If approved by the Tamarac, Fla., city council, the club’s 36-hole golf course could be redeveloped with 540 homes. Developer 13th Floor Homes also plans to make community improvements by building a new clubhouse, adding 125 acres of green-space with trails repurposed from golf cart paths, creating new lakes, and adding gated entrances.
On November 13, residents learned that Woodlands Country Club in Tamarac, Fla., will close and be replaced with over 500 new homes built by 13th Floor Homes, Tamarac Talk reported.
Originally created by Tamarac founder and developer Ken Behring in 1968, Woodlands Country Club is a golf course community consisting of some 900 homes. The 36-hole course was designed by Robert Von Hagge and PGA Tour player Bruce Devlin. While originally member-owned, the course was sold to Canadian corporation ClubLink when it fell on hard times in 2011. ClubLink has put to property it on the market. Currently, 13th Floor has an option to buy the course, which is contingent upon the Tamarac city commission giving their approval for the plans, Talk reported.
Under the guise of an HOA meeting held by the Woodlands Homeowners Association, the night’s agenda was to provide a stage for a presentation by 13th Floor Homes. According to association president Mike Jeknovorian, no residents in attendance were allowed to ask any questions, only board members, and insisted that pursuant to Florida Statute 617, there would be no recording of the meeting allowed, Talk reported.
The presentation made by Michael Nunziata, on behalf of the developer, outlined plans for building an additional 540 homes and improvements to the community as a whole. Among such improvements promised were the building a of new clubhouse for the community with a fitness center, the addition of 125 acres of green-space with walking, running and biking trails repurposed from golf cart paths, new lakes, and gated entrances with cameras and license plate readers, Talk reported.
What isn’t clear is how the new homes will mesh with the existing homes from an architectural standpoint, Talk reported.
“I bought in The Woodlands because of the size, quality, distinctiveness houses and beautiful green open space,” said resident Carolyn Chin. “Now it would appear my view will be blocked by a house.”
Residents are also concerned about changing the nature, ambiance, appeal of Woodlands to a high density, highly trafficked community with houses on small lots.
Adding to residents’ woes is what’s bound to be a long and disruptive construction process. 13th Floor Homes’ plan to add retention ponds in place of some of the greens means that huge quantities of soil that will have to be excavated and removed. Construction vehicles and the transportation of building materials would presumably be utilizing Woodlands Blvd, the main thoroughfare of the community, Talk reported.
Whether the residents have any better options before them remain to be seen. It is unknown whether ClubLink has any other suitors, Talk reported.
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