Margate Executive Golf Course {Google Maps}
By Richard Zucchini
Soon, the Margate Planning and Zoning Board and Commission will consider a new development project. The question is, will it be smart development, and will it benefit the good of the city?
The Margate Executive Golf Course, at 7870 Margate Blvd., will apply for rezoning in November. Without voicing an opinion, this writer will eliminate the emotions (which run high) from the facts. For example, leading the way against development is the Keep Margate Green initiative.
The term “Keep Margate Green “(KMG) certainly is a catchy and desirable phrase; however, it is for residents and the commission to decide whether it overstates the actual intention.
This writer approached the Keep Margate Green advocates and questioned why they did not object to the city commissioner’s rejection of the Palm Lakes Golf Course’s 15 acres of “green,” which was offered for free to the city. The KMG responded, “We are only concerned with our properties.” That certainly takes the wind out of the sail of Keep Margate Green.
So, let’s examine a golf course as a “green” element.
Golf courses, especially in South Florida, use 50,000 pounds. of pesticides annually because of our longer growing season and tropical climate. Golf course pesticides include Arsenic, Curfew, Chlorpyrifos, DDT (now discontinued), 2, 4 D (a component of Agent Orange), and Roundup (glyphosate).
These are all suspected or proven carcinogens, reproductive and nervous disorder poisons. These carcinogens also create pesticide drift, going airborne for a half mile and leaching into aquifers.
Routinely, golfers and maintenance workers suffer a much higher incidence of various cancers.
It is impossible to romanticize a golf course as “green,” perhaps color-wise, but it is an environmental health hazard.
The executive golf course will eventually be developed without question. The question remains when and, more importantly, the how in design, landscaping, and amenities. Margate is in a position now, along with residents, to formulate an attractive “smart” plan.
The KMG group is primarily comprised of 55+ residents, units most of whose property tax has not kept up to current market values and evidenced by long-term homestead and senior discounts, low turnover, and self-imposed restrictions (no renters, no pets, restrictive credit score requirements) all purposefully designed to limit potential buyers, therefore, limiting market values. These are facts, and by no means are they meant as a commentary or criticism of our seniors (this writer among them).
The executive golf course is surrounded by three 55+ communities: Garden Patio Villas (50 units), Oriole Gardens TWO (496 units), and Oriole Margate Sec 6 single family (79 units).
As far as the unit’s view, which would be affected by the change of view:
Garden Patio Villas – 30 have a golf course view, Oriole Gardens Two – 176 have a golf course view (80 canal view, 128 are on heavily trafficked Atlantic Blvd), Oriole Margate Sec 6 – 31 16 have a golf course view (20 canal view, 25 a private lake view, some front Margate Blvd).
In summary, 222 units out of 625 units would have the view affected.
Those 222 would have the best leverage to improve their view with a lush landscaping barrier rather than a barren toxin-producing golf course.
So, let’s discuss property tax revenue issues:
The proposed development presented includes 137 townhouses with lush landscaping and an estimated market value of $450,000; since the demand for housing is so great, we cannot calculate the extent of tax portability that would be used so that we will estimate the potential revenue totals coming to the city.
With 137 units with estimated sales values of $450,000, the tax revenue could be as high as $1,342,000 in total tax, including $409,000 to Margate. That is $2,985/unit.
Margate currently operates on a per-unit residential average of approximately $1,000. Let us consider this a residential living unit break-even point of the city’s costs of services. It is much higher, given the contributions of commercial property tax revenues and other revenue-generating services.
Please realize that our safety personnel, which we are very proud and appreciative of, amounts to approximately 65-70% of our city budget, and we realize an annual 5% compounded increase, so a growing tax revenue is a significant contributor.
The 222 units whose view might be affected contribute very little to the city tax revenue (ex. Oriole Gardens two Condo Bldg. 38), which averages $232/unit, significantly below our break-even point of supplying services.
This writer is not passing judgment nor disparaging our seniors who have a high incidence of volunteerism, as this writer is a senior; however, they are also frequent users of our city’s safety personnel.
So, I leave it to the residents and commissioners: Would this development plan bring much-needed revenue, pay more than their fair share, and, as a result, supplement the benefit of other residents? Would the view be designed so that those affected would improve their outlook and help from higher market values as a consequence of surrounding higher-priced sales?
Are the Keep Margate Green group unfairly over-romanticizing the benefits of a “green” golf course? Perhaps they are selfish in their interests over the rest of our city’s residents.
And will they unfairly hold our commissioners hostage in the next election? That is for our residents and our commission to find out.
We welcome all opinions. Send yours to Margate Talk. Don’t miss reading Coconut Creek Talk, Coral Springs Talk, Parkland Talk, and Tamarac Talk.
