Source: The Miami Herald
Sitting on the patio of his Doral townhome, Rom Mattesich often feels like he's in paradise. His view of the 18th hole of the Costa Greens Golf Course, lush trees and a lake are priceless, said Mattesich, a longtime resident of the Costa del Sol community.
But paradise could soon become spoiled in the eyes of people like Mattesich.
The owner of the golf course, Russ Breiner, says the facility isn't profitable and he has a contract to sell the land to D.R. Horton, a national developer that builds and sells single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums.
Most residents vehemently oppose the sale. Doing away with their backyard oasis to make room for new homes, they say, is unacceptable.
More than 300 residents packed the community's clubhouse Tuesday to speak against the proposed change and let the developer know they are ready to fight.
''When I found out the golf course was going to be sold, it broke my heart,'' said Adriana Patnode, a resident for the past eight months. ''The rolling hills and the greenery make this place special.''
Tony Palumbo, vice president of land acquisitions for D.R. Horton, spoke about plans to build homes on a section of the golf course inside the gated community at Northwest 41st Street and 102nd Avenue. He tried to obtain support from the oftenrowdy audience.
He didn't get it.
Residents yelled and booed as Palumbo spoke.
Residents are worried that more homes and ongoing construction would decrease their property values. Also, they say, they don't want to give up their scenic backyard views of the golf course.
During the heated meeting, in which residents screamed at one another and Palumbo had to verbally defend himself, two police officers showed up. In the end, though, no incidents were reported.
Despite the criticism he faced, Palumbo continued his presentation and answered questions from residents for nearly two hours.
He said neither the sale of the property nor the plans to develop the golf course have been finalized. Ideally, he said, D.R. Horton would like to build homes on about 33 acres of the 100-acre golf course. He did not say how many homes are being proposed.
Palumbo would also not comment during the meeting or in an interview on the sale price of the golf course.
The purpose of the meeting, Palumbo said, was to meet with residents and get ideas as to what they'd like for the future of the golf course.
''My objective here is to find an opportunity to build some homes, make some money for my company and win 770 friends,'' Palumbo said.
Not if residents can help it.
''I think you need to go home now,'' Jose Antonio Font told Palumbo during the meeting.
As Palumbo fielded questions -- and sharp criticism -- from residents, Breiner, the golf course owner, stood silently to the side. He refused to speak to a Herald reporter at the meeting and did not return several phone calls Wednesday and Thursday.
Breiner and his brother-in-law, Mark Thomas, a golf pro, bought Costa Greens in 1999 for $1.5 million, according to public records. The course, which is open to the public, is equipped with 18 holes, a par-72 layout and a full-scale driving range. In 2000, the course underwent a $500,000 renovation.
The pair also own another golfing facility, Killian Greens, in Kendall, which they bought in 1996 for $900,000.
Plans to sell the Doral course have been in the works for a few months, Breiner said during a brief statement at the start of the meeting. He said business has been steadily declining.
''We have continually lost money and have been unable to run it as a successful business,'' Breiner said. ''We can't do it any longer.''
With negotiations under way between course owners and the developer, residents feel time may be running out.
They are considering options, including voting to allow the homeowner's association to get a loan to purchase the golf course. For that to happen, all the owners of the community's 768 townhomes would likely have to dig deep into their own pockets.
John Chapman, president of the community's homeowners association, urged residents to be patient. The board, he said, has contacted an attorney as well as a bank to inquire about taking out a loan.
''The message needs to go back to them strong and clear that the next time they contact us, they'd better go through our lawyers,'' Chapman said.
Palumbo said in a phone interview Thursday he is not sure what the next step will be. But there is one thing he does know: Costa del Sol residents will continue to fight.