Franklin County starting to buy Alligator Point properties

Franklin County has submitted its first applications to use money from the state's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to purchase property at Alligator Point.

All of the properties have experienced repeated damage from storm surge and erosion.

One of the lots belongs to Capital City Bank, one currently houses the Alligator Point Volunteer Fire Department lot, and two lots are privately owned.

County RESTORE coordinator Alan Pierce said the acquisitions are critical to improving or repairing Alligator Drive.

The county intends to purchase and demolish existing homes and other structures at Alligator Point which suffer from repeated storm damage and erosion and use the land as “open space” or to relocate Alligator Point Road.

A letter has been sent to 99 affected landowners at the Point urging them to sell.

Depending on the response at some point the Board might have to prioritize applications depending on how much money the state says is available.

The letter says that the program will pay fair market value as determined by a licensed appraiser, and in some cases, fair market value could be appraised using pre-disaster value.

Alan Pierce said he hopes he people of Alligator Point take this offer seriously as the erosion there is continuing and ongoing and never ceasing and this might be a good opportunity to revisit where they live.

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