Angry residents in the Tavares, FL, BayTree Over 55 retirement community demanded answers at a community meeting shown in our video HERE on April 29, 2019 over "their" golf course being sold for the construction of more homes which will not be over 55 residences.
That means kids, more traffic and questions about who pays for stormwater systems, fences or walls, and other issues.
The original developer of the BayTree homes planned to build only homes in the community, but slowing sales resulted in him building a golf course around existing homes.
Then he recently sold the golf course to another party who wants to demolish the run down, unused golf course and build smaller, high-density homes (see the purple area in the image at left).
Residents tried to raise funds to buy the golf course, but could not.
They tried to get the City of Tavares, FL to buy and operate the golf course, but after an extensive research project, the City Council turned down the plan since it would lose money.
So now BayTree residents have visited and talked at the Tavares Planning and Zoning Board as well as City Council listing many concerns.
On April 29, 2019, they met at their clubhouse with the Tavares City Manager, John Drury, and the City Director of Planning and the City Attorney to ask many questions. At the subsequent May 1, 2019 City Council meeting, Drury told them about the meeting, but no real discussion took place as they don't discuss pending P&Z issues until the second reading which will be on May 15.
We recorded that Baytree Apr. 19 meeting HERE, and also created an overview of our understanding of the issue which is at the beginning. If you know the issues, you can skip to 19:07 to start with the meeting video.
The result was a better understanding of the City's position, and the need to prepare for the upcoming May 15, 2019 Tavares, FL City Council meeting when the City Council holds the "second reading" of the matter, and makes a decision whether to deny or set restrictions for the developer plans, or just approve the plans without change. You can get the City Council meeting agenda HERE.
