At the Oct. 20, 2025 Flagler County workshop, the county's public lands manager presented a request from a local church in Espanola to acquire roughly 0.3 acres of county-owned land that adjoins the Espanola Community Center in order to expand parking.

Eric Robelza, public lands manager, told commissioners the parcel is a northern portion of the park with no park amenities and that the county could pursue either a sale or a lease. "They've asked us to explore potential options for additional parking," Robelza said. Staff recommended preserving a 15-foot utility easement along County Road 205 if the property is transferred and noted that the church would be responsible for transfer costs, surveys, paying any purchase price and for permitting and improvements, including stormwater and tree removals as required by permitting agencies.

Robelza also said the church would need to pursue a zoning change from MH-1 to a zoning category that allows a parking lot and would need county permits and any required approvals from state environmental or water-management agencies. Commissioners asked about stormwater, flooding risk, the small irregular "triangle" parcel north of the main parcel (about 0.1 acre), and whether the triangular remnant could be offered to adjacent owners. Robelza said any remnant would remain county property unless the board directed otherwise; staff noted that sales of any county property generally must comply with state statute and that a sale to a nonprofit without a competitive process is allowable only if the nonprofit and the proposed use meet statutory criteria (the county attorney cited the relevant statutory section during discussion).

The board discussed options including a direct sale, a lease and retaining a utility easement. Commissioners asked staff to verify statutory requirements and to work with the church to demonstrate whether the intended parking use would satisfy statutory limits for selling county property without a public bid. The board also asked staff to evaluate flood/runoff implications and permitting requirements. No formal sale or lease decision was made at the workshop; staff were directed to continue due diligence and to return with options, including lease terms and potential sale pricing or appraisal information.

Ending: The board gave staff direction to pursue further analysis (legal, zoning, permitting and flooding) and to return with options for sale versus lease, including preserving a county utility easement and identifying any required approvals.