Council authorizes CRA purchase of two lots near Zephyr Park, waives appraisal requirement

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved a motion to let the Community Redevelopment Agency purchase two vacant lots at the corner of Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue next to Zephyr Park.

Gail, the CRA director, told the council the sites are two 40,000-square-foot lots adjacent to property the CRA already owns and to the park; staff asked the council to authorize purchase without requiring an appraisal because the price was under the city’s appraisal threshold of $880,000. The asking price reported in the meeting was $89,050; the negotiated purchase price put forward to council was $79,999.99.

Council members said the corner is strategically important for the park’s design and that staff will send the design concept to the CRA consultant once the city has control of the land. Gail told council the CRA board had previously approved $300,000 to acquire land in support of CRA objectives, and staff said the purchase would not require additional CRA funding beyond that allocation.

After brief questions about intended use and funding source, a council member moved to approve the purchase and to bypass the appraisal requirement. The council voted 7–0 to approve the purchase and to waive the appraisal process.

The council did not adopt a final development plan for the lots; staff said once the city owns the property it will involve the city’s park designer and CRA consultant in planning options for the corner.

Votes and next steps: Council approved the purchase at $79,999.99 and authorized staff to proceed without an appraisal; staff will return with design options and any related budget actions if further funds are required for improvements.