TAMPA, Fla — The future of New Tampa's shuttered Pebble Creek Golf Course remains uncertain following the appeals court's denial of the rezoning.
It has been a point of contention for years, and on July 9, the District Court of Appeals denied the rezoning of the golf course to build 251 homes on the property.
WATCH: Rezoning denied for Pebble Creek Golf Course in New Tampa
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Pebble Creek Golf Course by ABC Action News on Scribd
According to court documents, the course closed in 2021, and the owner was struggling to stay afloat.
RELATED: County leaders deny rezoning request
Leslie Green started a Facebook page called "Save Pebble Creek" in hopes of preserving the area as green space after she learned G.L Acquisitions Corporation's (GLA) had plans to rezone the 150-acre land to create a residential neighborhood.
And today, her goal has been met.
"This is exactly what we wanted to happen," said Green. "And we do have to thank Ken Hagan, which is our county commissioner."
After years of holding signs and attending BOCC meetings, Green and other advocates are seeing the result of their work come to life.
"It's been stressful, but the community as a whole has pulled together. It was very much a joint venture with the neighborhood.
Before the 5-2 vote not to rezone in July 2023, many others came forward saying they wanted the development to proceed.
"Please help our homeowners protect our property values and secure our future by voting yes on this application," said a resident in favor of the development during the 2023 BOCC meeting.
But it didn’t move forward.
Soon after, GLA challenged the board’s denial in the circuit court, to which the court sided with GLA, saying there was not enough evidence to deny the rezoning.
But Hillsborough County argued that the circuit court made a serious legal mistake by relying on a single commissioner’s comments rather than the official, written decision of the full board. The county appealed, and the appellate court agreed.
"The golf course land is what our entire neighborhood is based around, and now it's going to remain zoned the way it was meant to be," said Green.
After learning about the appellate court's decision, ABC Action News contacted those who had wanted to see the redevelopment happen. Still, many declined to appear on camera, with one person saying, “It’s a horrible decision.”
We also reached out to the landowner and have not heard back as of this report.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
