West End Golf Course Villas of Newberry Reviews

Later more than half a century as a largely undeveloped green infinite, some Alachua Canton residents are putting up a fight earlier a old golf game course is razed to get a residential neighborhood, accompanied by a hotel and retail stores.

The 75-acre holding at 12830 Westward. Newberry Road that was the home of Westward End Golf Grade until it closed in Dec, is being eyed by the programmer Tara Group for its next project, which would including irresolute the expanse'south country-employ designation and zoning.

The former golf grade is already surrounded by other neighborhoods and developments, including Town of Tioga, Oakmont, Arbor Greens and more than. Nigh 700 new townhomes and apartments are already planned to spring upwardly in the area, according to county construction permits.

A representative from Tara Group could non be reached.

Some people, such as Villages of West End resident Susan Prewitt, said the area doesn't need any new developments.

"Tioga Town Middle can't even fill up all of its retail space," she said. "What we don't have is an open up park or a green infinite in the area."

Prewitt said when county residents had stay-at-home orders during the pinnacle of COVID-nineteen pandemic restrictions, many flocked to the empty golf course for walks and to ride bikes along its paths merely to be outside in nature rather than stuck within the house all solar day long.

"People made good utilize of the space," she said.

Due west Stop Golf Class closed in Dec subsequently being open for 50 years. The most recent possessor, James Min, bought the belongings in 1997 for $ane.82 one thousand thousand.

But the last three years had seen a significant drib in players, and the owner simply couldn't keep up with the bills and maintenance.

Tara Group, the developer interested in the property, plans to plough the course into Tara Gild Westward End, a neighborhood of more than 400 total single-family homes, townhomes and multi-family homes that are anchored by a hotel and commercial retail space. It previously developed nearby Tara West End Townhomes.

To make this happen, the property's current land-use designation and zoning need to exist changed, said Jerry Brewington, a senior planner for Alachua County'southward Growth Management department.

Its current land-utilize designation is recreation, which includes uses such as a golf course, park, playground or community center.

Tara Club West Cease would crave a modify to a traditional neighborhood designation. Then it would demand to be rezoned from planned development to residential.

A zoning change can only occur if the country and county grant a land-utilise designation change, Brewington said.

Tara Group and JBrown Professional Group, the civil engineering house working with the developer to submit its plans to the county, presented its comprehensive program for the offset time at a virtual neighborhood workshop Thursday.

This is the starting time step of the evolution process, after which Tara Group can submit a development awarding to the county for review.

More than 200 people follow a Facebook group chosen Friends of W Cease, which is dedicated to keeping the belongings a recreational space.

Prewitt, the Villages of Westward End resident, said the grouping has passed along both a physical and virtual petition in an endeavor to end the land-use and zoning changes, which 1,000 people signed within a calendar week.

In addition to holding onto the green space, Prewitt said customs members are concerned most the amount of traffic on Westward Newberry Road that would outcome from building hundreds of new homes and a hotel.

"If you try to go out in the morning betwixt 7 and 8, it's impossible to make a left plough," she said. Currently in that location is no traffic light in forepart of the Westward Finish property.

The residents have loosely developed an alternative plan for use of the space that includes a 9-hole golf form, expanded driving range and community center surrounded by walking trails.

"The whole thought is that this would be a community space," said Newberry resident Paul Hornby.

He said he's golfed at West End for more than 30 years, including helping out with youth golfers.

Hornby said he's interested in partnering with nonprofit Gator Junior Golf Association to keep up momentum for youth golf in the area.

In the event that the canton denies Tara Grouping'southward proposal, the Friends of W Stop grouping hopes to make a bid for the land. Hornby said the state is probably worth about $two to $3 one thousand thousand. The group is currently seeking out a land-utilise attorney.

Brewington, the county planner, said Tara Group has not all the same submitted a formal awarding of its comprehensive programme to the part. The deadline to submit plans to the planning department is the final Monday of each calendar month.

"The developer might choose to submit it in the next few days, or they might be planning to wait until the adjacent cycle adjacent month," Brewington said. "We accept applications on a rolling basis, so it'south really a matter of what their plans are."

The next stride afterwards plans are submitted is to set a tentative planning meeting, which Brewington said could take place equally before long as September. Afterwards that, the Alachua County Committee would see and decide whether to send the programmer's plans to the state Department of Economic Opportunity. The state then has 30 days to offer comments or suggestions on the programme and the country-employ designation change.

Once the county receives the state's approval, it tin then schedule an adoption hearing, at which signal it would formally change the land-utilise designation. It can and so alter the zoning as well.

Brewington said if all runs smoothly, the procedure could take equally lilliputian as four months. But this isn't an ordinary project.

"Given all the interest in this project, in that location's a good risk it could accept more than time," he said.

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Source: https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/local/2020/07/24/residents-speak-out-against-west-end-development/42037493/

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