County mulls $1.4 million courthouse site
BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

The first thing Tom Stewart pledged to do in January 2007 when he was appointed as Santa Rosa County Commission Chair was find a solution to building a new courthouse and judicial center. One of the last things he did at his last commission meeting last week as chairman was to finally "start moving that train ahead," as he put it. He asked the county staff to meet with two groups of developers who may have land that would be suitable and affordable to build a new courthouse.

But the new Commission Chairman John Broxson, of Gulf Breeze, wanted to make sure there was an understanding that meeting with these developers is not implying a commitment of any kind.

"I hope this train hasn't left the station when I wasn't aware of it," Broxson said. "If this implies any commitment of any kind on our part to either of these properties, then I am not on that train. This will be a long trip. I call it the thousand-mile journey. And with the way our financial resources are right now, thanks to Tallahassee, unless the residents of our county agree some time in the future to have an alternative revenue source used, like a sales tax, we cannot do a whole lot anyway."

Stewart assured the commissioners that having staff meet with these two developers' representatives was just trying to get a good look at what is available as the best site for a new judicial center.

Town Square Partners, LLC has a 17.3-acre site, owned by three developers, just north of Chantilly Way in northern Santa Rosa County. The owners are offering it to the county at a price of $1.4 million and offering to donate the right of way to the county. They are also asking for some impact fee credits. That property would also offer a suitable space for a town square concept around the courthouse, Stewart pointed out. Stewart also said that property is beneficial because it also offers the opportunity of building a northsouth corridor connecting Hwy. 90 to Hamilton Bridge Road and eventually making a connection to Berryhill Road.

Stewart said he had also just met last week with another developer that has a property just west of the Town Square partners' property.

"Imperical Developers has 15 acres that is just west of this other piece and offers the same benefit of the north-south connector being developed," Stewart said. "I don't want to use the word free, because nothing is ever free. But I think when commissioners hear this proposal they will be very pleased by the price. So I would ask that staff also meet with these people to see if this is worthwhile of being considered."

Commissioner Don Salter said that commissioners had been receiving emails and some calls from people in the county who do not understand the county's situation on land available for a courthouse.

"People think we own a lot of land that we could use around the county," Salter said "And people point to the 15 acres in East Milton Industrial Park as free land, because we already own it, as a site. That land is in no way free if it is used for a courthouse. First of all, we did purchase that land for industrial use so there is money tied up in it, and if we take it off the tax rolls for a courthouse then we do not get the benefit of the taxes on a valuable industrial development site."

Earlier in the week, at the commission's committee meeting, Salter presented a map showing some parcels of property around the county that Santa Rosa County owns.

"People think we have properties available for a courthouse site that we already own," Salter said. "So I asked the staff to look at the sites and explain to the public what is available."

County Administrator Hunter Walker explained that the only site the county owns large enough for a courthouse would be the 15 acres at the East Milton Industrial Park.

"We do have some sites large enough that now are being used for youth recreational parks, but that is what the land was purchased and developed for, so none of those would not be an option," Walker said.

Stewart said he had asked staff to seriously look at all those sites, including the 15 acres in the East Milton Industrial Park, and bring back a report. Commissioners unanimously passed the resolution for staff to meet with the developers of those potential sites.