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A Florida development company is dropping its plan to build a golf-course community next to Haw River State Park and will sell the land to North Carolina's state park system for $14 million.

The company notified Guilford County officials by letter Thursday that, "Bluegreen communities has reached an agreement with the state of North Carolina regarding the 690 acres adjoining Haw River State Park that our company had hoped to develop into a housing community."

"As a result of our agreement with the state, we intend to withdraw our rezoning request for this property," Bluegreen vice president Tom Powers stated in the letter to Kirk Perkins, chairman of the Guilford Board of County Commissioners. "The property will be sold to the state for use as a state park."

The letter was delivered mid-afternoon by Greensboro lawyer Henry Isaacson, who had represented Bluegreen in its rezoning request.

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources later announced the land agreement, which is subject to approval by the governor and the Council of State.

Under the agreement, the state will purchase three tracts held by Bluegreen for $14 million. The acquisition will be financed through certificates of participation to be repaid with future revenues into the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.

The state parks system expects to complete the purchase by the end of February.

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners was scheduled to hear an appeal next week of an August decision by the county planning board, which rezoned the land to allow the golf-course development. The appeal was filed by park supporters, including the nonprofit Citizens for Haw River State Park.

Haw River State Park was authorized by the General Assembly in 2003 and now covers about 300 acres, including the Summit Conference Center that the state bought from the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina two years ago.

State officials had hoped to buy the golf-course acreage all along, but Bluegreen got there first to forge agreements with several property owners to buy the land.

Perkins said public sentiment was overwhelmingly against Bluegreen's proposal and it was good to see the project conclude in a way that appeared to be good for all sides.

"There are certain places that just need to be protected and his definitely is one of them," he said of the acreage in Northern Guilford and southern Rockingham counties that will now be added to the park.

Contact Taft Wireback at 373-7100 or taft.wireback@news-record.com