Residents of D’Andrea aren’t convinced that a group wanting to restore the golf course and add other amenities has developed a viable plan.
About 200 residents of D’Andrea gathered at the Sparks Holiday Inn last week to discuss updates to the proposed D’Andrea Rising project.
D’Andrea community planners Steve Trollope and Randi Thompson spent the last several months meeting with D’Andrea homeowners and discussing the plan, which includes restoring the property to a vibrant golf community, building a performing arts center, and possibly developing a winery/brewery with agricultural crops.
“A lot of information came out of the meeting, some good and some bad,’’ D’Andrea resident Joe Canale said.
“If [Trollope and Thompson] purchase the property, then there will be absolutely no representation from Will,” says Canale.
A lot of residents are upset with D’Andrea absentee owner Will Gustafson for allowing the golf course to fall in disarray. Therefore, Thompson and Trollope are trying to separate themselves from Gustafson by assuring D’Andrea homeowners that Gustafson and IPC D’Andrea will in no way be involved with the project. However, no work can commence until Gustafson pays off the liens on the property.
“They are doing an analysis on what they think would work profitability-wise or not and if something will not work, then they say they will not pursue it,” he adds.
According to Canale, D’Andrea Rising stated to residents that they will release an “advisory vote” to 1,100 residents asking for a simple yes or no if they want to move forward with the project. A “Yes” vote would mean that D’Andrea Rising planners will commit more resources to analysis and feasibility studies on specific points of the project while a “No” vote would kill the venture.
There are currently four open seats on the D’Andrea HOA board of seven. There are 10 candidates vying to fill the open seats, with the election coming in the following month or so. Everyone understands that the DCA Handbook carries significant weight on what can and can’t be done with the property, so the future of D’Andrea Rising depends on amendments made to the document.
Canale said that he is not sure if D’Andrea Rising plans to send out the “advisory vote” before or after the new members are elected. Canale says that even if the homeowners vote “No” through the advisory vote letter, the new D’Andrea HOA board could vote “Yes” on it, subsequently moving forward on the proposed project. Canale said with that realization, a lot of the residents in the room got pretty upset and it led to a half-hour discussion.
Canale said that almost 100 percent of the homeowners are in favor of a wine tasting room that could double as an event center, but is concerned that the simple yes/no advisory vote that D’Andrea Rising is sending out is too vague and open-ended.
“If residents vote yes to that question, it would be the same as handing them a signed blank check, the protection our Handbook has given us will be handed to them,” stated Canale.
Although Canale does acknowledge that D’Andrea Rising has a number of great ideas regarding the gentrification of the property, he adds, “There are as many problems as much as potential solutions in the way they are dangling these carrots.”
Brian says
I would be interested in receiving more information on this I am a resident in the d’andrea community and it is vague about what’s going on.
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D'Andrea Homeowner says
I was unable to attend the meeting, however a neighbor filled me in on some of the discussion. I am curious as to why the D”Andrea HOA wants to get so involved in the matter. The D’Andrea handbook should be amended by the potential buyer and not by the HOA. That is money our homeowner’s should not be responsible for which we would ultimately be paying for. If the handbook amendment moves forward prior to the sale of the property, what is stopping Will Gustafson from keeping the property and doing something himself? Our HOA should stay silent on this matter and not be so involved until the property changes hands. Either make the current or future property request the handbook changes, or let the area remain in its natural state. Because for the most part it doesn’t look like a dead golf course anymore except for the area where residents are paying someone to mow it in front of the school. It obviously hasn’t affected housing prices in our area, as homes for sale don’t last long in the neighborhoods. Someone please tell me if I am mistaken in what I heard from the meeting.
D'Andrea Homeowner says
I agree with the previous comment. Until escrow closes with the new owner there is no reason to move forward with any change to the handbook. Until the present owners are no longer tied to the property there is a great risk of them backing away from the current “confidential” purchase and sale agreement.
Ready to do battle! says
The article is accurate as far as it goes. What it doesn’t cover is that the DCA doesn’t represent the Lennar homeowners. These are the owners that would be most affected by the proposed changes as most of these homes are built adjacent to the course unlike most of the homes represented by the DCA. It is critical for the city to realize that if the DCA approves the changes( god forbid!) that it doesn’t represent the wishes of the Lennar homeowners! We will battle D’Andrea rising at every turn. We will never accept the ridiculous idea of an open air amphitheater! We will not accept a performance arts center. This is not the place for either.
One on every corner says
Lennar homeowners don’t have a say in any of this and were never part of the D’Andrea community so they will have an uphill battle if anything gets approved.
Very few people wanted to pitch in to help save the course so why would anyone now want anything different than what they voted for in the first place?
What killed the golf course were uneducated people running around banging on doors asking people to vote no and saying the golf course owner would be forced to sell. These same people would be the same people who would want to say yes to a zoning change without an iron clad layout of plans. What people say they are going to do and what they actually do are all around us everyday and they rely on the sucker that comes along and signs on the dotted line without reading the fine print.
Right now you have henchmen or minions trying to convince homeowners that they are the saviors and will bring peace to all who drink the Koolaid.