The Golf Club, a political football?
The News-Press broke the story that The Golf Club (formerly known as the Cape Coral Golf and Tennis Resort when owned by Avatar) is for sale and that Lee County Schools was going to purchase this property for about $26M. The intent was to establish an academic village to house as many as 5 schools. That position has since been reversed by Lee Schools as a result of the complaints from neighboring property owners.There are now some in city government who believe that the city should purchase the Golf Club to preserve the aesthetic park like setting and the view that the golf course provides for those live on the golf course. Some have referred to the golf course as having a "historical value" to the city.
In addition it has been reported that there is a concern as to City Manager Stewart’s role in the events regarding the “impending” sale that began with a meeting in March and Stewart’s failure to notify the elected body.
posted by Civic at 6/30/2005 04:34:00 PM
7 Comments:
Published in the News-Press 7-3-05
behind clubgate
It would appear that the school board and its superintendent have been having surreptitious conversations with the Cape's City Manager, Terry Stewart. It also seems that Jim Moore and Janet Watermeier, head of Florida Gulf Coast Group representing The Cape Golf Club, were instigating these talks.
These shenanigans were going on for months without the Cape council and the citizens of Cape Coral's knowledge. Wouldn't it be nice to learn all the names of the folks that were going to share in the spoils of this dastardly deed?
The school board wants the people of Cape Coral to vote for a sales tax increase. It does not seem the citizens of southeast Cape Coral will do this now. In fact the entire city may vote the tax down. The duplicitous nature of this scenario is so appalling it is dubious if certain board members will ever get re-elected. Perhaps these people should heed a simple tenet of karma, "What goes around, comes around."
ED WIDENER, Cape Coral
Put up or shut up
If the 170 homeowners and 200 condo owners abutting the Golf Club want it to remain a golf course they should pony up the $70,271 each it would cost to outbid the county's $26 million offer.
With the escalation of local property values they5/8ll make their money back in a year, maybe less. If they don't want to buy it, then they must resign themselves to the fact that their golf course frontage may soon to be history.
The county and city need more schools, conveniently located. The golf course is still the best location available and should be developed in a manner that is sensitive to the abutters' well-founded desire for visual aesthetics.
Those 370 property owners should not expect the several hundred thousand county residents to foot the enormous annual bill for busing students to alternate outlying locations just for the sake of preserving their existing golf course view.
JOHN R. FELLOWS, Cape Coral
Raise big issue
So Superintendent Browder has gotten a raise. And so many residents are outraged by it, but not a sound of remorse is to be heard from the school board members. In my opinion, they displayed the poorest businessmanship, and they are supposed to manage millions of dollars? How can we trust them?
Consider: Mr. Browder's contract has a clause which deals specifically with the exact situation the board members tried so clumsily and prematurely to avoid. The clause states that the superintendent IS BOUND to announce to them, if and when he is approached by another school district with a job offer.
I fail to understand how and why the board members overlooked this clause! Why give money when it is not the appropriate time to give it? Maybe he wouldn't have gotten ANY offer, so why were they in such a hurry to dig into the public money resources? Couldn't they wait until after the conference which they so feared?
Then, if Mr. Browder had such an announcement to make, then a raise would have been timely and acceptable. But they didn't wait, they jumped over the board and the horse. What kind of management is this? I, respectfully, demand, in my name and in the name of the taxpaying Lee County residents, to hear an official and formal response to the effect that Mr. Browder gallantly rejects the raise in principle, as unwarranted, and returns the money with a public statement. Thank you in advance, Mr. Browder!
DAN BARKYE, Cape Coral
Why stop at club?
I must begin by stating I am one of the homeowners who would have been affected by the sale of The Golf Club to the Lee County School District.
I strongly urge the city council not to approve the zoning change that would be necessary for the schools to be built. All of the surrounding homes and condos have been sold because they are on a golf course.
Mr. Bill Moore (heading school support) made the ridiculous statement of, "If anyone doesn't like the idea of a school there, I'm sure they could sell it as soon as they put it on the market." Nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing will sell in this area until the zoning is either changed or upheld as a recreational area. Mr. Moore's comments are similar to Marie Antoinette's "Let them eat cake."
Janet Watermeier, president of The Golf Club Group, was quoted as saying having schools adjacent to homes will increase property values. She also was credited with saying prospective buyers want to know "are schools good and are they close?" Since when does living close to a school in Lee County guarantee you will attend that school and that it is a "good" school?
Mr. Browder was quoted as saying, "I'm not willing to do something that will upset the positive relationship the district has with the City of Cape Coral and residents there." It is too late, he has already upset the citizens of Cape Coral. What is next? Do they intend to convert Eastwood, Fort Myers Country Club and even Coral Oaks into school complexes?
