Ellie’s Notes – 7/30/23 HELP WANTED!

Hello all – Hope this mid-summer finds you healthy and happy. Many are traveling up North trying to escape the Florida heat.

I have been busy working to protecting our golf courses and will share some highlights shortly. I am urgently requesting some assistance.  I can’t be the primary chief cook and bottle washer in our efforts. I need help if I am to continue to lead this community quest to preserve our lifestyles, protect our golf courses, and ensure the future of our community.

Personal Assistant

I am looking for a personal assistant to become my right hand and auxiliary brain before mine explodes. I do this work as a labor of love for a community that I find second to none. The satisfaction this challenging work has brought and the hope that we may succeed in stopping Clublink is enough. We have smart people, a terrific community, and the raw materials for Sun City Center 2.0. Let’s get a few brave, intelligent, and caring folks to make our community even better.  It is possible to prevail, and the proposed development is far from a done deal. So please if you can find it in your wheelhouse, volunteer to team up to work directly with me on our day-to-day efforts.  I will be out of the country, and someone must fill in while I’m gone to make sure nothing gets away from us or is missed. It is vital.  Thanks for your consideration. Please call me to discuss at 312-282-7337.

SaveSCC Corporate Secretary Needed

Due to the sickness and passing of her father and the need to settle his affairs out of state, Tami Mondy has resigned as SaveSCC Corporate Secretary.  We are seeking candidates to fill this critical board position. If you are interested, please contact me.

Radio Spots

I am pleased to share that I have been in the studio with Sun Radio and Grace FM working on radio spots and shows to continue to pump up awareness and the good news of our promising prospects as we lead the efforts to save the centerpiece golf courses and greens spaces. We are closer to preserving the wonderful character of our neighborhoods and lifestyles here in Sun City Center.

I will send you a blast with airtime for extended programs.

A Question for Everyone to Ponder

What community in its right mind would allow a key amenity integral to the lifestyle, open vistas, wildlife, health, environment, and future to be placed under the control of a third party as owner and operator?  Golf Courses here are 24 % of the land use, second only to residential housing at 34%.  Whether through faulty thinking, short sightedness, or apathy,  wouldn’t you want to correct and neutralize this threat at the lowest cost possible? It is not too late. We must stop development as the first step, but it will take a village – our village – every HOA, every resident, every club, and our CA board to make SCC secure. Let’s get to work!  Go to our web site to join, donate or volunteer. we need you!

Exclusive Freedom Plaza Save Sun City Center Presentation

With the support and approval of Freedom Plaza’s Executive Director – Angie Rohr, I held an exclusive event for Freedom Plaza residents to promote Save Sun City Center and our efforts to protect the golf courses. We got some great exposure, donations and some additional volunteers to help advance the cause. Here is the flyer:

Save Sun City Center (SaveSCC) Presentation

 “Protecting and Preserving the Greater SCC  Area Golf Courses from Development by ClubLink”

Tuesday, June 13 | 2 – 3 p.m. | Freedom Plaza Auditorium

 Presented by Ellie Anderson  – President and Founder of SaveSCC and New Freedom Plaza Resident

ClubLink is owner of seven of the 10 golf courses in the Greater Sun City Center Area, and their development plans proposed to the community on March 23, 2022, represent an existential threat to the centerpiece golf courses and green spaces in our community. ClubLink intends to pursue residential development on some of their 1,200+ acres of land in the community to realize greater profits from their real estate holdings here.  From their point of view, there is more money in development than closed or underperforming golf courses.

Save Sun City Center is an all-volunteer, grassroots organization working to preserve our golf courses and green spaces for future recreational use only. Ultimately, ClubLink’s development plans will require application to the county and approval from the Hillsborough County Commissioners for their project to proceed.  SaveSCC is working to prevent ClubLink from gaining approval of their application before the county by mounting a successful case against rezoning and having the community as a whole resist ClubLink’s efforts.

During this presentation, you will learn how SaveSCC got here, and how you can help prevent this threat to our community’s future and quality of life. We don’t need more houses, traffic, demands on our infrastructure, including water, which is already restricted and suffering low pressure, along with stormwater run-off and management, decreasing EMS response times threatening life and property, as well as the increase of airborne toxic particles and noise through this large-scale building project.

Please come and see what this is all about and how you can help! Come and share the passion for our lifestyle and community. We want to educate you and enlist your help to ensure this residential plan by ClubLink does not come to fruition.

For more information in the interim, please consult SaveSCC’s website at SaveSCC.org or call Ellie at 312-282-7337.

Hope to see you there!

