Marco Property Backs Out of Conservation Collier Deal

The largest approved purchases of Marco Island land through Collier County’s Conservation Collier program got smaller when one of three sellers backed out of the deal in early January.

Conservation Collier is a program funded by voters’ approval to be taxed for Collier County to purchase and maintain conservation land. Voters last approved the ad valorem tax in 2020, up to .25 mil, or $250 each year for a $1 million assessed property.

Collier County Board of Commissioners took about $60 million of the conservation money and then approved what would have been Marco Island’s largest conservation land purchases since their first approval 20 years ago of Otter Mound. However, only two of three Marco Island sellers followed through, closing on Friday, January 5. The purchases still totaled about 2.5 acres instead of the goal of adding 3 acres to Marco Island’s conserved land. The seller backing out at the last minute equated to about half an acre less conservation land. Seller Diane Chestnut could not immediately be reached for comment. 

“Although this is disappointing, I was at the last Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Committee meeting on January 3, and there are three new exciting properties on Marco Island being evaluated for acquisition,” said Marco Island City Councilman Rich Blonna. 

“Because the BCC [Board of Collier County Commissioners] no longer has to spend $627,500 for the Chestnut property, I will advocate for their consideration of the new properties should they reach the Conservation Collier A-List Status,” said Blonna in an email to Coastal Breeze News. 

The advisory committee will be ranking properties, including creating the highest conservation value "A list" at their meeting scheduled for March 5. 

The three approved purchases in 2023

- Adjoining vacant lots near Publix on South Barfield with short, black barrier fencing built around them to keep the tortoises safely on the property and away from the traffic. On the lot closest to Publix is a bald eagle nest high in a tree that is visible from the multi-use path. This South Barfield purchase includes four lots: 181, 191, 201, and 221 South Barfield. They total 2.13 acres bought at a cost of $3.14 million from Annecy Marco LLC and closed on Friday, January 5, 2024.

- 1125 Caxambas Drive, a half-acre lot purchased from South Terra Corp at a cost of $1.62 million. The Caxambas Drive lot sits across from what was once a historic hotel with Indian Hill, Florida’s highest natural elevation at 51 feet, right around the corner. It is situated next to a lot where human remains had been found. The waterfront property is home to gopher tortoises. Councilman Blonna, who enjoys kayaking, suggested the conserved area may be enjoyed as a place for kayakers to stop and picnic. The property closed on Friday, January 5, 2024.

- 660 Inlet Drive, a half-acre lot was approved for purchase from Diane G. Chestnut at a cost of $627,500, but the seller backed out of the deal. 

Three More Marco Island Properties Considered for Purchase in 2024

At the recent Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (CCLAAC) meeting on Wednesday, January 3, five properties located throughout the county were considered for purchase.

Three of the properties are situated on Marco Island, which in part attests to Blonna’s negotiations on the island to have potential sellers participate in the program. 

The other two properties included one in eastern Collier County bordering I-75 towards the Everglades and another in northern Collier County off Immokalee Road. 

About the three new properties up for consideration by CCLAAC

- 511 S. Barfield Drive, near the intersection of South Barfield Drive and Inlet Drive, is .4 acres owned by the W.L. Ramoski Revocable Living Trust. The property is located along the multi-use path and has conservation value for its tropical hardwood hammock and habitat for gopher tortoises and burrowing owls.

- 363 S. Barfield Drive is .38 acres owned by HK Investment AG. It is located near one of the recently purchased Conservation Collier properties that closed on Jan. 5. The lot includes xeric oak scrub in an area otherwise described as high-intensity urban. Breeding gopher tortoises and burrowing owls have been reported on the property. A threatened plant species, West Indian mahogany, is on the property, Collier County staff reported.

- 383 South Barfield Drive is .43 acres owned by Gary Van Cleef, located between the old fire district building and HK Investments’ parcel listed above. An estimated market value for this property will be obtained prior to the March 5 CCLAAC ranking meeting. 

Other properties for consideration:

On January 3, other properties considered included a North Naples property off 50th Ave NE, which is just south of Immokalee Road and owned by McIntosh Family Trust. The property is 2.73 acres and has vegetative diversity and value to wildlife. 

The other property is owned by Gabriel Sarry Trust and is 13.3 acres zoned agricultural with one residence allowed there, according to county records. It is on Blackburn Road, which runs alongside I-75 in eastern Collier County, at least five miles east of Collier Boulevard. 

An acquisition status report is regularly updated on the Collier County website, listing all other properties being considered, as well as those that have been purchased, declined and proposed. Link here:

www.colliercountyfl.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/105775/638403071348230000