Letter: Still believes in saving the Ponce golf course

Bob Frohardt
S. Ponte Vedra Beach

February 27, 2004

Editor: I strongly believe that the Ponce golf course has important historical significance to both the city of St. Augustine and to the history of golf. I continue to believe that it should be saved. However, I understand that it may not be realistic to try to force the owner to operate a golf course if he really does not want to do this.

But, the current owner purchased the property under a Planned Unit Development that clearly called for a golf course. The PUD was initially approved, and later modified, with the golf course always a part of the development. An important function of the golf course within the PUD was not only to serve as a golf course, but also to provide a large amount of open space, much of it along the environmentally sensitive marshfront and river. This open space has provided roosting space for the hundreds of endangered wood storks, roseate spoonbills, ibis, great blue herons and other species of birds that have used this property for years. This open space was a major feature of the PUD. It is doubtful whether or not the initial PUD would have been approved if the plan had been to eliminate the golf course and all the open space along the environmentally sensitive waterfront.

While it may not be practical to force the owner to operate a golf course, the open space must be protected. It saves some of the last sensitive waterfront land in North Florida; it provides significant open space for future residents of the development; it saves many large, ancient, irreplaceable oak trees; it provides roosting space for the many birds; it reduces the severity of the arsenic contamination problem by keeping the contaminated land as open space rather than making it into residents' yards; and it is consistent with the density, and the look and feel of all the PUDs that have been in place for this property since 1988.

If the owner wishes to totally change the nature of the PUD and turn this beautiful, environmentally sensitive open space into just another housing development, he should be required to take this major change back through the full legal process, and basically apply to put a new PUD in place that reflects this. His proposed Madeira development plan is not consistent with the PUD; it should not be approved.