Possible Upcoming Fundraisers 

We’ve got two fundraisers we are exploring. A Save Sun City Center Golf Event and SaveSCC Golf Cart Washes.  We are assembling volunteers to explore, plan and make these events come to fruition. Would you like to be involved?  Let’s make it happen together. Email us at GetInvolved@SaveSCC.org.

Keep the faith and share our email with your SCC friends, neighbors, HOA members and Club Members.  Let’s get the word out!

Hope you’re having as great a summer as I am.

Best to everyone!

Ellie Anderson

312-282-7337

Ellie’s Notes – 7/19/23

Hope this communique finds you well in this hot, hot, hot summer!

The SaveSCC team has been busy behind the scenes and in public working to advance our efforts to protect our golf courses.  A special shout and thanks to Carol Hugill and her team who continue their efforts to gather signatures on our petition for the County Commissioners. They were at the Fourth of July Pancake Breakfast and the response was excellent from many supporters. Mike Newsom had also continued in his efforts with Commissioner Owens and his office, Brains Grady – HCC Development Service and Adam Gormly, Department Director – HCC Develop Services. They have confirmed that there has been no pre-application conference or communication of application files by ClubLink or anyone else concerning the golf courses in our community as of late last month.

Also thanks to Garry Higgins and Larry Bender for work fixing our email blast list. This will be the first use since they have loaded and sanitized our listserver.

On the great new front, the Pebble Creek Golf Course Redevelopment Plan (MM 23-0132) in Hillsborough County (HC) was defeated at the HC Board of County Commissioners’ Land Use Meeting 7/18/23 by a vote of 5 to 2.

In my opinion, their case was not as strong as our case. They did not have a local community plan demanding:

“GOLF COURSES

• Maintain and protect existing golf course(s) and insure that they are dedicated for future recreational use only. “
• And community support against development is at 90% based on our polling and petition efforts.  Per the Hillsborough County’s reckoning bases on their calls, letters and email on Pebble Creek, their support was 20% for and 80% against.)

Please watch the hearing at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61097zou9Fk&list=PLZwNyAnHaDIti2GLsDni9UU0UsRjUHgRN&index=75

For the whole hearing on MM 23 -1032 go to 1:46 on the video.

For just the Board comments and vote on MM 23 -1032 go to 2:35 on the video

You really need to listen to the Board’s comments.  This is great news that points the way to our future success but know that there will be many challenges.

We need volunteers for our many committees to ensure we do our homework and prepare for success.  It is kind of like the iceberg, 90% of the work is below the water line in prep and ground work, before the 10% in the home stretch.  No matter your skills or how much or little time you have, we need you.  Do not let us or your community down. It takes the whole community!

I will be out of the country from August 21 until late September with very limited access to the Internet and email.  I am trying to get five folks who will agree to monitor via email notifications for zoning applications and HC web site new zoning requests so we do not get blindsided. Email to info@savescc.org  to volunteer. I will provide training via zoom.  We do not want to miss any action regarding our golf courses. Thanks!

 Please help us!

Ellie Anderson

312-282-7337

Ellie’s Notes – 5/28/23

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

The closing of Sandpiper should be a signal to every resident of the Greater Sun City Center area that the time to ramp up and resist Clublink’s bid to develop their golf properties here is urgent. Right about now, Clublink, encouraged by their win at the Woodlands in Broward County and the engagement of 13^th Floor developers to partner with them on that project, is proceeding with their project plan for SCC and preparing their application to build more housing in Sun City Center for submission to Hillsborough County.

We can not leave anything to chance and must not be complacent. Everyone must be prepared to fight because if we all come together, we can prevail and our green spaces will stay green. The first order of business is for every citizen to sign the petition. Numbers are powerful and send a message to the CA and the Hillsborough commissioners.

Petitions are available to sign at the Emergency Squad on 720 Ray Watson Drive or at the Security Patrol 1225 Pebble Beach Blvd. Or there is a form you can print out on the Save Sun City Website under the “Take Action” section. Ask your friends and neighbors to join you in supporting this effort. Contact Carol Hugill at  cah5652@gmail.com or follow the instructions on the petition. Every signature truly matters.

If you have a little time, please help us. Any skills you possess can be deployed on one of our standing committees or special projects. We have a very small group of people pushing the giant boulder up the hill but if we are to stop Clublink in their tracks, everyone has to pitch in.

