Sarasota County recently closed on the purchase of a Venice property formerly known as. The Oct. 17 transaction marked the county’s 100th acquisition through the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program according to county officials.
The 20-acre property at 4085 E. Venice Ave. has operated as a campground for the past 40 years. Going forward, the county plans to make improvements to the site and reopen it as a campground that also serves to preserve the natural habitat.
The Venice property contains about 6 acres of mesic hammock and riverine habitat along the Myakka River, with native vegetation including cabbage palm, wild coffee, beautyberry, southern red cedar and oaks.
“This acquisition highlights the county’s ongoing commitment to preserving diverse ecosystems and continuing the legacy of conservation for our community,” says Nicole Rissler, Sarasota County’s director of parks, recreation and natural resources, in a statement.
Sarasota County commissioners in May authorized the $14 million purchase of Camp Venice, with an additional $2.04 million budgeted to cover closing costs and improvements. Funding for the acquisition comes from the ESLPP and the Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program, making it the first joint acquisition for the two programs.
While the contract called for closing by February or March 2026, closing conditions were met earlier than anticipated, since all park models were removed from the site, county officials say in an email to the Business Observer. Previously, 13 modular homes were on the premises.
As the owner of the property, the county aims to operate the site as a riverfront campground. Its plans call for upgrading utilities; enhancing accessibility; establishing a connection to Snook Haven Park, which the county also owns and where an $8.75 million improvement project is underway; and exploring future connectivity with the surrounding preserves, according to a statement. Sleeping Turtles Preserve South, another ESLPP site, is located nearby.
Sarasota County’s ESLPP was approved by voters and is a taxpayer-funded initiative designed to acquire and protect natural lands. Its first acquisition closed on Sept. 19, 2000, with the purchase of 110 acres now known as Manasota Scrub Preserve in Englewood.
In the program’s 25-year history, more than 42,000 acres have been protected through land purchases and conservation easements, officials say, providing habitat for threatened and native species in 32 diverse and environmentally sensitive areas within the county.
To celebrate its 100 acquisitions through ESLPP, Sarasota County is hosting an Environmental Lands Celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Deer Prairie Creek Preserve’s South Entrance at 10201 S. Tamiami Trail near Venice.
