City of Gainesville - File #: 110131.

• File #: 110131.
• Version: 0
• Name: Land Acquisition: Florida Title/City of Gainesville Contract for parcel #08197-020-003 adjacent to Flatwoods Conservation Area (B)
• Type: Staff Recommendation
• Status: Passed
• File created: 7/21/2011
• In control: City Manager
• Final action: 7/21/2011
• Title: Land Acquisition: Florida Title/City of Gainesville Contract for parcel #08197-020-003 adjacent to Flatwoods Conservation Area (B) This item involves a request for the City Commission to add parcel #08197-020-003 to the Wild Spaces, Public Places land acquisition list, approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the option assignment, contract, and closing documents in order to proceed with the acquisition of this 87-acre parcel adjacent to the City-owned Flatwoods Conservation Area.

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
7/21/2011	0	City Commission	Approved as Recommended	Pass

Title
Land Acquisition: Florida Title/City of Gainesville Contract for parcel #08197-020-003 adjacent to Flatwoods Conservation Area (B)

This item involves a request for the City Commission to add parcel #08197-020-003 to the Wild Spaces, Public Places land acquisition list, approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the option assignment, contract, and closing documents in order to proceed with the acquisition of this 87-acre parcel adjacent to the City-owned Flatwoods Conservation Area.

Explanation
During FY 2009-2010, the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department (PRCA) entered into a contract with Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) to negotiate land acquisitions on behalf of the City of Gainesville using the Wild Spaces Public Places (WSPP) land acquisition funding. In February 2010, the 87-acre property adjacent to the City-owned Flatwoods Conservation Area went up for sale. PRCA staff conducted a site visit with ACT to evaluate its acquisition potential, and determined this property had good conservation value and that acquisition should be pursued. The staff evaluation ranked it as the second best property of interest within the second tier of parcels on the overall priority land acquisition listing. Before ACT could complete negotiations regarding a selling price, the contract between ACT and the City expired. ACT continued to work with the seller on a negotiated selling price with the knowledge that the City would still be interested in the acquisition.

Between January and May 2011, appraisals were conducted on the property and ACT was able to negotiate an option contract in the amount of $425,000 for the purchase of the parcel. PRCA staff would now like to move forward with an assignment of the option to the City and a contract between the City and the seller in the amount of $425,000 utilizing WSPP funds available for acquisition of conservation land. In order to continue to comply with the terms in the option contract, ...