Ellie’s Notes June 13, 2026

Howdy Neighbors and Supportors,

I wanted to update you on the outcome of the Pebble Creek golf course application hearing before the County and share details on a few other matters.

Pebble Creek Golf Course Hearing Outcome

The June 9, 2026, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners land use hearing regarding the Pebble Creek Golf Course rezoning ended in an unexpected procedural twist concerning potential ex-parte communication, further prolonging the multi-year battle. Instead of cast-iron approval or denial, the commission voted 5-1 to remand until July 20, 2026 to address the ex parti email comment with a very limited scope for comment at the hearing with the Hearing Master before being heard again by the Commissioners for final decision.  Hillsborough County commissioners voted to delay the Pebble Creek Golf Course rezoning case, remanding the matter until July 20. The board paused the decision to review legal concerns surrounding an email involving the golf course owner, Bill Place of Ace Golf.

The Core Conflict:

• The Developer’s Plan: GL Homes is pushing to rezone the 150-acre shuttered golf course property. They plan to replace it with a 251-home residential community

• During the June 9, 2026 Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board voted to remand the Pebble Creek Golf Course rezoning decision to July 20, 2026. Commissioners voted 5-1 to remand the case after an undisclosed email from the golf course owner raised legal concerns regarding fairness and ex-parte communication.

Those who would like to hear the testimony by the County Attorney can use this link and go to approximately 24:40 in the video.

The scope of the specific remand voted on by the Hillsborough County Commission is strictly limited to the legal issue surrounding the ex parte communication.

The county attorney explicitly requested a limited review of the contents of the email involving the golf course owner. This means that the upcoming hearing is not a wide-open venue to re-argue the entire project from scratch. Instead, it is a narrow legal window to ensure due process and transparency regarding that specific unauthorized communication before the final vote takes place. Only existing parties of record who testified previously can speak.

Understanding how the remand and the ex parte communication work together clarifies why the upcoming hearing is so restricted:

What “Ex Parte” Communication Means

• Definition: An off-the-record, one-sided communication between a decision-maker (like a County Commissioner) and a party involved in the case (like the golf course owner) without the other sides being present or notified.

• The Legal Problem: Because the Commission acts like a judge in zoning cases, all evidence must be shared openly. A private email violates due process and threatens fairness.

• The Pebble Creek Trigger: An email involving the golf course owner—stating “I believe the GL Project offers the best solution for residents”—was brought to light. Because this happened outside the official public record, it created a severe legal vulnerability.

What “The Remand” Does

• Definition: A formal legal action that sends a case back to a lower body or pauses a proceeding to fix a specific error.

• The Narrow Scope: The County Attorney requested a limited review strictly to address the contents of that unauthorized email.

• The Purpose: The remand gives the Commission a chance to read the email into the public record. This allows all sides to comment on it, effectively “curing” the legal violation before a final vote is taken.

How the Commissioners Might Vote

Once the email is read into the record with the land use master hearing on July 20 at 6:00 pm, the ex parte violation is legally “cured,” the board will pivot to a final vote on the 251-home rezoning proposal. The outcome hinges on a shifted board dynamic:

• The 2023 baseline: The commission originally voted to deny the rezoning in 2023. However, the court-ordered return of the case means they must evaluate it strictly based on whether the application meets local land development rules.

• The “New Commissioner” wildcard: The board now features two new commissioners who were not present for the 2023 live testimonies. This delay gives them the chance to review the full record.

• The likely outcomes:

  • Approval: If the developer convinces the board that the project meets all county zoning guidelines, and that a closed, deteriorating golf course is worse for the area than managed housing, they could secure an approval.

  • Denial (With a tighter legal backing): If the commissioners still believe the rezoning violates the county’s comprehensive growth plans, they can deny it again. By clearing the email issue first during this remand, a second denial would be much harder for GL Homes to overturn in appeals court.

The Pebble Creek Golf Course Development Saga Continues!

SaveSCC Volunteer Operations

SaveSCC is ramping up new initiatives and refortifying and reenergizing existing efforts to prepare as rapidly and thoroughly as possible for our response to ClubLink actions. I have been a little overwhelmed with our activities and not communicated as well as I should with folks offering help. My apologies!  We are working to better organize our  volunteer operations and hope to have that under better control shortly so hang in there as we regroup.

