TO: The Honorable Board of County Commissioners
THROUGH: John A. Titkanich, Jr., County Administrator
THROUGH: Michael C. Zito, Deputy County Administrator
Beth Powell, Parks, Recreation, & Conservation Director
FROM: Wendy Swindell, Parks, Recreation & Conservation Assistant Director
DATE: September 8, 2025
SUBJECT: Environmental Lands Acquisition Status Update Regarding a Purchase Contract - Hale Grove Properties
__________________________________________________________________
BACKGROUND
On March 8, 2022, the County Administrator provided the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners (“BCC”) with a proposed resolution authorizing an Environmental Land Bond Referendum for the November 8, 2022, ballot. Resolution 2022-016 was passed by majority vote. The Resolution calls for a Bond Referendum Election for the issuance of general obligation bonds as follows: “To acquire and permanently preserve environmentally significant lands to restore the Indian River Lagoon, protect water resources, natural areas, wildlife habitat, drinking water resources, and construct public access improvements related thereto, shall Indian River County be authorized to issue general obligation bonds up to $50,000,000, maturing within 20 years from each issuance, not exceeding the legal maximum interest rate, payable from ad valorem taxes, with full public disclosure of all spending through annual independent audits.”
The BCC established the Environmental Land Acquisition Panel (ELAP) as a nine-member group to review information provided during the application process and provide recommendations to the BCC regarding the prioritization of the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands. The ELAP has held twenty meetings between August of 2023 and September of 2025.
The County’s environmental bond process allows the public to nominate properties for acquisition at any time during the year. Each nomination period is six months, at which time that period closes and nominated properties are ranked by the ELAP. The close of the first ranking period was on
August 31, 2024. Throughout the process, staff and consultants have reached out to landowners to determine which parcels had owners wanting to have their property considered for acquisition through the environmental bond process (“willing sellers”). Owners of parcels nominated by the public were contacted via letter, email and telephone to determine whether the owner was a willing seller. The initial nomination period identified twenty-three nominations with willing sellers. Of these twenty-three nominations, sixteen nominations were submitted as “fee simple” nominations (County purchases the property outright), and seven were nominated as potential conservation easements.
On January 14, 2025, the ELAP met to rank the nominated properties. Following the ELAP ranking, the properties were “Tiered” to prioritize the process of negotiations with landowners. On March 11, 2025, the Board of County Commissioners approved the ELAP Final Ranking and Tiered List of Nominations. At this meeting the Board authorized staff to pursue Tier 1 Ranked Properties for acquisition consistent with the ELAP’s recommendation, including the authority to make conditional offers of purchase and sale subject to approval by the Board of County Commissioners, and in accordance with Florida Statute Section 125.355.
Hale Grove is a Board approved Tier 1 property. The 21.89-acre property is composed of four parcels located on US Highway 1, and is located approximately 1 mile north of the Wabasso Causeway (S.R. 60). The property was part of the extensive citrus operations present in Indian River County prior to the loss of citrus from disease and other factors. The site currently contains fallow grove and disturbed uplands. The environmental report that was prepared by Water & Air Research, Inc. for this site has been included as Attachment 1.
The western portion of the site where the Hale Groves citrus store was located is zoned as CG (General Commercial District). The eastern portion of the site where the fallow grove is located is zoned as RM-6 (Multi-Family Residential, 6 units per acre). Prior to nomination for environmental land acquisition the property had been listed for sale through an agent.
Chapter V of the Environmental Lands Program Guide (ELPG) describes the factors to be used in the evaluation of nominated properties. During the March 11, 2025, Board meeting staff presented a summary of the evaluation factors for each willing seller property, including the Hale Grove project. A brief summary of these factors with respect to the potential acquisition of this property is presented below.
|
Evaluation Factor |
Project Assessment |
|
Natural Communities |
The site has been cleared of native vegetation; however, the restoration of herbaceous saltmarsh habitat would result in high quality habitat with increased biodiversity. |
|
Potential Habitat Value |
Habitat restoration would provide herbaceous saltmarsh habitat, which is rare in Indian River County, and restored forested uplands would increase biodiversity for the site. |
|
Wildlife Corridor or Greenway |
The site is connected to the Indian River Lagoon via a flow way. |
|
Landscape Value |
The proximity to the Indian River Lagoon, the potential to create wetlands for water quality treatment, and the resilient nature of saltmarsh habitat are all beneficial landscape considerations for this site. |
|
Recreational & Educational Value |
The potential to create walking trails, boardwalks, a possible kayak launch, and educational programming opportunities are beneficial considerations for |
|
Purchase Need vs. Other Protection Methods |
A “No Action” alternative to this site has the potential to result in conversion to commercial and residential development based on the current zoning. |
|
Vulnerability |
The potential for conversion to residential development is significant. The lack of regulatory constraints (such as wetlands) increases the potential for development. |
|
Land Management Constraints |
Restoration of habitats on this property would involve the creation of salt marsh and hammock habitat. These land uses require minimal land management once established. Adjacent land uses would not be affected by site maintenance. |
|
Cooperative Acquisition/Potential Grant Opportunities |
Given the location adjacent to the Lagoon there are many opportunities for cost share funding for both acquisition and habitat restoration. |
|
Favorable Market Conditions |
The site is owned by two LLC’s; however, the corporations have cooperatively negotiated the sale of the property. |
At the March 11, 2025, BCC meeting, the Board authorized staff to move forward with the next steps in the land acquisition process, which include obtaining two independent appraisals for the subject property, and to undertake purchase negotiations with the landowner based on these appraisals.
