The Volusia Forever Advisory Committee voted to find the 62-acre Botts Landing property eligible for the county’s conservation acquisition program.

Staff prescored the fee-simple application at 10 out of 21 — the minimum threshold for eligibility under the fee-simple category — and the committee voted to accept that finding after discussion about the site’s mix of agricultural and environmental values.

Why it matters: Committee members split over whether fee simple acquisition is the right tool for a mixed-use parcel that still supports cattle operations and has agricultural buildings on site. Supporters said the parcel would protect river access and remaining open space near the St. Johns River; some members suggested a partnership or a split acquisition with ECHO or other funds to provide active recreation while protecting habitat.

What staff reported: Tim Telfer, Bush Forever program staff, told the committee the application is a fee-simple request and that staff had prescored it 10/21. Hunter Fulmer, chief of land management, clarified that the property contains habitat types that show up on the county’s ecological overlays and that some sea-level-rise models project partial future inundation of the site. Staff said the owner selected fee simple rather than an agricultural easement.

Committee discussion: Committee member Wanda, who said she knows the site well and that it is part of an old dairy farm, moved to find the property eligible, citing river access and a desire to preserve open space near the train-station growth area. Other committee members pressed staff on how existing structures would be handled if the county purchased the land; staff said structure decisions would be made later by county leadership during acquisition negotiations and management planning.

Several members urged exploring a joint project. Committee member John Gamble and others said the site had potential for partial active recreation (fields, trails, or ball fields) and for conservation, and suggested investigating shared funding with ECHO or other partners to preserve both open space and active uses.

Public comment: No public speakers addressed this item during the Botts Landing discussion; the committee asked whether any members of the public wished to speak before voting and received none.

Vote and outcome: After motion and second, the committee voted to find Botts Landing eligible. Staff will proceed to the ranking phase to determine project priority and potential partnership opportunities.

Ending: Staff noted that future steps — appraisals, partnership negotiations and a management plan if the county purchases the property — will determine whether structures remain and which recreational uses are appropriate.