Permanent Committees:

·      Finance Committee (John Newbury)

·      Technology Committee

·      Communications Committee (Rick Johnson & Joan Zegras)

·      Gov’t Relations and Zoning Committee (Mike Newsom)

·      CA Board Committee (Jim McCaw)

·      ClubLink & Birds of a Feather Committee

·      Petition and Canvassing Committee (Carol Hugill)

·      Application (Emergency) Response Committee ( Joyce Black & Punky Fedora)

·      Okay We Won, Now What Committee

Again, the time is now before the next move is made. We cannot afford to wait and see what transpires if we wish to preserve our glorious lifestyles.

For those who have not seen the Notice from ClubLink to Renaissance members about Sandpiper’s closure,  here it is:

                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Sandpiper Golf Club Announcement

Dear Ellen Anderson,

On behalf of ClubLink US LLC, owner of the Sandpiper Golf Club, I write to inform you that, after years of sustained operational and financial challenges, ClubLink has made the difficult decision to close the Sandpiper golf course and Clubhouse indefinitely. The closure will become effective on June 1, 2023.

The Sandpiper driving range and practice green will remain open for existing Members. Additionally, existing Sandpiper Members will be able to continue their current membership at Scepter or Renaissance at their existing fee structure through the end of the 2022-2023 membership year. Bunker’s Bar will remain open for the time being.

If you have any questions regarding your Sandpiper membership, please contact our membership department at (813) 633-1015.

Closing the course has been a difficult decision for us as we want our valued ClubLink Members to have as many playable options as possible. This decision, however, was necessary given the state of operations at Sandpiper. We hope you will continue to enjoy and support our other golf courses.

Sincerely,

Paul Ascioti | Director of Operations

Sun City Center

CLUBLINK US, LLC

551 S. Powerline Road

Pompano Beach, FL 33069

                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Please help us!

Ellie Anderson

312-282-7337

Ellie’s Notes – 4/10/23

I hope these spring holidays – Easter, Passover, Ramadan and, perhaps others, find you at peace and enjoying time with family.

I wish I could say the end is in sight with our fight to preserve our greenspace but I think that is a fantasy or nightmare that will not come to a head or conclude for quite some time ( think years!).

The fight over preserving the Woodlands Golf Course in Tamarac, Fl went down in defeat with a 3 to 2 vote in by the Tamarac commissioners after a marathon session with the critical vote happening around 2 am on Thursday, March 23 bringing to a conclusion the matter. ClubLink and their developer 13^th Floor had been working on the project since 2017 and the course was closed by ClubLink in 2019. ClubLink will no doubt become more determined.

That brings me to the fight to Save the Green Space in Sun City Center. ClubLink, TWC Enterprises, Paros Enterprises Limited, Morguard and K. Rai Sahi, their President and Chairman are patient, determined and have deep pockets.  The golf courses of the Greater Sun City Center area are a valuable part of their real estate portfolio and they fully intend to pursue development. Anyone who thinks otherwise is naïve or not well informed.  The amount of land involved is substantial and once the precedent is set, none of our courses are beyond their reach.

If SaveSCC and the residents’ resistance, resolve and engagement /support wanes, Sun City Center is at significant risk of losing greenspace and destroying the community as we know it now.  In my humble opinion, the owner of these land resources ( the seven golf courses currently owned by ClubLink) will ultimately generate significantly more profit from development than from any other use. However, approving such land use, which is inconsistent with the objectives of the Greater Sun City Center Community Plan and allowing ClubLink to proceed will be to the detriment of residents and property owners from an economic, health, environmental, quality of life, personal enjoyment and services point of view.  We must build strong resistance, a great legal argument and a strong case to ensure that any application is not approved and have relations that we can strengthen and count on when the going gets tough.

I must step back for health and personal reasons.  Even during these difficult times for me and my family, I have tried to encourage more engagement through SaveSCC communities to lead our effort into the future. I know what has been required to get us to where we are and I know there is much yet to be done.  Will you please help?

We continue to need more signatures from SCC supporters of the cause. We need people doing the necessary work / research over an extended period while still allowing for time with our families, our favorite activities and with time to recharge our batteries.

Please, if you have time, talent or dollars to contribute, we can put your gifts to good use!  Just email us at GetInvolved@SaveSCC.org.

With our new once a month meeting schedule, we will gather tomorrow, Tuesday, April 11 at 6 pm in the Rollins Theatre.

Here are the details and agenda:

Our next SaveSCC meeting is Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at 6:00 pm in the Rollins Theatre.

