Notes from Ellie

Hello All,

Our deepest sadness and prayers for recovery go out to all those devastated by Ian.  It is so heart-breaking and overwhelming. With the uncertain path and the need for electricity, we evacuated to the mountains of Northern Georgia. What a beautiful area. I hope you were all safe and relatively unscathed.

Agenda and Zoom Link

Our Working Session is scheduled for Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 6:00PM in the Rollin Theatre, 901 Cherry Hill Dr., on the Central Campus.

Click HERE for the Agenda and Zoom Link 

Time for High Gear

It is time to gear up! Get re-involved and rev’d up for our fall push.  It will be all about preparation and execution of our door-to-door campaign come late October and November and there is lots to do before then. I will be discussing that with you all at our working session next Tuesday, October 11^th in the Rollins Theatre at 6 pm or via our Zoom Meeting (See link above).

For all of us associated with Save Sun City Center, it is time to move into high gear.  There is so much important, time sensitive work and demands that will require your urgent help. The most important task for everyone lies ahead of us. Our door-to-door petition drive must show overwhelming support in the community to defeat any action to rezone the golf courses for development. Those signatures will allow us to demand the action of our Hillsborough County Commissioners and Community Association Board against any zoning or community plan amendment required for development to proceed.

We need your help and boots on the street. No exceptions.  Everyone can contribute to the effort in some way.

Media Relations Step Up and Press Release Draft

We are stepping up our media communications efforts with a press release to promote our door-to-door canvassing petition drive.

Rick Johnson did a great job on the press release draft  that we will further tweak before its official release to a variety of news outlets including the Observer and the News of Sun City Center.  Lois Kindle and the editor of the Observer have been helpful and are hoping to print a shorter version in the Observer edition coming out October 27.  We want everyone to know we are coming and stepping up our efforts to defeat any development plans ClubLink may have.                                            Click HERE to view the press release draft

Canvassing Kick-Off Rally

The Kick-Off Rally for the canvassers is on October 29 at 11:30 in the Florida, Heritage and Armstrong Rooms on the central campus off the Atrium.  All canvassers are asked to attend the kick off rally to receive instructions and materials.

All canvassers will be supplied with a street list by house, petition forms, pamphlets and a special SaveSCC tee shirt to be worn when canvassing or any other time they would like to support the cause.  There will be media coverage and photo ops so we want to “dress for success” in our tees!  Also be sure to always wear your SCC badge when canvassing.

More details will follow as the meeting approaches.

Street Assignments and Canvassers

 Getting assigned canvassers for every street is a must!

The current list of street assignments is updated daily on our web site at  https://savescc.org/street-coverage/

Your Support and Involvement

If you can donate, we’d really appreciate the financial support. Donations can be made online at SaveSCC.org or we always happy to receive a check to SaveSCC c/o Ellie Anderson, 1731 Pacific Dunes Dr., Sun City Center, FL 33573.

Thanks for your support and involvement in this critical endeavor to retain the character of our community for the future!

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

Ellie Anderson
312-282-7337

Notes from Ellie

Hello All,

Enjoy the sun and peace while you can. The upcoming weather forecast seems quite threatening at this point.  Let’s hope that we are spared the worst of Ian.

Agenda and Zoom Link

Our Newcomer Session is scheduled for Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 6:00PM in the Rollin Theatre, 901 Cherry Hill Dr., on the Central Campus.

Click Here for the Agenda and Zoom Link 

We will make a determination on Monday and send an email to all members based on the weather forecast as to whether to cancel the Tuesday Newcomer meeting due to the approach of hurricane Ian.

SAVESCC Golf Scramble Fundraiser

We are sending this preliminary request to assess the feasibility and interest in a charity golf event sponsored and conducted for the benefit of Save Sun City Center (www.SaveSCC.org) to be held on a Saturday, most probably, in February, 2023. Click Here for details.

Call to Action – Petition Drive Game Plan

We will need volunteers in all areas to successfully reach the entire community and garner their support signified by signing the SaveSCC Petition for the Hillsborough County Commissioners and to show the CA Board beyond any shadow of doubt the vast majority of CA members do not want development of our golf courses and green spaces.  Below are the specific areas where we need resources to get the job done! 

