HOLMES BEACH – On Jan. 27, city commissioners engaged in an impromptu discussion about the currently vacant Gloria Dei Lutheran Church property last used for church services in January 2025.
Commissioner Terry Schaefer initiated the discussion during his commissioner’s comments when he referenced comments Commissioner Carol Whitmore made about the Gloria Dei property during her town hall meeting at the Island Branch Library on Jan. 22.
None of the other commissioners attended Whitmore’s town hall meeting, but it was livestreamed and archived at the Anna Maria Island Sun Facebook page.
During the town hall meeting, Whitmore expressed her opinion that the city’s $3 million offer for the church property in mid-2025 was too low and that’s why it was rejected. The property was then placed on the open market with an initial $9.9 million asking price.
During the town hall meeting, Whitmore said she never saw a specific plan regarding how the church building and church property would be used if purchased by the city.
During the Jan. 27 meeting, Schafer said, “There was an implication that the city was making an offer for which it had no intended specific need or use. Not true.”
Schaefer said several agencies and entities expressed interest in occupying the church building if purchased by the city.
“You felt our offer wasn’t adequate enough. I want to remind the public that when we made our $3 million offer it followed our appraisals. And our appraisals were based on the current zoning,” Schaefer said.
The church property is currently zoned Public/Semi-Public (PSP) and that zoning designation does not allow residential or commercial development.
Schaefer said the property owners’ $9.9 million dollar appraisal was based on the potential to rezone the property for residential or commercial development.
Regarding the city’s offer, Schaefer said, “It was rejected, but I don’t think it helps our case for anyone of us to say the property is worth more than we offered. And consequently, if we have an opportunity to re-discuss the acquisition of this, it doesn’t put us in a very advantageous position of leverage for our chair to be saying we didn’t offer enough.”
In response, Whitmore said, “We offered our max and they didn’t accept it.”
Whitmore said she asked for a plan regarding the use of the church building and property and was by told by “leadership” that some non-profit organizations were interested in using that space and the School For Constructive Play preschool that previously occupied the church building was interested in returning.
“We never had a firm plan,” Whitmore said. “I wanted a better plan.”
Schaefer said there has been further dialogue with the church’s representative and the asking price has been reduced to $7.5 million.
Whitmore expressed her view that if someone else buys the property and wants to rezone it, the city can’t deny the rezoning request just because the city wanted the property and didn’t get it.
Schaefer noted that several years ago the church owners previously sought to rezone two of the three church parcels for residential development and the commission denied those rezoning requests.
Schaefer acknowledged the current asking price remains too high for the city, but the owner may eventually realize the current asking price may not be a realistic given the current zoning restrictions.
Whitmore said she doesn’t think the city can afford to pay $6 million to $9 million to buy the property and she doesn’t want the city going into to debt to buy it.
After further discussion about the condition of the church building, City Attorney Randy Mora reminded that commissioners they were in commissioners’ comments and may want to curtail any further debate about the church property in that setting.
