001-006, 16889-001-007, 16889-001-009 and a portion of 16889-001-000) totaling 236.243 acres.
The Lundgren property lies within the Santa Fe River Alachua County Forever (ACF) Project and is five miles northeast of Waldo. For this proposed donation, the property’s northern boundary is along the Santa Fe River and the southern boundary is along east County Road 225.
The Lundgren property has almost one mile of Santa Fe River frontage and contains a mosaic of high quality forested natural communities. The property transitions from xeric sandhill natural community in the south to wetland floodplain swamp along the Santa Fe River in the north. Additionally, Moccasin Branch flows south to north through the property where it then enters the Santa Fe River. Habitat quality ranges from fair to excellent and the habitats associated with the property provide good wildlife habitat with high mast production and adequate cover.
It has been very important to the Lundgrens that the property be permanently protected. Their ultimate goal is to protect it by multiple means and open it to the public for passive recreation. They would like to see the structures on their adjoining 20 acres developed as a nature center in conjunction with the property’s trail system.
On February 26, 2004, the Land Conservation Board placed the 236.243 acres Santa Fe River - Lundgren property on the Priority Pool. Since that time, Alachua County and Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) have kept in periodic contact with Dr. and Mrs. Lundgren and it has taken the collaboration of all parties to develop a plan that meets the Lundgren’s objectives.
The proposed plan includes:
• Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) accepting a donation of a conservation easement over the Lundgren’s 236.243 acre property.
• The Lundgrens will then donate the fee interest of the same 236.243 acres (the “Donation Tract”) to the County, subject to the conservation easement.
• The Lundgrens will retain a life estate over a 20 acre tract (which lies west of and adjacent to the Donation Tract) that includes their residence; they will donate the remainder interest in the 20 acre tract to ACT.
• The Lundgrens will donate 29.74 acres on the Santa Fe River in Bradford County to ACT.
• To accommodate the continuing ownership interest of the Lundgrens and family members, the County will take title in the Donation Tract subject to seven access easements and licenses that will be granted to the surrounding property owners prior to closing (Below numbers: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9).
• Three access easements will be granted to Alachua County at closing (Below numbers: 1, 6 and 8). (Exhibit 9)
1) Perpetual ingress/egress easement to be granted from Dale and Helen Lundgren to the County. This easement will provide public use of hiking trails and County staff for site maintenance. This easement will be included in the Donation Tract deed.
2) Temporary ingress/egress license to be reserved by Dale and Helen Lundgren in the Donation Tract deed to County. This license will be personal to the Lundgren family members and will provide secondary access and travel between adjacent family properties.
3) Temporary ingress/egress license granted by Dale and Helen Lundgren to Kathryn (the Lundgren’s daughter) and David Schanuth (who own TPNs 16889-001-004 and 16889-005-000). This license will be personal to the Lundgren family members and will provide for secondary access and travel between adjacent family properties. The County will take title in the Donation Tract subject to this license.
4) Temporary ingress/egress license granted by Dale and Helen Lundgren to their daughter-in-law, J. Lundgren (who owns TPNs 16889-001-001 and 16889-001-008). This license will be personal to the Lundgren family members and will provide secondary access and travel between adjacent family properties. The County will take title in the Donation Tract subject to this license.
5) Perpetual ingress/egress easement to be reserved by Dale and Helen Lundgren in the Donation Tract deed to County. The easement will provide Dale and Helen Lundgren primary access to CR 225.
6) Temporary ingress/egress easement granted from Kathryn Schanuth to the County and Alachua Conservation Trust. Easement to be used by County and ACT for site management/monitoring until County constructs a new public access driveway to County Road 225 through the Donation Tract. This easement will not be open to the public. This easement will terminate 25 years from date of recording.
7) Perpetual ingress/egress easement granted by Dale and Helen Lundgren to J. Lundgren (who owns an adjacent parcel # 01043-0-00101, in Bradford County). This easement will provide J. Lundgren’s parcel primary access to CR 225. The County will take title in the Donation Tract subject to this easement.
8) Perpetual ingress/egress easement granted from J. Lundgren (who owns TPN 16889-001-001) to Dale and Helen Lundgren for existing road that cuts across J. Lundgren’s NE corner. The County will receive the benefit of this easement by accepting the Donation Tract deed.
9) Perpetual ingress/egress easement granted by Dale and Helen Lundgren to J. Lundgren (who owns TPNs 16889-001-001 and 16889-001-008) to provide primary access to CR 225. The County will take title in the Donation Tract subject to this easement.
The order of operations for the closings will be:
1) Access easements & licenses
2) Lundgren family’s conservation easement donation to ACT
3) Lundgren family’s land donation to Alachua County
Closing on the land donation to the County would occur at the completion of due diligence and a determination by the County Manager that there are no significant title, survey or environmental defects.