SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Declare surplus for the purpose of a land swap, three parcels of certain real property in Section 16, Township 29 South, Range 15 East, formerly used respectively as right-of-way, a meeting facility as a part of old Fire Station 45, and a parking lot consisting of 9 parking spaces adjacent to the North Garden Avenue Parking Garage; exchange the three surplus lots for a strategic parcel in the downtown, which is of greater value, by the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, Inc. (COS) and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.
Body
SUMMARY:
The City is the owner of three parcels of land more particularly described as:
• 600 Franklin Street - The South 60’ of Lot 1, Block 7, Gould & Ewing’s 1st and 2nd Addition to Clearwater-Harbor Fla, Plat Book 1, Page 52, Public Records of Hillsborough County, of which Pinellas County was formerly a part.
• Dedicated Right-of-Way - a portion of Lot 34 and a portion of the vacated Haven Street, Court Square Subdivision, Plat Book 5, Page 53, Public Records of Pinellas County, Florida.
• The North 37’ of the West 121’ of the South half of Lot 1, Block 5, of Gould & Ewing’s 1st and 2nd Addition to Clearwater-Harbor Fla., Plat Book 1, Page 52, of the Public Records of Hillsborough County, Florida, of which Pinellas County was formerly a part.
The Right-of-Way parcel is located on the north side of Court Street, in-between S Garden Avenue and S Fort Harrison Avenue, and contains right-of-way dedicated as Haven Street by plat and right-of-way dedicated by ordinance over city-owned property.
The Haven Street portion of the Right-of-way parcel was dedicated by plat in Plat Book 5, Page 53, Official Records of Pinellas County, Florida in 1922, and will join the adjacent fee-owned lots by operation of law upon vacation. The right-of-way dedicated over city-owned Lots 34 and 45 of Court Square Subdivision by Resolution No. 79-50 in Official Records Book 4867, Page 1478, will remain in city ownership to be conveyed as part of the swap. Following the vacation of the Right-of-way parcel, the remaining city-owned property will be approximately 4,750 S.F. The appraised value of said land has been determined by James Millspaugh & Associates, Inc, to be $200,000.
The second city-owned parcel is located at 600 Franklin Street, and formerly housed a building that was used as a fire hall meeting/headquarters for Clearwater Fire Department as a part of old Fire Station 45. The property is approximately 3,660 S.F. and the appraised value of the parcel has been determined by James Millspaugh & Associates, Inc, to be $155,000.
The third parcel is located at 28 North Garden Avenue and is known as the City of Clearwater’s North Garden Avenue Parking Lot. This lot abuts Watterson Avenue to the west, and is in between Cleveland Street and Hendricks Street. This parking lot is roughly 4,500 S.F. and includes 9 parking spaces, open to the public. The rate at this lot is $0.50 an hour with a maximum time limit of 2 hours. The appraised value of this property, as determined by James Millspaugh & Associates, Inc, is $70,000.
The property owned by COS, to be exchanged to the city is a paved parking lot in disrepair at the southwest corner of Martin Luther King Jr Avenue and Cleveland Street, Parcel ID# 15-29-15-53928-0005-0011. The COS parcel is currently owned by 1133 Cleveland Properties, LLC. The Church of Scientology Flag Services Organization, Inc. is under contract to purchase this property as a pre-requisite to the land swap. The appraised value of this property, as determined by James Millspaugh & Associates, Inc, is $600,000.
With the Nolen apartment complex and accompanying amenities in the finishing stages, the COS property is a strategic parcel that will provide parking in the immediate area.
Per City Charter Section 2.01(d)(5)(iv), real property declared surplus may be exchanged for other real property having a comparable appraised value.