Thursday, February 04, 2016

Wayne Rosen and the Keys Gate Homeowners Meeting in Hudstead. Guest Blog By Out of Sight


Wayne Rosen on the Right

In spite of the previous cankerous Homestead City Council meetings about Rosen and his plans for the Keys Gate golf course property, there was a love-fest tonight at the Keygate Golf and Country Club site. Wayne Rosen and his entourage faced off with a standing room only crowd. The crowd, with an exception of a few irritated people, received the cadre of development people surprisingly well.

The developer of the golf course, James Fazio was the front person speaking most of the time for Rosen. Mr. Rosen was not introduced until the very end when a gentleman stood and asked who the guy was in the background. Really strange strategy, but one that kept Rosen off the firing range for most of the evening with limited opportunity for him to create a ruckus.

A concern for Keys Gate Homeowners was the cost to residents. As it stands at this moment, there is no cost to the homeowners for the rebuilding and refurbishing of the course or its facilities. The partners are picking up the tab. However, they continued with the fact that if a Keys Gate resident plays there, they will be paying a special membership rate, but the costs are not set in stone at this time for any membership or greens fees.

They are fast tracking the course. Mr. Fazio is expecting to start with the heavy equipment soon as next week with the aim of having the greens sodded and ready to play in October of this year. With the permits pulled, the interior of the main Clubhouse is already in the process of being dismantled and will be redesigned with the existing building left intact.

Course designers are offering an 18 hole, 6370 foot-long course with new elevations and drainage. They expect, as they go along with the build, they will end-up stretching the course and it will be longer when it is finished. The tees are going be flipped about, but the basic border will be follow the general outside of the current course.

The course will lose 11 acres around the edge of the existing course. This land will be used for buffer or possibly some housing. Looking at the maps, there are some squared off acreage that could be feasible for residential. Additionally, there was some discussion about mitigation for the loss of the 11 acres with another already identified parcel for a park.

It was stated that Mr. Rosen is considering turning over some multi-unit acreage from another parcel for a well-lit driving range. They are looking into the development of auxiliary money-making enterprises such as a driving range which could be used for golf purposes in the evenings, along with a standard venue use upstairs in the club house and a grill type restaurant downstairs which will be easily accessible for the golfers. Currently, the driving range will stay put until a plan is designed to accommodate all the property changes.

One of the concerning issues was the additional residential being built by developer Pat Liber. When questioned about the housing, it was stated that the developer had not presented the plans to the golf team and Rosen --- which is hard to believe. However, they went on to say that they believe Liber will be doing single family homes against the existing two golf communities and fill-in some of the interior with attached housing around the 1st finger of the course.

It was interesting that there was relief and excitement in the room. No angry challenges to the DRI or other Rosen-related issues. The demeanor of this crowd seemed almost thankful and forgiving, happy and applauding positive comments from the crowd. The Rosen’s team was swarmed with handshakes and thank-yous as the crowd departed. On the way out, one gentleman pondered aloud as he walked to his car, if this was really going to happen. He indicated he had been excited and disappointed with promises broken roughly four times about this course. As a long-time Keys Gate resident, he stated, he will not believe Rosen until the bulldozers are there pushing dirt creating a golf course. It is obvious for some folks, the jury is still out.

26 comments:

snooker said...

FANTASTIC ////////

Geniusofdespair said...

oh, come on...you don't think there is a catch? I see driving range as a big zero for residents.

Anonymous said...

WELL LIT DRIVING RANGE. THAT IS LIKE A BALL FIELD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

Anonymous said...

The residents are interested in getting their property values up. So Rosen rebuilding the golf course is in their interest. The new housing on the golf course will depress some of the anticipated increase, but the yokels think in terms of now not tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

The Zika driving range will attract every insect within ten miles so bring your mosquito spray.

Anonymous said...

The real bloodbath will be when Rosen and Gleber not Liber, try to put housing in the Park of Commerce. Traffic, kids going to four or five new schools since the last professional traffic study will be a big concern.

Anonymous said...

Gleber is a business partner and is all over the corporations

Anonymous said...

Once the course is complete sell your house before they build more. It will be a mini boom for Keys Gate so take advantage.

Anonymous said...

A well lit driving range away from the population doesn't mean there will be overflow light spillage. Unless I am mistaken, the Palmetto golf course has a nighttime range that ends on residential lots. It successfully co-exists.

I am really saddened to see that "no-no" people are out in mass on this blog. The harsh reality is, as a community and city, we either work along side developers to control growth in a positive way, or we force them to abandon conversation with the community and they use lawyers to run ramshod over the community. That is what happens.

For me, I prefer to work towards good community planning, and use smart growth. Then we decide what is the center-point for the interests of business people and the community. In this case, the interests of the surrounding homes is important, but as a project in a DRI, the impact is far greater than the 1 mile radius around it.

Don't force the business people into all residential instead of green space, some residential, and much needed meeting space. Always look at the underlying zoning the property and what it is trending. Unfortunately for us, the zoning trend is residential, not golf courses. Lets work together to make it a jewel.

I will never be in a golf cart, but I certainly want to drive by a course and hopefully be able to eat a meal or have a drink at the club house. That adds value to my life, even if I don't like the developer.

north gate resident said...

