EEL OPTION TO PURCHASE SOUTH DADE WETLANDS

Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee · 2026-07-14 · resolution

Miami-Dade County 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 (March 12, 2025) and $4,000,000.00 (April 5, 2025). The agreed purchase price does not exceed the average of the two appraisals. The EEL Program Manager, Janet Gil, will monitor the contract. The property is within the South Dade Wetlands Project, an important wetland system between Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park. The Board first placed the South Dade Wetlands on the EEL Priority A Acquisition List in 1993. The acquisition is consistent with the Sea Level Rise Task Force Recommendations. The County has acquired approximately 24,232 acres of land in Miami-Dade County since the inception of the EEL Program. The remaining balance under the Bond Program for allocations towards EEL acquisitions is $12,530,061.00 as of May 31, 2026. The resolution directs the County Mayor or designee to record the deed and provide a recorded copy to the Clerk of the Board within thirty days of execution. The sponsor is Kionne L. McGhee. The registered lobbyist is none listed. No public comment or stakeholder sentiment is stated in the document.