Friday, February 06, 2009

Plan to incorporate golf course into CRA district nears fruition

By GRAY ROHRER grohrer@breezenewspapers.com CAPE CORAL DAILY BREEZE

Plans to bring The Golf Club golf course into the Cape Coral Redevelopment Agency are inching closer to becoming reality, as officials with the course's current owner, Florida Gulf Ventures, and the Trust for Public Lands, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of open spaces, are nearing an agreement to purchase the course.

"The Trust for Public Lands and Florida Gulf Ventures, they've agreed to everything in principle," said John Jacobsen, executive director of the CRA.

According to Jacobsen, the two parties will agree on an appraiser and the parameters of the appraisal of the property.

As the golf course's purchase is being negotiated, the CRA is looking to annex the surrounding land so it may buy the land from TPL.

The CRA must get the approval of the Cape Coral City Council and the Lee County Commission to annex the 180-acre course and surrounding homes into its boundaries.

City council members are scheduled to discuss the issue Monday. They could decide to move forward with a study to determine if the area is blighted and can be incorporated into the CRA.

According to city documents, the study is projected to cost $26,500 and should be completed by March 31.