Alachua County has issued a secondary lien and daily $500 fine on Meadowbrook Golf Course after a special magistrate hearing for code violations.
The code violation, for nuisance overgrowth, creates a public nuisance declaration for the unkept golf course. County staff said the business now has 30 days to comply with maintenance codes or Alachua County may hire a vender to clean up the land, charging the cost to the land’s property taxes. The 30 days started Sept. 12.
The business has been closed for several years, even after receiving the green light to build a two-story driving range on the property. Christopher Marcum, owner of the property, told Mainstreet that the golf course is permanently closed.
Marcum also said he hadn’t heard about the special magistrate meeting and would reach out to the county. He said the property is also under contract for purchase.
Scott Krajewski, director of Code Administration, said a special magistrate issued a $100 per day fine in October 2023 for junk, trash, debris, roof and drainage. Alachua County placed a lien on the property in February before the most recent violation.
With the nuisance overgrowth violation, the special magistrate issued a $500 per day fine because it is a repeat violation. Marcum didn’t show up for the Sept. 5 hearing and told Mainstreet that he hadn’t heard from the county on the issue.
Krajewski said the county sends out certified mail to the property owner and posts a notice at the property for the magistrate hearing, including another mailing with the finding of facts.
He added that the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will need to sign off at a meeting before the county enters the property to clear the code issues—assuming the property owner hasn’t resolved it.
The property, now accruing $600 in daily fines, already has over $30,000 in fines from the October 2023 violation. Krajewski said a secondary lien has been placed on the property because of the violation.
In 2022, the former owner of West End Golf Course also dealt with over $30,000 in fines and a lien placed against the property. The owner had to settle the issue with a special magistrate before he could move toward selling the property.
Marcum closed the golf course after Hurricane Elsa in 2021 because of flooding. He told the county that the property isn’t viable without another stream of revenue to support it when flooding occurs in the low-lying areas.
Good. This is an eye sore to drive by, let alone any safety hazards. I feel for the home owners and am very grateful we chose to *not* buy there in the early 2000s.
County should “buy”/take over this abandoned eyesore property, turn it into public park. Great compassion for what those homeowners have experienced.
The owner, Christopher Marcum, lives in Bávaro, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic. Do you really think he intends to pay any of the fines that have been levied on Meadowbrook Golf Club?
Good point. If the owner doesn’t live in the U.S. it’s likely there’s no plan to pay the levied penalties. Ultimately the County should acquire it.
Meadowbrook presents a unique chance for Alachua County to reimagine and revitalize a neglected space. If the county takes over the property, there are many initiatives that could be utilized.
1. Public park or nature reserve
2. Hiking and biking trails
3. Community gardens
4. Sports facilities (soccer, softball, etc.
In my opinion Alachua County has over developed in that area. Better urban planning would help to start a balance between over development and green spaces.
The flood abatement issue hasn’t been resolved! If we get another tropical storm/hurricane, the North side of the property WILL flood again. Having the county purchase the property will only incur more exorbitant costs to the taxpayers to finally correct the drainage issues there. If.. and I stress IF, the county purchases the property under Imminent Domain, then they need to find a way to wall off the North end and develop the rest of the course.
Well, the county should take responsibility and fix those things anyway. We’re new here in the County. And I’m shocked to see that the roads aren’t kept up and they allow many houses to sit in a state of disarray with the law kept and the houses Decaying. I’m 72 and he’s 87 and we’ve actually reached out to get help with our road here who apparently nobody owns but it’s private and not kept up yet but when I drive out in Gainsville,, I’m disappointed. Someone in the county needs to start riding around and issuing fines to people that are not keeping up with their property. Your neighbor should Not have to call and report you the county should be doing their job. Maybe Ron DeSantis needs to drive around Gainsville, and see how nasty several areas are.
I don’t think Ron DiSantis cares about what the Gainesville subdivisions look like. Have you seen the results of any of the Solar Farms he approves everyday?
A series of retention ponds along the backside of golf course would resolve flooding issue
“Instead of retention ponds, consider properly restructuring the property and transforming it into a county park or green space for community use. This would provide a valuable recreational area for citizens, enhancing quality of life and promoting sustainability.
It’s unfortunate that resident input is often relegated to responses to BOCC comments. I urge our local leaders to prioritize community engagement and proactive planning, ensuring that citizen voices are heard and valued in shaping our county’s future.
Why does the city of Gainesville pick and choose the properties with code violations to go after? What about residential properties that are abandoned, overgrown, falling down, junk yards, rat infested etc ? These properties are a threat to the health of their neighbors as well as lowering the surrounding property values. Years and years and years these neglected and abandoned properties are allowed to exist. It’s shameful.
You are right to ask about residential properties but what I’m advocating is using the Meadowbrook property to create a green space with responsible urban planning. Enough with subdivisions and strip malls. Residential properties turn into remodeling tasks which end up getting flipped. Meadowbrook already had issues with flooding. I advocate for better planning and balance. Gainesville is turning into subdivisions and strip malls and student housing. It’s ugly. As a local Gainesvillian, I remember when the land on the west side was just that, land. BOCC needs to use common sense and stop issuing permits left and right to developers who only care about the bottom line, $$$.