The driving range isgreat for those of us who can't play golf but want to do something close by that we can do after work that is golf related. I would want the bug spray concession though.

Anonymous said...

Done right it will be good.
There is a reason nothing is in writing, it's all a concept.


No trust said...

Isn't this the guy who said he was going to let the grass turn brown because he didn't get funds slated for poor? What has changed? He already promised a golf course in the original offering to the community. Redo?

Anonymous said...

Just remember how cheap this guy is unless you are a politician who can do him a favor.
Did he rent a proper venue where everyone could hear? Were any refreshments available? Were the parking lot lights on? Did the place reek? Were there insects flying around? Did anyone receive notice that herbicides were already sprayed all over the golf course? What were those herbicides, besides 100% safe in their words? Were copies of plans available as handouts? Did anyone take your name and contact information so you could be updated as progress on the course moves forward? Not having a lawyer there and not having answers to some questions demonstrates how quickly this was thrown together. Lastly, how many times did the main presenters mention your home values will go up? That was at least a dozen times. This is what you wanted to hear and why everyone applauded.
This is part of a pattern with Rosen he is inattentive to the community and says what you want to hear. The course will be 6,300 yards, hardly championship. It will be open in October, hardly mature.
What does Rosen do for a living? Buys land, sells houses. Think the golf course and restaurant are the priority here? Will a functioning golf course that will initially appear excellent, green grass, new landscaping sell the new construction at a higher price that Gleber and Rosen will build? You better believe it.

Anonymous said...

Honey Babe, all those things you mention is exactly why you work at relationship building with developers and put yourself in the midst of the process ---- you snooze, you lose.

If you already know the temperament of the person are dealing with you have an advantage. No one has ever made Rosen be community oriented.

If you organize and vote out his buddies, he soon gets the message that he pissed money away on campaigns... If you make it obvious that politicians are not always valuable when they are nervous about their constituents, he may realize that perhaps he is playing in the wrong sand box.

Anonymous said...

They are taking 11 acres from the golf course but claim to not be shortening the course. The new course will be 6,300 yards.

The old course was described to be an 18-hole public golf course that opened in 1990. Keys Gate Golf Club measures 6,505 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 121 and a 72 USGA rating. That is 200 yards less. Caught in another lie Wayne.

Anonymous said...

Thanks to Out of Sight and Genius of Despair for posting the update. This is important news. Wayne is really pressuring the council, the planners and the community to get his way. In the end it's not about golf and it never was.

Anonymous said...

He's using the golf course to get homes in the park of commerce. It's all about the houses and townhouses as if we need any more.

Anonymous said...

They can't put homes in the Park of Commerce... They are in the way of the air base.

Anonymous said...

Grasshopper, this is THEE Wayne Rosen. He owns Homestead's city council. He funded a fictitious petition to keep one of his certain yes votes on the council.
He saw this vote coming and wanted a sure thing. Airbase, what airbase, they put three schools in the flight path?

Anonymous said...

It doesn't matter who Wayne Rosen is. He has the power that the People allow him to have. If there are violations of Air Force safety boundaries then the PEOPLE who know better ought to work on it. If you sit on your tushie and let crap happen to a community, then you are not enforcing the enforcers. The weakness in any developers plan will be located in the campaign reports and you need to know where his money goes and then you put that person on speed dial. Homestead has slept too long.

Anonymous said...

This whole episode is "A field of Dreams"

Anonymous said...

Now according to the Herald he will bully the weak and compliant mayor and council to rezone acreage in the Park of Commerce to housing. Nobody stands up to this guy. Here we have a developer quoted in the Herald threatening residents, politicians that they "don't want to go there" (deny his application) with him.
Have to wonder if Katherine Fernandez Rundle ha cashed his checks to her campaign and her PAC yet or is threatening public officials now an allowed action when donating to the SAO? This county is sickening.

Anonymous said...

REPEAT:

It doesn't matter who Wayne Rosen is. He has the power that the People allow him to have. If there are violations of Air Force safety boundaries then the PEOPLE who know better ought to work on it. If you sit on your tushie and let crap happen to a community, then you are not enforcing the enforcers. The weakness in any developers plan will be located in the campaign reports and you need to know where his money goes and then you put that person on speed dial. Homestead has slept too long.

Anonymous said...

Very excited to have a Fazio designed golf course in Homestead. Great for Keys Gate and Homestead. The 11.4 acres is in 5-20 foot sections around the course that Fazio said was not needed. It will be a PGA course.

Anonymous said...

What part of existing design did not register? They are throwing sand on it where it floods and will have it drain onto adjoining property and the retention ponds on the course now. Course is also being shortened and narrowed for more housing which will wipe out any values that the fairways dunwoodie and augusta greens may have gotten. 1,000 homes are coming. There is no Fazio Design, Fazio is being paid to mouth Wayne's cheap lies. Who will run the course and clubhouse?
I would like the City to buy it. I do not trust or believe Wayne Rosen. His plan is to get a turnout at the city meeting forcing the council to rezone his land in the industrial park. That's it.

Anonymous said...

The original covenent for the golf course has Rosen's signature on it which requires the owner to maintain the grounds as a golf course. If it's true that herbicide was spread all over it in order to turn it "brown", then it would be consistent with what is happening at Keysgate with people's lawns.