LINDA CARPENTER, Cape Coral
Don't spoil a gem
With the Cape looking toward Naples for its inspiration for redevelopment of the downtown area, we should think long and hard about changing the land use and zoning of this property that is barely minutes from the CRA.
An historic 18-hole golf course within easy walking distance from downtown, with condos and private homes surrounding it, is a fantastic marketing tool, not to mention the fact that just having the green space in a city that is fast becoming nothing but asphalt and concrete is priceless.
I believe that we also have a moral and an ethical responsibility to protect the land values and preserve the lifestyles of those who own the homes that surround The Golf Club. We, as a city, simply cannot allow these types of assets to be taken for either schools or housing developments.
I would like to go on record with Mr. Browder and the Cape Coral City Council that, as a member of the citizenry, I whole heartedly disagree with any plan to develop this land and I would encourage other citizens to do the same.
ANITA ANDERSON, Cape Coral
Selling us out
I thank The News-Press for doing its job and reporting the latest skulduggery executed upon the good people of Lee County by School Superintendent James Browder and Cape Coral City Manager Terry Stewart. Both of these so-called gentlemen failed in their fiduciary responsibility to keep elected officials and the public, informed about massive community changes.
These two men are paid a handsome salary to work for the taxpayers, not their own self interest. They should be terminated from their jobs immediately. Mr. Browder should know that schools are needed at the right price, not at any price. We all must live on a budget.
It is despicable that he has planned behind the school board's back, to pay three times the value, per acre, for school land. North and west Cape Coral are growing in tremendous proportions. Schools should purchase land there and build as development expands.
Mr. Stewart has sold out the elderly populous of Cape Coral, who had planned to spend their remaining years on this earth enjoying the beauty and exercise offered by The Golf Club. That's my opinion.
TERRY E. THOMAS, Cape Coral
In the fire
Re: "Cape council criticizes city manager for club sale talks," June 25. Cape City Manager Terry Stewart is quoted as saying, "If I thought it was absolutely the important thing for me to do, I would have done it. With all the fuss kicked up, perhaps I would have been better to do that," with regards to informing the City Council about the interest in the golf course of Cape Coral.
Perhaps Mr. Stewart would have found this of interest if it affected his backyard. For him to take such an arrogant, pompous attitude towards council members and the citizens surrounding and living within that area, he has proven, yet again, he cares very little for the city he is supposed to manage.
Having secret meetings without informing the interested parties is wrong and it's time he was terminated for failing his contractual obligations. This time he was caught, but one has only to ask how may other meetings has he had without sharing the information gathered?
The fuss, Mr. Stewart, is that people's property values are at stake, lives of the citizens are going to be affected, and you should have not acted like a one-man council and should have informed our elected officials of any considerations regarding this deal's immediate impact on the citizens they represent.
Mr. Trump would have fired you in a second for poor leadership skills and poor communications with your team.
GAIL BURKHAM, Cape Coral
This appeared in the News-Press opinion poll on 7-2-05. It sound like former mayor Joe M's opinion that he stated last Thursday
Joe from Cape Coral writes:
Todays editorial once again shows the ignorance of the the editorial board when it comes to Cape Coral issues. It also goes to show that the board either doesn't read or understand the articles the paper's own reporters write. The School Board did not move forward with the purchase of The Golf Club for two reasons:the additional cost to develop the land, and the reaction of the neighbors. The additrional cost to develop the land has to do with necessary infrastructure to service it; it is not presently available and the cost of bringing it to the site will make the cost to develop any use other then a golf cost prohibitive. The second is the impact the surrounding community (neighbors) will have on the multiple public hearings necessary to change the use. After more then 25 years of dealing with land use cases in Cape Coral and other communities in Southwest Florida this one has two chances of passing, little and none. The last area one would need to consider when looking to develop this site is the City's Park Master Plan. The golf course was included in the present inventory of recreation facilities on the Cape. If it were to be taken away it would have to be replaced with another 170 acre track of land for recreational use. Just in case you are not sure such a site does not exist in Southeast Cape Coral. I hope the editorial board and the rest of the community starts to get the idea there is one thing preventing any change to the use of the golf course. The total cost to redevelop it. It would be much better if we got together as a community, completely in the open, to discuss the school system's needs for property in the Cape. We need to work with the city goverenment, the development community and the residents to come up with solutions rather then wasting time, money and ink on a proposal that provides no solution at all.
(comment 7 of 23. Posted at 09:55 AM EDT, 07/02/2005)
THE CITY MANAGER SHOULD BE FIRED!
