Neighbors Continue to Fight for Orangebrook Golf Course Preservation and Inclusion in GOB

In any City meeting about the future of Hollywood, the topic of the Orangebrook Golf and Country Club Golf Course is bound to come up.  The City regularly receives inquiries regarding development of the property.  During a recent presentation on the Hollywood General Obligation Bond, there was some heated discussion about of allowing some of the Orangebrook golf course to be turned over to private developers for use other than golf.

A number of residents believe the land should remain as a golf course because it will preserve green space.  Some feel that it could generate more income for the city as a golf course, as other courses are giving way to residential development.  It should be noted that the Orangebrook golf course land is deeded golf only, therefore a voter referendum would be needed to alter the use in any way.

Some say that improvements to the Orangebrook course should be a part of the General Obligation Bond being discussed by the City.  Indeed, Orangebrook was included in the GOB update meeting on March 21.  At the meeting, it was determined that some of the next steps, among others, would be to continue to gauge public opinion and to do outreach to determine the suitability of the course for tour events.  While this vocal group continues to believe that the GOB should support the improvements to the Orangebrook Golf Club property, the resounding answer from the polls was no, according to Joann Hussey, Public Information Manager for the City of Hollywood.  The work requested was estimated at $25 million.

Needless to say, this prime piece of real estate, in close proximity to I-95 between two major thoroughfares, would draw a lot of attention from developers. As part of the City’s due diligence, the City does meet with these interested parties to hear what they have in mind for the property, according to Joann Hussey, spokesperson for Hollywood.

About a year ago, the City issued a Request for Letter of Interest (RLI) regarding Orangebrook and in April, 2017 the City received only one proposal. It was not formally accepted as it did not meet State of Florida and City Ordinance requirements.

 

 

Author: Amanda Jones
Author: Amanda Jones

Amanda Jones specializes in social media marketing. She holds a Master's degree in Social Media Management from the University of Florida and a Social Media Professional Certificate from the University of Miami.

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