Chip Skinner has always kept an eye on the Weiss property.
The land stretches between 43rd Street and Route 441, right next to his neighborhood, the city of Gainesville spokesperson said.
His neighborhood already receives runoff during heavy rains, but Skinner and his homeowners association were aware that any residential development on the nearby property could worsen the situation.
On Sept. 24, Skinner and his neighbors were able to let their worries go. Together with the Alachua Conservation Trust, Gainesville bought the Weiss property, now known as Four Creeks Preserve, as conservation land, Skinner said.
The land acquisition collectively cost more than $4 million, with Gainesville paying $1.5 million, Skinner said. The city’s contribution came from its tree mitigation fund, which developers pay into when they remove trees during projects.
“We’re a nature-oriented community,” Skinner said. “It’s important that the city participates in saving these tracks of land.”
The recent acquisition comes after almost 15 years of different agencies pursuing the property, said Tom Kay, the executive director the Alachua Conservation Trust. The headwaters of four creeks — Blues, Hogtown, Turkey and Possum — lay within the 715 acres of the aptly named Four Creeks Preserve.
“The first word that comes to mind is relief,” Kay said. “This is one of those projects where there was tremendous community support for seeing it conserved. It was really important to try to conserve the headwaters of that many creeks that flow through Gainesville.”
Not only will conserving the property protect the water system and create a buffer zone in cases of surging waters and flooding during storms, but it could also create a wildlife corridor for the animals already present, Kay said.
Although discussions with the land owner, Arthur Weiss, and his representative started before the Wild Spaces and Public Places tax was passed, the acquisition was not possible until those funds began to roll in, Kay said. The funding from the half-cent sales tax, which goes toward acquiring conservation land and improving parks in Alachua County, provided the $2.8 million the Alachua Conservation Trust contributed to the purchase of the preserve.
“It was a pretty big first victory for Wild Spaces and Public Places,” Kay said.
Ownership of Four Creeks Preserve is split between the county and Gainesville according to the percentage that each paid for the property, Kay said. The county plans to conduct restoration of the land to make runoff less likely.
There are also possible plans to develop trails for walking, biking and hiking and to place picnic tables and park benches on the land for the community to enjoy, he said.
On Dec. 3, the conservation trust and Alachua County plan to close another deal on Serenola Forest for more than $3 million. The land, a mile north of Paynes Prairie, may be used for environmental education, Kay said.
These land purchases are an effort by local officials to surround the county with conservation land, Kay said.
“The community wanted to see that place protected,” he said. “It’s a part of creating this green belt around Alachua County.”
Contact Jessica Curbelo at jcurbelo@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @jesscurbelo
The 715 acres of conservation land sprawls between Route 441 and County Road 232. The City of Gainesville and Alachua Conservation Trust joined efforts to purchase the land for over $4 million.
