Article Courtesy of The Orlando Sentinel

By Elyssa Cherney

Published November 20, 2014

       
Kathy Weaver and her husband, Richard, used to feel relaxed when they gazed out the windows of the home they built 14 years ago on the Palisades Country Club golf course..

"We like the atmosphere…the ambiance of a golf course," said Kathy Weaver, 70. "You have a green space, it's peaceful. There's just a few people [golfers] roaming through your backyard every once in a while."

But the golf course along County Road 561A has struggled financially and has been closed the past two summers. It is due to reopen Dec. 16, according to co-owner Richard Radici, who proposes to build 118 luxury townhomes on the property while still keeping the course operating. But the Weavers and other neighbors have been stressed out over the proposed changes.

Property values will plummet, predicted Kathy Weaver, who said she doesn't want to see any "…ugly condos" nearby.

Owners of other Central Florida golf courses are attempting to use abandoned green space for homes and commercial development. The Palisades, located near Lake Minneola, has now submitted an application to Groveland. It asks the city to annex 226 acres of the 18-hole golf-course, currently located in unincorporated Lake County, so future homes would receive water and sewage services provided by Groveland. The owners also are requesting a zoning change to allow for the construction.

Radici, 57, of New Jersey, said the townhouses would be top-notch and are needed to boost revenue.

"We've hired the best consultants," he said. "We are not going to be sacrificing any of the quality of play, whether it's eliminating greens or tees. We're just shifting a few things around."

Citizens can ask more questions during a City Council workshop on Monday, Mayor Tim Loucks said.

"The public sentiment that I'm hearing is that they are adamantly opposed to the annexation, and my personal belief at this time is that I can't really blame them," Loucks said. "I've got a problem with someone being sold a home, putting their life savings into a home on a golf course and then someone coming and taking that away."