As I say “ If it is to be, it is up to “we”, and you are an essential part of “we”!”  

So – read the details below and let me know where you can contribute to the effort! I am looking for your email to sign up and show up!

Street & HOA Assignments team – collect input and maintain assignment spreadsheet on Google Docs. Do breakdown of longer streets into subsections. Coordinates with all canvassers.

The list of street assignments is available on our web site at https://savescc.org/street-coverage/.

Look at your street, if it is not currently assigned, consider doing it. If it is assigned, consider signing up for another. If you’re flexible and willing to help, we can assign you where we need coverage. 

Send Street Assignment Requests to GetInvolved@SaveSCC.org

Team Captain: Carol Hugill, 716-523-1541, jchugill-2@yahoo.com

We will confirm back to you and put your name on the street list. If you see something incorrect, please let us know.

Street Listing team – develop street list of owners from Hillsborough County Property Assessors web site and older SCC Directory  with street listings. Get approx. # of homes in each assignment area for packet counts to provider to all canvassers.

We did something very similar when we analyzed all the properties backing up to golf courses. 

We will use this new information with the details of the prior effort to equip the canvassers with street listings, owner details and special information to provide to residents.

Team Captain: Ellie Anderson, 312-282-7337, andersonellie@mac.com

We’re looking for volunteers who have a computer and know Excel. The process is very straightforward and training will be provided.

Please email me at GetInvolved@SaveSCC.org, if you are willing to help.

Packet team – design packet content, write materials as needed, assemble for pickup. Maybe two packet types – IMBYs & non-IMBYs

Team Co-Captains:

        Linda Palamaree, 724-622-7284,  lpparmelee@gmail.com                      Maryann Bottom, 386-848-1391

Draft IMBY ( In My Back Yard ) and NIBY (Not In My Back Yard) letters for delivery when canvassing.

        Ellie Anderson, 312-282-7337 & Susan Carpenter, 267-319-9328

Rallies

Kick-Off Rally

Kick-Off Rally is for canvassers only and will be held Oct. 29, 2022. We have reserved the Florida, Armstrong, and Heritage rooms for the event from 11 am to 2 pm.  More details will follow as we get closer.

I am looking for volunteers for the Rally Team to prepare and organize the Kick-Off Rally including logistics and refreshments.  Other teams will handle all other aspects including canvasser packets and collateral materials.

Please email me at GetInvolved@SaveSCC.org if you are willing to join the Kick-Off Rally Team.

Fun Rally Fundraiser

A Fun Rally Fundraiser is under evaluation. Potential date is January 28,2023 if we use the Community Hall. Space is challenging depending on the number of attendees. I’d like to accommodate 500. Outside venues available in SCC are more limited. For a larger group, the only space is the Community Hall with a rental of $2,000 and I really don’t want to spend that kind of $’s on rent.  This one will take more thinking and investigation before anything materializes.  Program could include entertainment, food and beverage for a ticket fee.  

I would appreciate  volunteers for the Fun Rally Team to work this thru and prepare and organize including entertainment, venue, logistics, food and refreshments.

Please email me at GetInvolved@SaveSCC.org, if you are willing to help on the Fun Rally Team to plan and make this event a reality.

Publicity Team – draft articles, ads for newspaper, radio, posters

Team Co-Captains: Ellie Anderson, 312-282-7337, andersonellie@mac.com

                                     Rick Johnson, 847-648-6355, rickj2@comcast.net

Collaterals Team – design and purchase tee shirts & acrylic  stickers

Team Captain: Ruth Johnson, 312-909-7455, rajohnson130@icloud.com

If we have any graphic designers who could help with creating logos, please let us know at GetInvolved@SaveSCC.org.

Donations to Support Our Efforts

We are bless to have many great folks supporting our efforts to persevere and protect our community green spaces and golf courses but volunteers alone are not enough to pay the bills.  As you can see from the above planned activities, we are going to incur expenses for printing, tee shirts, advertising and other expenses.  We are asking for your financial support to support these activities to engage the community and generate more support and momentum.

