Save SCC Green Spaces Status- LIVE LOCAL ACT AMENDED! – June 26, 2025

Ellie’s Notes June 26, 2025

Hello All,

Hope this wonderful summer weather finds you all enjoying all the pleasures summer has to offer.  The pool has been awesome! I’ve also been enjoying the afternoon and evening rains lately and they’ve been very pleasant.

Florida Senate Bill 1730 

On the good news front, Tuesday,  Governor DeSantis signed SB 1730 amending the Live Local Act to exclude recreational areas in Planned Developments under the Live Local Affordable Housing Program. That means the Live Local Act is not applicable to the golf courses in SCC and KP. ClubLink can still pursue other avenues for development for the golf courses in Sun City Center and Kings Point, but it will not be possible under the Live Local Act.

SB 1730 specifically excludes recreational areas from development under the Live Local Act.

This means that parcels designated for recreational uses like golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, and clubhouses, within residential areas are not considered “commercial, industrial or mixed use” for the purposes of Live Local Act development, regardless of how they are operated.

This exclusion was specifically amended into the bill at the last hour of the legislative session, due to the efforts of various groups ( primarily us ) who sought to protect these areas.

However, it is important to note that this exclusion only prevents development under the Live Local Act. A developer could still pursue residential housing development on a recreational area by submitting a separate development application to the county, which would trigger a different process, including public noticing and hearings. The exception would be the North Course which is zoned RSC-6.

SB 1730 amends Florida’s Live Local Act, which aims to address affordable housing issues in the state. Key changes include:

  • Allowing local governments to approve affordable housing developments on parcels owned by religious institutions, even if local zoning would not typically permit such construction.
  • Requiring local governments to grant administrative approvals for qualifying affordable housing projects without further action from boards or reviewing bodies.
  • Setting density, Floor Area Ratio (FAR), and height maximums to the least restrictive standard currently allowed or allowed as of July 1, 2023.
  • Clarifying zoning preemption applicability for commercial, industrial, and mixed-use areas, including planned unit developments which excludes recreational areas.

This clarifying amendment to the original Live Local Act will also affect the current action in the courts relative to the development efforts in Plant City for the closed Walden Lakes Golf course also previously owned by WCI. That hearing is scheduled for September.

This success is due to all of you who called, wrote and emailed to change the course of this legislation. To prevail we must act and when we act together as a community, we have a powerful voice and impact. Let’s use it!

Technology

With respect to our behind the scenes technology that we use to support our SaveSCC efforts, we are moving from a paid version of Google Workspace to the Non-Profit Version to save money and increase services we can use at no cost. We hope to complete this transition by year end but to be successful we are seeking volunteers who have previously been Google Workspace administrators. If that’s you, we really need your help and expertise.  Please contact me so we can bring on board our technology team to help with our migration and ramp up.

ClubLink, Morguard and Paros

ClubLink continues to pursue development options at their Palm Aire Golf Club in Pompano Beach and the Woodlands in Tamarac, Fl.

More details on Palm Aire are available in the New Pelican by clicking here.

Development is underway on The Woodlands in Tamarac, Florida.

Key details of the development:

  • Developer: 13th Floor Homes.
  • Project: 335 single-family homes.
  • Location: 4600 Woodlands Blvd., at the intersection of Commercial Boulevard and Rock Island Road.
  • Homes: Expected to be priced from the $700,000s to over $1 million, offering three to five bedrooms and customizable floor plans.
  • Amenities: Features include a mid-century modern design, preservation of over 160 acres of open space and lakes, a 5-mile recreation trail, controlled access gates, and infrastructure improvements. The clubhouse will have a fitness center, café, resort-style pool and spa, and courts for padel ball and tennis.
  • Timeline: Construction is underway with the first homes projected for completion in late 2025.
  • Approvals: The Tamarac city commission approved the project in March 2024.
  • Community Engagement: 13th Floor Homes worked with the city and community to gain support for the project.

This development is part of a broader effort to redevelop and enhance the Woodlands community, including improving amenities and infrastructure.

One of Morguard’s trucks was seen on Pebble Beach Blvd recently.

Morguard is another company under CEO Rai Sahi’s leadership, and the same fellow also is majority owner of ClubLink ( TWC ).  Morguard holds property in Palm Aire and is also involved in the ClubLink development project there with Pulte.

Paros Enterprises Limited is a holding company primarily known for its significant ownership in Morguard Corporation and TWC Enterprises Limited (formerly ClubLink Enterprises Limited). It is controlled by K. Rai Sahi. Paros, along with its affiliates, holds a substantial stake in Morguard, a major North American real estate and property management company. Additionally, Paros owns a significant portion of TWC Enterprises, which operates golf clubs under the ClubLink One Membership More Golf brand.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

  • Ownership Structure: Paros Enterprises Limited acts as a holding company, meaning it owns and controls other companies.
  • Key Investments:
    • Morguard: Paros holds a significant percentage of Morguard’s outstanding shares, giving it control over a large North American real estate and property management company.
    • TWC Enterprises (ClubLink): Paros owns a substantial stake in TWC, which operates golf clubs.
  • Leadership: K. Rai Sahi is the individual who controls Paros Enterprises Limited.
  • Subsidiaries: Besides Morguard and TWC, Paros also has other affiliates.

Volunteers

Many thanks to all who have offered their services volunteering with us. We have some interesting work underway and are always looking for recruits. A number of our volunteer groups are at work and we plan another recruiting effort in the fall. If you’d like to help, take a look at our volunteer form and return it to getinvolved@savescc.org with your area of interest.

Thanks for your support!

Ellie Anderson

312-282-7337