We seek to have a Volunteer Coordinator on board before our first Save SCC Monthly 2nd Saturdays! and at our 1st – 2nd Saturday event on July 11th.  If this position speaks to you, please let me know via email to getinvolved@savescc.org or call me at 312-282-7337.

Save SCC Monthly 2nd Saturdays

In case you missed my earlier email, here are the details on Launching “Save SCC Monthly 2nd Saturdays” – Connect, Support, and Gear Up Monthly!

We are excited to announce a brand-new monthly Save SCC event initiative designed to bring our community closer together and strengthen our ongoing SaveSCC efforts.

Starting on July 11th, we are launching Save SCC Monthly 2nd Saturdays! This is your consistent, monthly opportunity to meet directly with leadership, get involved, and grab the tools you need to help us protect Sun City Center from golf course development, get Save SCC merchandise, donate, volunteer, or just come and talk.

Event Details:

• When: The 2nd Saturday of every month, starting July 11th through December  12th

• Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

• Where: The Armstrong Room, SCC North Campus, off the Atrium, 1009 N. Pebble Beach Blvd., Sun City Center

Mark Your Calendar:

• July 11

• August 8

• September 12

• October 10

• November 14

• December 12

What you can do at Save SCC 2nd Saturdays:

• Meet Leadership: Speak directly with Save SCC leaders to ask questions and share your thoughts.

• Get Promotional Materials: Pick up your official Save SCC T-shirts, yard signs, and window clings to show your support around town and promote the cause.

• Secure Document Scanning: Bring any critical data or documentation relevant to our legal fight, and we will scan it safely on-site and return your originals.

• Volunteer & Share: Sign up for volunteer opportunities or share important community information with us.

• Make a Donation: Drop off financial contributions directly to help fuel our legal and operational funds.

Whether you have five minutes to drop off documents or want to stay and chat, your presence makes a difference. We need every voice and every hand to keep our momentum moving forward.

We look forward to seeing you one Saturday morning!

Thank you for your continued dedication and support,

The Save SCC Monthly 2nd Saturdays! Team

Co-Chairs:

Ellie Anderson      Rick Johnson

312-282-7337      847-648-6355

Technology Recruitment

In case you missed my earlier email regarding our Technology Workgroup activities and recruitment drive, I am repeating that here as well.

Call to Action – SaveSCC Technology WorkGroup Volunteer Recruitment

Our last recruitment effort for expert volunteers to expand our legal and zoning workgroup identified

outstanding individuals who are now actively engaging with our existing team, yielding stellar results.  This success led us to consider a similar effort to bolster our Technology Workgroup.

SaveSCC is actively seeking volunteers with extensive skills and experience to join the SaveSCC Technology team to support its expanding infrastructure and needs. The organization is specifically looking for individuals with professional expertise in WordPress development, Google Workspace experience, Facebook management and information digitization.  The primary goal of the new recruits will be to expand our capabilities to support and utilize technology in service of our mission and activities given our limited resources and need to be practical and effective.

SaveSCC Technology Ecosystem Overview

Save Sun City Center (SaveSCC) leverages a sophisticated digital infrastructure to support its mission of preserving golf courses and green spaces. This technological “ecosystem” enables the organization to coordinate volunteer efforts, manage extensive data repositories, and execute large-scale community outreach.

Core Web Infrastructure

The organization’s public presence and interactive tools are primarily hosted at SaveSCC.org, which serves as the central hub for information and member registration.

• Platform: Developed using WordPress, allowing for modular updates and integration of third-party tools.

• Dynamic Integrations:

• Widgets: The site utilizes widgets,  plugins, and APIs to interface directly with other systems, facilitating the display of documents like the “Greater Sun City Center Community Plan” or other capabilities.

• Registration Tools: Employs Google Forms for secure email distribution list registration, contact us, and other features capturing critical data such as neighborhoods and contact information without requiring a Google login from users.

• Multimedia Content: Features embedded PDF documents, links to county comprehensive plans, and a dedicated events tab for upcoming meetings and rallies.

• Credit Card Processing and Payment Gateways: Incorporates secure processing, payment gateway and credit card settlement functions with our partners to support donations.

Google Workspace & Data Management

SaveSCC utilizes Google Workspace for Non-Profits as its primary operational platform for email, internal collaboration and evidence preservation.

 

Social Media & Community Outreach

To expand visibility beyond the core website, SaveSCC maintains an active presence across multiple social platforms, coordinated by the technology and communications teams.

