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Highlands Today

Spring Lake Must Hold Accurate Advisory Vote On Golf Course

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 22, 2009

It's often difficult to knowwhen elected representatives should make tough decisions and when the people should have the final say. Both ways have merit, and in Spring Lake, it's clear what must be done.

A lot of hard feelings are spilling over in Spring Lake concerning a proposal for the purchasing of the golf course. Water management issues are a big concern, with retention ponds required to alleviate flooding issues.

Money will have to be spent to deal with these problems, no matter what happens out there. The Spring Lake Improvement District has been working tirelessly to find the best solution. One idea that was tossed out there was buying the golf course and using land from that purchase to provide the retention ponds. The other idea is to not buy the golf course and spend money to do the work elsewhere.

The idea of buying the golf course has proven contentious. Some people are against it; some believe it's the best idea. We make no judgments on what's right or wrong. The facts aren't in anyway, so no one can really make an informed decision. There are positives and negatives about any solution.

What's clear, though, is that an advisory vote is needed from homeowners in Spring Lake. It would be non-binding, but SLID needs some direction from homeowners as to which way to go on this and whether to proceed gathering information. Both sides claim they have the majority of residents behind them, so there needs to be a vote.

What must end are the often mean-spirited charges from one side against the other about motives and potential wrong-doing. Several people are spouting off and trying to allude to some kind of conspiracy, but no one has a shred of proof - probably because there is no truth to these allegations and rumors.

Any time a nice community like Spring Lake has difficult decisions to make, tempers will flare. Cooler heads must prevail and name calling must stop. Board members must listen to what residents are saying, weigh it with the best information they have, and then make a decision that serves the district now and in the future.

Sure, some people won't be happy regardless of what happens, but at least it can be said that a majority of homeowners had their say. That's fair, and no one can deny that.

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