Staff obtained two independent appraisals for this project. The County’s acquisition consultant coordinated with the landowner, and a sale price was negotiated. Pursuant to Section 125.355, F.S., once a landowner has accepted and executed a Purchase Agreement (Attachment 2), appraisal results and other confidential information may be released via Public Notice. The County completed the Public Notice of the availability for public review of the Hale Grove appraisal on September 7, 2025.
ANALYSIS
When a county exercises its confidentiality right in purchasing real property, Section 125.355, F.S. requires that the county approves the purchase at a public meeting not less than 30 days after the appraisals are released and public notice of the meeting is given. Consistent with Chapter 125, F.S. requirements, this decision will be brought before the Board at the October 7, 2025, BCC meeting. The purchase option contract for this property that will be presented at the October 7, 2025, BCC meeting is summarized as follows:
Purchaser: Indian River Board of County Commissioners
Seller: Hale 580 US 1 LLC & Hale Grove 4 LLC
Total Price: $2,540,000.00
Other Costs: Estimated to be $165,000 (appraisal costs, consultants acquisition fee, due diligence assessments)
If the property is acquired, the County will pursue cost-share reimbursement of bond acquisition funds used for land purchase through a variety of opportunities such as Florida Communities Trust, Florida Forever, Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Coastal Partner Initiative. The opportunities for grant funding towards public access improvements and restoration of habitat include many State and federal sources, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Indian River Lagoon Council, the Coastal Partner Initiative, and the Florida Inland Navigation District.
Should the property be acquired, the proposed use of the property would be for environmental conservation and passive public recreation. Based on historic land uses in this area, it is presumed that prior to conversion to citrus grove, much of the site was an herbaceous saltmarsh community at lower elevations and pine flatwoods/hammock towards the western limits of the property. Similar to the Jones’ Pier Conservation Area, the site affords the opportunity to create wetlands that treat lagoon waters, and a variety of recreation opportunities such as nature trails, wetland overlooks, environmental education and volunteer opportunities. The acquisition of land in close proximity to the IRL aligns with the Bond Resolution as there would be many lagoon benefits provided including: (1) eliminating the potential for high intensity development in proximity to sensitive habitat in the IRL; (2) creating habitat adjacent to the IRL for wildlife that would use wetland habitat not present on the existing property; (3) potential for water quality improvement via the treatment of lagoon waters; and (4) a resilient project that may be designed to withstand changing environmental conditions, thereby affording increased protection for the IRL.
BUDGETARY IMPACT
This is presented to provide information only and therefore there is no budgetary impact for the Board to consider.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTIONS
20-1630 06/09/2020 Letter to BCC Re: 2020 Environmental Lands Bond Referendum and Trust for Public Land Report
22-0043 02/01/2022 Presentation from Ken Grudens, Executive Director, Indian River Land Trust, Re: Proposed 2022 Environmental Land Bond Referendum
22-0091 02/01/2022 Proposed 2022 Environmental Land Bond Referendum
22-0194 03/08/2022 Environmental Land Bond Referendum
22-0803 09/20/2022 Updated Draft Environmental Lands Program Guide for the November 2022 Environmental Land Bond Referendum
23-0202 03/07/2023 Indian River County Environmental Bond - Review Committee Selection Process
23-0264 03/28/2023 District #3 Appointee to the Environmental Lands Acquisition Panel (ELAP)
23-0288 04/04/2023 District 4 Appointment to Environmental Lands Acquisition Panel (ELAP)
23-0403 05/16/2023 Appointment of James L. Connaughton ELAP
23-0492 06/06/2023 District #3 Appointee to the Environmental Lands Acquisition Panel (ELAP)
23-0626 07/11/2023 Environmental Lands Acquisition Panel (ELAP)
23-0875 09/26/2023 Award of RFP 2023064 for Ecological Services in Support of the Environmental Land Acquisition Bond Process
23-1155 02/06/2024 Environmental Land Bond - Introduction to the ArcGIS Hub/Dashboard
23-1057 12/12/2023 Environmental Lands Acquisition Panel (ELAP) Recommendation for Finalization of Draft Environmental Lands Program (ELP) Guide
25-0193 02/25/2025 ELAP - District 4 Appointee - Member Resignation & Appointment
25-0319 03/11/2025 ELAP Ranking List of Environmental Lands Acquisition Properties for the Initial Nomination Period
25-0475 04/22/2025 Water & Air Research, Inc. Work Order Number 1, Amendment 2 for Ecological Services in Support of the Environmental Land Acquisition Board
POTENTIAL FUTURE BOARD ACTIONS
Board consideration to approve purchase of the “Hale Grove” project under the County Environmental Bond Program.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Quality of Life
OTHER PLAN ALIGNMENT
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
. Recommended Action
This is presented for informational purposes only.