Chair Alford, Commissioners and County Staff,
I presented the included information during my brief 3 minutes of public comment at the February 27, 2024 BOCC Regular meeting. Due to the limited time allowed to citizens for public comment, It was not clear to me if the 8 hard copies I provided were distributed to all those on the dais, including a copy for Commissioner Chestnut who was absent.
I respectfully request confirmation as to who has been provided a copy, which as I stated, I did provide.
Also, I sent an email yesterday with an article attached regarding a community in Ft. Myers Fl where a parking garage/storm shelter was built in 2009. I ask you to take the time to read it, and consider modifying your plans for the new parking garage to be built in Gainesville. While it may not be necessary to finish out the modifications for a storm shelter, it would be prudent and “climate wise” to design the garage so in the future it can be a multipurpose facility. These parking garage structures last a very long time, and the future climate impacts will only get more severe.
Sincerely,
Tamara Robbins
How is this legal?
County Property at Celebration Pointe
The Alachua County owned Sports and Events Center at Celebration Pointe was built by Scherer Construction working for the county’s contractor, Viking Companies, LLC. Viking’s owner Svein Dyrkolbotn presented an unsolicited proposal to Alachua County, and the BOCC gave him permission to design and build and operate the Center for the County, with the County providing the $30,000,000 funding. The County owned Center’s plans did not go through the LDR compliance reviews or follow County procurement procedures required for all publicly owned buildings.
July 8, 2021 Alachua County issued Development Order DR-21-24 approving a Sports Center to be built on Parcel 6820-2-22, 8.73 acres owned by SDPS Real Estate Investments VI, LLC, a shell corporation run by SHD-Celebration Pointe, LLC, a shell corporation run by Svein Dyrkolbotn, the developer of Celebration Pointe.
August 31, 2021 By resolution 2021-99, BOCC approves 20 years of public bond debt for $30,000,000 to build a Sports Center. Payback with interest: $38,416,532.
September 2, 2021 County issues building permit B21-001317 to Scherer for property owned by SDPS Real Estate Investments VI, LLC. Approved under regulations that apply to private commercial buildings. (County owned buildings have higher and costlier standards.)
October 1, 2021 OR Book 4937 Page 798 SDPS Real Estate Investments VI, LLC, deeds 3.22 acres inside tax parcel 6820-2-22 to Alachua County. (Land was purchased in 2013 for about $92,800 total. BOCC signs papers allowing SDPS to take a $3,500,000 IRS tax credit for a “donation” to Alachua County.) Parcel is the footprint of the Sports Center building, and is assigned tax parcel 6820-2-24. The remnant of parent parcel 6820-2-22 is a 5.51 acre donut shape completely surrounding the County owned land.
October 15, 2021 Scherer Construction files a Notice of Commencement for the Sports Center building, on a permit issued to a private company, not to owner Alachua County.
Late 2022 Building receives temporary construction hook ups for utilities. GRU account 2000-8051-2997. Bill sent to Scherer Construction.
November 2022 GRU installs a 2” potable water line and a 1.5” irrigation line at the site. Irrigation meter 93072548. County direct paid GRU $94,946 for all installations, including $2741 for the irrigation meter. (Huge charges for the oversized potable line.)
December 31, 2022 Scherer submits their monthly construction draw to Viking. Included is $106,761 for “Landscape/Irrigation” with no details provided. Viking denied a public records request for this public information and wants to charge an outrageous fee for research time.
June 19, 2023 Utility meters read for the last time on the construction account, and final GRU bill sent to Scherer.
June 20, 2023 Utility meters read for turn on of new GRU account 2500-0058-0065 in the name of “Alachua County.” Since then, Alachua County has been billed $10, 011.18 on irrigation meter 93072548 for 1,557,000 gallons of irrigation water.
January 6, 2023 thru January 1, 2024 Although the Center construction is not complete and the building permit not finalized, the County allows it to operate and host public events with SIX different Temporary Certificates of Occupancy.
November 18, 2023 Sports Center Building Permit Expires.
January 1, 2024 Sixth Temporary Certificate of Occupancy expires.
January 2024 Center hosts many public events, including the Jimmy Carnes Invitational Track Meet with NO Certificate of Occupancy, either Temporary or Permanent.
February 19, 2024 A Registered Landscape Architect provides a notarized Landscape Inspection and Certificate of Compliance of the irrigation system on parcel 6820-2-22. Problem: this not the parcel 6820-2-24 the Sports Center is on. It is the private property owned by SDPS Real Estate Investments VI, LLC surrounding the County owned property. The Sports Center parcel still has not had the 7065 irrigation inspection required by the building permit and all TCOs, which since day one have included this notation “NEEDS LANDSCAPE RELEASE W/CO.”
February 20, 2024 County Inspector Dan Gargas issues a Certificate of Occupancy based on above noted invalid landscape inspection.
Tax parcel 6820-2-24 is 140,263 sq ft. The ACSEC building is claimed to be 142, 898 sq ft., although in July 2021 Viking was contracted by BOCC to build a 151,000 sq ft Center. The September, 2021 Development Order permits a 151,809 sq ft building.
The building exterior walls are flush with the parcel boundaries. Alachua County owns NO land or soil exterior to the building that needs ANY landscaping or irrigation.
To date it appears that Scherer/Viking/someone have used at least $109,513 of public money to install and operate irrigation on privately owned tax parcel 6820-2-22.
How is this legal?
Sent from my iPad
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