I'm sure many of you read the January 3rd Sun Times' article, "Georgetown Course Sold". It was encouraging to read that the buyer, Ray Watts will keep the golf course open and make improvements on buildings and amenities. Questions arise, not from anything Mr. Watts said, but because of the history of sales, new owners, and their problems. Mr. Watts should have all of our best wishes in fulfilling his promises and benefiting with growth of membership and increased use of the course and associated facilities.
The golf course, separate from our association, yet tied with roads, land boundaries, water, drainage, etc., has changed hands through sale and court actions, three or four times in the 10 years that I've lived here. Yet, it is all part of our PUD. Each time the new owner has declared it will be bigger and better. Each has implored the residents to utilize their facilities. One of the owners sold off golf course land with the buyer intending to build homes. That board organized members to attend hearings and defend our PUD at county meetings. No homes were built on the land but we are left with an eye sore - an over grown mess. Again, we have a developer. He deserves our trust and any usual assistance we can give, unless there are indications that the interest is in building, rather than golf.
If the new owner does move forward with his plans, wouldn't it be an additive to us and the golf course, if our board cleaned up our association? We have violations to our covenants and by laws throughout the association. Unmoved lawns, curbs and other such structures allowed if you are in favor with the board, equipment parked on vacant lots, clothing on clothes lines left for days, torn screening hanging off from old structures, vehicles that haven't been moved in months, yards stacked with multiple boats & utility trailers, and battered items left to rot. Will your board and ARC clean up to make this a first class area, as the golf course properties improve?
The bigger question is whether this secretive, cohesive, verbal rather than written legal opinion, make their own rules board, is capable of protecting our PUD if the situation arises?
