Beach accepts Maratea deal

Beach accepts Maratea deal

City Commission votes to sign $5.25M purchase agreement

By MARCIA LANE
marcia.lane@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 03/17/09


ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH -- City Commissioners will offer the owners of the Maratea property $5.25 million for the 11 acres of undeveloped property the city wants to turn into a public park.

On Monday evening at a special meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to go forward with the offer that was hammered out earlier this month. The only condition commissioners set was that the city be allowed full access for the construction of a walkway.

"Protecting the land is the way to go," said Mayor Frank Charles.

Vice Mayor Brud Helhoski said some people had questioned him about whether it was fiscally responsible to make the purchase now.

"My answer back to them is that we are in a short-term recession, but this property will be forever," Helhoski said.

For a time it appeared the sale might not take place. There is a May 1 deadline to close the deal.

The owners were seeking $5.77 million, but the city came back with an offer of only $4.5 million. That led to a meeting by City Manager Max Royle, City Attorney Geoff Dobson and Commissioner Rich O'Brien with two of the principal owners, Douglas C. Bush and John Yamnitz, on March 3 to negotiate a price that would satisfy both sides.

The two sides agreed upon the $5.25 million price. The owners signed a purchase agreement with the new price and the City Commission Monday voted to sign it also, letting the sale proceed.

O'Brien said Bush did display some "frustration" in dealing with the public sector because he is accustomed to dealing in the private sector where decisions can be made much more quickly.

The Maratea purchase has been an ongoing issue with haggling over the price going on for about 18 months.

The property was formerly known as the London Tract and lies on the east side of A1A Beach Boulevard between the Bermuda Run and Sea Colony subdivision. The city plans to preserve the land as open space and as a park for public use including access to the beach.

Voters last August showed their support for the purchase when they agreed to up to half a mill in property tax to pay the long-term debt to buy the tract. The vote was 690 to 447.

Charles said he's optimistic the Florida Communities Trust will come through with funding. FCT is a Florida land acquisition grant program administered by the state's Department of Community Affairs. Grants are awarded each year, on a competitive basis, to local governments and non-profit environmental organizations to use for community-based parks, open space and greenways.

St. Augustine Beach applied for a 2008 FCT grant but didn't get it. They are planning to submit another grant request this year.


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