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BY KATE GRUSICH
For a number of years, Cooley's Island has been a
tranquil picnic spot for a now retired Indian County physician and
his family.
But the 16-acre
Stuart waterfront peninsula - between the Okeechobee
Waterway and the South Fork of the St. Lucie River - will be up
for grabs at a Thursday auction. And the pristine land is
expected to draw the interest of a number of bidders, both local
and international.
"It's one of the
most secluded pieces of property in the county," said auctioneer
Tim Hoza of Stuart-based Karlin Daniel & Associates. "It's truly
one of the most unique pieces of property I've sold."
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Little is known about the
history of the untouched peninsula - including where it got its
name.
"Perhaps the land was once
owned by someone named Cooley," said local historian Sandra
Thurlow. "It is very close to the Cookie Delaplane property that
was controversial because of the African Queen fiasco with the
Martin County Land Trust."
Cooley's Island is just south of the 51.3 acre Delaplane site,
riverfront property once thought to be the backdrop for the movie
"The African Queen," starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine
Hepburn. That parcel garnered headlines a few years ago after the
filming claims were found to be unproven.
Although Cooley's past is unclear, Hoza said the land was platted
back in the early 1900s. |
The unspoiled space features
about 3,700 feet of deep waterfront , along with draping canopies
of tropical oaks, figs and imperial and cabbage palms.
Hoza said the property owner, listed in public records as the
William E. Wild Trust of Vero Beach, thinks an auction will
provide the best results. Wild could not be reached for comment.
The 16-acre property is divided into three parcels, but will be
sold as one tract. According to property records, the land was
recently assessed at about $903,600.
Hoza said future use might include the construction of a secluded
retreat or compound.
"I don't believe it will ever be
high-density," he said. "This is a gem; it's truly one of a kind,
I suspect this is how Sewall's Point looked early on." |
