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Article Courtesy of The Palm
Beach Post
By Mike Diamond
Published July 18, 2019
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The Lofts at Lake Worth development represents the latest in a series of
golf-course conversions in the county.
The closed northern nine-hole golf course at the Fountains Country Club west of
Lake Worth Beach will soon become the site of a 318-unit apartment complex.
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Palm Beach County
Commissioners unanimously approved the Lofts at Lake Worth
development at a meeting on June 27 after the builder agreed
to 33 conditions to minimize adverse impacts that may occur
during construction.
The remaining nine holes of the northern course are
currently in operation and another full 18-hole course is
available to club members on the southern portion of the
property.
Commissioner Gregg Weiss said “golf-course conversions are
always a challenge.” He added he was pleased that the
developer and the homeowners were able to work together to
address issues that needed to be resolved. The developer and
Weiss met separately with homeowners at town halls to
explain the project.
The Lofts at Lake
Worth represents the latest in a series of golf-course
conversions in Palm Beach County as a number of country
clubs have found it too costly to operate golf courses. Last
year, the homeowners at Fountains sold their country club
and golf courses to California-based Concert Properties LLC
as a way to end mandatory memberships. The issue had become
divisive as homeowners did not want to pay costly membership
fees. |
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A new 18th tee is being added to the West Course at
the Fountains Country Club in Lake Worth.
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The nine-hole course at Fountains closed about a year ago. Concert argued it
was better to develop the property than to allow it to remain in a state of
disrepair, which could result in “pest and rodent problems and security
issues” that would negatively impact property values.
Arsenic has been detected on the golf course. Further testing will be done
to determine the level of contamination. If necessary, the builder will have
to remove the arsenic under the direction of the Department of Environmental
Protection. The remnants of arsenic-containing herbicides are often detected
at older golf courses that once used them for weed control. Concert
developed a dust-control plan to monitor the level of dust during
construction. If it exceeds a safe level, construction will stop.
Concert is working with Ridgewood Real Estate Partners, a New Jersey-based
developer that specializes in golf-course conversions. Its president,
Jonathon Grebow, said that a builder has not yet been chosen to construct
the apartments. The decision may be a year away, he added.
The Fountains Condominium Operations consists of 19 different condominium
associations at Fountains. The FCO asked Concert to allow its own
environmental consultant to measure the arsenic levels, but Concert refused
the request. Concert agreed to build a 25-foot buffer strip, a 3-foot-high
continuous berm and a 6-foot-high, vinyl-coated chain link fence with a
6-foot-high hedge to be planted on the exterior side of the fence.
Jack Rice, lawyer for the FCO, said the homeowners are satisfied that the
dust-control plan will reduce migration of dust from the site. He noted FCO
will monitor the amounts of dust that may migrate onto its property. Rice
said Commissioner Weiss was helpful in “facilitating the dialogue” between
the builder, the county and FCO to address homeowners’ concerns.
The 63-acre site is on the west side of Jog Road between Lake Worth Road and
Melaleuca Lane. The 318 apartments will be housed in 14 three-story
apartment buildings with 20 to 24 units in each building. They will be
clustered onto a 27.3-acre section. Access will be from Jog Road. The
project will not connect to the existing roadway system at Fountains. The
project is expected to be completed in 2023.
According to a traffic study, the development will generate 2,115 net daily
trips and 160 two-way trips will occur during the morning peak hour and 197
during the evening peak hour. This will only add to the congestion on Jog
Road.
Concert has been negotiating with developers to build on parts of the golf
course. In March, GL Homes acquired a 46-acre parcel of land in a different
section of the Fountains for $12 million. GL has not yet released plans for
what it intends to do, but it is expected to develop the property.
And Concert itself plans on building another 70 townhomes at Fountains in a
separate development called Lake Worth Crossing. It is located on a
nine-acre tract of land near the Lofts at Lake Worth with access off Lake
Worth Road. Final approvals have not yet been obtained. |