• Facebook: The primary social channel for community engagement and real-time updates. The team is currently documenting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Facebook management within the Workspace.

• Hyper-Local Platforms: Use of Nextdoor and community-specific Facebook groups (e.g., Sun City Center Neighbors) to share urgent updates, such as TV media coverage or town hall announcements.

• Media Integration: Use of the website to host audio and video files from radio coverage (e.g., Sun Radio WSCQ 96.3 FM) and video content (e.g. meetings, TV coverage).

Artificial Intelligence Integration

SaveSCC proactively incorporates AI technology in our work to enhance productivity and organizational efficiency.

• Automated Documentation: Utilization of AI-driven tools (e.g., Gemini) to generate comprehensive meeting notes, summaries, and suggested next steps from recorded sessions.

• Workflow Optimization: AI assists in structuring tasks and organizing the “Action Item” lists to ensure follow-through on complex project tasks.

• Accessibility: Leveraging AI features for screen reader support and conversation history to improve accessibility for all team members

• Research: Actively evaluating  and expanding use of AI tools in conducting our day-to-day work using multiple platforms and tools including Gemini, ChatGPT and others.

Future Technology Goals

The technology team remains focused on expanding the ecosystem’s capabilities to better serve the community.

• Expanding Outreach: Actively looking for ways to broaden communications with supporters and the general public through new digital platforms.

• Infrastructure Formalization: Moving from manual “brute force” email methods to sophisticated automated systems to prevent being flagged as spam and to ensure reliable delivery to the growing membership base.

• Resource Centralization: Continuing to migrate interim personal local repositories into a permanent, structured Google Workspace environment for long-term collaboration, evidence preservation, management and analysis.

• Evidence Digitization: Implementing scanning, image processing, and character recognition tools to streamline the loading of physical evidence into our central data repository.

Join the Workgroup: Specific Roles Needed

We are looking for residents from both Sun City Center and Kings Point with professional backgrounds and strong skills in the following areas to join our core technology team:

• WordPress Developers: Web developers or designers familiar with WordPress architecture, plugin management, and API integrations. You will help maintain SaveSCC.org, manage third-party widgets, and ensure our site remains a reliable, user-friendly hub for community engagement.

• Google Workspace Administrators: Tech-savvy individuals with experience in Google Workspace administration. You will manage user accounts, oversee the Master Repository (Shared Drives), manage email distribution lists, and help establish standard procedures for file organization and security.

• Facebook & Social Media Managers: Communicators comfortable with social media platforms, particularly Facebook. You will help maintain our community pages, document management processes, and potentially expand our reach to other platforms to keep the public informed and engaged.

• AI Experts: Enthusiasts with experience in AI tools who will help identify, test, and implement new AI-driven solutions to optimize our workflows, automate documentation, and improve overall productivity.

• Technical Writers: Skilled writers to create clear, concise documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and user guides for our technology infrastructure and processes, ensuring our tools are easy to use.

• Trainers: Experienced educators who will help onboard new team members and provide training on our Google Workspace environment, AI tools, and internal processes to ensure consistency and efficiency across the organization.

• Digital Evidence and Archival Curation:We are seeking skilled technical professionals, archivists, librarians, and data specialists to volunteer their expertise for our evidence analysis pipeline. Standardize data collection protocols so all ingested materials are identical regarding file formats, image resolution, naming conventions, and metadata structures.

 

How to Apply / Next Steps

If you have the skills, the professional background, and the time and dedication to fight for our neighborhood’s future, please step forward. We need you!

• How to Sign Up: Please email your name, contact information, and your area of expertise/professional background to getinvolved@savescc.org (preferred) or call Ellie Anderson at 312-282-7337.

• Technology Workgroup EMeetings:  Fridays, 8:30 am – 10:00 am via Google Meet

Be sure to share Call Out with your friends and neighbors as they might be just the perfect fit and candidate.

We need you and look forward to hearing from you.

As with all our communications, we really appreciate when you share the information with your neighbors, HOA or COA comparadies, your friends and clubmates. Promoting the cause and sharing vital information is key to keeping everyone informed and engaged.

Of course, it is best if they sign up to receive our email blast directly. Perhaps you can help them with that.

Here’s wishing you all the best and hoping to see you at our inaugural Save SCC Monthly 2nd Saturday!

Best regards,

Ellie Anderson

President

Save Save Sun City

312-282-7337