Category: Public Comments

Video

Note:  The below is an interpretation of the public comments during the city council meeting.  These views are not necessarily the views of the no rezone committee.  If you believe anything is misrepresented here, please let us know.

One (1) resident spoke in favor of the rezone.  Reasons for the support  include the state of the golf industry, a belief that the project will bring increased home values, tax revenue and new jobs. Also, he repeated the unsubstantiated claim that only a small minority opposes and clarified that he was not paid by SunCoast to speak.

Ten (10) residents spoke against the rezone.  Reasons for the opposition include:

• General Plan states “Maintain the character of existing neighborhoods by ensuring new development is compatible in style, size, color and footprint with the existing residence in the neighborhood.” The project conflicts with this.
• golf courses buyers are not interested due to current conditions of the courses–the courses have to be made presentable for sale
• investors typically cut losses by selling low and re-investing
• traffic concerns, including existing traffic on roads
• there are no guarantees
• emergency facilities and response impacts for proposed facility and existing community
• project will have five years of construction, noise, lighting and traffic
• other areas are already planned for this type of project
• adds extra cost to seniors (assessments)
• lack of trust of SunCoast
  • destroyed course
  • planned to develop undervalued land to make money
  • they have used scare tactics
  • follow the money and only SunCoast benefits
  • they have NDAs in place and have compensated home owners for changing their stance on the rezone
• other options need to be considered
• project does not mention timing of elements of projects such as when the bridge would be done
• lot premiums are affected and SunCoast has acknowledge as much

Some residents also highlighted what they are not against and those include

• finding ways to increase tax revenue through business
• helping the existing fire services

Other comments related to the proposed rezone include:

You have to live in Brentwood to be on the city council, but then council members are recused for living in certain neighborhoods.  This doesn’t make sense.

Opponents also respectfully asked what the city council needs to see to know that the opposition is not a minority.

The city manager indicated it would not make decision based on 12 citizens, however,

• on a walking petition with over 100 people reached, only 2 were in support of the rezone
• the online petition is at 2,718 and climbing
• the no rezone action committee has 50 active volunteers
• an estimated 300 people were at the EIR kick-off and most were vocal opponents of the plan
• many speakers opposed at the EIR vote, plus 40 emails were sent
• 61 individual contributors donated a total of $7,850 GoFundMe dollars

Video

Note:  The below is an interpretation of the public comments during the city council meeting.  These views are not necessarily the views of the no rezone committee.  If you believe anything is misrepresented here, please let us know.

Three (3) Residents spoke in favor of the rezone.  Reasons for the support  include a desire to keep golf in the communities, protect property values, add senior homes to the communities, and to prevent open space that will not be maintained.  There was also mention that there are too many golf courses in Brentwood and that golf is declining.

Fourteen (14) residents spoke against the rezone.  Reasons for the opposition include:

• the plan doesn’t fit within the communities
• a need to explore other options
• the change proposed only benefits SunCoast
• emergency response times and emergency evacuation concerns, especially due to the pipelines throughout the golf course
• traffic concerns, especially around schools
• protect property values
• lack of trust of SunCoast
• a need to adhere to the general plan
• the communities are established and homeowners purchased with the belief the communities would not undergo significant construction
• closed holes are open space maintained in a natural sense
• closed holes remain as private property
• EIR is poorly written
• adverse impacts are far reaching
• SunCoast’s strategy does not include golf
• SunCoast is the one that needs to change, not the neighborhoods

Some residents also highlighted what they are not against and those include

• good change
• combining the course into one single profitable course

Opponents also requested action from the city.

Many stated that they are not available to attend city council meetings but feel that is their only forum to voice opposition.  One resident also mentioned that many in the neighborhood are not comfortable speaking publicly at a city council meeting.

The requests were for community engagement in the form of “workshop meetings, public surveys, social media, etc.” as mentioned in a letter from the city’s Director of Community Development dated May 2017.

Another request for action of the city is to extend the review period since the local schools are on spring break and many families are not available during that time to review the EIR.  According to the municipal code, the maximum number of review days is 90, not 60 as originally thought.