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Board approves RFP to sell Old Palm City parcel with $3 million minimum bid, requires conveyance of 0.93‑acre stormwater parcel
Summary
Martin County approved a draft request for proposals to sell and redevelop a 5.76‑acre county‑owned property in Old Palm City with a minimum bid of $3,000,000, mandatory donation of a 0.93‑acre parcel for stormwater access to Danforth Creek and design requirements aligned with the Old Palm City redevelopment plan.
Martin County commissioners on Jan. 28 approved a draft request for proposals (RFP) to solicit redevelopment proposals for a 5.76‑acre county‑owned property in Old Palm City. The RFP sets a minimum bid of $3,000,000, requires the buyer to convey at no cost a roughly 0.93‑acre western portion of the site back to the county for drainage and stormwater access to Danforth Creek, and establishes design controls consistent with the Old Palm City redevelopment plan.
County real property manager Carla Segura presented the draft RFP, which staff said was drafted under Florida Statute 163.380 in coordination with the CRA and relevant county departments. The RFP requires proposed development to conform to Article 12 Division 1 and 4 architectural standards for the Old Palm City corridor, limits building height to 30 feet (one to two stories allowed), requires rear parking, and includes a landscape buffer along Martin Highway. The RFP also asks for an interconnect road between Newberry Court and Palm City School Avenue and obligates the developer to convey the stormwater parcel to the county for the Danforth Creek project.
Commissioners and staff discussed the property’s purchase history and financial implications. Staff and several commissioners explained the county acquired the parcel after a private project proposal created strong neighborhood opposition to higher‑density apartments; district funds and CRA funds were used to purchase the property, and staff said proceeds from the sale would be applied to repay those funding sources and to restore funds used to buy the site.
Commissioner Kennedy provided historical context, saying the action aims to return the parcel to the tax rolls under development restrictions that fit the neighborhood and to provide county access needed for long‑term Danforth Creek stormwater improvements. Public works director Jim Gordon explained the 0.93‑acre donation would create a county staging and access area needed to widen and bench the creek bottom — a project included in the county’s CIP for future design and grant pursuit.
Several commissioners asked whether the $3,000,000 minimum was justified; staff said the minimum is intended as a floor for a competitive sealed‑proposal process and that appraisal data and additional market analysis will be considered if bids do not materialize above that threshold. The selection committee will be five members with government and community experience, and the county reserves rights to negotiate, award to the highest responsive bidder, re‑advertise or reject proposals.
Commissioner Capps moved to approve the RFP and advertise; Commissioner Campey seconded. The board voted unanimously to proceed.
