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The Collier County School District is planning to use an 11.6-acre site on Marco Island rather than sell it to the city, according to Marco City Manager Steve Thompson.

Thompson met with Collier School District Superintendent Dennis Thompson on Friday and was told the district is planning a “solar demonstration project” combined with an education-related structure, on the land commonly known as Tract K, located along Tigertail Court between Somerset and Century Drives.

Steve Thompson said either selling the land to the city or gaining city control through a land swap — which was discussed last summer — was “not high on their list right now.”

Steve Thompson mentioned his discussion with Dennis Thompson to Marco’s city council during the island’s all-day budget workshop on Monday.

Council members appeared surprised by the news.

“I’m very surprised,” Councilman Rob Popoff said. “Perhaps we didn’t make our position clear enough.”

Islanders have long argued the property should be used as a school site and failing that as a park or open space. During Monday’s meeting, Marco Parks and Recreation Director Dana Souza presented a slide that showed Tract K as a potential site for an off-leash dog park.

The district has countered that the land is too small for a school and had plans to sell the site to a third party in 2006, but they were scuttled after fierce resistance from island residents.

Steve Thompson said the district’s current plans would require a conditional use permit, requiring review from Marco’s city council before they could go forward.