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Article Courtesy of The
Tallahassee Democrat
By Jeffrey Schweers
Published April 4, 2017
The nine-hole course at Killearn Country Club known as the Narrows has been a
contentious strip of green for several years.
After all the lawsuits and negotiations, the battle over the course may be
coming to an end. Killearn Country Club owner Barton Tuck won over the Killearn
Homes Association on a plan to sell the Narrows and drive that money back into
renovating the club and allow residential development to go forward.
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In return, Tuck agreed
that Killearn Country Club would continue to operate for the
next 50 years.
Following a social media blitz targeting Killearn
homeowners, the Killearn HOA approved the agreement Friday
night.
“Though it took a while to get here, we are excited that we
will finally be able to move on with our plans to revitalize
the Killearn Country Club,” Tuck said in an email sent to
homeowners Saturday morning.
It’s a big reversal for the HOA, which had originally
opposed the plan and joined a lawsuit to block Tuck from
selling the land two years ago. The HOA withdrew from the
suit, and a judge in March ruled the sale could go
forward.“We are glad that with this suit now settled, we are
able to continue moving towards our goal of keeping Killearn
a golfing community,” Tuck said.
The Killearn HOA represents some 3,700 property owners. A
survey of residents in December showed that 70 percent
wanted the HOA to continue negotiations. |
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A Leon County Circuit judge Thursday ruled in favor of
the owner of the Killearn Country Club, clearing a hurdle for him to
pursue plans to sell a disputed parcel of land.
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"The most
important part of the agreement is the protection it affords Killearn Estates,"
said John Paul Bailey, president of the Killearn HOA board of directors. "We
will remain a golf course community for at least 50 years."
The ambitious plan calls for rezoning 40.9 acres of the country club's property.
The rezoning request goes before the joint city-county commission Tuesday for
the first of two required public hearings before it can be voted on.
The proposed changes would turn holes 1-6 into a conservation easement, and turn
holes 7-9 into a 55+ year old community of 133 single-family homes with a
125-foot buffer between the new development and existing homes, and 14
townhouses. The developer would be held to those terms by a restricted covenant.
Tuck plans to sell the property and use the proceeds to improve the country club
and add amenities meant to keep it competitive. A minimum of $4 million will be
put into escrow to renovate the club, he said.
Tuck has a tentative sales agreement with developer J.T. Burnette, pending
approval of the zoning changes.
In February, the Tallahassee-Leon County Local Planning Agency voted 3-2 to
reject Tuck’s requested amendment to the comprehensive plan to change the land
from recreation space to urban residential and residential preservation.
The requested changes would allow for a mix of housing types from single family
to townhouses, duplexes and multifamily dwellings with a range of 3.5 to 9.2
units per acre.
While the HOA voted to approve the plans, residents who live near the Narrows
have opposed it vigorously. They’ve said their property values would go down and
traffic would increase.
Killearn Country Club has posted information disputing those claims on Facebook. |
