University Park homeowners easily approved a $24 million bond referendum to purchase University Park Country Club and other land in voting Thursday. The neighborhood’s Recreation District will oversee implementation of the 30-year municipal bond issue.
 

Turnout was high as 84 percent of eligible property owners voted. Of the 1,009 ballots cast, 810, or 80 percent, voted for the bond issue while 199 were opposed. University Park Recreation District board chairman Bob Wood announced the results at the UPRD board meeting Friday. “University Park residents care deeply about their community and have proven their commitment to its future through their intensive study of the issues and involvement in the process,” Wood said. “On behalf of the UPRD board, I want to thank our residents for their active participation and support.” Friday’s announcement marked the culmination of 22 months of analysis, recommendations, community meetings and resident surveys since the owners first reported their intention to sell the country club.

The referendum vote paves the way for the turnover of the University Park Community Association Inc., now under the control of the country club co-owners, including John Neal.

John Whyte, UPCA president and coordinator of the volunteer planning group that developed the preliminary recommendations involving the club acquisition, said the focus now shifts the orderly transition to resident-controlled versus an owner-controlled community.

“We are in the unique position to create a community association that truly represents the interests of University Park property owners now and into the future,” he said. “It’s critical that the community gets involved in this process.”

The referendum was supervised and the vote certified by DiBartolomeo, McBee, Hartley & Barnes, the public accounting firm retained for this special election.

The estimated cost to the average homeowner over the 30-year life of the bond is $99 monthly.

One of the homeowner opponents to the Recreation District attempted to halt the referendum with a temporary injunction, but 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas denied the request by Richard Holtom Garrett on Wednesday.

The lawsuit against the University Park Recreation District sought both temporary and permanent injunctions prohibiting the district from proceeding with the referendum and closing on the club’s purchase until the court could confirm the sale terms are equitable and represent a fair-market value transaction.