Observer
EAST COUNTY
news:
final fight
Groups to settle incorporation debate with sumo. Story on 2A
STORY ON 3A
sports: cutting costs
Winning Combo
Braden River, Sanborn Studios Lakewood Ranch announce Charlie teams combine. 3A Sheen partnership.
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
SHORT STACK KUDOS, QUOTABLES AND COMMUNITY
+ Polo players go medieval!
The Sarasota Polo Club already is home to the Sport of Kings. Soon, it will become the home to the Sport of Knights as well. Polo players and horses will engage in medieval battle when the club introduces its offseason jousting tournaments this summer. Residents will sample a delicious chicken dinner on the sidelines as they enjoy tournament action on the polo fields. Tournaments will be held at 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, at the club, 8201 Polo Club Lane.
+ Creature spotted at Benderson Park
They’re calling her Benderson Bessie. Last week, a group of amateur rowers training at Nathan Benderson Park spotted a creature similar to the Loch Ness Monster. Since the sighting, monster madness has overtaken the park. Hundreds of mythmaker hopefuls have flocked to the park, cameras in hand, ready to snap
SEE SHORT / PAGE 4A INDEX Business Directory................11B Classifieds..............................11B Cops Corner............................9A Crossword.............................11B Neighborhood.........................1B Sports....................................16A Weather................................10B Vol. 12, No. 13 Two sections www.YourObserver.com
Thursday, APRIL 1, 2011
identity crisis
JEOPARDY Because of original land grants from the Spanish government, Lakewood Ranch may be forced to pay a $5 billion ‘territorial payment’ or change its name.
By Pam Eubanks | News Editor
LAKEWOOD RANCH — The Lakewood Ranch name may be in jeopardy. Lakewood Ranch officials learned late Monday the community may be forced to stop using its name because of a provision contained in the original land grant for the property. Historical researcher Liam Godbold in the Division of Land Management found a territorial note that lands in what is known today as Manatee County are prohibited from creating new settlements after the year 1905 without making “territorial payments” to the king of Spain or his heirs and assigns. Officials from the Spanish government did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment. Under Florida’s Marketable Titles Act, most title errors or other provisions in titles to property are considered
void after about 60 years have passed. However, the document in question clearly specifies that future settlements in Manatee County must pay, Godbold said. “If Lakewood Ranch does become a city, there’s no way around this,” said Godbold, who already has sent notification to officials of the Spanish government. “The settlement fee would be about $5 billion, from what I can tell.” SMR CEO and President Rex Jensen said he was not overly concerned with the news because it will impact residents more than SMR as an entity. “It’s not my problem,” Jensen said. “It’s the residents’ problem. If we have to change the name, we will. We’ll just move on rather than being in litigation forever. “The only thing to worry about is that the Spanish government has been much more aggressive lately in asserting ownership of salvaged treasure and may be choosing to assert
claims based on historic documents,” he said. “Our attorneys are studying the issue, and I’d like to await their review before making further comment. I have, however, taken the precaution of changing our corporate stationery back to a Bradenton address — just in case there is any liability.” The current city of Bradenton formed in 1943, as the result of the Florida Legislature approving the merger of the cities of Manatee, which originally formed in 1888, and of Bradentown, which incorporated in 1903. The governor of Florida signed the charter for the city of Palmetto in 1897. Godbold said, according to his research, all three cities — Manatee, Bradentown and Palmetto — paid a similar fee at the time
SEE TERRITORY / PAGE 4A
STRIKING IT RICH
Ranch CDD considers oil drilling At least one Lakewood Ranch CDD 1 official hopes the option of oil drilling on CDD property could help reduce assessments for residents. By Pam Eubanks | News Editor
LAKEWOOD RANCH — To raise revenue without raising assessments, supervisors on Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 1 are considering a proposal for exploratory oil drilling on district property. The East County Observer last week received a copy of a memo from an undisclosed district su-
pervisor that asserts supervisors should consider the option. “There is growing evidence that the area from Myakka City to the bay may harbor extensive oil reserves,” the memo states. “If so, we — and our constituents — should be the first to benefit from these resources.” The memo also states the supervisor has been in contact with Texas-based extraction company Peterson Petrol about
the possibility. Based on initial findings, discussions look promising. If supervisors move forward with the drilling, the CDD will use existing funds in its discretionary budget to purchase foreclosed homes within the district, which includes Summerfield and Riverwalk. The homes then would be leveled to make room Derricks such as this one will dot
SEE OIL / PAGE 4A the Summerfield community.