Stuart Voters May Decide Fate of 2 Acres Near Haney Creek Park

STUART, Fla. — The future of two acres of land adjacent to the 157-acre Haney Creek Park Nature Trails and Dog Park may be determined by local voters rather than city commissioners. Following a delay in May, Stuart City Commissioners voted 3-1 on Monday to consider a resolution that would place the decision before residents during the Nov. 3 general election. The measure asks citizens whether they prefer to conserve the land or lease it to a business to help fund maintenance of the nearby preserve.

Financial Implications and Voting Deadline

The urgency stems from strict administrative deadlines required for ballot inclusion. City officials must make a final decision by Aug. 17 at a special meeting to allow sufficient time for wording submission to the Martin County Supervisor of Elections Office by Aug. 21. Failure to meet this deadline would force the city to hold a special election, costing between $13,000 and $16,000.

Commissioner Laura Giobbi advocated for moving the issue forward immediately. "I'm asking for us to move it forward, to get it onto the ballot and let the citizens decide," Giobbi said during the proceedings. She questioned why the decision should be removed from public input, emphasizing direct democracy as a solution to land-use planning.

Debate Over Revenue vs. Conservation

The 3-1 vote was driven by Commissioner Campbell Rich's dissenting opinion regarding long-term municipal budget stability. Rich argued against moving forward at this time due to the potential passage of property tax reform in November, which could severely impact local revenue streams.

"If property tax reform passes in November, this city and most municipalities will be desperate for diverse forms of revenue," Rich stated. He noted that when municipal budgets are stressed, parks often suffer first, while police and fire rescue funding remains protected. Rich estimated that leasing the two acres to a business could generate approximately $1 million over 10 years, a story we covered in Florida Property Tax Ballot Measure Faces Legal Challenge.

Preserve Details and Green Space Context

The land in question is located at 1001 Northwest Federal Highway, across from Northwest River Shores Boulevard. The adjacent Haney Creek Park opened in 2016 as a preserve protecting rare Florida habitats, including coastal scrubland, pine flatwoods, wetlands, and wet prairie.

According to Jim Chrulski, Stuart's community services director, the park features 4.4 miles of trails for hiking and jogging, dog parks, picnic areas, and nature observation opportunities. While Giobbi argued that acquiring green space is critical as development increases, Rich countered that the city already possesses 731 acres of managed and unmanaged green space—ten times the amount required by its growth management plan.

"We're talking about adding one-third of 1% of all the green space the city has," Rich said. He maintained that denying taxpayers the opportunity to earn revenue from the lease would be imprudent given potential future budget constraints."