Empowering Our Community: The Urgent Push for Save SCC’s Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO) Status
Sun City Center is facing a critical turning point. The landscape of our community is under direct pressure from ClubLink development, making the need for a unified, legally recognized voice more urgent than ever. In response to imminent threats to our open golf course spaces and community character, Save SCC is accelerating its campaign to become a Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO).
Securing RNO status gives our community early, official notice of land-use actions and formal standing before key decision-makers, shifting our position from reactive to proactive.
The Immediate Threat: Putting Sun City Center First
The primary and immediate focus of the Save SCC RNO initiative is Sun City Center – specifically the Sun City Center Senior Citizen Overlay District (SPI-SCCSC), an official special zoning designation in unincorporated Hillsborough County, Florida, governed under Section 3.01.09 of the Hillsborough County Land Development Code. This prioritized focus is driven by concrete, aggressive filings by ClubLink that specifically target golf course properties within that SCC geographic area:
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Live Local Act Notices: ClubLink has formally filed Notices of Intent under Florida’s Live Local Act, targeting three golf courses within SCC: the North Lakes course, Caloosa Greens, and Sandpiper.
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Wetland Determinations: ClubLink has escalated its activity by submitting formal wetlands determination applications to the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) specifically for the North Lakes course.
These filings are active legal steps aimed at clearing regulatory hurdles for high-density redevelopment. Because Sun City Center is an unincorporated community without its own municipal council, the decisions that will decide the fate of our community potentially fall across multiple government and regulatory bodies: Hillsborough County (governing zoning, comprehensive planning, and administration), the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) (regulating stormwater, water resources, and wetlands), and other state and local government agencies.
Facing potential actions across multiple governmental fronts, time is of the essence. Save SCC must expedite its RNO status as quickly and efficiently as possible. Because navigating government channels requires speed and clear administrative boundaries, Save SCC is pursuing RNO certification strictly within SCC first.
A Strategic, Phased Plan: Bringing Kings Point into the Fold
While the immediate application focuses on SCC to avoid bottlenecks and better utilize our limited resources, the broader vision firmly encompasses Kings Point.
Residents of Kings Point share the exact same macro-level concerns. Any high-density development within SCc and KP borders will overwhelm emergency services, strain local infrastructure, and worsen traffic congestion along State Road 674—impacting Kings Point just as heavily as SCC.
By executing a phased approach—securing certified RNO status for SCC first to establish an immediate defensive perimeter, and then amending the organization to officially bring in Kings Point—Save SCC ensures rapid protection today while building a massive, united demographic bloc representing thousands of households for tomorrow.
Defining the Boundaries: Exclusions and Guidelines
Hillsborough County enforces strict rules governing the geographic contiguity and residential character of Registered Neighborhood Organizations. To avoid application rejections or challenges, certain nearby properties are not included:
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The Courtyards and Sun Towers: These facilities are not addressed under the RNO application because they operate as specialized corporate healthcare and independent and assisted living facilities. They do not match the county’s criteria for a grassroots residential neighborhood organization.
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Freedom Plaza: While a valued neighbor, Freedom Plaza sits outside the defined geographical boundaries mapped for this specific application.
Please Complete your Resident Authorization Form if You have Not Already Done So
Every completed form increases our strength and brings us closer to our goal. While the County requirement is only one individual per household, our efforts are best supported when all residents and owners submit their form. So please complete yours and insure your cohabiters do so as well! Every voice matters.
A Crucial Opportunity: Partnering During “Meeting Season”
Right now, we are in the heart of “meeting season.” Our numerous associations, HOAs, clubs, civic organizations, and service groups are actively gathering to review upcoming annual budgets, evaluate candidates for upcoming leadership positions, and conduct their yearly business meetings.
These gatherings present a timely, high-impact opportunity for group leaders and active members to champion Save SCC and the RNO effort. If you serve on a board or committee, or regularly attend your association’s meetings, we ask you to consider lending your voice to this cause:
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Dedicate a Few Minutes to Speak: Share a brief update about the ClubLink threat and the importance of securing RNO status.
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Distribute and Collect Forms: Make blank Resident Authorization Forms readily available to attendees so they can sign on the spot.
You have a trusted, influential relationship with your fellow members and residents, giving you the unique ability to encourage participation and make signing as easy as possible. Save SCC will do the heavy lifting: we can supply all printed forms and informational packets, and our team will handle 100% of the data entry and submission processing. We are ready to provide whatever support, materials, or assistance you need to integrate this brief presentation into your agenda. Just reach out to us or visit us at Save SCC Second Saturday on Nov 14th or Dec 12th from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon in the Armstrong Room at 953 N Course Ln.
Become a Grassroots Advocate: Clipboards and T-Shirts
The RNO process, Hillsborough County requires concrete proof of broad community backing: completed Resident Authorization Forms.
Every resident can help push us across the finish line by serving as a grassroots ambassador:
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Wear your Save SCC t-shirt whenever you are out and about town and at community events to build visibility and spark conversations.
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Carry a clipboard stocked with plenty of blank Resident Authorization Forms.
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Engage your neighbors and community members with a friendly nudge. We never want to infringe on anyone’s leisure time or interrupt activities, but a warm, low-pressure approach makes it easy for folks to sign on the spot.
Making the process effortless for your neighbors and community members is the fastest way to gather the signatures required to demonstrate overwhelming community support to Hillsborough County, SWFWMD, and every governing body tasked with deciding the future of Sun City Center.
Moving Forward with Urgency
The push to become a Registered Neighborhood Organization is a race against time to protect the character and open spaces of our communities. By focusing first on expediting SCC’s application against ClubLink’s active filings, activating our club networks during annual meeting season, and preparing to unite with Kings Point, Save SCC is establishing a durable legal shield. Securing RNO status ensures that when development decisions reach Hillsborough County and SWFWMD, Sun City Center residents will be standing at the podium; recognized, organized, and heard.
Forms and more information are available at our web site: SaveSCC.org
I hope to see you at the CA Membership Meeting tomorrow at 3:00 pm at SCC Community Hall.
Thanks for your continued interest and support. We can’t do it without you!
Warm regards,
Ellie Anderson
President, Save Sun City Center, Inc.