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 case file number is 261161. The item was introduced on 6/24/2026, forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners with a favorable recommendation by the Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee on 7/14/2026, and is scheduled for the Board agenda on 9/1/2026. The resolution authorizes the County Mayor to execute the assignment, exercise all provisions, accept conveyance by general warranty deed, and record the deed. The property is in Commission District 9. The EEL Program seeks 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 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 strategically located between Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park and within the watersheds of Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, and Card and Barnes Sounds. Acquiring the parcel is important to protect against saltwater intrusion of the Biscayne Aquifer and is consistent with the Sea Level Rise Task Force Recommendations. No public comment or stakeholder sentiment is stated in the document.