Pinellas moves to preserve waterfront land once eyed for development

The nonprofit that spearheaded the creation of a 14-acre nature preserve last year in Pinellas County is onto its next project.

Why it matters: County officials are nearing a deal to buy and preserve 29 acres of environmentally significant land on Boca Ciega Bay, according to WK Preservation Group, which helped broker the deal.

State of play: The three parcels that make up the land include an island and a stretch of coastline west of Bay Pines off Duhme Road, hence the project's name: Duhme Road Reserve.

Largely pristine and packed with mangroves, the land is flanked by condos to the north and homes to the south, WK Preservation Group president Tex Carter told Axios.

It's made up of coastal uplands and submerged land, including an extra-salty marsh home to snook, trout and fiddler crabs.

Photo: WK Preservation Group

Flashback: The impending sale comes on the heels of the preservation group's successful $1.5 million fundraising drive to help the county buy a native wildlife-laden chunk of land south of Tarpon Springs now known as the West Klosterman Preserve.

Yes, but: This time, the county is set to cover the full price with revenue from Penny for Pinellas, the county's 1-cent sales tax for infrastructure projects.

County parks officials said Tuesday they were still in the due diligence process and declined to comment on the purchase price.

Carter said the purchase price will be "quite a bit less" than appraisals, which came in at about $3 million. There's $7 million in Penny funds available for environmental land purchases, per the county.

Any sales will be subject to County Commission approval. County staffers plan to present the contracts sometime this fall.

Zoom in: A developer has owned the island — labeled Roasted Turkey Island on Google Maps — and coastal property since 2007 and once had plans to build condos, Carter said.

The owner of a third parcel, at Duhme and 48th Avenue — also part of the acquisition — previously had plans for a commercial development.

Both owners have since signed agreements with WK Preservation Group indicating they intend to sell the land for conservation.

What's next: The nonprofit will hold a town hall to present details of the project and answer resident questions at 3:30pm Monday at the Seminole Recreation Center.

Should the sale go through, the first priority will be removing invasive species, including Brazilian pepper plants, Carter said.

Officials have discussed adding a kayak launch and boardwalk or walking trail, but no plans have been finalized.