There are also several legal avenues I’d like to explore with legal counsel but attorneys do not come cheap.

As you can see, we continue to be creative with our fund-raising activities – sales of collateral materials (yard signs and banners), passing the hat so to speak, launching our online donation page, and working to sponsor a golf tournament. 

If you can donate, we’d really appreciate the financial support. Donations can be made online at SaveSCC.org or we always happy to receive a check to SaveSCC c/o Ellie Anderson, 1731 Pacific Dunes Dr., Sun City Center, FL 33573.

Thanks for your support and involvement in this critical endeavor to retain the character of our community for the future!

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

Ellie Anderson
312-282-7337

Notes from Ellie

Hello All,

Hope this communique finds you well and looking forward to Fall in Sun City Center.

Kudos

Kudos go out to the entire SaveSCC membership and supporters.

The web site continues to offer more information and features. We’re raised $ 985.00 since Aug 7^th via the web donation page at SaveSCC.org.

Time to Gear Up and Get Involved for the Fall Push!

It is time to geared up, re-invigorated and revved up for our fall push.  It will be all about preparation and execution of our door-to-door campaign come November and there is lots to do before then. I will be discussing that with you all at our working session next Tuesday, September 13^th in the Rollins Theatre at 6 pm or via Zoom. The following documents will also be discussed:

Restrictive Covenant Agreement

Termination of Restrictive Covenant Agreement

One woman’s perspective of how SCC got here.

For some sixty years here in Sun City Center, the developers and the residents of Sun City Center have collaborated in the creation, development, maintenance, beatification, evolution and future of this unique and special community. These efforts have seen changes, challenges and evolutions throughout that 60-year history. But that long and sometimes bumpy road was close to reaching its endpoint in 2008 when WCI’s financial peril, Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, led to:

• 2010 WCI’S sales of the developable property to Minto as the last developer of Sun City Center as designed and platted.
• 2010 WCI’s sale to  ClubLink as the new owner of the golf properties.

Development concluded with Minto’s departure in 2020 after its final home was sold. The initial community concept, vision, plan and execution to create the essence of Sun City Center rested solely with Del Webb when he went about replicating his successful experiment from Sun City Arizona. That vision included a community solely for active retirees 55+ who would have extensive facilities indoor and outdoor to support all manner of recreating and socializing. Golf remains a cornerstone activity since the founding and opening of Sun City Center. Over time more courses were added by  developers (Sandpiper, Caloosa Greens and Club Renaissance) and community members (Caloosa).

The developers who started, expanded, maintained and supported our community are gone. This was not an unforeseen milestone. Sound actions were taken by the Community Association Boards over the years to prepare for this eventuality. Capital Fund contributions for sales of properties in Sun City were initiated and increased, and dues were raised to fund beautification of the medians on N. Pebble Beach. Professional studies and committees were commissioned to explore the costs of potentially acquiring the golf courses but the final decision on multiple occasions by those in power was not to do so.

One of Sun City Center’s most visible and potentially valuable centerpieces is its golf courses and green spaces.  Under the developer’s ownership, these assets were maintained to standards that increased the value of all properties in Sun City Center and were a significant draw for potential buyers.  These centerpiece amenities improved every property and their property values. Wide open spaces and vista with greenspaces and wildlife abounded.

With the sale of the golf courses to ClubLink in 2010, the interest of residents and property owners and those of the golf course  owner were no longer aligned.  The residents wanted well maintained golf facilities and golfers wanted good tee time availability at reasonable costs.  The golf course owner and operator wanted to maximize profits by minimizing expenditures.  That led to a decline in services and conditions and little to no capital investment to address issues with irrigation, drainage or building maintenance over the last 12 years under Clublink.  The assets’ physical condition continues to decline and deteriorate.

Who knows what their assessment and plan was in acquiring these properties then, now, or in the future?

