via the Herald Trib:
Support for land conservation deal dwindles
More than 5,770 acres of undeveloped land in North Port on McCall Ranch went up for auction on Feb. 13, 2014.
HERALD-TRIBUNE ARCHIVE / ELAINE LITHERLANDPublished: Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at 4:08 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at 5:33 p.m.
SARASOTA COUNTY - North Port leaders working to scuttle a conservation deal involving a large ranch within city limits scored a victory Tuesday when the Sarasota County Commission declined to endorse an application for state funding.
The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast has been working to put the 5,774-acre Orange Hammock Ranch on the state's Florida Forever list of priority land acquisitions. State officials will vote on the application Thursday and the Conservation Foundation has been trying to strengthen its case by lining up local support.
But city leaders have long wanted to see much of the property developed and are trying to block the deal.
“Leave it in private hands,” former North Port Mayor Jim Blucher said.
Blucher was among a handful of city leaders who urged county officials not to support the conservation deal Tuesday. The city also sent a formal letter to the County Commission asking it to abstain from endorsing the Florida Forever application.
County commissioners voted unanimously not to endorse the Orange Hammock portion of the Florida Forever application, with some lambasting Conservation Foundation officials.
“This process has been very damaging,” said Commissioner Christine Robinson.
Robinson said the Conservation Foundation should have done more to get city leaders on board with the Orange Hammock deal. She and other commissioners suggested coming up with an arrangement that would carve out a piece of the land for development to satisfy city leaders.
Conservation Foundation officials said they have tried to work with private developers to buy a portion of the land, even reaching out to Syd Kitson, who put together the blockbuster Babcock Ranch deal that preserved most of that property for conservation while also allowing development on a portion of the land in Charlotte and Lee counties.
Kitson passed on Orange Hammock Ranch, and so has every other private developer who looked at the property in recent months.
“What's important to note is that the landowner has requested this to be done, the landowner wishes this” to be purchased for conservation, said Christine Johnson, President of the Conservation Foundation. “That is a private property right.”
Local government support is not required to place a project on the Florida Forever list and it is unclear if the decisions by Sarasota County and North Port not to support the Orange Hammock funding request will affect its chances for approval.
County leaders did endorse the purchase of two other properties included in the same Florida Forever application under the state's conservation land program.
Controversial piece of land
The Orange Hammock property has been controversial for years.
Once known as the McCall Ranch, it once was slated for 15,000-home development. But the project fell apart during the Great Recession.
The property owner recently filed for bankruptcy protection, and the ranch was claimed by the mortgage holder. Developers explored buying sections of the ranch but a land auction did not yield high enough bids.
Environmental advocates have targeted the property for preservation because of its location near other preserved lands and vast expanse of undisturbed natural areas.
“It's a great site for conservation,” said Jono Miller, an environmental advocate who spoke in favor of the deal Tuesday.
North Port is Sarasota County's largest municipality, both in population and area. It covers 103 square miles, much of which remains undeveloped, with thousands of vacant lots that were platted by the city's original developer, the General Development Cor
EARLIER: North Port leaders working to scuttle a conservation deal involving a large ranch within city limits scored a victory Tuesday when the Sarasota County Commission declined to endorse an application for state funding.
The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast has been working to put the 5,774-acre Orange Hammock Ranch on the state's Florida Forever list of priority land acquisitions. State officials will vote on the application Thursday and the Conservation Foundation has been trying to strengthen its case by lining up local support.
But many city leaders have long wanted to see much of the property developed and are trying to block the deal from going through.
“Leave it in private hands,” said former North Port Mayor Jim Blucher.
Blucher was among a handful of city leaders who urged county officials not to support the conservation deal Tuesday. The city also sent a formal letter to the County Commission asking them to abstain from endorsing the Florida Forever application.
County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday not to endorse the Orange Hammock portion of the Florida Forever application, with some lambasting Conservation Foundation officials.
“This process has been very damaging,” said Commissioner Christine Robinson.
Robinson said the Conservation Foundation should have done more to get city leaders on board with the Orange Hammock deal. She and other commissioners suggested coming up with an arrangement that would carve out a piece of the land for development to satisfy city leaders.
Conservation Foundation officials said they have tried to work with private developers to buy a portion of the land, even reaching out to Syd Kitson, who put together the blockbuster Babcock Ranch deal that preserved most of that property for conservation while also allowing development on a portion of the land in Charlotte and Lee counties.
Kitson passed on Orange Hammock Ranch and so has every other private developer who looked at the property in recent months.
“What's important to note is that the landowner has requested this to be done, the landowner wishes this” to be purchased for conservation said Christine Johnson, President of the Conservation Foundation. “That is a private property right.”
Local government support is not required to place a project on the Florida Forever list and it's unclear if the decisions by Sarasota County and North Port not to support the Orange Hammock funding request will affect its chances for approval.
County leaders did endorse the purchase of two other properties included in the same Florida Forever application.
The Orange Hammock property has been controversial for years. Once known as the McCall Ranch, it once was slate for 15,000-home development but the project fell apart during the Great Recession.
The property owner recently filed for bankruptcy protection, and the ranch was claimed by the mortgage holder. Developers explored buying sections of the ranch but a land auction did not yield high enough bids.
Environmental advocates have targeted the property for preservation because of its location near other preserved lands and vast expanse of undisturbed natural areas.
“It's a great site for conservation,” said Jono Miller, an environmental advocate who spoke in favor of the deal Tuesday.
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