Former owner wants golf club Cape course would remain under plan
By PETE SKIBA PSKIBA@NEWS-PRESS.COM Article published Jul 6, 2005
While a private Cape Coral golf course isn't for sale, despite the withdrawal of a $26 million deal last week, a developer wants to buy it and keep it as a golf course. "We don't have it up for sale," said Scott Siler, managing partner of The Golf Club. "But we would be poor businessmen if we didn't keep our options open."
The Lee County School Board had hoped to buy the property, a plan that upset area homeowners. The school district would have used the 175-acre site for a five-school campus. Residents complained and the school board backed out last week.
At least one developer remains interested. Gary Fluharty, a former owner of the golf club, said he had bid on the property before the school board offered to buy The Golf Club. Fluharty would like another chance to own the property on Palm Tree Boulevard.
"We had a bid in and we were outbid by the school board," he said. "We'd still like to buy the golf course and keep it as a resort." Fluharty said he didn't think it would be prudent to talk about the amount of the bid he and his partners offered or the amount of any new bid.
The resort plan would include a hotel and other amenities, he said. The project is too early in the planning stages to have any drawings or plans other than a concept, he said. That doesn't sit well with neighbor Terry E. Thomas, 55, of Banyan Trace. When he hears talk of building a hotel, it reminds him of the condominium where he lives. Banyan Trace's 232 condominiums replaced the golf course's hotel several years ago. "Expanding the golf course with a hotel and condos lets the developer's foot in the door," Thomas said. "Eventually the whole golf course would be developed."
About 400 Cape Coral residents met at the First Baptist Church last week to listen to Fluharty's consultant, Joe Mazurkiewicz, extol the financial and visual virtues of keeping a golf course in the area.
The costs of utility and drainage work, along with the time and effort for changes to the city's comprehensive land-use plan, outweighed the usefulness of putting schools at that location, Mazurkiewicz said. Residents want to the city to weigh in on the issue.
City Councilman Tim Day, reacting to what he saw as City Manager Terry Stewart's failure to inform the council of the impending sale to the school board, called for a special meeting on the golf course. No meeting had been scheduled as of Tuesday. Stewart met in March with representatives of the golf course and was told the school district was exploring the possibility of a purchase. Stewart respected their request for confidentiality and did not inform City Council members.
The council's next scheduled meeting is July 18. "We would like to meet with the City Council and mayor about The Golf Club," said Mary Neilson, a resident of Banyan Trace condominiums, which overlook the golf course. "We are looking forward to that special meeting date and time." Neilson has a Web site, www.savethegolfclub.com, for residents to weigh in on The Golf Club. She started the site when word got out about the impending sale.
The proposed $26 million purchase of The Golf Club had looked like a good deal for the school district. Two appraisals put the value of the club at $28 million and $30.7 million. "We worked out a deal with the school board for $3 million below the appraised value," Siler said. "It was to the greater good to have schools in Cape Coral. There are thousands of parents wondering where their children will go to school."
The school district has to come up with another plan to deal with growth. Last August, 12,734 children lived in the southern half of Cape Coral; in a decade, 21,870 students are projected to live there.
Golf Club plans face scrutiny of Cape city council, residents wait to see what happens next
By DON RUANE DRUANE@NEWS-PRESS.COM Published by news-press.com on July 14, 2005
There are obstacles to turning The Golf Club into a residential or commercial development, but they can be overcome, according to city officials. But any changes will undergo scrutiny by the city council and others.
District 4 Councilwoman Dolores Bertolini said she wants to see a development plan before anyone asks for a land use change of any kind for The Golf Club. City Utilities Manager George Reilly said studies will be needed to overcome any shortcomings in the delivery of utility services. Any improvements will be at the expense of the developer, he said.
The course, which was up for sale to the Lee County School District, is privately owned, but the city's comprehensive land use plan lists its future use as recreational. That would have to be changed, with the state's approval, if a developer proposes other uses. The state requires cities and counties to have a comprehensive plan. The plan maps out how land is used or will be used to help plan for growth and delivery of services such as water and sewer utilities to the residents. A major change could take up to six months as the details are reviewed by state and city officials, city spokeswoman Connie Barron said.
Bertolini, who is one of eight votes on the council, represents the district where the private course is located. The course became a hot topic, especially for residents who live around it, after it was learned last month that the owner is interested in selling it.
The school district tried to buy the course last month for $26 million. The district wanted to build five schools there and a preliminary deal was in place. The district backed away when residents protested. The Golf Club owner Scott Siler currently is not marketing the course, but as a businessman he will consider offers. Despite financial losses of $500,000 last year and $1.5 million in 2002, he plans to keep the course open.
