Article
Courtesy of The News-Press
By Pete
Skiba
Published June
1, 2007
Golf
will make a comeback at Burnt Store Marina, and it’s the residents of the
large community off Burnt Store Road who will be in control.
Residents at Burnt Store Marina voted to lease the golf course for $1 a year
from owner Realmark Group by a vote of 1,218 to 441 Wednesday. There are 1,890
homeowners in the community.
The 27-hole, 125-acre course, which was closed in March because of financial
losses, could reopen by June 15.
A crowd of about 500 erupted into applause Wednesday even before Mike Miller,
a certified public accountant, could finish reading the tally.
“It is nice to play golf in my community with neighbors and friends,” said
resident Susan MacIntosh, 53. “It is much better that we take it over than
have it become vacant land overgrown with weeds.”
A lawsuit filed on the day of the vote failed to deter the vote’s outcome.
The vote took place at Charlotte County’s Burnt Store Presbyterian Church
during the Section-22 meeting. Section 22 is the master homeowners association
for the entire community.
In order to pay the lease, residents in each of Burnt Store Marina’s
separate neighborhoods can expect 2007 dues to increase $300 to $760 per
owner, said Stuart Gassner, an association board member. In 2008, the dues
will go up another $100, bringing the total to $860 a year, he said.
The lease for the course is for five years with an option for another five
years. Residents could withdraw from the lease at any time without penalty.
As part of the lease the homeowners association agrees to pay for the
day-to-day operation of the course. That meant everyone in the community had
to ante up for a golf pro, landscaping and clubhouse employees, among the
other expenses associated with running a golf course.
The homeowners association is contracting with Master Link Club Service to run
the course for them, said Tary Kettle, the golf course management company
president.
The cost and the lease details seemed to leave everyone at the meeting in a
good mood.
“It is all going to work out,” said Jo Lapinski, resident and a board
member. “I think we are on our way.”
Learning other residents filed a lawsuit aimed at stopping the course takeover
didn’t dampen spirits.
The lawsuit, filed by Marina South Shore Condominium Association, Inc., one of
about 40 smaller homeowners associations in the Burnt Store Marina complex,
was filed the same day as the vote.
“The complaint states that under Section 22’s bylaws, declarations and
other rules there is no allowance for operating a golf club,” said Jason
Mikes, an attorney with Quarles & Brady in Naples.
“The lawsuit will not hold up leasing of the club,” Mikes said. “We are
confident in our case.”
No one from the south shore association could be found at the meeting. The
meeting seemed to be full of golf club acquisition supporters.
“I think anyone against taking over the course didn’t bother to come
in,” said Bob Bucci, board member.
Developer Will Stout of Realmark Group said the course cost his company about
$1.1 million since he bought it Dec. 31, 2005. With his plans to build
condominiums around the course thwarted by county regulations, he decided to
close the course instead of continuing to lose money.
He offered the course at $1 a year to anyone with a workable business plan to
run the course. Although there is dissent, the residents decided to take him
up on his offer.
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