Atlanta Braves - Spring Training Stadium in West Villages?

If you follow the local news, then this isn't news to you. Yesterday and again today the Sarasota Herald Tribune has been reporting that negotiations between the Atlanta Braves, WVID, and "local leaders" are underway to build a brand new 7,500 seat baseball stadium in WVID.

In the artist rendition of what such a stadium might look like you can see that it could front on US 41 and would be just east of the State College of Florida campus which is shown in the upper right corner of the picture.

Estimated cost....$100 million

Who pays to build it? Now that is the question!!

According to the article published today, the funding would come from public bond funds issued to the WVID. Why WVID? Well because most government entities have charters or other regulations that restrict the amount of public bond debt they can incur WITHOUT public approval (a vote by the voters who will pay the taxes that repay the bond debt). However, as a state chartered Special Taxing District, WVID has the luxury of incurring unlimited amounts of bond debt subject only to the Board of Supervisors approval.

Bond debt is customarily incurred by WVID to pay for infrastructure improvements such as roads, parks, water, sewer, etc. Is a sports complex to the tune of $100 million really an "infrastructure" improvement for the district?? Only the voters can decide that....OH, sorry; the WVID voters are the land owners (read master developer) and it looks like they have already decided.

I'm not for or against the idea of a spring training facility in our backyard. But I am concerned with who is going to be paying for it, and right now that isn't clear.

This is the article from the http://www.heraldtribune.com.

Link to the article:
http://G52-SHweb.newscyclecloud.com/article/2016160309658

New Paw Park is Approved

A few months ago the WVID purchased about 33 acres from the Ranch Land Partners (a.k.a. Mattemy Homes). The parcel is located along the west side of River Rd. and North of US 41, and is to be donated to the City of North Port as public park lands per existing development obligations. At Monday's City Council meeting the North Port City Commissioners approved development of this dedicated land for use as an animal "Paw Park". There is no time line set for any work to begin on such a project though.

What did this low lying, flood zone land cost WVID tax payers? Only the small sum of about $1.8 million or around $55,000 an acre.

Yes, there was an appraisal done of the land by a Florida licensed commercial appraisal company hired by WVID. BUT, many of us disagree with this land valuation. Only recourse open to us disagreers is to hire an attorney, pay for our own independent appraisal of the land, and if the valuation differs from that of the WVID hired appraiser, then we could sue the district to void the sale and renegotiate a more reasonable price.

Anyone have an extra $10k or so to get this ball rolling??? Oh, don't forget that if you loose the law suit, then you become liable for paying all of the associated court costs and legal defense costs of the district and any named individuals. The deck is really stacked against us private citizens if we want to question any actions of elected government officials.

Trouble in Paradise ?

This is really old news; but it was new news to me when I found it last night. While researching the two lots WVID wants to buy at the SW corner of River Rd. and Hwy 41, I discovered that this land had been foreclosed on by M&I Bank from Fourth Quarter Properties. The property records referenced a civil court document as authority for the foreclosure action. Well, I found the public notice for that foreclosure action in a July 19, 2010, Sarasota Sun Herald Tribune newspaper public notice:

Hinkey Land Deal - Part II

The following email was sent this evening  to Todd Wodraska, District Manager, regarding the proposed purchase of two parcels of land at the Southwest corner of River Rd. and Hwy 41:

Hello Todd:

I do have some questions about the proposed acquisition of two parcels of land for the intersection improvements. Sarasota County property records identify these parcels as ID 0788-04-0002 and ID 0788-04-0005. I'll just call them parcel 2 and parcel 5 from now on.

One Down. Nowhere Else to Go!

Apparantly, in the great State of Florida, government DOES NOT investigate government!  A citizen with issues about their local government must resort to some form of litigation and personally assume all of the costs and risks assoicated with such action.  Very Sad!

One Down. Two to Go.

Todd Wodraska, WVID District Manager sent me an email this morning which answers my question about the acquisition of 10.57 acres of Gran Paradiso property for the amenities center construction there.  It was a "non-sale" transfer, and there is a supplemental, conditional, purchase agreement in place for some possible future payment to be made.  Read my comment to the "Hinkiest Property Deal of All" Post below for a complete explanation of this.

I'm still trying to identify the proper local or state agency to look into the other hinkey land purchases.  Everyone so far has taken a duck-and-cover stance on my questions.  Doing my best to hold all their feet to the fire, and to get at least one outside agency to stand up and say, "OK, we will investigate".  Government in action....gotta love it!

BOCC and DCA Respond to "hinkey" Land Deals

Last night I received email replies from Shannon Staub, Sarasota County Commissioner, and Candie Fuller, Inspector General for the Florida Department of Community Affairs.  Both replies were courteous and both replies indicated a lack of "jurisdiction" for evaluating my questionable land transactions.  I replied to each of them this morning, trying to convince them that this was an issue for them to look into:
  Reply to Shannon Staub. Click here.
  Reply to DCA. Click here.

I haven't heard back from Ms. Staub; but I did have a phone conversation this morning with a representative from the DCA.  He indicated that the State Auditor General, and the State Legislative Audit Committee had both the authority and budget to conduct the type of study or investigation I am asking for.  He has forwarded my email to contacts within each of these state agencies. Hopefully, one or both agencies will get "interested" in this matter.

WVID Responds to "hinkey" Land Deals

I brought 3 questionable land purchase transactions to the attention of the WVID by email on Sunday.  Read it here.

The WVID General Manger replied to my email this morning.  Essentially, they used an appraisal report, they transacted all business at public meetings, and that's the end of it.  Its a done deal. Read it here.

I replied to WVID that I just don't believe that land was worth what the district paid for it.  Read it here.

I've now put the entire "hinkey" land deals question into the hands of the media, the regulators, and the city and county elected commissioners.  Lets see what they can do with it?  Read it here.

"Hinkiest" PROPERTY DEAL OF ALL

Did you know that WVID owns 10.57 acres of prime Gran Paradiso development land?  The district also owns the partially completed $8 million dollar amenity center located just inside the main gates of Gran Paradiso. That building sits on the 10.57 acres the district bought.  Why you ask?

A REALLY "hinkey" LAND SALE?

Lets take a look at a 63 acre parcel of Fourth Quarter Properties WVID land on River Rd. about 1 mile south of U.S. 41 (Parcel ID 0797-00-1100).  This has been designated as a future public park area, and the property was donated to the City of North Port by the WVID on March 24, 2009.  Now, this sounds like a very good, civic minded, community development gesture; but, how did WVID get the land in the first place?

Anything "hinkey" Here?

On December 16th, 2009 our district purchased 16.9 acres of land from Fourth Quarter Properties (the developer and founder of WVID) for $556,400. It looks like this was a multiple parcel transaction as shown in the recorded warranty deed (http://www.clerk.co.sarasota.fl.us/oprapp/cache/2009155882.pdf). The Property Appraiser reflects the entire transaction in three (3) county property records (0785-00-1100, 0783-00-1100, and 0783-00-1200). Total acreage transferred was 16.9 acres and the Property Appraiser's "just market value" for these 3 combined parcels is $152,700. The district paid more than 3.5 times market value for this land.  Why?