A resort on Rattlesnake Key? Saving the Manatee County island may be an uphill battle

As a state effort to preserve the Tampa Bay island of Rattlesnake Key has stalled, Manatee County may get a new opportunity to lead the longtime conservation effort.

The 671-acre island and surrounding wetlands in Terra Ceia are some of the last undeveloped coastline on Tampa Bay. They’re prime targets for conservation due to their many environmental benefits, including wildlife habitat, shoreline protection, productive fishing grounds and recreation.

The island is now being offered up for development as part of a $75 million real estate listing, but a representative of the property owners said they are willing to consider selling Rattlesnake Key at a fraction of that cost for conservation.

$23 million in state funding previously set aside to purchase the land is set to expire in June. The legislator who spearheaded the effort to get those conservation funds, state Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, says a deal will not be reached before the money expires.

“Unfortunately, the money was there, but the appraisals that the land owner had and the (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) had just didn’t match up,” Boyd said. “FDEP is the ultimate arbiter on that.”

Could Manatee County preserve Rattlesnake Key?

While disappointed, Boyd says he hopes the land buy will work out — and there’s a backup plan to try to make it happen.

This year’s state budget includes an $8 million appropriation for the Rattlesnake Key purchase, significantly lower than what Florida lawmakers previously approved.

But instead of the state negotiating a deal, this time Manatee County would be in the driver’s seat, according to Boyd.

“What we did this year, is we appropriated $8 million,” Boyd said. “That money would go to Manatee County, and then Manatee County would hopefully contribute a couple million dollars. Hopefully, the county and landowner could come to an agreement,” Boyd said.

“So it’s contingent on the budget being passed and the landowner and the county.”

Manatee County previously committed up to $3 million to help the state purchase Rattlesnake Key.

A county spokesperson said last week that the $3 million remains available in the county’s reserves, and the purchase remains a “high priority” of the Board of County Commissioners.

If Gov. Ron DeSantis signs off on the $8 million allocation for Rattlesnake Key in this year’s state budget, that could potentially boost Manatee County’s buying power to $11 million.

And additional millions remain available through the county’s Environmental Lands Program, which is funded by a tax passed by Manatee County voters in 2020.

Land value under scrutiny

Conservation properties are prioritized by a volunteer advisory board, the Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee. Mason Gravely, the chairman of that committee, says the group has strongly advocated for the county and state’s past efforts to conserve Rattlesnake Key.

“Rattlesnake Key would be a gem to have,” Gravely said. “What seems to be the challenge is coming to an agreement on a price. We have to consider that we’re working with taxpayer dollars and be responsible with that money.”

With many other conservation properties to consider in Manatee County and a limited budget, ELMAC is taking a wait-and-see approach before it recommends acquiring the property with the referendum funds, Gravely said.

“If they’re demanding double or triple the appraised value, that will be an issue,” Gravely said.

The program’s buying power is also temporarily tight after the purchase of two new preserve areas this year — Crooked River Ranch in Parrish and the expansion of Emerson Point Preserve in Palmetto.

With those purchases, the county has already bonded $35 million of a $50 million limit.

Last week, the Board of County Commissioners voted to consider expanding the program’s bond capacity. That would require voters to weigh in and approve the change in November.

With so many unknown factors, it remains to be seen if government agencies can work out a deal to buy Rattlesnake Key before an interested buyer shows up.

Still, Gravely says he remains hopeful.

“I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but I think it will,” he said. “Rattlesnake Key is on a lot of people’s radars right now.”

Florida officals could still help conserve island

FDEP officials say that the agency is still interested in helping to acquire Rattlesnake Key.

“While FDEP has not acquired these parcels to date, funding remains available through the Florida Forever program,” Press Secretary Nikki Clifton said in a news release.

The island is within the footprint of the Terra Ceia Florida Forever Project, a larger conservation target area that was added to the Florida Forever list in 1996. More than 2,400 acres in Manatee County, mostly north of Interstate 275 in Terra Ceia Preserve State Park, have been acquired so far.

The agency said it is still looking for opportunities to add more land to the project, including the Rattlesnake Key parcels.

Florida Forever funds can also be used to refund part or all of what a local government pays for a conservation purchase. Earlier this year, FDEP offered to buy the land that Manatee County purchased for the Emerson Point expansion.

Is development allowed on Rattlesnake Key?

A sales pitch for Rattlesnake Key and surrounding coastal wetlands markets them as potential sites for a resort, island home, commercial marina or cruise ship terminal.

It also says the property comes with rights to dredge and fill over 200 acres of the bottom of the bay.

The property owners hold those rights thanks to a 1950s surveying error that mistakenly put the south landing of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on private property, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.

But it would likely be a very costly endeavor.

Another factor that could prevent development on the island, at least temporarily, is the island’s zoning.

Rattlesnake Key is currently zoned for agriculture and light residential use. More intensive uses would have to be approved by the county commission.

Then there are the risks of building on a very low-lying island, like flooding, sea level rise and hurricanes.

A Category 2 hurricane or stronger could subject the entire island to more than 9 feet of storm surge, according to the National Weather Service.

“There would be a lot of challenges with some sort of commercial development of that land,” Gravely said.

“I’m pro-growth under the right circumstances, but in a case like this I’d like to have it preserved for generations to come and never have to worry about it being developed,” Boyd said. “It’s just such a pristine beautiful part of our Tampa Bay coastline.”