Stemming from a Santa Rosa County Board of CountyCommissioners workshop last week, the Milton city staff could soon begin negotiating for two additional property parcels in downtown Milton in order to accommodate a potential new judicial facility.
On the same day, the City of Milton had their executive committee meeting in which the council members present voted in favor of authorizing City Manager Brian Watkins to begin negotiating to obtaining property owned by Milton Holding, Inc. and property owned by Theresa Messick.
While Council Members Ashley Lay and Mary Ellen Johnson were not present at Monday’s meeting, fellow Council Member Jimmy Messick abstained from voting or discussing the topic due to his wife being one of the property owners involved.
“The reason we picked those two pieces of property is because there were some wetland delineation issues,” Watkins said. “By picking up those properties that would remove them.”
By attaining the sought after property, Planning Director Randy Jorgenson the city could reduce the mitigation action potentially required through the county, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
“If we can get property number seven (owned by Messick), there are no delineated wetlands on that (property),” Watkins said. “By using road right of ways, acquiring parcel number seven, we think we can easily get it below half an acre and if it is done correctly, we can get as down to as little as a quarter of an acre or less than that.”
Watkins said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a threshold for impacted wetlands, which require a permitting process. Jorgenson agreed, adding the property acquisition would assist in the mitigation process.
“Review by those regulatory authorities is still required for impacts less than half an acre, but the process is much less time-consuming and laborious,” he said.
Jorgenson said he got the same understanding from the consultants at HOK, who are responsible for designing a new county judicial facility.
“While they indicated permitting was required,” Jorgenson said. “It certainly would not be as labor intensive.”
Watkins said it is still possible for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to upgrade the permitting process, even though there is less than an acre of wetlands impacted.
City staff provided the commissioners with layout of the facility including parking and a retention pond.
“The area impacted by the pond would be the only impacted wetland area, it would be two-tenths of an acre of land,” Jorgenson said.
When addressing the council, both Watkins and Jorgenson shared their perspectives on where the commissioners stand in regards to placing a new facility in downtown Milton.
Jorgenson also stated the outcome from 2014’s General Election.
“I think we are in a positive position,” Jorgenson said. “Based on the expressions made by the electorate, the people were asked and given three sites to chose from (and) by far the leading vote-getter was downtown Milton.”
Council Member Lloyd Hinote praised the city staff for the work and due diligence in making sure the downtown location is a viable option.
“I don’t think many people realize the extent of work and expertise that has gone into this by our own people here… it has been quite a demonstration and we appreciate it,” he said.
The recommendation will be finalized as part of the consent agenda in Tuesday’s regular council meeting.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: City eyes additional courthouse properties