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Commission approves 40-year lease for Forgotten Coast K9 training facility on county land
Summary
The board authorized a 40-year land lease for Forgotten Coast K9 on a four‑acre county tract, subject to attorney review and standard insurance and reverter clauses; the nonprofit plans an 8,600 sq. ft. training facility and housing for veterans and handlers.
The commission voted 5-0 on April 22 to authorize the chairman and administrator, after attorney review, to sign a lease allowing Forgotten Coast K9 to build a training facility on a four-acre county parcel off Five Point Road.
Chris O’Brien, president of Forgotten Coast K9, told the commission he had secured $90,000 in private funding after a state grant request failed and described plans for an approximately 8,600-square-foot facility with roughly 3,500 square feet of open floor, 20 dog kennels, 10 permanent housing units for veterans and first responders, and several RV slots for traveling handlers.
County staff described lease terms the board approved: a four-acre tract, a $1,000-per-year lease payment, standard indemnification and insurance requirements, reverter clauses if the property is not used for the intended purpose, and a 40-year land-lease term to allow the nonprofit to make “significant improvements.” The lease also contemplates utilities connections to county water and sewer. Commissioners approved the motion authorizing the chairman to sign the lease after attorney review.
Clarifying details: the nonprofit did not receive the state funding it sought for this year, but O’Brien said private funding and pro bono architectural assistance are in place; the county will require indemnity, insurance and reverter language in the lease.
Why it matters: the project will create a permanent local K9 training and housing facility focused on veterans and first responders; the county’s long lease term and utility hookups are designed to support the nonprofit’s significant capital investment.
