July 23rd Planning Meeting

Come to the Friday, July 23rd 6:00 p.m. WECARE meeting at the Villages of West End Clubhouse to find out the latest news on the West End Golf Course.  It has been nearly a year that the developer took a sixty-day deferral on the application (which has turned into a year).  The County Planning staff will soon be contacting developer to determine if he will proceed to a hearing as the plan was submitted or withdraw the application to be resubmitted at a later date. Will the developers Andrew Hodor and Sayed Moukhtara be able to build a connecting road? 

The west end communities have a very good chance of keeping the golf course property zoning Recreational.  Be part of the planning.  What do you and your community want this recreational property to look like in the future.  This meeting is an opportunity for you to join the discussion. 

If you are unable to attend, please ask someone in your community to attend.   

Happy Independence Day!

The 4th of July holiday means celebrating our independence with family, friends and neighbors by getting together in back yards, neighborhood parks and green spaces to share food and experience the joy of nature and watch the fireworks displays. Fireworks are dangerous explosives so please use safely and responsibly. FOWE and WECARE wish you a happy, healthy holiday.

Enjoy the holiday!

Update On Outreach Activities

Over the last few weeks, WECARE has conducted multiple outreach efforts with a number of residents in Town of Tioga, The Greens, West End North Villas, South Villas and Patio Homes. The purpose of the meetings is to provide the latest information regarding the proposed development of the West End Golf Course property while providing an opportunity for the local residents to express their views and opinions. Response to these meetings has been excellent and has furthered WECARE's efforts to raise awareness and gain more public support in stopping the developer’s application moving forward. WECARE is willing to provide these presentations anytime and anywhere. STAY THE COURSE!!!

Shared Benefits of Recreational Space

The West End Golf Course is such a valuable green space and drawing card for the west end that developers and realtors continue to advertise their properties as being “adjacent to the West End Golf Course” and “the community is minutes from the West End Golf Course.”  Even though the golf course has been closed since January 2020, a developer’s Current Inventory flier states “Premium Lots on Golf Course.”

Developers, realtors and the communities in the west end all would benefit by defeating the application to change the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan and the rezoning of the West End Golf Course property from Recreational to Residential.

How can you help West End Community for Recreation and Education (WECARE)?  Please DONATE (can be anonymous) to GoFundMe WECARE.  Checks may be made out to WECARE (West End Community Alliance for Recreation and Education) and sent to 14260 W Newberry Rd., #129, Newberry, FL 32669. 

A Champion UF Golf Coach Shares Her Thoughts on the Importance of West End

Save West End

I came to Florida in the fall of 1969 to teach in the health and physical education college and to coach the women's golf club. The club became a golf team in the 1970s. I was fortunate to win back-to-back NCAA championships in '86 and '87.

Also, during that time I had the good fortune to become acquainted with West End and got to know Scott Dombek. I loved the relaxed, no-pressure atmosphere of West End, a place where people learned to play and practice golf, day and night. It was a place where my players would play and practice.

Building homes, condos and apartments is not what the area needs, nor do the highways into town. I cannot imagine there not being a West End Golf Course. Please keep West End, the only place in town where people of all golfing abilities can play and practice!

Mimi Ryan, Gainesville

6-1-21 Commission Special Meeting

Alachua County Publishes a Special Commission Meeting Announcement.

The Alachua County Commission will conduct a hybrid Special Meeting on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at the Alachua County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville). The meeting begins at 1:30 PM.

Items of Interest:

• Urban Design Policies: Drive Thru, Parking, Tree Mitigation, and LED Signage

• Recreation Future Land Use Policies

• Policy discussion on the potential of allowing RV parks in the Urban Cluster as transactional housing.

We, in the west end communities, need to make our voices heard on these policy discussions.

The Commission will take public comment in person or by calling,

1-800-876-7516.; Masking in the meeting is now voluntary. The public may view the meeting on Cox Channel 12, Facebook and the County’s video on Demand website.

Join the growing list of WECARE Facebook friends!

The 428 Facebook Friends of West End and the 150 residents of the communities listed are members of Nextdoor Friends of West End:  Abbey Glen, Belmont, Broadmore, Brookfield, Buckingham, Charleston, Cheney Walk, Ellis Park, Empower Park, Fletchers Mill, The Greens at West End, Hampton Heights, Hampton Ridge, Jockey Club, Jonesville, Legacy at Ft. Clarke, Meadowbrook, Misson Café/Coffee, Newberry, Oakcrest, Oakmont, Parker Place, Parker Road, South Pointe, Strawberry Fields, Town of Tioga, Turnberry Lake, Villas of Casselberry, Villages of West End, Wellington.

As you can see, not only the residents of the surrounding communities of the West End Golf Course property want the zoning to remain Recreational.  What we want is a public green space for all to enjoy.

Please write the Alachua County Commissioners and urge them to vote NO to amend the Alachua County Comprehensive Land Use Plan and NO on the rezoning.