Clearwater council set to vote tonight on Landings Golf Course redevelopment proposals

Dated location file photo, Dec. 16, 2016: Clearwater Main Library, with landscaped grounds and a pond in the foreground. The library houses the council chambers. Photo: Possibilibrary / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Resized; website wordmark added. Photo source · License

Clearwater City Council is expected to vote tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 14, on the potential redevelopment of The Landings Golf Course, the city-owned course at 1875 Airport Drive. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Clearwater Main Library Council Chambers, 100 N. Osceola Ave.

Two applicants are before the council: Porter Development LLC and Clearwater Golf Associates LLC. Both submitted proposals under RFP 56-26, which the city titled a "Comprehensive P3 Model" for redevelopment of the course, meaning a public-private partnership. Both made presentations at Monday's Oct. 12 work session, where city staff also recapped the history of the proposals.

Landings Golf Course redevelopment: key steps

1. Aug. 6

   Council votes unanimously to continue the public-private partnership process; staff plan called for a 30-day window for competing proposals

2. Oct. 12

   Work session: staff recap; Porter Development and Clearwater Golf Associates present

3. Oct. 14, 6 p.m.

   Council takes public comment, then is expected to vote

Source: fox13news.com; myclearwater.com

What happens at tonight's meeting

According to the city's Oct. 12 announcement, council will take public comment and continue its discussion of the two proposals before taking official action.

The meeting is at the library, not the new City Hall. Several city offices, including City Council, have moved to 200 S. Myrtle Ave., but the city says council and advisory board meetings will stay at the Main Library while finishing touches are completed.

How to comment

The city's email deadline for written comments, 5 p.m. Oct. 13, has passed. Residents can still submit comments through the city's e-comment system once the agenda is posted, or speak in person when council takes up the item.

Earlier in the process

At an Aug. 6 meeting, council voted unanimously to continue the public-private partnership process for the property, FOX 13 reported. That vote centered on a proposal from Sunshine Recreational and Entertainment LLC for a nearly $180 million complex with 13 multipurpose sports fields, pickleball and sand volleyball courts, restaurants, a water attraction, fitness and wellness facilities, and walking and biking trails.

City staff had recommended accepting that plan as a qualifying proposal and opening the property to competing proposals for 30 days, after which staff would evaluate submissions and bring them back to council. Additional public meetings would follow before the city could negotiate an agreement. The August vote did not approve construction or a final lease.

Sunshine's financing plan, as reported by FOX 13, included about $108 million in private debt, $26.9 million in equity and roughly $45 million the developer hoped to seek from Pinellas County tourist development taxes. Clearwater's financial adviser told council that major terms, including the lease, taxes and rent, still needed to be negotiated.

Arguments heard in August

At the August meeting, Ken Jewell, president of the Clearwater Chargers Soccer Club, told council his club cannot meet current demand for youth soccer. He said its recreational program serves about 400 children and could serve about 1,000 with more space.

Residents raised concerns about traffic, noise, lighting, flooding, property values and the former landfill beneath part of the property. Patrick Raftery, speaking for the Clearwater Neighborhoods Coalition, urged council to reject the plan. The developer said it had already changed its proposal, including eliminating regular vehicle access from Airport Drive, dropping paid parking, adding 24-hour security and covering the pickleball courts.

Reviews staff described

City staff said in August that any project that eventually advances would still face detailed reviews of traffic, parking, stormwater, environmental remediation, utilities and compatibility with nearby properties.