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Apparent conflict sinks county park land purchase

Commissioner Ken Hagan's father brokered the deal. That, and repeated price hikes, led the board to reject it.

By BILL VARIAN
Published October 20, 2005

TAMPA - Hillsborough commissioners narrowly tossed out a proposal to buy a patch of land for a proposed park in the northern county that was being brokered by the father of a board member.

In Wednesday's debate over the purchase, Commissioner Kathy Castor cited the seeming conflict as part of the rationale for her no vote. The other two board members in opposition said the price was too high. They left open the possibility of reconsidering their position if a new appraisal expected in coming weeks justifies the asking price.

Commissioner Ken Hagan abstained from the vote, acknowledging his conflict, while urging the other board members to support the proposal. It died on a 3-3 vote, with Commissioners Tom Scott and Ronda Storms joining Castor in opposition.

Hagan has been pushing commissioners to buy land in northern Hillsborough to build a regional park in an area where open space is scarce. Earlier this year, a proposal emerged to have the county buy several parcels near Branchton Park so it could be expanded to hold athletic fields.

In April, the St. Petersburg Times revealed that Hagan's father, Ken Hagan Sr., had helped assemble the parcels and was serving as the broker on their potential sale. He has told the Times he read about the need for park land and simply used his skills to try to come up with a solution that would benefit the community.

On Wednesday, county real estate and parks officials said that even though the proposal by Hagan's father had shrunk because some landowners raised their asking price, nonetheless it did appear to hold the best promise for building a regional park in the northern county. They recommended the purchase of what was still available - 13.4 acres - for about $3.1-million, or about $230,000 an acre.

County real estate director Mike Kelly said there was some urgency because property owners have already raised their asking price three times. They now want more than twice what an earlier appraisal said the land was worth, prompting objections.

"I'm with Ronald Reagan," Storms said. "You don't negotiate with terrorists."

Hagan and some of the other commissioners said the property owners in question are only seeking what recent land sales in the area show their property is worth. Commission Chairman Jim Norman, meanwhile, came to the defense of Hagan's father.

"I want to be the first to apologize to (Ken) Hagan," Norman said, speaking of the father. "He's got a right to make a living in this county."

The proposal likely will come back when a second appraisal is completed. Scott warned the property owners that he will not support the purchase of the property if they raise their asking price again.

[Last modified October 20, 2005, 01:19:18]