Shaker Village Clubhouse {Tam-A-Gram}
By Kevin Deutsch
Tamarac city commissioners on Wednesday voted to keep the controversial deal to buy Shaker Village’s clubhouse alive through at least December 31 while a lawsuit challenging the land sale plays out.
Also Wednesday, Commissioner Marlon Bolton, who lives in Shaker Village, said he would not accept any benefits from the pending deal or any other deal regarding Shaker Village and Tamarac.
At the meeting, commissioners approved an amendment to their purchase contract for the dilapidated clubhouse property, which was set to expire on March 25. The extension lengthens the deal’s due diligence period and keeps the contract in place while the litigation advances in court.
In the lawsuit, Shaker Village resident Tonya Nesbitt seeks an emergency temporary injunction and declaratory judgment to prevent Shaker Village from selling the property until Shaker Village Condominium Association members have voted on the sale.
Association members have said the community of more than 350 townhomes is drowning in debt due to mismanagement by previous boards. Severe drainage problems and roofing issues plague the community. Its clubhouse has been an eyesore for years after falling into disrepair.
The city’s land deal to buy the clubhouse has drawn strong opposition from many residents, as well as support.
Tamarac Mayor Michelle Gomez has urged the city to take a different course to help Shaker Village, arguing there are title issues at play that would likely hinder the city’s purchase of the clubhouse, even without the lawsuit.
The city has said it plans to build a community center on the clubhouse property to serve Eastside residents better. City records show that Tamarac has budgeted $1.9 million in fiscal year 2023 to acquire the property, $300,000 in fiscal year 2024 for early pre-construction costs, and $7.6 million in fiscal year 2025 for the construction of the community center.
Shaker Village Clubhouse {Tam-A-Gram}
Commissioner Elvin Villalobos on Wednesday highlighted Shaker Village’s issues, including major insurance spikes, and said he sympathized with its residents. But, he said, grant money rather than tax dollars is the best way to pay for the clubhouse purchase.
“I’m not for the extension; I’m for a readjustment of this contract,” Villalobos said.
Tamarac has applied for a grant that, if received, would cover much of the costs for the clubhouse acquisition.
Bolton, Kicia Daniel, and Vice Mayor Morey Wright voted Wednesday to approve the contract amendment, keeping the current deal alive through December 31. Mayor Michelle Gomez and Villalobos voted against the extension.
In July, the commission voted 3-2 to purchase the 2.4-acre clubhouse property. In that vote, Gomez and Villalobos cast the two votes against the deal.
The Broward Office of the Inspector General has demanded records from the city about the clubhouse deal but has not announced any findings.
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