Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon will Meet Again with City Residents to Discuss the Palm Harbor Golf Course and Palm Coast Resort
April 12, 2007 – Second neighborhood meeting planned to update local residents about the continuing efforts of the City to gain control of the Palm Harbor Golf Course and to get the Palm Harbor Resort
April 12, 2007 – As he promised at the last neighborhood meeting, Jim Landon will hold another session on Monday, April 23rd, at 6:00 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center to update residents on progress in resolving the resort and golf club issues with Centex. Landon expects to clarify some issues as well. For instance, the fact that Centex had budgeted money for the golf course renovation does not mean that money is available to the City.
Here is what the city wants:
- A viable golf course, open to the public as soon as possible.
- A functional replacement for the Palm Harbor Resort, whether it be a condo hotel as planned by Centex or a straight hotel with restaurant(s), pool and other amenities available to the public.
- A community of residents (voters) who are generally happy with the outcome, given the current state of events.
Centex wants concessions from the city in return for the donation of the golf course :
- By extending the Development Agreement time frame, the various components of the project will be more attractive to potential buyers. An abandoned project is not in anyone’s best interest.
- By being open to modification of the Development Agreement to accommodate a different configuration of resort hotel (perhaps smaller) and fewer or smaller condominiums, the likelihood of the project getting restarted sooner is enhanced.
Centex wants to extricate itself from the project. However, they realize, from a public relations standpoint, that they couldn’t have handled the withdrawal more badly. This puts the City in a good bargaining position. The process is going to take time with both give and take from each side. The City cannot consummate an agreement before it receives the report from the National Golf Foundation (NGF), the consultant hired for a do diligence analysis. Any amendments to the Development Agreement, on which a final agreement will ultimately be conditioned, will require proper notice and public hearings. Meanwhile, those living in the area, most of whom are reasonable (with a few less so), will need to be patient.
A successful conclusion must be driven by building on the mutual goals of the two parties rather than a desire to punish Centex, no matter how well founded that desire may be. Both the City and its citizens should keep the goal clearly in mind – to resurrect the golf course and resort for the benefit of the residents of Palm Coast – and not confuse it with revenge.
Palm Coast City Council
A penalty for breaking an agreement is not revenge. It takes a lot of guts for Centex to get up and make conditions. They robbed us from a Hotel, a golf course and a clubhouse. Tell them to sit down and listen to the conditions of the city. It looks to me like the city is ready for conditions rather than making some. Otherwise I do not understand the city, call for calm. The people who are upset have every right to be upset. Do not play it down: We the people of Palm Coast were deceived by Centex and by quite a number of council members ( is that why we have to give in to Centex now ???)
Palm Harbor Gold Cours
The city (the wonderful five) were only thinking of revenues over the next ten yeas when they went into agreements with Centex. Now we know Centex doesn\\’t give anything for nothing and the citizens of Palm Coast are deceived again by the incompentence of city management. Kelton is one of the failures on this project but he received a $12000 bonus hogwash. Maybe it is time to think and discuss with Governor Crist the possible recall of four of these counsel persons. Do it Now
Public Golf Course
A new Public Golf Course will be open by January 2008 within a few miles of the Palm Harbor Golf Course. Fees will be under $40.00 per person (cart included).
It is my understanding the NGF report didn’t even list this new course in its due diligence report.
I would love to speak to the group about the new golf course at one of your meetings.