Board authorizes termination of outdated land‑use restriction and moves surplus parcel toward redevelopment

The board approved dissolving a legacy land‑use restriction (LURA) on a small parcel that the county acquired after a former developer defaulted on taxes and obligations. Staff said the property was encumbered by a now‑defunct developer’s LURA and outstanding community development district (CDD) bonds that made the site difficult to redevelop. After marketing the surplus parcel, the county entered a contract with Simply Dwell Homes; staff said Simply Dwell would assume responsibility for demolition, remediation and any outstanding liens as part of its purchase and development plan.

Property and procurement staff described a lengthy procurement and surplus‑land process: the county secured title after tax foreclosure, declared the parcel surplus in July 2023, and solicited offers. Staff said the county owned a portion of several contiguous parcels; adjacent owners — including a private equity CDD owner and other lienholders — complicated the site’s marketability. Property acquisition staff told commissioners the county reduced the sale price to $0 to facilitate a transfer because otherwise the combined payoff of bonds and purchase costs made the site uneconomic for developers. The buyer, Simply Dwell, agreed to acquire county title and address outstanding liens and demolition, according to staff.

Commissioners asked about process, prior votes and public transparency; one commissioner noted the complexity of the parcel (bonds in the several‑million dollar range) and urged the public not to assume the county was “giving away” valuable land, saying natural liabilities and substandard infrastructure made the parcel a net liability without a developer willing to accept the work. Other commenters in the meeting criticized the prior handling and asked the board to pause while outstanding litigation and ownership questions were resolved; Simply Dwell’s attorney and the company’s representative said title research, demo costs and bond payoffs made a $0 sale the only practical way to get the site redeveloped.

After robust public comment and discussion, the board approved the termination of the LURA and authorized staff to proceed with closing under the amended sale terms. The tally recorded on the meeting board was in the minutes. Staff said Simply Dwell’s closing was set for March 31, 2026 under the amended schedule and county staff would ensure deed, lien and closing conditions were resolved at or before that time.