HomeMy WebLinkAbout22-071RESOLUTION NO. 2022-071
(Purchase of Property South of the Fairgrounds)
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida, has made the
following determinations:
1. The County adopted a Park Master Plan in January 2022. The County is in the process of
incorporating the Park Master Plan into the County's Comprehensive Plan; and
2. The County Park Master Plan recommends that the County explore an expansion of the
County's fairground to accommodate related recreation uses; and
3. The owners of Parcel I.D. No.'s 3212-311-0001-010-5 and 3212-311-0001-000-2 have
indicated a willingness to consider selling their parcels to the County. These parcels total
77.92 acres and are located south and west of the County fairground along Header Canal.
The County has contracted with two appraisal firms — Callaway & Price and Boyle & Drake
to appraise these parcels; and
4. There are two additional parcels (Parcel One — Parcel I.D. No. 3212-431-0001-000-1 and
Parcel Two — Parcel I.D. No. 3213-111-0002-000-8) totaling 232.78 acres that are
scheduled for public mortgage foreclosure sale on April 12, 2022 pursuant to an Order of
Final Summary Judgment of Mortgage Foreclosure dated September 30, 2021 in Case No.
562021CA000457 of the Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in and for St. Lucie
County, Florida; and
5. The two parcels that are the subject of the public mortgage foreclosure sale are also the
subject of a State investigation and a County code enforcement investigation begun in
November 2021 as a result of an alleged unlawful land clearing debris operation
performed on the parcels; and
6. Based on the investigation of the alleged unlawful land clearing debris operation, it
appears that the operation may have caused environmental damage to the parcels that
are subject to the mortgage foreclosure sale; and
7. Due to the compressed timeframe before the April 12, 2022 mortgage foreclosure sale,
the County has received and considered "range of value" appraisal letters for Parcels One
and Two referenced in Paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 above from the same appraisal firms
Callaway & Price and Boyle & Drake that are appraising the parcels referenced in
Paragraph 3 above; and
8. This Board believes that acquiring the parcels referenced in Paragraph 3 and Parcels One
and Two referenced in Paragraph 4 for park and utility purposes is in the best interest of
the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of St. Lucie County, Florida. If the County is
successful in acquiring Parcels One and Two, the Board expresses its intent to mitigate
and remediate any environmental damage that may have been created by the alleged
unlawful land clearing debris operation.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF ST.
LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA as follows:
1. The findings referenced above are incorporated herein.
2. County staff is authorized to complete the necessary due diligence to attempt to acquire
the parcels referenced in Paragraph 3 through voluntary negotiations.
3. With regard to Parcels One and Two referenced in Paragraph 4, the County Administrator,
or his designee, and the County Property Acquisition Manager are authorized to take the
following actions:
a. Preregister for the April 12, 2022 public sale and deposit an amount equal to 5%
of the County's estimated highest bid based on the range of values appraisals by
Callaway & Price and Boyle & Drake; and
b. Attend the April 12, 2022 Clerk public sale (held digitally) and bid on behalf of the
County up to the maximum amount of the range of value appraisals established
by Callaway & Price and Boyle & Drake (i.e. $17,000 per acre).
c. If the County's bid is successful, the County Finance Director is authorized to wire
transfer from Account No. 310008-7210-561000-720000 Land Acquisition the
remaining bid proceeds to the appropriate account of the Clerk of the Circuit Court
before 2:00 p.m. of the day following the sale (i.e. April 13, 2022).
4. This Resolution shall take effect upon adoption.
Chair Sean Mitchell AYE
Vice Chair Frannie Hutchinson AYE
Commissioner Christopher Dzadovsky AYE
Commissioner Linda Bartz AYE
Commissioner Cathy Townsend AYE
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 5th day of April 2022.
ATTEST:
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Deputy C erk
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
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BY:
Chair
APPROVED AS TO FORM AN1# CORRECTNESS
BY:
County