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City approves two Turnbull Creek conservation property purchases
Summary
The commission approved separate votes to buy two parcels (20.21 acres and 4.5 acres) tied to Turnbull Creek conservation from Blossom Development and Festival Properties after staff presented appraisals and a prorated negotiated price; management and maintenance plans were discussed.
The New Smyrna Beach City Commission voted Tuesday to purchase two parcels near the Turnbull Bay watershed to preserve forest and wetland: a 20.21-acre parcel from Blossom Development and a 4.5-acre parcel from Festival Properties.
Assistant city manager reported the city received two appraisals with an average combined appraisal of about $1,063,500 and negotiated combined contracts totaling $1,100,000 after prorating a package price. The manager said the purchases help preserve floodplain and stormwater management lands acquired with earlier voter-authorized borrowing.
Commissioners asked about prior homeless encampments on the properties and whether those had been cleared; staff said the owner cleaned the sites and that a conservation management plan will assign day-to-day stewardship responsibilities to the natural resources coordinator working with the Turnbull Bay group. The city also pledged regular monitoring to prevent re-encampment.
The motions to adopt each purchase passed on roll-call votes with all commissioners voting "yes." Staff said the city will impose regulatory terms consistent with public property management and will include prohibitions on camping consistent with other park properties as allowable under law.
