Guidelines

I am one member of a five person board. The opinions I express on this forum are mine only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Escambia County Staff, Administrators, Employees, or anyone else associated with Escambia County Florida. I am interested in establishing this blog as a means of additional transparency to the public, outreach to the community, and information dissemination to all who choose to look. Feedback is welcome, but because public participation is equally encouraged, appropriate language and decorum is mandatory. Although this is not my campaign site for re-election--sometimes campaign related information will be discussed, therefore in an abundance of caution I add the following :








Saturday, March 17, 2018

What's The Value of OLF 8 in Beulah?

If the hypnotist tells you the value of a property is $4.75 Million, but the appraisal says the same property is worth $18Million, who are you going to believe, the hypnotist or your lyin' eyes?


Now that the vote at the BCC has been made and by a 4-1 margin, phase II construction will be commencing at OLF X in Santa Rosa County, we are now entering the final stretch toward acquiring, finally, the property in Beulah known as OLF8.

Now, there are still many disgruntled naysayers that are out and about--trying to somehow portray this land swap as a sham, a scam, a "bad deal" and/or an outright ripoff for the taxpayer.  There are even people that know better spouting off saying this land is only worth  $4.75 Million.  This is an outright lie.  The property just as it sits was appraised several years back for nearly $18 Million (see the summary appraisal in the two pictures below).  The values out here have done nothing but go straight up since this appraisal was conducted--so what is the OLF8 really worth today?  Let's just say it is worth more than $18 Million--that is a given, and that is more than we will have expended to get title to this land.

So, to the taxpayers and to my constituents in District 1 I say this:  I would not have done the deal the way the BCC did it--and I admit it was sloppy and choppy. I came into office as this project was well underway.    But---this property is worth more in just cash value alone as it sits, than what we will end up spending to acquire it.  Just look at the appraisal below from several years back.  Once we acquire it later this year, we will very shortly thereafter be awarded a massive restore act grant nearly equal to the amount we have spent to acquire this land, and this grant will pay the costs to develop this property.  And once the property is developed and infrastructure is put in (at no additional cost to the County's General Fund or LOST fund) and a master plan is completed--what will the value of OLF8 be then, at that time, as an improved 636 acre site?  (Hint, a LOT MORE than what the appraisal from several years ago lists)

So please be informed--  don't listen to partisans that have personal vendettas against this deal and massive axes to grind against community leaders who worked to support this deal.  The naysayers would have you look at the actual appraisal I'm publishing below, juxtaposed with what THEY SAY OLF8 is worth, and ask you point blank "Who are you gonna believe---me or your lying eyes!"

Sadly, there are folks that are not checking the facts, believing things that are not true.  It is really fascinating to watch how easily some  people become captivated by the smooth talkers who have managed to perfect the art of manipulating people like miniature Gumby dolls.

But on this issue--please--open your eyes for just a moment, do not fall victim to the Jedi mind trick, and look at the appraisal below. Don't allow yourselves to be manipulated--




6 comments:

Anonymous said...

No one In Beulah ever had a problem with OLF 8 until you and Freddy Donovan came into our community, now thanks to you two, we will be losing a landmark and the “Sights and Sounds of Freedom”. Please just do us all a favor and stop doing us favors. Why don’t you concentrate on building roads and get out of real estate.

Anonymous said...

Right Underhill on ECW spreads rumors as personal vendetta and to try to make it seem he is there to save the taxpayer yet fleece them. This and FLWest. He is not good for the county just D2. Snake in the grass no doubt.

Jeff Bergosh said...

Anonymous 10:11--I was elected to represent this area, a place I grew up and where I have lived in the same house in Beulah for going on 15 years. Who the hell are you to tell me what I should do? Who died and gave you the delusional notion you were in charge? Here's the way this works....I ran for this office and I won. You don't like me and the way I run things then run against me or roll up your sleeves and get to work with me in helping this community. Absent these two choices, your opinion on anything means nothing...you're simply another Monday morning quarterback wanna be who is too scared to get in the game. How about them apples?

Anonymous said...

I liked the unedited version better..you have to be able to spout off and tell it like it is sometimes. Tit for tat. I am sure the Beulah veto (for design, I get it) is frustrating. Rah Rah Rah.. Ha ha ha

Anonymous said...

Our little quiet town of Beulah is being overrun by politicians with greedy pockets and land owners with just as much greed. I hate the way we have been overrun by sub divisions. The traffic jams in front of Navy Federal have been created by greedy people. I don't drive on 9 Mile between 3:30 and 6 unless I have to. You would have thought they would have widened the roads before they expanded navy federal. I think we the people of Beulah were sold out!

Anonymous said...

Jeff, you published the cover letter accompanying the appraisal report of one firm's estimation of value.
Was a second expert opinion solicited, or are we taking one person's word for it?
The value opinion was subject to limiting conditions and general assumptions; what were those, especially the assumptions? Furthermore, EXTRAORDINARY assumptions and/or HYPOTHETICAL conditions have been applied; what about those?? As one who is very familiar with real estate and appraisals, I would never take a valuation at face value without considering the "subject to" conditions; please don't say you're publishing an appraisal when you've only disclosed a summary page. One would certainly wonder how much the opinion of value might change based on the possible scenarios for what the development at OLF 8 may eventually become (Commerce park, Commerce Park with Mixed Use Retail along the frontage, Mixed-use retail/residential, Open Space)--as the letter stated, the deployment of extraordinary assumptions or hypothetical conditions may significantly affect the value opinion. While you accuse some of being misinformed, ignorant, or gullible, could it be that we're still being manipulated by being shown only the cover letter and not the actual report? I'm not assuming that you're trying to mislead the public, but you do insult our intelligence by expecting us to believe your assumptions. Please post a link to the full appraisal report, so we can do as you suggest--check the facts.
Thanks!