The Westchase Community Development District supervisors voted unanimously on February 6 to make a $4 million offer for the Tampa, Fla., golf course. A due diligence period and additional votes on the matter are still in the works before a purchase is made.
The Westchase Community Development District (CDD) supervisors voted unanimously to make a $4 million offer for the Westchase Golf Course in Tampa, Fla., on February 6, but it’s not yet a done deal, the Tampa-based World of Westchase (WOW) reported.
The golf course purchase was the main focus of discussion at the February 5 Westchase CDD workshop and the February 6 meeting at the Westchase Swim and Tennis Center. The workshop saw about 10 residents attend and the CDD saw more than 50, making it the best attended Westchase community meeting in at least a decade, WOW reported.
Only six residents spoke at the session. Over the two days of meetings, not a single resident expressed opposition to the district’s purchase of the golf course. The meeting had a far different atmosphere than the more contentious district meeting in January, when some angry residents accused supervisors of planning to develop the land (which state law bans them from doing) or withholding information, Westchase Golf Course.
Approximately 16 residents spoke over the two February meetings, either offering support of the CDD purchase or advice on they should handle the purchase and golf course if acquired.
Resident Dave Henderson said that as one of the earliest home buyers in Westchase, he recalled the developer’s refusal to sell the course to residents. “If the golf course goes down the tubes or continues to go down the tubes, it is going to affect all of our homes,” said Henderson. “Having a golf course is what makes Westchase Westchase.”
If residents who live on the golf course most strongly want it to remain a course, perhaps it would be fair to ask them to pay more than other residents to maintain it as a course, Henderson said.
Resident Scott Heydt encouraged supervisors to research the property to determine if the course is currently being used wisely. “The golf course going away would have long-term damage to our properties,” he said.
CDD Attorney Erin McCormick stated she had researched the course’s deed and while there were many documents to go through, she has yet to see any information to support the claim that there was a legal agreement stating the golf course had to remain a course in perpetuity. She stated that it appeared the only restriction currently keeping the course a golf course was its county zoning designation, WOW reported.
Based on input from supervisors in January, McCormick stated she had prepared a purchase and sale agreement rather than a letter of intent and simply needed supervisors’ offer for the course and the due diligence period they requested, WOW reported.
Supervisors agreed on a $4 million offer, a higher offer than had previously been received for the course due the community’s desire to control its future, and six months of due diligence to research the purchase, WOW reported.
Supervisors also discussed the suggested 60-day period of due diligence but all dismissed it as unworkable given supervisors’ inability to discuss the matter and make formal decisions between meetings, WOW reported.
Supervisors then briefly spoke to Zack Vervaecke, Vice President of Green Golf Partners, which currently holds the golf course lease. Vervaecke confirmed the lease protects the current owner from losses during its duration. He added that while his company has made improvements to the course, they currently are committing one percent of revenues to capital improvements, which supervisors observed would take a long time to restore the facilities to top condition. Vervaecke acknowledged the situation but added they had undertaken personnel changes in the last year and were looking for a new chef for the course’s dining room and hoped to roll out a new menu and prices soon, WOW reported.
When asked if Vervaecke’s company would be interested in signing a new lease if the current one is not assignable, Vervaecke responded, “It’s something we would consider. Strongly consider. I don’t want to over commit,” he said, stating he had to first consult his partners.
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