Proposed maintenance building at the Woodmont Country Club changed locations and could be built behind homes on NW 82nd Street and east of NW 80th Avenue.
By: Sharon Aron Baron
Residents in one community at Woodmont Country Club were shocked to find out that a golf course maintenance building will be built behind their homes prompting them to speak out the upcoming Planning Board meeting this Wednesday.
The proposed building would be located on the closed Pines golf course behind the residents living at The Pines at Woodmont III community. Every one of the 61 homeowners signed a petition against the location.
“They blindsided us,” said the Dick Brown, Vice President of the homeowner’s association. “I feel like a victim. They are only putting it 100 feet from the utility access area. One hundred feet from our properties.”
The maintenance building, which is used to house vehicles and golf course equipment, is currently located at NW 75th Street. However, it will have to move before new homes are built. Brown said that all plans showed the maintenance building would be relocated to 82nd Street and University Drive but they were changed to the location behind their backyards with no advance notice.
“Why it changed, we don’t know. But that was presented to us at all of the meetings we went to,” he said. “I found out about it because they sent this plan to everyone’s house, and that’s where I saw this new rendering with a star on it with this location.” I called Vice Mayor Debra Placko and complained.”
Brown met with both her and Director of Community Development Maxine Calloway last Friday and Placko told him that it wasn’t feasible for the entrance to be on University Drive.
“But you put the charter school there,” said Brown.
In a letter written by Brown on behalf of the association to the Tamarac mayor and the commissioners, he said, “The Pines shouldn’t even have been a consideration as a site for it, as it’s only going to be a nine hole course. Better it should be on the much more played Cypress.”
Site plans provided by the city show landscaping that would be installed around the proposed building, however, Brown still does not want the building behind their community.
He said the location for the maintenance building is a poor choice considering the high volume of traffic in the area from both the charter school and the narrowing of 82nd Street for a bike lane.
“82nd Street is uneven, bumpy with ugly striping. Ugliest street in all of Tamarac. We all know that the street was bastardized. Now [golf course owner] Schmidt wants to create even more traffic for this much smaller street, a street that’s only four blocks long, by putting traffic access to 82nd Street for not only the proposed maintenance building, but by the new community that will also have its access to and from 82nd Street. This little two lane street will now be impacted by: traffic from 80th, the maintenance compound, the new Community, Hibiscus Circle, Nutmeg, Cassia Terrace, Renaissance Charter School, Walgreens, BB&T Bank and University Drive. Ten entrances onto a street that’s barely four blocks long which has been narrowed down to create an almost never used bike lane.”
He has other suggestions where the building can be located. He said the original location that faces University Drive between 78th Street and 82nd Street wouldn’t have any impact on private homes, and is in a more commercial area. Also, workers would have access onto University Drive. If that doesn’t work, he suggests that it is located on Schmidt’s commercial property on Southgate Boulevard and N. Pine Island Road.
Brown is encouraging all of his neighbors, even those in Nutmeg and Cassia Terrace, to attend the Planning Board meeting on Wednesday February 1, 2017 at 9 a.m. at Tamarac City Hall to voice their opposition to the building.
“We are unanimous, and stand united,” said Brown. “We do not want Schmidt’s 123,304 square foot maintenance compound behind our homes. We don’t want their 21,902 square feet of vehicle access. We don’t want more added traffic. We don’t want the added noise. We don’t want to devalue our homes. With Schmidt’s record of not maintaining his property, we’re certain that will be consistent.”
Letter to Vice Mayor Debra Placko whose district covers Woodmont Country Club by Frank Naczi, a resident at Pines at Woodmont III.