SaveSCC Agenda –  Working Session Meeting

Rollins Theatre, 960-E, Cherry Hill Dr., SCC  

ZOOM

Topic: @Save Sun City Center’s Zoom Meeting

Time: Apr 11, 2023 18:00 Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82683300818?pwd=S1FlR1ZFTHhwYUZ1RFRQZlhiNkVFUT09

Agenda

Welcome & Call to Order

BOD Update

New Business/Decisions/Directions/Polls

Committee Updates (target time – 5 minutes)

·      Finance Committee (John Newbury)

·      Technology Committee

·      Communications Committee (Rick Johnson & Joan Zegras)

·      Gov’t Relations and Zoning Committee(Mike Newsom)

·      CA Board Relations Committee (Jim McCaw)

·      ClubLink & Birds of a Feather Committee

·      Petition and Canvassing Committee (Carol Hugill)

·      Application (Emergency) Response Committee ( Joyce Black & Punky Fedora)

·      Okay We Won, Now What Committee

 Resource Needs/Recruitment

 Wrap-up

 Hope to see you Tuesday or hear from via email regarding how you can help!

Thanks!

Ellie Anderson

312-282-7337

Ellie’s Notes – 3/27/23

Less is so Much More

Hello Sun City Center,

As always, the support and good thoughts coming our way are much appreciated and we continue to work long, hard hours to preserve our community. We are a small group but mighty.

We have decided on a new practice of hosting only one meeting per month, on the second Tuesday. After much deliberation, we feel it will be a better use of our human resources to devote the surplus hours to our committee work. This week’s scheduled meeting is cancelled.

Hope to see you at our next regularly scheduled meeting on April 11^th at 6:00 pm in the Rollins Theatre on the Central Campus at 901 Cherry Hill Dr., SCC. Meeting link to be provided at a later date.

We really need your help. If you have just a few hours, please consider being a part of one of the groups shown below. Any skills or brilliant thoughts are most welcome, and we desperately need more people / brainpower to move the rock up the proverbial hill.

• Finance Committee
• Technology
• Communications
• Gov’t Relations and Zoning
• ·CA Board
•  ClubLink & Birds of a Feather
• Petition and Canvassing
•  Application (Emergency) Response
•  Okay We Won, Now What?

Contact us to get connected via email to GetInvolved@SaveSCC.org.

We continue to be optimistic about stopping the Clublink plan, but we can never take our eyes off the ultimate goal of protecting our green space and there is still much to be done.

All best wishes,

Ellie Anderson

Ellie’s Notes – 3/14/23

Hello Sun City Center,

If you have friends, neighbors, or associates that could benefit from our SaveSCC email blasts, please forward this communique to them. Anyone can sign up as a member and receive our email blasts by going to our web site and registering.

Fun Fest  

Sun City Center Fun Fest – Tomorrow, March 11, 9 -2, SCC Central Campus, 1009 N Pebble Beach Blvd.  FREE park and ride from South Campus, 1910 S Pebble Beach Blvd.

This is a fabulous opportunity to support the community as a whole and have a great time.  Visit with representatives of our local SCC Clubs and organizations, have some great food, make new friends and connections, and enjoy some entertainment.

Save Sun City Center will be there at booth 72, on the NW corner of the display tables by the shuffle board area and Needle Crafters.

If you have not signed our petition asking the Hillsborough County Commissioners to deny any development rezoning or permits for the SCC golf courses, this would be a great opportunity to do so.

We’d love to see you and address any questions you have.

Our next SaveSCC meeting is Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 6:00 pm in the Rollins Theatre.

Click Here for the Meeting Details

The 1st Save Sun City Center Golf Scramble was an overwhelming success.  Together we raised over $11,000!  Thank you to all the golfers, sponsors, donors, volunteers, committee and attendees for making the event fabulous!  Well done!

Hope to see you and your friends at FunFest or the meeting Tuesday!

Best Regards,

Ellie Anderson

312-282-7337

Ellie’s Notes – 2/10/23

Hello Sun City Center,

If you have friends, neighbors, or associates that could benefit from our SaveSCC email blasts, please forward this communique to them. Anyone can sign up as a member and receive our email blasts by going to our web site and registering.

A reminder to all!

We will not host a SaveSSC meeting on Tuesday February 14^th. Instead of our regularly scheduled program, we will be ceding to the hearts, flowers, chocolate, and romance that is Valentine’s Day. Our next meeting will be on February 21^st. No meeting on Feb 28^th.

