CLEARWATER - The city of Treasure Island is now the sole owner of its beach access park.
The Board of Pinellas County Commissioners unanimously approved on June 16 a resolution to deed, for no cost to the city, property it has held since March 1985 to Treasure Island.
The property, located west of Gulf Boulevard and contiguous to city property that fronts Treasure Island Beach, had been part of a long-term lease between the city and county.
The lease, which provided for the operation and maintenance of the parking lot, restroom facilities and outdoor showers, will be terminated by the board after closing on the land.
According to a staff report, the county’s property is encumbered by a 1954 agreement that designates about 37.5 feet of the southernmost portion for use as a parking area for citizens and for residents of the Treasure Island Beach Club Condominium Association.
Treasure Island requested on April 30 that the county convey the property, including mineral rights, to allow it to better maintain and manage the beach access park.
County staff reviewed the property for possible needs and potential parking revenue and found no reason not to give the land to the city. The current county costs for operation and maintenance is $44,000 a year, which “far exceeds any potential revenue the county would receive through a shared parking revenue plan.”
Currently, the split ownership reduces the county’s efficiency and cost effectiveness to operate and maintain the park, the report said.
The deed will include a clause that states if the city discontinues the use of the property and its improvements as a beach access for more than 30 days, ownership reverts to the county.
