Suzette Cook
The potential developer of the West End Golf property went back to the drawing board and came up with a proposal that now includes 139 residential lots and recreational space for nine holes of golf or a park.
On Aug. 11, Principal Engineer Chris Potts of JBrown Professional Group, Inc. and Ryan Frankel of Frankel Media Group addressed members of HOAs from surrounding properties of the now defunct West End Golf course in Newberry, located directly across from Tioga Town Center.
Attendees from the HOAs of West End properties, Fairway Pointe, The Greens, Arbor Greens and Tioga, said they were presented a concept that allowed for more green space and fewer residential units.
West End Golf shut down in 2019 and has been the subject of protests and community advocacy since then as stakeholders try to agree on what to do with it. Two weeks ago, JBrown Professional Group formally withdrew land use and rezoning applications for the property on behalf of developer Tara Club, which included a 487-unit development on the 75-acre parcel.
The new Tara Club West End conceptual master plan presented on Aug. 11 has two options, both with the same 139 residential lots. But one choice includes open areas and amenities and the other maps out a nine-hole golf course around the perimeter of the parcel.
They reported that the price point for the homes would range from $400,000 to $800,000.
According to several meeting attendees, the presentation left them with a lot of questions.
There was talk of leasing the recreation area, but it was not clear whether those would be long-term or short-term leases. What is the timeline of the project, and who would build back the golf course or the green space? What are the assurances that the recreation land won’t fall back to residential?
Those questions might be answered in the second private meeting scheduled for HOA representatives next week.
Frankel said JBrown brought him aboard in a professional communicator role.
“We have been engaged to help facilitate important feedback from neighbors and ensure frequent and comprehensive communications for this project moving forward,” Frankel commented.