Agenda Item Name:
Title
Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson Option Contract to Purchase Real Property
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Presenter:
Charlie Houder / (352) 264-6804
Description:
Staff Requests the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) to approve and exercise the attached Option Contract to Purchase the Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson from the Jefferson family (± 293 acres) through the Alachua County Forever program. The execution of this Contract to purchase Real Property, is the final BoCC action on the acquisition of this project.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
1. Approve and authorize the Chair to exercise the Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson Option Contract to purchase Real Property;
2. Approve the acquisition subject to title exception number 5;
3. Authorize staff to execute additional documents as necessary to close the transaction; and
4. Approve the attached budget amendment authorizing the expenditure of funds for due diligence and associated closing costs.
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Prior Board Motions:
On July 14, 2020, the BoCC placed Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson property on the Active Acquisition List (Full Fee).
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
The amount of the option payment is a non-refundable $1,000.00. However, if the option is exercised, the $1,000.00 will be applied to the final purchase price.
The contract allows the County Manager to cancel the contract “for any reason or no reason” during the due diligence period of 120 days.
Total acquisition costs are estimated to be $1,313,448.68 for the land plus $58,484.25 for due diligence and closing services. The basis for these estimates is detailed below. The final purchase price will be based on $4,482.76 per/acre multiplied by the surveyed acreage as defined in the Option Contract to Purchase Real Property. A precise determination of the Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson total acres will not be known until a boundary survey is complete.
In order to provide sufficient spending authority to cover an unanticipated change in acreage or other acquisition costs, staff is requesting authorization to expend an amount equal to the estimated acquisition and due diligence costs, plus 10%.
• Estimated purchase price: $1,313,448.68 (293 ac x $4,482.76/ac)
• Boundary Survey: $41,920
• Survey/Signs & Posts: $900
• Phase I ESA: $4,124
• Attorney’s fees and closing costs: $11,540.25
• 10% contingency on purchase price & due diligence: $137,193.30
TOTAL EXPENDITURE AUTHORITY REQUESTED: $1,509,126.23
WSPP - Land Acquisition (Capital Expense)
Fund#: 021.41.4160.537.61.00 - 6194101 Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson
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Fund #: 021.41.4160.537.31.00 6184160: WSPP - Gen. Op. & Due Diligence (Operating Expense) (Budget Amendment -Exhibit 5)
$1,386.79 :Annual Tax & Assessment Revenue of the Parcels (2020).
• $4,446 :Annual Management Costs (Exhibit 6)
$44,120 :Initial Improvements
Pending approval of the budget proposal for FY 2022, funds from Wild Spaces and Public Places may be used for start-up and initial land management costs.
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Background:
Staff has negotiated the attached Option Contract to Purchase Real Property (Option) (Exhibit 1) and it was executed by the Manager on July 8, 2021.The Option requires transmittal of a signed Notice of Exercise of Option by the BoCC Chair, to the Sellers by August 27, 2021, the date the Option period ends. (Exhibit 4)
The Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson Tract is 293 acres in size and is generally located in eastern Alachua County, between Lake Alto and Little Lake Santa Fe. The Jefferson Tract’s eastern boundary directly buffers 2,200 feet of Hickory Pond and its western boundary is along County Road 1471. In addition, the land’s western corner touches the corner of the County’s Lake Alto Preserve. The Jefferson Tract consists of one parcel (18381-000-000). The primary goals for this acquisition are, securing the keystone parcel for the development of a wildlife corridor between Lake Alto and Little Lake Santa Fe, protecting the wetland edge of Hickory Pond, and enhancing the protection of the watershed of the Santa Fe River.
This property is a matrix of natural communities consisting of basin marsh/swamp, clastic lake, blackwater stream, swamp lake, wet flatwoods, mesic flatwoods, cypress domes and sandhill. The conditions of these communities vary from excellent to poor, and the condition of the habitats will benefit greatly from prescribed fire and exotic plant treatment. (Exhibit 2 & 3). The property will be incorporated into the Lake Alto Preserve land management.
A boundary survey and phase I environmental assessment are the next steps of due diligence that will be initiated after the Option is Exercised by Alachua County.
Closing transactions would occur once there has been a determination by the County Manager that there are no title, survey or environmental defects.
All mineral interests are intact. The attached title commitment (Exhibit 7) lists items that would be exceptions to the County’s unencumbered ownership of the Property. The only non-standard title exception listed is the ingress/egress access easement for the neighboring property. (Exception #5): “Easement for Ingress and Egress recorded in O.R. Book 4302, Page 966 and re-recorded in O.R. Book 4303, Page 2420, Public Records of Alachua County, Florida.” - In favor of Abigail Palmer and Walter B. Winne: Parcel (18384-000-000).
Comp Plan Reference:
Acquiring the Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson Tract fulfils multiple objectives endorsed within the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan. Specifically, 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.”