Here’s the Zoom info and agenda for Tuesday, February 21^st

SaveSCC Agenda –  Working Session Meeting

February 21, 2023, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Rollins Theatre, 960-E, Cherry Hill Dr., SCC  

Zoom:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84987340508?pwd=Vm4vS3ZpWFBFOXZJL3NDemhPU05Zdz09

Agenda

Welcome & Call to Order

BOD Update

New Business/Decisions/Directions/Polls

Committee Updates (target time – 5 minutes)

·      Finance Committee (John Newbury)

·      Technology Committee

·      Communications Committee (Rick Johnson & Joan Zegras)

·      Gov’t Relations and Zoning Committee(Mike Newsom)

·      CA Board Relations Committee (Jim McCaw)

·      ClubLink & Birds of a Feather Committee

·      Petition and Canvassing Committee (Carol Hugill)

·      Application (Emergency) Response Committee ( Joyce Black & Punky Fedora)

·      Okay We Won, Now What Committee

Resource Needs/Recruitment

Wrap-up

It takes a village

A gigantic thank you to our volunteers who made the golf tournament a sell out success. Our lineup is full and it’s going to be a fantastic day of fun and competition, loads of challenges, good food, no trash talking and laughs. Golf scramble committee members who have worked tirelessly under the leadership of Coach Starewicz are his wife Nancy, Bill Fleck, Jack Hugill, Peter Hyjek, John Jackson, Dennis “Doc” Ora, Rich, Mellissa Soucie, and Bill Stinchcomb. Your dedication made this inaugural event a happening thing.  Thank you all!

We also thank our participants and appreciate you for playing and supporting golf and courses in Sun City Center.

We are incredibly grateful to the generous Double Eagle sponsors, The Dilly Dilly Group and Podmore Manufacturing and to our Par sponsors, Dr. Allen T Zak, Bunkers Bar, City Salon, Corky Stallings, Dukes Irrigation and Landscape Design, John Herriko, Katie Crider (Re/Max), Legacy Law, Pinch-A-Penny, Pura Vida Salon, SCC Shrine Club , Tom Butler and West Coast Golf Carts. You have helped us to realize a “Par Tee” and successful fundraiser.

We are also grateful to our gift/prize donors – AMC Riverview 14, Beef O’Brady’s, Bill and Martha Fleck, Buffalo Wild Wings, Cali Nails, Classic Cuts, ClubLink, David Cook, The Dilly Dilly Group, Doc Ora, Dunkin’, Fletcher Music Center, Glory Days, Harry Barry, John Bradley Thomas, John Jackson, Joyce Bruno, Kathy Ambs, Katie Crider (Re/Max), Maid Easy Cleaning Professionals, McDonalds, Nancy Starewicz, Nearly New Shop, PGA SuperStore, Pinch-a-Penny, Riverside “Golf” Club, Salty Shamrock, Spa Celeste, Taco Bell, and Tom Hallis.

It is the efforts and contribution of you all that makes this event and our cause the success it is. Thank you!

Speaking of a village

More thanks to Carol Hugill and her merry band of Canvassers. Again, you have all done a super job connecting with the residents of Sun City Center and encouraging them to sign the petitions to SCC. You have been dedicated and have done a wonderful job. Please keep on truckin.

For all of you wanting to support the cause by signing the petition: Keep in mind that there are many options for signing. Petitions are available at the Emergency Squad on 720 Ray Watson Drive or at the Security Patrol 1225 Pebble Beach Blvd. They will also be at FunFest on March 11^th from 9 am to 2 pm at table 72. Stop by. If you prefer to download, go to https://savescc.org/petition/ and email to cah5652@gmail.com or follow the mailing instructions on the bottom of the petition.

If you have your own network of friends, please volunteer to make contact and help the Canvassing team. Contact Carol Hugill at cah5652@gmail.com.

In addition, we are looking for people to work on The Clublink  and “The Birds of a Feather” committee. This is an intelligence gathering group. The goal is to learn what other communities (Saddle Brook, Walden Lakes, the Woodlands, etc.) are doing in the face of unwanted development and methods they use to block developers. We might be able to learn from their strategies.

The ClubLink aspect is looking for intelligence on what the company is doing and where. The plan to develop/sell off golf clubs is obviously patterned behavior and we want to see how other communities are addressing their plans.

Another committee that will be extremely important as we move forward is the “ Okay We Won, Now What?”  This is an extremely important question that we have to answer, perhaps even when speaking before the county commissioners and others. And there are some very interesting options that we need to explore and evaluate in a very detailed and methodical manner including establishing a special recreation district to own and operate the ClubLink closed courses for recreation, a potential equity ownership setup to own and manage Sandpiper as an operating golf course and social club, and a number of other options depending upon ClubLink’s future actions and decisions. Some work has already been done but we need smart folks and brain power to push this forward. Are you ready to assist? This is a critical one!  Let us know. We need you!

May you all have wonderful days enjoying all that there is in Sun City Center and may our community flourish forever under great leadership, fighting for what’s right and planning for Sun City Center 2.0.

See you soon!

Ellie Anderson

312-282-7337

andersonellie@mac.com