Sarasota County government buys land for North Water Tower Park

BUYER: Sarasota County, Sarasota
SELLER: Dwayne Inc.
PROPERTY: 4644 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
PRICE: $1.2 million
PREVIOUS PRICE: $1.7 million, June 2003
LAW FIRM ON DEED: Goede Adamczyk & DeBoest PLLC, Naples

PLANS, DESCRIPTION:
Sarasota County government purchased 6.24 acres of vacant commercial land south of 47th Street and north of 46th Street for $1.2 million.

The price equated to $192,308 per acre.

The property, which featured both North Trail and residential single family zoning, will be used to expand the adjacent North Water Tower Park.

“We have no concrete plans for it right now,” says Brie Ondercin, land acquisition coordinator for Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources. “It was purchased through the voter-approved Neighborhood Parklands Acquisition Program, approved in 2005, for county neighborhood parks.”

Lands acquired under that program cannot be used for athletic centers or other heavy and high-traffic uses. The most common low-impact uses that can be built on parkland include: trails, picnic areas, shelters and playgrounds.

The county and city of Sarasota will likely also use the Bayou Oaks property to help reduce stormwater drain off from U.S. 41 into Whitaker Bayou, Ondercin says.