From Staff Reports
After years of stalled plans and mounting frustration, the owners of Errol Estate Golf Course have put the ball squarely in the City of Apopka’s court. 5th Hole Investments, the owners of the Errol golf course lands, has formally proposed selling the 380-acre property to the City of Apopka for $6.3 million. This proposal, detailed in a letter dated May 31st also includes a settlement offer to resolve outstanding utility liens for $150,000.
The golf course closed in 2018.
In its letter to Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson and the City Council, 5th Hole Investments outlined the terms of their offer:
- Property Transfer: The city would receive all nine parcels constituting the 380-acre property in its current "as-is" condition, along with all maintenance equipment on-site.
- Purchase Price: A cash payment of $6.3 million, based on a 2020 appraisal made public by the owners.
- Utility Lien Settlement: A proposed payment of $150,000 to satisfy approximately $295,000 in outstanding utility liens at the time of purchase.
The letter emphasizes that the city could utilize the property for various public opportunities, including development, leasing, resale, or partitioning. It also suggests that non-usable land could be converted into perpetual conservation areas to reduce maintenance expenses.
"We note that the City paid $4.7 million for Camp Wewa, a ~70-acre parcel, with the intent of public preservation, the letter states. "The Errol property is ~380 acres. The City, after purchasing the Errol property, could use, operate, lease, re-sell, and/or partition the property, for various public opportunities. The FLU-residential acreage could be sold for development to recoup purchase costs. Non-usable land could be converted into perpetual conservation, which would drastically reduce maintenance expenses. Parks & Recreation opportunities could be achieved by either re-selling or transferring property directly to Errol HOAs, as opposed to any City-funded ventures."
It also provided options for the City to utilize the property.
"The City has insisted on public ownership through the creation of an Errol Estate Recreational taxing district, a non-existent public entity. If the City wants public ownership of a large portion of the property, then the City should take on that ownership themselves in good faith. We submit that the residents do not want to form a taxing district, however, the City could still pursue that goal as a potential public-to-public transaction."
This was the second open letter 5th Hole Investments has sent to the City in as many months.
Earlier, on April 2nd, 5th Hole Investments issued a notice expressing intent to pursue permanent conservation efforts for the property's floodplain areas. They cited the financial hardship of maintaining these undevelopable sections and the lack of interest from municipal entities in acquiring the land.
"We are forced to mow and maintain this floodplain area," the letter states. "This is a financial hardship because of the expenses paid to the contractors who perform the work. It also requires general property management, taxes, insurance and other associated expenses. It is not an amenity, and as its owner, the land provides no economic utility for us."
In 2018, the Apopka City Council approved a comprehensive redevelopment plan known as "New Errol," proposed by Signature H Property Group. The $175 million project aimed to revitalize the golf community by introducing a redesigned 18-hole championship golf course, a state-of-the-art clubhouse, a 40-room boutique hotel, a community water park, 261 new homes, and a senior living campus with assisted living and rehabilitation facilities. The plan also included the construction of a new roadway, Staghorn Drive, to improve connectivity within the community .
Despite the initial approval and community support, the project faced challenges in implementation and was ended in 2019.
