St. Petersburg plans to acquire USD 2.9 million Salt Creek Property for Preserve

Gina Driscoll, a member of the city council of St. Petersburg, has had free land along Salt Creek for years – almost 3 acres of it. She believed that the city that develops quickly could use additional green areas.

Administrators who realize flood management and educational opportunities agreed. The city now offers the seller 2.9 million US dollars for three adjacent plots on the Fourth Street, 18th Avenue and 17th Avenue South.

The DRISCOLL's colleagues in the Council approved the initiative on January 23 in a committee of the entire meeting. Mike Jefferis, Community Enrichment Administrator, said the acquisition was “really sense”.

“We know that many municipalities convert current parklands into flooding solutions,” said Jefferis. “So that's really the best victory. It takes property that is currently not parking land, Parkland, a Preserve and then uses for this purpose.

“It is a win-win situation in our eyes.”

City documents state that the owner recently reduced its price of US $ 3 million to $ 2.9 million. While the website of the real estate appraiser shows that the property has a market value of $ 731,302, the same documents have this number to USD $ 2.88.

City administrator Rob Gerdes suggested that the Council approved up to 2.9 million US dollars for the property. “We don't want to negotiate with the seller here in public,” he said.

“We think we can do it better,” added Gerdes. “But I want to give nothing higher than the approval and give the seller a hint that we would move higher.”

City officials believe that the property would offer several advantages. Driscoll noted that the green area of ​​Bartlett Park would sit south of the 18th Avenue.

Jefferis said the property would extend the park and have a “beautiful sidewalk”, lamps, benches and “landscape corridor on the fourth street”. Administrators will also move a planned pumping station for Bartlett Park to the new green areas.

Jefferis said that Salt Creek, curved by Salt Creek, would serve as a marshland protection area with local plants, trees and St. Augustine Gras. The park would also serve as a flood barrier for houses in the west.

The director of Brejesh Prayman, Engineering and Capital Improvements, explained that the location towards Maggioresee, which experienced significant floods during the Hurrikan Milton. “In fact, it flooded too many pelvis,” he said.

Gebetman said the pump station would pull water from the surrounding floodplain and the reduction of the storm effects. A building on the westernmost package, away from Salt Creek, would house a generator and electrical equipment.

Officials plan to install a water control gate upstream from the property east of the Third Street, from which Prayman said that he would close during the wedding. “This enables us to keep the water in Salt Creek and Lake Maggiore lower,” he said.

A power tray bypass and carries excess water from the gate to the pump station. Gebetman said the process would help to eliminate tidal effects in the event of severe rainfall.

Jefferis said it was “not unusual to put a pumping station in a park”. He also noticed that the unique form of the property “made it very difficult to find a different use”.

Jefferis plans to “soften” with landscape design and potentially public art through the above -ground infrastructure. He compared the project to the Clam Bayou Nature Preserve.

Educational components will be outstanding in the new park. Jefferis said that the officials imagine using QR codes and posters that inform the residents and visitors about what “a community can do to support the negative effects of floods with which so many are confronted”.

The city buys the property with Weeki Wachee Financing. St. Petersburg bought the 440 -hectare recreation area in Hernando County in 1940. Officials gave costly plans to hand over his source water to the citizens, and later sold the property to the southwestern water management district of Florida for 15.9 million US -Dollar.

The proceeds act as trust in the financing of projects that create or improve environmentally friendly spaces.

Previously budgeted money and grants would pay for the pump station. The city council must continue to approve the use of Weeki Wachee Fund in order to acquire the property.

Copley Gerdes, chair of the council, referred to the film “The A-Team” from 2010 and said: “I love it when a plan comes together. I only appreciate persistent innovative thinking. “

This content provided in cooperation with Sttecatalyyst.com.