Title
East Gainesville Sprout Project Property Acquisitions (B)
Explanation
On April 6, 1999, the City Commission authorized the City Manager to direct staff to begin work for acquiring land rights to the MCB Oil and CSX properties for a proposed stormwater park on Depot Avenue. In June 1999, the City received a grant from Florida Communities Trust (FCT) to purchase these properties as well as the CSR-Rinker property. Subsequently, staff submitted an acquisition plan to FCT, which identified the real property to be purchased with FCT funds. Since the submittal of the acquisition plan, several changes have been proposed.
At its January 2000 meeting, the East Gainesville Sprout Project Task Force recommended the City modify the FCT project boundary to exclude the 150-foot utility easement on the north side of the existing RTS facility. The City would purchase the utility easement without FCT funds to provide parking for City buses at the RTS facility. The Task Force also recommended that the City adjust the project boundaries by removing a 300-foot-wide corridor along South Main Street and Depot Avenue. The intent of this modification is to give the City more flexibility in the use of the land than would otherwise be available on lands purchased using FCT funds.
Staff has researched the possible implications of these proposed changes to the acquisition plan. Excluding the utility easement from the FCT acquisition plan has no negative impacts on the plan. Excluding the 300- foot-wide corridor along South Main Street and Depot Avenue increases the City's share for purchasing these lands and decreases the grant award. The City share would increase by approximately $122,000. FCT's share would decrease from approximately $214,000 to $92,000. In addition, excluding this land from the park purchase may not meet approval from FCT since the initial award was made with consideration of the entire site.
Fiscal Note
Excluding the 300-foot corrid...
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