News Summary
The proposed sale of the Capital City Country Club property in Tallahassee has sparked significant opposition from community advocates. Despite the country club’s financial struggles and desire to purchase the land, concerns have been raised about potential future development. Local organizations, including the Woodland Drives Neighborhood Association, have actively mobilized residents to voice their apprehensions, questioning the appraisal value and expressing fears over uncovered historical burial sites. City officials aim to address these issues while considering the property’s future use.
TALLAHASSEE – Community Opposition Grows Against Proposed Sale of City-Owned Golf Course Amid Developer Concerns
The proposed sale of the city-owned Capital City Country Club property in Tallahassee has ignited significant concerns among neighborhood advocates regarding potential future development. The Woodland Drives Neighborhood Association is leading the opposition against this unexpected item that appeared on the City Commission agenda in September.
The nearly 180-acre Capital City Country Club currently leases the land from the city for just $1 a year. The country club has expressed a desire to purchase the property outright due to financial troubles, hoping that ownership will enable them to secure necessary financial pledges from lenders and benefactors.
Support for the sale has come from Mayor John Dailey and City Commissioners Dianne Williams-Cox and Curtis Richardson, who have publicly stated they do not favor future development of the site. They have emphasized the importance of upholding commitments to the community regarding the future use of the golf course.
Despite reassurances from Capital City Country Club’s board chair regarding the absence of plans for redevelopment, some residents remain skeptical. This includes Woodland Drives Neighborhood Association Vice President Jeff Blair, who believes there might be undisclosed intentions to develop the land in the future. The association’s president, Greg Youchock, has voiced concerns that the choice to control such prime real estate could result in attempts to sell portions of the property for profit later on.
The city has received an appraisal from the country club, estimating the property value at $1.15 million. Critics have argued that this figure is artificially low, clarifying that it is based on the property’s current use as a golf course rather than its potential for residential development.
Following the proposed sale, the club has promised that any land acquired would be used solely for golf course operations and that no residential or non-golf development would take place. In response to growing concern, the Woodland Drives Neighborhood Association has taken an active role by informing approximately 450 households about the issue and organizing a planning webinar scheduled for October 12.
Several other neighborhood organizations, including the Myers Park Neighborhood Association and the Alliance of Tallahassee Neighborhoods, are also examining the proposal closely. Legal notices concerning the potential sale have been placed around the golf course property, further signaling the community’s unease.
Furthermore, the immediate past president of the Alliance of Tallahassee Neighborhoods raised concerns regarding the current deed restrictions, expressing fears that those restrictions might not prevent future developments on the property.
Compounding the controversy, advocates have highlighted the presence of unmarked graves of African Americans discovered on the property. These graves were detected using ground-penetrating radar in 2019, leading to discussions on how best to memorialize those buried there. However, no definitive plans for such memorialization have come to fruition yet.
The ongoing financial struggles of the country club—with challenges exacerbated by a tornado in 2024—have been cited as a primary reason for the potential sale. The club’s management indicated that substantial investment is required for its continued operation and survival.
As discussions surrounding the sale continue, it is important to note that the process would require a second appraisal and assurances regarding the preservation of burial sites. Some city commissioners are questioning the long-term financial sustainability of the country club if ownership does indeed change hands in the future.
The focal points of the ongoing deliberations regarding the sale remain rooted in public land decisions, community involvement, and the need for memorialization efforts related to the discovered gravesites.
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Additional Resources
- Tallahassee.com: Capital City Country Club Sale Riles Neighbors
- Tallahassee Reports: City Considers Selling Capital City Golf Course
- Tallahassee.com: Explore Capital City Country Club Sale Amid Outcry
- WTXL: City to Conduct Second Appraisal of Capital City Country Club Land
- Miami Herald: State Politics Report
- Wikipedia: Tallahassee
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