The St. Lucie West Services District moved forward on an offer to get a building and about 15 acres of St. Lucie Trail Golf Club.
The district’s board of supervisors gave a nod at continuing talks with CBI St. Lucie, which is buying the 125-acre facility, at a special meeting on Tuesday.
Dennis Pickle, the district’s manager and utilities director, said upwards to 75 attended the special meeting. The district’s regular meetings rarely draw more than a couple audience members.
“The community was concerned,” Pickle said in a telephone interview after the meeting
“They want to keep the tennis courts open and keep the pool and 18-hole golf course.”
The district has looked at purchasing all or part of the golf course and its clubhouse since last June. It put on hold plans to build a new administrative office at 450 SW Utility Drive as it opened talks with the owner, PGA. The district was rebuffed from buying the entire facility, because residents opposed losing the golf course, tennis courts and swimming pool.
However, CBI St. Lucie contacted the district to offer it the clubhouse and about five acres, along with about 10 acres of easement to build a stormwater pond that would also serve as an aqua range – a driving range at which the balls land in water.
“The board approved moving forward with the counteroffer for $1.1 million,” Pickle said in the phone interview.
The district budgeted $1.2 million to build a new administrative office. Pickle said the clubhouse at St. Lucie Trail is larger than the planned office, and it would allow the district to rent space.
“The majority of the (homeowner associations in St. Lucie West) don’t have large enough clubhouses for annual meetings,” Pickle said.
Trail residents, Pickle said, were concerned about the district running trucks and large equipment from the clubhouse if it purchased the building. However, he explained, plans are to keep the Utility Drive facilities for that. The clubhouse would become administrative offices only.
Another point that will have to be worked out in purchase negotiations is the swimming pool and tennis courts at the clubhouse. The district would have to revise its charter to operate any recreational facilities.
“Our desire would be to offer it to the HOA,” Pickle said. “We could look at either selling it to the community or leasing it to them on a long-term basis, so they could control their destiny.”
The board’s nod is far from a closing. Pickle said the fastest he could imagine a deal being worked out – if at all – is six months.
“All of these things take time and have to be approved by the board at public hearings,” he said.
Previously Pickle said The Enclave at St. Lucie West and Lake Forest at St. Lucie West would benefit greatly by the proposed additional storm-water storage. Additionally, Lake Forest Pointe and Country Club Estates would benefit. The biggest benefit, however, is Cashmere Boulevard between Heatherwood and St. Lucie West boulevards.
