Pinellas County leaders, neighbors and environmental activists discussed an undeveloped piece of property and how to protect it from future development at a town hall meeting Monday.
The meeting on the Duhme Road Reserve Project was hosted by WK Preservation Group, a nonprofit organization that works to stop the destruction of natural habitats in Tampa Bay, according to its website.
The property the group is working to preserve along the shore of Boca Ciega Bay includes "both upland coastal and marine habitat that will provide refuge for wildlife in the mangroves, trees and plants as well as space for marine life in the saltern and bay waters," according to the group's website.
"My concern about this land is the land could be developed and would disappear. It's really a great piece of property for plants and the animals that live there now," said Tex Carter, president of the nonprofit.
The land has been "repeatedly targeted for development," according to WK Preservation Group's webpage on the project.
A handful of residents who live near the 30-acre property on Duhme Road attended the town hall.
Janice Rodriguez said she hopes the county buys the property and preserves it.
"I want to be able to look out and not see a 25-story building. I'm a New Yorker. I'm from Brooklyn. I've lived in 25-30 story buildings before so I would rather preserve it," she said.
County Commissioner Brian Scott said the county is considering purchasing the privately owned property. It's a valuable piece of land, but the owner will consider selling it at a lower cost, he said.
"The current owners are agreeable to a below market price as long as we keep it in a preservation state," said Commissioner Scott.
Scott said the funding could come from Penny for Pinellas, a voter-approved, 1-cent sales tax.
"We have dedicated a certain amount of the Penny for Pinellas funds specifically for land acquisition, so we already have money set aside for targeted properties, so this does not would not require general fund, taxes," he said. "This would not be a tax increase. We already have the funds available."
County commissioners would have to discuss purchasing the property and vote on it. Commissioner Scott hopes the topic reached the commission by the end of the year.
No date has been set yet.
"Right now, the goal is to acquire the properties and take it out of the hands of private owners to ensure that it cannot be developed on in the future. Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in the state of Florida," said Scott. "We are a built-out county, so having the ability to preserve some green space in perpetuity is a special opportunity that we want to make sure that we take advantage of."