Due to a restrictive covenant agreement between Minto and WCI, and its successor in the golf courses – Clublink, ClubLink was prohibited from developing or selling lots on their golf course properties until the agreement was terminated in 2017.  Only the parties to the release of the restrictive covenant know why the release  occurred then or whether there were any other factors involved and they are not talking. With Minto projects complete and delivered in 2020,  the opportune time to pursue development for ClubLink apparently has arrived.

Interest in golf membership and play seems to have waned, at least according to ClubLink and their CEO K. Rai Sahi. Development offers better returns.

In 2007 when WCI was in a sharp decline dramatically reducing staff and seeing its stock value plunge, a Sun City Center resident Ed Jacobs and others saw the handwriting on the wall. He established a non-profit organization called The Sun City Center Golf and Social Club, Inc. to acquire Sandpiper, Caloosa Greens and the North Lakes courses.  His assessment was spot on but his plan never came to fruition. Unfortunately WCI was in disarray and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2008 and change was on the horizon. Everyone thought the fight was about ownership of golf courses, not who would be the potential developer of the remaining land in Sun City Center.

Today the situation raises  grave concern with ClubLink’s proposal to close golf courses and develop residential homes instead.

So some key questions arise:

• What does the community seek for its future – more development or protection of our golf courses and green space for recreation in the future or somewhere in between ?
• Are we as a community willing to fund, acquire, maintain and utilize these properties so that the community is making these decisions now and in the future and is in control of what happens?

These questions and responses will forever affect the very character, services, and future economics of our community and the residential property values of our homes for better or worse. It is a critical concern that must be thoroughly explored, analyzed and rationally decided.

I remain optimistic that any application for development rezoning can be defeated based on fact that any residential or commercial development of the golf courses is inconsistent and incompatible with the Greater Sun City Community Plan as adopted by the County Board of Commissioners in 2010 and would require a major modification for rezoning and/or a comprehensive plan amendment which will very difficult to achieve.

It is the economic commitment of the community that is more uncertain and of greater necessity to secure control of the courses and green space via community ownership in some fashion.  There have been opportunities in the past to acquire the North Lakes course and the North Lakes, Caloosa Greens and Sandpiper.  Those opportunities were not seized by those in power.

Our door-to-door petition effort in November will give us a good fix on whether Sun City Center owners and residents want to stop any rezoning and that will be an important event. This will conclusively show the will of the people on this matter for our county commissioners and our CA Board.

Planning, Planning, Planning

‘Tis the season for planning both at the County level and also here with SCC. The Long Range Planning (LRP) Committee  held two meetings on Thursday. About 65 CA members attended the am session and about another 55 at the pm session.  The AM session in my estimation was more interactive and fruitful over the two hours. The PM session was less vocal and ran about an hour by design of the .  The LRP team did a good job and are to be commended.  I remain concerned that they do not plan on playing the findings back to the community before doing a survey on Survey Monkey and they spoke of whittling down the input????  In good conceptual design you want to gather every bit of user input for the design phase. Not whittle it down. Guess we will have to see what comes next.

Fruits of My Research

My research has been extensive over the summer and led to many more insights and facts. I have been spending time in the SCC library and have compiled some of the information I sought previously from the CA and Bob Sullivan regarding the prior task forces and their reports regarding the golf courses and also details from the Historical Society regarding planning efforts and results in SCC.  All in all a very satisfactory fishing mission with more to come.  I will be potentially joining the Historical Society and will attend their meeting on September 12^th to see if there is a good “fit”.

Possible Run for the CA Board

I am seriously considering running for a 1-year seat on the CA Board and picked up the paperwork this week. Previously when urged to do so, I always flatly said no because of the amount of time and energy I am investing in our SaveSCC initiative. And that is my first and foremost priority.  But I am coming around to the belief that there could be great synergy in doing both. I am in the discernment process and will keep you advised. The deadline is October 5, 2022, 3 pm.

I am interested in your thoughts on the matter. Either way, I am asking all of you to step forward and get more involved in SaveSCC and all of our SCC community endeavors.  It is critical we all put forth the best we have to offer to improve our community during this very critical time when so much is at stake.

Hope to see you in person Tuesday!

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

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