FORT PIERCE — A strip of land developers have offered the city in exchange for publicly owned property at Fisherman’s Wharf would come with a potential thorn in the city’s side — a historic home in the middle of the tract.
The city wouldn’t be able to sell, lease or develop the property as one piece, would face opposition to demolishing the house built in 1915, and would have eminent domain as its only option.
The house at 417 S. Indian River Drive is just one more problem in a controversial land swap proposal that seems to be fizzling, but city officials have promised homeowners Ronald and Kip Lyman they won’t take their property by eminent domain. Still, the Lymans are worried about what future city leaders might do if the land swap happens.