Pebble Creek Loses Another Developer

NEW TAMPA, FL - Save Pebble Creek may, at least partly, be responsible for the most recent developer backing out of buying Pebble Creek golf course in New Tampa.

Pulte pulled out approximarely 12 days ago and KB Home was next in line. Save Pebble Creek rallied the community at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18 on a live Facebook feed and, within 30 hours, the developer emailed that they are passing on the deal that would destroy the only greenspace in the more than 30-year-old neighborhood.

Rezoning of the land would be required since the property is intended for golf use and not residential use.

The homeowners and surrounding neighbors are fighting this because of concerns of overcrowding in this already densely populated area of New Tampa.

Wildlife is abundant here and the protection of their habitat and nest areas is of utmost importance to the residents.

The owner, Bill Place of Ace Golf, has closed the course and is not maintaining it. It is believed that this is to irritate the homeowners into a compromise, yet many just feel they now live on a preserve and prefer this to the noise and mess of a construction site.

Traffic concerns on the internal roads as well as the already expanded Bruce B. Downs Boulevard corridor worry the residents.

The owner could sell the course, which seemed busier than usual over the summer, as a golf course business but wants to make a bigger profit by selling to a developer even though there are contaminates that would have to be cleaned up and rezoning needed.

While $1.4 million is considered to be the fair market price, a source said Place was recently offered over that amount and abruptly dismissed the offer, likely because he could make 10-15 times that with a developer.

It has been rumored that he would like $25 million.

The Save Pebble Creek movement is working to alert state senators and representatives of their concerns.

Developers are buying at deep discounts and sellers are profiting wildly on land that is being developed against the original intended use that the homeowners bought in believing it would be.

Homeowners will be the victims by losing their peaceful lifestyle and wildlife will be displaced or worse. The legislators should begin to take notice of this unfair bullying, not just in Florida but nationwide.

A GoFundMe account has been established : https://gofund.me/9e52bd02

Save Pebble Creek plans to fight this hard.