THE OUTLOOK for the future:
The owners have made it very clear they need to develop a part of the golf course. This sets up a couple of possible scenarios. Will the development stay within the 22.3 acres the developers have presented, or will it grow beyond that? Will the golf course remain an 18-hole course, will it be reduced to a 9-hole course, or will the greatest fear of all members and residents happen, and the entire golf course be developed?
Currently the entire 118 acres of the River Club is zoned R-2. R-2 zoning in Garden City allows the owner of the property to build 6 homes per acre.
The Garden City Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2006 and revised in 2019. One change to the Comprehensive Plan was the “Future Park/Open Space” indication on the Future Land Use Map. The River Club is one of the few areas with this indicated on the map. The following wording was approved with the Future Land Use Map: “EXISTING PARKS AND PROPOSED GREEN SPACE AND/OR PARKS: Areas that are devoted to green spaces including golf courses, open spaces and park uses, or are proposed for green spaces are shown on the Land Use Map. Green spaces contribute to the health and well-being of the community. Existing parks should be preserved. The location shown on the map of future green spaces is just an approximation. Future spaces should be well integrated into the development plan for the property, surrounding context, with maximum opportunity for pedestrian and bicycle access.”
This revision did not change the zoning of The River Club. It simply says that for the areas identified the maintenance of the green space should be considered in any future changes to the property.
On August 25, 2022, and again on October 25, 2022, Lincoln Property Company held neighborhood meetings as required by the Specific Area Plan (SAP). Lincoln Property Company will be requesting the zoning of the 22.3 acres on the north-east portion of the golf course be changed to SAP. We expect the application will be submitted to the city mid-December.
We will not know exactly what they will be requesting until the application is submitted. However, from the two neighborhood meetings it is apparent the application will request approval for a mixed-use area with 700 or more residential and some commercial units.
The neighborhood meetings and the presentation of the possible development was not well received by those in attendance. It is seen as too much development and not enough concern for the existing residences. At the annual Plantation Master Homeowners Association meeting held on November 17, 2022, some homeowners announced they would be hiring an attorney to fight the development.
The future of the golf course, and the club itself, will be determined by the outcome of the application submitted by The River Club ownership, the progress of any legal action taken by any interested parties, and certainly by any negotiation between the differing groups.
The goal of the Save Plantation Coalition is to keep the membership of The River Club, the Plantation subdivisions residents, and the public up to date and as informed as possible regarding the events. Sign up for the Save Plantation emails and we’ll let you know what the application says as soon as possible.