Sarasota County buys Nokomis preserve land for $1.48M

Sarasota County recently purchased more than an acre of waterfront property in Nokomis. The 1.07-acre site on Pocono Trail East contains about 1,200 feet of shoreline along Shakett Creek and will connect two other properties within a preserve, according to a statement.

County commissioners approved spending $1.48 million for the property on Pocono Trail East in September. At the time, parks personnel said potential improvements to the site may include nature trails, a picnic area, observation area, benches and parking. Beyond the purchase price, commissioners authorized more than $245,000 to cover closing costs, due diligence and startup activities.

The sale closed Dec. 18, county records show. The seller was Carol Hall. She initially nominated her property for acquisition by the county in 2021, but the parties could not agree on a price, according to a memo from parks officials preceding the purchase. In May 2025, both the county and Hall were able to negotiate a purchase price, the memo says.

Since the transaction has closed, county officials may work to secure the property and make other improvements to provide future safe, public access, according to a memo from parks personnel.

The newly acquired site connects two county-owned properties — one on either side — on Pocono Trail East. In 2002, the county bought a 4.3-acre parcel for $1.04 million and a 3.14-acre site for $1.04 million on Pocono Trail East, according to county property records. Both had been owned by Daniel E. Cardinal Jr. until Sarasota County purchased the properties through the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program.

That land is now known as Pocono Trail Preserve, providing a more than 8-acre network of trails and an observation platform with views of Shakett Creek and Dona Bay.

Adding the newly acquired site to Pocono Trail Preserve “will better protect the adjacent Dona Bay and the mangrove shoreline and oyster reef,” according to a statement. The property is home to mesic hammock, scrubby flatwoods and mangrove forest. Its protection will provide safe spaces for many threatened and native species, including West Indian manatees, gopher tortoises, gopher frogs and ospreys, the statement says. Red-shouldered hawk, great blue heron, yellow-crowned night heron, white ibis, reddish egret and barred owl have also been seen on or near the site.

“Securing this property allows Sarasota County an exciting opportunity to protect more sensitive habitats today while leaving a lasting conservation legacy for future generations,” Sarasota County Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Nicole Rissler says in the statement.

Funding for the acquisition came through the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program, which is a voter-approved, taxpayer-funded initiative.