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Highlands Today

Spring Lake May Purchase Golf Course

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By GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: January 26, 2009

SPRING LAKE - The improvement district which operates Spring Lake is considering buying the 36-hole golf course.

Joe DeCerbo, who was at a meeting in Fort Meyers when he responded to reporter's message by leaving a voice mail, said the board intends to use the golf course as part of its water control plan.

Spring Lake is a 3,359 acre subdivision along U.S. 98 between Sebring and Lorida. The district has been sued in the past for its inability to control stormwater, which is collected in canals and drained into Arbuckle Creek. In the past, before that water got to Lake Istokpoga, it flowed over the land of ranch owner Sandra Tyrell.

William J. Nielander, Spring Lake's attorney, has issued a letter of intent to purchase the course.

Kent Calabrese, a supervisor for eight years, doesn't think it's necessary.

"The water control plan says they have more retention," said Calabrese, who has lived at Spring Lake since 1995. "It doesn't say you have to buy a golf course to do that."

Calabrese, a retired Silicon Valley engineer, contends there are other areas to build retention ponds which won't encumber Spring Lake residents.

"For God knows how many years," Calabrese said. "Plus its yearly operating charge, etc. etc. etc."

Calabrese, who appeared at the last meeting of the five-member board of supervisors, contends they haven't been public enough about their intentions. He's seen no mention of it in the SLID newspaper, the Spring Lake Breeze. DeCerbo said a slideshow presentation has been shown to 200 people, and it was e-mailed Friday afternoon to Highlands Today.

Even so, Calabrese asked, why would Spring Lake residents want to buy a golf course when they already have access to it.

"There are a whole lot of other issues that would lead a prudent person to say, stop," Calabrese said.

Highlands Today senior reporter Gary Pinnell can be reached at 863-386-5828 or gpinnell@highlandstoday.com

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