Across from the private road in Alva is Daniels Preserve, the first property acquired through a land preservation program that allows sellers to name their properties after themselves.
The naming privilege offered by the Legacy Program is fairly new, only 18 months old, and Lee officials are promoting it to help entice property owners to sell environmentally sensitive land to the county, especially in the midst of a slumping real estate market.
Lynda Thompson, coordinator for Conservation 20/20, Legacy’s parent program, said despite the likelihood of less revenue coming into the county next year after a preliminary 12 percent drop in property values, more land can be acquired for preservation because of it’s more affordable now.
“When the market was favorable for land development, people didn’t have the interest (to sell to the county) because there were speculators willing to pay above market value. We couldn’t compete,” she said. “Now we can be more selective, more competitive.”
Property owners have to make the first move and fill out a willing seller form for the county to consider a purchase. A brochure about the Legacy Program is included. So far, two property owners have sold, including Daniels. Another two have made offers.
The county pays for Legacy properties through its Conservation 20/20 program, which costs taxpayers 50 cents for every $1,000 of taxable property value. The county has spent $187.7 million to acquire 85 properties totaling nearly 19,000 acres since voters approved the program in 1996.
“At this point they seem to have an awful lot of land,” said south Fort Myers resident Jack Tanner, who believes voters should have to approve the program again.
Preservation seems to be popular.
“It’s one of the few programs that wherever I go in the county people seem to support it,” Commissioner Frank Mann said.
To qualify for Legacy, a property must be at least 100 acres or have an environmental significance such as connection to other sensitive lands. Other properties can be sold to 20/20 without naming rights.
Daniels qualified for the Legacy option, the first person to do so.
“Being realistic and looking into the future, I knew there was a good chance the property would be sold, and it would be sold to developers,” she said.
Daniels, 69, watched her daughters play on the 243-acre property when they were children. The land has oak hammocks and cypress trees, a pond and headwaters of Spanish Creek, and when money is available to make it a park, it will have hiking and bird watching.
“I decided to do something when I was alive to make sure it would remain in its natural state so the public can enjoy the beauty we’ve always enjoyed,” said Daniels, who sold her property to the county for $3.9 million.
Sam Galloway sold the second property to Legacy shortly before he died. The county bought the 404-acre plot known as Sam Galloway Preserve, located off Corkscrew Road in southeast Lee, for $5.85 million. Technically, he did not request the property be named after him, but county officials did, to honor his commitment to preservation.
“We had people that would have paid more money for the site for development purposes … and that area was prime for mining as well,” said Ed Bonkowski, who brokered the deal with the county. “But Mr. Galloway wanted it to remain a wetland.”
There are two more sites – 125 acres on Pine Island being considered and 541 acres between State Road 82 and Southwest Florida International Airport.
The 541-acre site, known as the Elizabeth and Thomas Muraro Tract, is approved for purchase. Final approval will depend on the property owners’ offer, which commissioners must support to acquire the land.
Elizabeth Muraro and her father Thomas could not be reached for comment last week.
The final site, on Pine Island, became available the same way as the Daniels property. Its owner, Jack Carver, who arrived in Lee County in 1970, wants to preserve the beauty of the area.
“The only way to protect it from development is to preserve it,” Carver said.
The property is known as Carver Preserve and awaits commission approval for purchase. If Carver and commissioners agree on a price, the property will belong to the public.
“This is what makes us different from the east coast” of Florida, Commissioner Bob Janes said. “Preserved open space is what makes the west coast a great place to live.”
Lehigh Acres, FL - Vacant Land 