Martin County to donate 0.27-acre Golden Gate parcel to Police Athletic League for community facility

The Martin County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously June 17 to surplus and donate a 0.27-acre county parcel at 2769 Southeast Fairmont Street in Golden Gate to the Martin County Police Athletic League (P.A.L.). The board’s action follows a public hearing and presentations from county staff and dozens of residents who said the youth-mentoring nonprofit has expanded services countywide.

The donation will transfer the county-owned vacant parcel to P.A.L. under Florida Statute 274.05 after the nonprofit finalizes design and site requirements. Sandy Johns, real property specialist with Public Works, told the board: “This is a public hearing to request board direction for a 0.27 acre vacant county owned parcel currently located at 2769 Southeast Fairmont Street in Golden Gate.”

Why it matters: Speakers at the meeting said a permanent building would let P.A.L. run year-round programs on site, reduce travel times for participants and expand mentorship, leadership and diversion programming that county speakers described as reducing juvenile justice involvement. Noel Del Veil, identified in the record as executive director of Martin County P.A.L., urged commissioners to treat the transfer as “not as a transaction of property, but as a life changing investment.”

Details and debate: Staff said the county approved an option-to-lease with P.A.L. in 2020; during the site-planning process, the nonprofit determined the single parcel was too small and acquired an adjoining lot, which requires common ownership for unification. Commissioners discussed the parcel as surplus county property and the legal mechanism under state law to donate surplus land to adjacent nonprofit operators. Several commissioners, including Commissioner Campe and Commissioner Hetherington, described long interactions with P.A.L. and its leadership and noted a reversion clause and other protections for Martin County if the lot is not used for the intended public purpose.

Public input was heavily in favor. Dozens of current and former P.A.L. participants, volunteers and community partners described leadership, mentoring, boxing, drumline, diversion and tobacco/opioid-prevention programs. Testimonials included youth and parents describing job training, scholarships and mentorship that speakers credited to the organization.

Formal action: Commissioner Campe moved to accept staff’s recommendation to surplus and donate the 0.27-acre parcel at 2769 Southeast Fairmont Street to the Martin County Police Athletic League pursuant to Florida Statute 274.05; Commissioner Hetherington seconded. The motion passed unanimously. The board recorded no separate amendments.

Next steps: The nonprofit will proceed with finalizing architectural plans and other requirements under the prior option-to-lease and the donation conditions; staff will coordinate property conveyance and ensure the reversion provisions are included in the deed. No construction start date was specified at the hearing.

Ending note: Commissioners and many public speakers framed the donation as a long-sought permanent home for P.A.L. after years of mobile programming, leased spaces and school-based activities.