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 This 28+/- acre
site, which consists of two parcels, is located on the Tomoka River on
the north side of SR 40 just west of I-95. The river splits the
parcels with the 18-acre site being located directly off SR 40 and
accessed via a single-lane driveway. The 10-acre parcel is on the west
side of the Tomoka River and does not have any access to it, other
than by the river. There is a total of 1,300 feet of river frontage.
The owners currently use the 18-acre parcel as their principal
residence. There is a main house, a secondary house, a barn, a
detached garage and a dock on the property, with several of the
structures in various states of disrepair. The future land use
designation for the larger parcel is Urban High Intensity, which
allows for such uses as multi-family dwellings and commercial
activities.
Historically,
the eastern parcel of the Russell property probably consisted of
scrub, bottomland forest and a narrow fringe of flood plain swamp
along the Tomoka River a blackwater stream. The western parcel was not
surveyed, but aerials and the owner’s description indicate that the
parcel is primarily flood plain swamp. Discussions with the owner
indicate that most of the property was converted to pasture around the
late 1940’s and early 1950’s, when the Russell family first purchased
the property. Since that time, the property has been allowed to
succeed, without the introduction of prescribed fire, into conditions
resembling a xeric hammock with laurel oak being the dominant tree
species. A small excavation can also be seen in the northeast corner
of the property. Remnant scrub species can be found on the higher
elevations. Most of the understory has been disturbed because of
previous clearing and the boarding of horses. Because of fire
suppression, the density of shrubs along the shoreline of the Tomoka
River has increased and the subsequent shading has caused a decline in
the herbaceous aquatic species, which protected the shoreline from
erosion. Exotic species, such as Boston fern and caesarweed are
scattered throughout the property, but not in abundance. Because of
its location on the Tomoka River, the property is located in a zone of
high probability for archeological site occurrence.
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