Notes from Ellie

Hello All,

Hope you all are enjoying our intermittent rains and a little relief from the heat!

My Call from Bob Sullivan

Bob called Thursday to give me a briefing on his call with John Finlayson. His update to me was simply conveying what he had said at the Board meeting the day before.

Bob Sullivan spoke briefly twice during the CA Board meeting this week with respect to his conversation with John Finlayson, COO, ClubLink. One time was his update during the board meeting and the second time was during the audience comments section after the board meeting was adjourned in response to a question from a Zoom participant who was unable to hear his initial comments. The essence is as follows.

There have been rumors that ClubLink was making some $2 million a year at Sandpiper and that the course might continue to operate. John Finlayson indicated that neither rumor was true. ClubLink’s game plan is to close Sandpiper at the end of year after the course greens renovation work is complete at Club Renaissance and Scepter. John also said that speculation that ClubLink was making millions of dollars at Sandpiper was simply untrue, the course traffic and rates simply do not generate that kind of revenue.

Per Bob, John indicated that ClubLink was not open to talking about donation of land to the CA until development proceeds. Per ClubLink, due to current conditions of the market, building costs, current housing prices, etc., they are in a holding pattern. They still intend to develop and will hold the properties until they do so.

Personally, I am grateful for Bob’s continued dialogue with John. However, we will not know what they are doing or contemplating except by their actions and works in public view. I do not put too much credence in what is said.

We in SaveSCC must continue full speed ahead to make sure, when the time comes, we are fully prepared and ready for their actions with the county or others.

Our sources at the County continue to indicate that they have no word or application from ClubLink to date.

On a separate note Bob thanked us for the excellent and thorough correspondence to the County regarding Greenspace and indicated that he has spoken with Sarah Caper, Project Manager for the Greenways Master Plan Update for Unincorporated Hillsborough County, offering his assistance and input from the CA.

Donations are Online at SaveSCC.org

Donations are being successfully received and processed via the SaveSCC.org donation page. Hooray!

Thank you donors!

SaveSCC Petition Door to Door Canvassing Plan

There has been little interest in the sign up by street for our petition canvassing effort door-to-door.

After much careful thought and discussions to optimize the results, the advisory groups and board have concluded that our door-to-door canvassing effort would be best conducted in November. That would afford the best weather possible conducive to the effort with the maximum number of part-timers and snowbirds back in town whilst not delaying too much to put our efforts at risk of being too late and being surprised by ClubLink.

We will be back to everyone with details for our working session on September 27, 2022.

Greater Sun City Center Area Community Plan

I think by now you all understand my gratitude and continuing interest in all things related to the Greater Sun City Center Community Plan. I have continued to seek information on the effort and speak with those who were involved in this endeavor. My efforts are continually rewarded with more of the backstory.

Below is a brief introduction to the effort which was written by Paul Courter, one of the original participants who compiled the grass roots citizens input to create the written plan.

The Greater Sun City Center Community Plan is without question the most reliable gauge of what our residents, businesses and other stakeholders want for our future….because they wrote it.

To help each community address its own unique qualities and characteristics and guide its future, Hillsborough County established a formal planning process in 1998. Pulling together the opinions, objectives and hopes of widely diverse populations proved to be a challenge, and initial planning did not go smoothly. After two unsuccessful attempts, effective community planning still did not exist for Greater Sun City Center eight years later.

A third effort was launched in February, 2007 with a “revitalization of planning effort” meeting in community hall, led by a representative of the County Planning and Growth Management Department. That resulted in a series of 20 public meetings, each widely advertised and open to all—including residents, developers, business owners, government officials, and anyone else interested in the community’s future.
Each planning session was announced in newspaper notices and roadside placards throughout the area. Though the process was overseen and guided by County Planning Commission professionals, the procedure and content were not dictated by any government entity or official.

There was no “audience”. Everyone who attended took part in the decision-making. Afterward, a group of volunteers set about organizing the priorities and proposals established, and recording those findings in written form to be presented for approval by the County Commission. Like the previous meetings, these sessions were open to anyone who chose to participate.

The final result is our Greater Sun City Center Community Plan, dated September 2009. It is one of 21 such plans prepared by communities throughout Unincorporated Hillsborough County.

Thank you Paul. All those who contributed to this plan have the thanks of a grateful community. Their efforts lie at the heart of SaveSCC’s efforts to protect Sun City Center’s golf courses and green spaces now to retain the character and charm of our unique, premiere retirement community forever! You have given us the means and we fully intend to use them.

Zoom Meeting Info

If you want to Zoom to our next meeting, click here.

Agenda

Click here to display the agenda for our working session meeting Tuesday, August 23, 2022 on Zoom or in the Rollins Theatre at 6 pm.

Please keep forwarding our information to your friends and associates. It is important to keep folks informed and onboard.

Thank you all for your continued participation and support! If you have not yet registered as a member of Save Sun City Center, please visit our website SaveSCC.org and do so. We need you! You help me keep on keeping on and inspire me!

If it is to be, it is up to “we”. And you are part of “we”.

Ellie Anderson
312-282-7337