County agrees to sell 99-year tower easement near Sea Oaks; underlying parcel to be returned to Sea Oaks community
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Summary
The county approved the negotiated sale of a 99-year easement covering a wireless tower site to Wireless Edge for $2.1 million while conveying the underlying surplus parcel to the Sea Oaks community at a lower negotiated fee; commissioners said the agreements preserve communications access and return surplus land to local residents.
Indian River County commissioners approved a negotiated agreement to sell a 99-year easement for a wireless communications tower site near Sea Oaks and to convey the underlying surplus parcel to the Sea Oaks community under a separate negotiated sale.
County staff explained the property was acquired in 1988 for wastewater use and later became surplus. A wireless tower has been on the site since 2007 under a lease to Verizon; that lease remains in place. Wireless Edge offered $2.1 million for a 99-year easement that covers the tower footprint and access easement; Sea Oaks offered to purchase the underlying fee interest in the parcel for a separate negotiated amount staff described as fair given the parcel's size and adjacent constraints.
County Attorney and staff said the proposed easement sale preserves the tower site and will prohibit sale of the easement area to competing wireless operators; the county will not sell or convey tower equipment (which remains subject to existing leases). Counsel for Sea Oaks said Sea Oaks prefers a monopole (single-pole) tower design and would like that preserved; the county said it had not finalized that condition with Wireless Edge but had discussed the preference.
Sea Oaks attorney Michael Barquette and other Sea Oaks representatives spoke in favor of the transaction; staff said the negotiated package balances returning surplus land to the residential community while preserving a communications facility that serves the barrier-island area. After discussion the board voted unanimously to approve the staff recommendation to move forward with the easement sale and related documentation and to complete final survey work necessary to close.
The county will finalize survey plats and closing details and proceed with document execution; the Verizon lease and any equipment on the tower remain subject to their existing lease arrangements.