A developer, SunCoast Properties, wants to combine the Shadow Lakes and Deer Ridge courses into one 18-hole course and bridge the properties with a senior housing project. A group of residents has formed an active “no re-zone” movement, but others seem resigned to the change as a reflection of the courses’ diminished use.
Residents of Brentwood, Calif. still have until April 10 to let the city know what they think about a plan to combine two local golf courses, Shadow Lakes and Deer Ridge, and build a senior housing project that would straddle both, the East Bay Times reported.
C&RB first reported on the proposal last June (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2017/06/consolidation-considered-shadow-lakes-deer-ridge-golf-clubs/).
As the public comment period on the environmental review pertaining to the Shadow Lakes/Deer Ridge project comes to a close, accepting or resisting change seems to be the common theme for the pocket of southwest Brentwood that would be affected by the plan, the Times reported.
Residents have until the April 10 deadline to comment on the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) conducted by Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. and paid for by the developer, SunCoast Properties, the Times reported. The project proposes combining the two existing golf courses into a single, 18-hole course, designating the existing Shadow Lakes clubhouse and driving range as the main golfing-related amenities for the neighborhoods, converting around 32 acres of the closed holes from the courses into two senior living communities, and preserving open space areas with the remaining former golf course land.
Project manager Jeff Farano said that the proposed project, which will likely be voted on by city officials this summer, only develops 9 percent of the available land, the Times reported. The golf industry has “imploded” nationally, Farano added, and the project addresses the sport’s decline in popularity while still keeping golfing in Deer Ridge and Shadow Lakes.
“Change is difficult. Change is hard,” Farano said. “The reality is change is here and more is coming.”
Another element of the potential changes is a new golf cart bridge to link the two parts of the proposed course into one. Despite some of the amenities being touted by the developer, vocal opponents of the project still argue that it will cause reduced property values, traffic congestion, safety concerns and lead to a lower quality of life and lost scenic views there, the Times reported.
Deer Ridge resident John Case was involved in establishing the golf course in his neighborhood and told the Times that it was once a very active club for both men and women.
“They didn’t do anything to change the fate of golfing here in Brentwood,” Case said of the developer. “They were never interested in keeping these courses open.”
The housing communities are being called Village One, with up to 250 units, and Village Two, with as many as 310 units, and they would be located in Deer Ridge and Shadow Lakes respectively, the Times reported. The communities could be built either as active adult, assisted- living and continuous care communities, or skilled nursing or memory care facilities, and include swimming pools, fitness centers, dining rooms and other amenities.
According to the draft EIR, the villages may be up to three stories high, with both one- and two-bedroom options, the Times reported. The remaining open space from the abandoned golfing areas is likely to become picnic areas, community gardens, bocce ball courts, vineyards, walking trails and exercise stations.
Vocal project opponent Kathy Griffin vowed to expose SunCoast’s unethical business tactics along with a growing group of her neighbors that has formed an active “no re-zone” movement, the Times reported. The project area is currently designated as a semi-public facility land, Griffin noted, and lacks a housing designation.
“Senseless development remains irresponsible, strains city services and erodes the quality of life we strive so hard to maintain and approve,” Griffin told the Times. “This re-zone should not be honored, and we will continue our fight and we will not rest until it is overturned.”
Deer Ridge resident Greg Howard told the Times that change is constant and that he supports the project, because the two golfing facilities were not being used enough and specifically not as much as they should be by residents in the surrounding area. If the project is not eventually approved, Howard added, the courses will go to seed, which will more strongly impact property values.
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