EEL OPTION TO PURCHASE SOUTH DADE WETLANDS

Board of County Commissioners · 2026-09-01 · resolution

Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners is considering a resolution to accept an Assignment of Option to Purchase approximately 10 acres of freshwater wetlands within the Environmentally Endangered Lands Program South Dade Wetlands Project. The seller is Timothy H. Noto and Ellen C. Noto, as Personal Representatives of the Estate of Rachel M. Noto. The purchase price is $3,500,000.00, funded from Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond funds. The property is located at SW 344 Street and SW 169 Avenue, inside the Urban Development Boundary. The resolution was introduced on 6/24/2026, forwarded to the BCC with a favorable recommendation by the Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee on 7/14/2026, and is scheduled for the BCC agenda on 9/1/2026 as item 9A1. The file number is 261161. The property is in Commission District 9. The EEL Program intends to seek partial reimbursement of $350,000.00 from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection pursuant to Resilient Florida Grant Agreement 22SRP45. Two independent appraisals were procured: $4,356,000.00 (appraised March 12, 2025) and $4,000,000.00 (appraised April 5, 2025). The agreed purchase price does not exceed the average of the two appraisals. The EEL Program has acquired approximately 24,232 acres of land in Miami-Dade County since its inception. The purpose of the EEL Program is to acquire, preserve, enhance, restore, conserve and maintain environmentally endangered lands. The property is located within the South Dade Wetlands Project, an important wetland system in the southern part of the County, strategically located between Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park and within the watersheds of Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, and Card and Barnes Sounds. Preserving these wetlands is important to protect against saltwater intrusion of the Biscayne Aquifer. The acquisition is consistent with the Sea Level Rise Task Force Recommendations. The document does not state any public comment or stakeholder sentiment. The document does not state a specific business opportunity for contractors or trades beyond the land acquisition itself.