"It's business as usual. We're reviewing our options, taking a breath and seeing what it leads to," Siler said. Bertolini said she doesn't want to make a change just to make it easier to sell the property. "Come to me with a plan. I don't want to get caught up in what-ifs. That's a dangerous game because it incites the residents," Bertolini said. "This is the biggest game of Monopoly around."
Changing the city's comprehensive land use plan requires city council approval and could take six months if it's a major change, Barron said. Residents aren't sure what is going to happen next and so they are watching the Cape Coral City Council closely, said Mary Neilson, who operates an Internet site devoted to saving the golf course as it is.
"I'm going to make sure everyone is at the council meeting," she said about next Monday's 5 p.m. meeting. "People want to know what's going on with the city council."
Cape Coral resident Keith Thornton, 43, said he hopes the council will consider an idea he posted on Neilson's Internet site.
He suggested turning the course into a center for the performing arts. There could be indoor as well as outdoor facilities designed to take advantage of the course. "We probably need a couple of venture capitalists," said Thornton, a power line technician whose interest in the arts was boosted by his son's participation in them. The city's budget is limited, he said. "It would be a neat way to bring different masses together on a very high plane. It would be an asset to have something like that in Cape Coral," Thornton said. "With the growth in this city, it would be nice to have something of that nature here."
More than 300 residents attended a June 30 meeting to learn more about what could happen to The Golf Club. Former Mayor Joe Mazurkiewicz recommended then that the city should help a developer willing to preserve the course with any issues such as the height and number of condominium units that might be needed to make the project financially possible. Mazurkiewicz is a consultant for Gary Fluharty, who wants to buy the property, add condominiums and make other improvements. Fluharty also wants to keep the golf course.
"They set the table for the council," Councilman Tom Day said. Just how high the condominiums need to be isn't known yet. Cape Coral generally has a 35-foot height limit, but exceptions can be made during the review and approval process. Gulf Harbour, a riverfront complex in south Cape Coral, has two 15-story condominium towers. Other high-rises are on the riverfront south of Jaycee Park.
Bertolini said she prefers to stay with the city's 35-foot limit, but she acknowledged that height provides for more homes and can keep the cost down. Still, she warned a high-rise seven to 12 stories among single-family homes would make her ask a lot of questions.
Banyan Trace, a 232-unit condominium complex of four-story buildings developed by Fluharty and his partners, already exists near The Golf Club's clubhouse. It's in an area near a Sprint telephone equipment building and a city water storage tank. The upper floors overlook homes around the course.
Some residents lost their golf course views when Banyan Trace was built, Neilson said.
Any new condominiums would be built in the same general area as Banyan Trace, Mazurkiewicz said. Those areas, including the parking lot on the other side of Palm Tree Boulevard, would have access to utilities, he said. The area with access may be about 10 acres in size and might not require a large scale amendment to the comprehensive plan, he said.
Access to utilities elsewhere on the course is a problem, according to Mazurkiewicz. The lines installed to serve homes around the golf course can't handle the additional demand that would be created by a housing or commercial development, he said. A study would have to be done based on what a developer wants to do, Reilly said. The city has the 2 million-gallon water tank on site so that service would not be too difficult to provide. Sewer service might be harder, but there could be several ways to run a line or lines to connect to surrounding sewer lines, he said. Those are engineering problems that can be worked out at the developer's expense, he said.
But those costs and others associated with a project might outweigh the cost of the course itself, Mazurkiewicz said. "Trying to make it work could be the major cost," he said.
Since when is a golf course a historial monument? This is the most hair brain scheme that some could possibly dream up. IT'S A GOLF COURSE not a museum or the first home built in Cape Coral. The former City Council let the only historial monument slip thru their fingers, it was Tarpon Point. That was where all the guest were taken with the pond, rose garden and public dock. Council let development take it from citizens and they could have had a great public park and boating area. When did it become an eye sore to see children going to school? In what neighbor should the schools be place, I know not their. Not only is the price going up on houses, human kindness is going down.
There has been much concern over the Golf Club. But that concern comes from very few people as opposed to the general population of the city. There has also been concern expressed by some of the "movers and shakers" who make it sound as though they are really concerned with the plight of the sourrounding neighbors of the Club.
I'm willing to bet that these same wheeler dealer types would be barking a much different tune if the city decided to by the Golf Club (which I am not in favor of) and keep it as a park.
This aspect would suit the neighboring property owners just fine, however I doubt the movers and shakers would be very happy with thought.
This is something for you all to think about when you hear "them talking on your behalf."
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