Ad Hoc Committee Shares Favorable News From CCI

Ad Hoc Cooper Land Evaluation Committee met on June 23, 2022. The committee has been working on completing its duties by tying up loose ends and preparing a report to send to Cooper Communities, Inc. (CCI) to confirm that the committee and CCI have the same understanding regarding the parcels the POA is interested in obtaining. The committee has a non-public Zoom meeting with CCI on June 27. Lastly, the committee will finalize their report and input at the last public ad hoc committee meeting on July 7. The final report will then be sent to the Board of Directors before the July 20 Board Meeting.

“The ad hoc committee consists of seven members from multiple standing committees: Gen. Jeff Lofgren, Chair, Finance & Planning Committee; Janet Rowe, Vice-Chair, Trails Committee; Thomas Gale Smith, Public Services Committee; Mark Quinton, Parks & Recreation Committee; Concetta “Pookie” Dixon, Golf Committee; Karen Crowson, Governmental Affairs Committee; and Max Billingsley, Common Property, Forest & Wildlife Committee. The Board Liaison to the Committee is Robert McLeod.”

Absent: Karen Crowson; Thomas Gale Smith; Janet Rowe (Vice-chair)

Lofgren Shares Updates From CCI

• Danville Gate is part of a boundary parcel. CCI said if we will have a survey completed, they will quit claim deed the parcel to us.

• West Gate – A sliver of land attached to the West Gate property is being questioned as to whether CCI or the POA has ownership. CCI says the POA owns this property. Chair, Jeffrey Lofgren said he is unable to find a record of ownership for this sliver of property. If it turns out we do not own the property, then CCI will deed it to us.

Board Director, Bob McLeod Gives Board of Director Update

Board Director Bob McLeod, said that the Board of Directors is happy with the work the committee has done and had no questions for the committee. McLeod said he told the Board that the committee would be presenting its report at the next Board Meeting on July 20 and it is expected that the Board will vote on this issue at that time.

Committee Member, Pookie Dixon asked, “They had no problem with the $5,000? (This is the amount needed to purchase the Coronado golf cart parking area. There is no available place to move this parking lot.)

McLeod said, “To us, we’re taking in – we’re selling lots and we’re actually buying lots.” McLeod said they are trying to get groups of connected lots. “We’re buying and selling lots as it is. To us, this is just another lot.”

Committee Member, Mark Quinton, stated, “One mention on the $5,000. I have been back and forth in my mind on this because what Cooper [CCI] is doing for us is outstanding. I mean the work they are doing, a lot of it is for free. So, $5,000 was the asking price for that piece of property. I have a friend that bought four acres just recently, in the Village for $12,000. That piece of property [golf course parking lot] with those calculations would be overpriced. That is their asking price. But it is only five grand. So, should we put the verbiage in there that we recommend we should buy the property at a negotiated price or do we just leave it alone because of what Cooper is doing for us?”

Director McLeod said that after we obtain the golf cart parking lot, we should look at expanding it because there is not enough room to park.

“In fairness to the Board,” Lofgren said the final report should be sent to them in time for them to review prior to the Board Meeting.

Jeff recommends we use the same survey company that CCI always used because they will have the records and knowledge of the Village.

CCI is willing to give the POA land at the Sanitation and Streets Department Maintenance Building if the POA pays for the land survey. The POA has already encroached on CCI”s property at this location and needs more land for future expansion.

Regarding the trails, all of them can either be rerouted or CCI is giving us the land that the trail falls on. The exception to this is the Cedar Creek Trail and Waypoint. Los Lagos owns part of Waypoint Trail. Cedar Creek Trail sits on a property that CCI is asking $1 MM for and CCI does not want to divide this property.

An individual contacted Janet Rowe, wanting to form a group for donations for Cedar Creek. Janet Rowe said it would be difficult to collect $1 MM in donations.

Jeff Lofgren said the risk level is low that we will lose access to the Cedar Creek Trail anytime soon.

Lewis Delavan Asks a Question

“I know the sale of Cedar Creek is considered imminent, but I just wanted to ask, will a potential buyer for the Cedar Creek parcel be allowed to use the existing Village gates for access if they opt not to join the Village?”

Lofgren responded, “Maybe we add this to the legal questions for Rose Law Firm. I don’t quite understand how if somebody bought the parcel that they could choose to be in or out of the Village because it is within the boundaries of the Village. But it is a good question. I am not a lawyer and I know if it is a platted parcel, they don’t get a choice to be in or out of the Village. But you are right, these are not platted parcels. These are reserve properties and I don’t know what the law says or the limits say on that.”

Delavan asked, “If they were required to build an access road to say Danville Road, would that be at the purchaser’s expense?”

Lofgren answered, “I wouldn’t see that it would be our responsibility for that.”

Lofgren said Delavan’s question would be asked of Rose Law Firm. He also said that Charles Brown, Director of Compliance and Contract Management, might know the answer to Delavan’s question.

The next Ad Hoc Committee meeting will be on July 7 at 1:00 PM at the Ouachita Room at Ponce de Leon Center.