The Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners voted to move forward and begin the process of purchasing property for a new solid waste facility.
The new property is located on County Road 340, half a mile to three-quarters of a mile west of State Road 47, County Administrator Bobby Crosby said at the May 18 meeting.
The property is 29.7 acres on the north side of CR 340.
Crosby said the property would cost $25,000 an acre, for a total cost of $750,000, if the county purchased the entire property. The price per acre increases to $30,000 if the county were to split the parcel.
Crosby said the property gives the county room to expand the facility if that becomes necessary. He told the board that the county has seen a 248 percent increase in trash at its solid waste facilities since 2014.
“This could be a good investment into our future expansion if they need to expand or for any need in the north end of the county,” Crosby said.
Commissioner Sharon Langford said at first she was shocked by the price of the land, but Crosby showed her how much other properties near there had cost.
A document included in the agenda showed prices from recent land sales in the area.
According to the document, the Dollar General property sold for $52,750 an acre, property on the northeast corner of CR 340 and SR 47 sold for $70,000 an acre, the School Board property on SR 47 sold for $14,000 an acre and property on the southwest corner of County Road 138 and SR 47 sold for $19,000 an acre.
Crosby said an appraisal would put the price of the property between $11,000 and $15,000 an acre.
Later in the meeting, Clerk of Court Todd Newton said Google said land prices in Gilchrist County typically range from $5,000 to $15,000 an acre, while high-density properties can show averages close to $27,000

Crosby said the county received a six-month extension to find and purchase a property for the solid waste site. The county was awarded a $4.2 million grant to build the facility, but that does not cover the purchase of land.
Crosby said he spoke to a representative from the Florida Department of Commerce, and the representative was concerned about the county’s ability to find and purchase land before the six-month extension runs out. The county is already two months into that extension period, Crosby said.
“We’ve got to be respectable and try to do our best with what we do and what we purchase,” Crosby said. “But if we don’t come up with a property, we’re subject to lose $4.2 million.”
It would cost between $900,000 and $1.1 million to relocate animal control and use the property next to the current solid waste site in Bell by the elementary school, according to a document in the meeting agenda.
Chairman Darrell Smith said that facility is also deteriorating, does not have enough land to expand and creates a lot of traffic by the elementary school.
Commissioner Tommy Langford said the new location creates the least impact possible.
Crosby said the land costs are significantly higher than the county expected, so the county will have to be careful in the building process.
Crosby said the county has $3 million budgeted along with the $4.2 million grant for a total of $7.2 million.
Newton read Statute 125.355 1(b) that says a property purchase greater than $500,000 requires two appraisals, but the county could vote to waive that requirement. He said felt the county should waive the requirement for an appraisal because they know the property will sell for more than the appraised price.
However, County Attorney David Lang said because the statute says “shall,” the county should get the two appraisals, then have a public meeting regarding the property.
Lang said the property may be owned by Commissioner Kenrick Thomas’s employer, so Thomas would have to recuse himself from the vote.
Crosby informed the board that the motion should be to enter into an option to purchase subject to getting the appraisals done and the property being rezoned public.
Lang said the motion should be to begin the process, but Crosby felt the county needed to enter into the option to purchase because time was running short and the county could lose the grant.
Commissioner Bill Martin made the motion, and Commissioner Tommy Langford seconded the motion.
With Thomas recusing himself, the vote was 4-0 to enter into an option to purchase.