The Santa Rosa County Commission is set to vote Thursday on the purchase of two partial parcels in Pace that will clear the way for a future phase of the Woodbine Road Improvement Project in the Five Points area.
The $26 million project kicked off in April of 2024 with phase one, which centered on the south end of Woodbine Road, with enhancements to the intersection at U.S. Highway 90 and continuing to just north of Limbaugh Lane. There’s now a free-flow right turn lane from Woodbine west onto 90 — with an extended merge lane — and dedicated dual left turn lanes east onto 90. Also, sidewalks and drainage improvements have been added.
County Administrator Brad Baker said the focus is now shifting to the north end of the road improvement project.
“We need some stormwater retention ponds for the widening of what we call the Five Points interchange, and that will go from, basically, PARA Park (Santa Rosa County Sportsplex) down to Vinewood (Lane),” stated Baker. “We’ve been in negotiations and reaching out to property owners in that area. As you know, it is a congested area.”
During Monday’s Committee Meeting, commissioners were presented with a proposal to buy two pieces of property that will be used to address essential drainage improvements.
“The ask before you is to purchase two partial parcels of land to construct the required storm water retention for the North Woodbine Rd Improvement. Their ask, the agreed-upon cost is $150,000 for Parcel A and $172,000 for Parcel B,” Baker offered.
However, it was noted that neither property owner was looking to sell, which resulted in a negotiated price higher than the appraised value of $68,000 for each parcel.
According to Baker, commissioners really have three options available to them.
“Option one: buy it at the asking price. Option two is to do eminent domain, and just for your information, the price of that will be determined by the jury. And the third is scrap the project,” he said.
He provided no opinion from staff but added that this part of the project can move forward if given the green light.
“This will put us ready to complete the design and put it out to bid, probably in the next 30 to 60 days, to get this project moving,” he said.
Commissioner Rhett Rowell was the first to express support for approval of the land purchases.
“I truly feel like Woodbine, north/south, you know, we’ve already got the information; there’s way more traffic on Woodbine. Let’s Dave Ramsey this thing and 'get it done' as fast as we can,” said Rowell, after comparing the readiness of this project against the Berryhill Road widening project.
“I’m excited about what this will help, all those District 3 people coming, trying to get to work in the mornings, getting through Five Points, so I’m all in full support of this.”
After weighing in on the elevated cost of the land acquisition, a combined 42% over appraisal, Commissioner Ray Eddington, too, was ready to move forward.
“I think it’s too high, but I’d be the same way. If it were my property, if you want it, you’re gonna pay what I want. That’s the way it is,” Eddington said. “I’m not gonna scrap it. We’ve spent too much money already. I’m for it, let’s push on.”
Commissioner Bobby Burkett expressed similar feelings about the price, preferring the option to pay a bit more to acquire the land rather than pursue eminent domain.
“I don’t want to go in there and take somebody’s property that they’ve worked hard for, that’s been in their family for years. It’s their price, they have the right to ask that price," Burkett proclaimed, adding that he also does not support abandoning the project.
“People want infrastructure," he emphasized. "Well, the Local Option Sales Tax that we’re using right now is allowing us to this infrastructure that the people are wanting. So if you want it, we got to pay for it, and the Local Option Sales Tax is the way we pay for it, so let’s go forward with it as fast as we can possibly get it moving.”
Commissioners Kerry Smith and Colten Wright also agreed that moving ahead with the project was the right thing to do, with Wright saying the $322,000 price to purchase the land is a drop in the bucket when you consider the total cost of the $26 million project.
Board members will vote on the item during today’s regular meeting as part of their consent agenda.
