Manatee County buys riverfront land to expand this preserve and widen busy road

Manatee County leaders have voted to add nearly 10 acres of riverfront land to Rye Preserve in Parrish.

It’s the second purchase recently approved by the county to expand the nature haven in East Manatee. In June, county leaders voted to purchase 4.5 acres to buffer the eastern edge of the preserve and the historic Rye Cemetery from encroaching development.

The new 9.7-acre parcel is right at the entrance of the park, on the western edge.

While small compared to Rye’s existing 550-acre span, the new property has some special features.

It contains a mix of pine forest and wetlands — two land types that are “important to protect,” according to Debra Woithe, the county’s conservation lands manager.

And with 1,200 feet of natural shoreline along the Manatee River, it will offer visitors some new scenery to explore.

The $858,000 purchase will mostly be paid by the county’s Environmental Lands Program, which uses a tax fund approved by voters in 2020 to buy new conservation lands and protect them from development.

“...I’m very happy to be wrapping this up after about two years of effort to get to a signed contract,” Woithe said.

Property adds land for Rye Road expansion

The county also plans to use a portion of the property for a planned expansion of Rye Road, which abuts the preserve, from two lanes to four.

“They will need to own some of this property to widen (the road), and also for some of the associated stormwater needs,” Woithe said.

Due to the road project, the county will pay $58,000 of the land purchase from Public Works funds. The Public Works Department will also reimburse the Environmental Lands Program for any land used in the eventual road expansion, which is still in the planning stage.

“This is an efficient thing to do, because if we don’t buy it now, they’re going to have to go about trying to buy this property in the future and are at risk of having to do a very costly eminent domain,” Woithe said. “So it is a cost-effective choice.”

County plans cleanup for Rye Preserve expansion

The property has been neglected and will require some cleanup once it is in the county’s hands, Woithe said.

The county plans to spend $12,000 to remove debris, derelict vessels and an abandoned trailer, as well as respond to some trespassing issues.

“(There’s been) some partying, some camping out, and moving onto the preserve during hours when it’s closed,” Woithe said.

Once it’s cleaned up, the addition will be managed as part of Rye Preserve with no additional costs or staffing needs required.

What happens next?

Commissioners voted unanimously in support of the purchase.

The sale is expected to close before the end of August, Woithe said.

The county did not provide a timeline for when the new piece of the preserve will be open to the public.