Fort Myers, FL
It's been said, over and over, by the Gateway Golf and Country Club, that one of the reasons the residents should be footing the bill for damage to Wetland 47 was because the district just hasn't been been paying attention.
Well, newly uncovered documents prove that's not the case. In fact, the club has damaged the wetland before and was warned by the district not to do it again. Hopefully these documents will put the nail in the coffin of cooperation with between the club and the district and the Supervisors will do the right thing and start taking legal action to get our money back.
Back in 1991 the district sent a letter to Westinghouse explaining that the wetland "was encroached upon" and "four acres were mowed by gold course personnel". The district included photos of the incident. The district also wrote "it is paramount that the wetland areas not be encroached upon". The district recieved a response from Westinghouse which said the following "there was a break-down of communication with the Golf Course personnel. The reason for the encroachment/mowing of the wetland was so the golfers could retrieve golf balls". Imagine that. They mowed then, just like they mow now, FOR PLAYABILITY!
These historical letter's should be additional proof to the current board of supervisors, the country club and SFWMD that there was district oversight and we were doing what we were supposed to do all along. The common sense factor should now kick in, for those of us who have it. It's not our problem that the club will have to assess its members for this costly mistake. It's not our problem residents are offering $10,000 cash to ditch their memberships. The club did the damage. The club should do the right thing and own up to it and fix it with SFWMD. Leave the residents out of it. We are not YOUR scapegoat. We did nothing wrong. The fact is the Country Club hoity toity's thought they could pull a fast one on the current board of supervisors. They almost accomplished that, especially with one country club member, who will remain nameless, sitting on the board.
It's well past the time the Supervisors did the right thing. Stop wasting money on engineering fees and start legal action to get our money back for the fine you should never have paid and the additional attorney's fees and engineering fees you continue to waste every day time is spent on this issue. It's time we get our $100,000 back and you five do what you were elected to do, represent the residents, not the country club!
Write an e-mail to your Supervisors demanding they do the right thing.
